Jimenez’s latest novella has lots of humor and heart. Charlotte and Seth are next door neighbors who meet when the stairs to their apartments are accidentally removed! Charlotte is wary of men because of a serious stalker situation and Seth’s divorce just came through so he is not looking for romance either, but they are both trapped and soon become friends and then more.

Seth is a tree arborist who is home with a sprained foot from a falling branch when he notices that the stairs that go up to his apartment are gone and he sees them in the dumpster! His property manager tells him they are doing repairs and the contractors accidentally removed the wrong stairs and can’t get back until next week but they’ll bring a ladder, in case of an emergency.

Charlotte works from home as an accountant and has had a stalker for the past several years. She carries bear spray when she steps out of her apartment to find out what the commotion is. Seth explains the situation with the stairs being gone and notices how pretty she is but wonders why she’s carrying bear spray; she tells him it’s for emotional support. Each of them has a best friend that comes by to see what’s going on and they bring a lot of fun and humor to the story. When Seth’s friend, Gabe sees Charlotte, he tells Seth he’s lucky to have such a hot neighbor and not to blow it by talking about trees – when Seth gets nervous, he talks about trees. Then Izzy, Charlotte’s best friend shows up in her Camaro, wearing Doc Martens and swinging a baseball bat. She’s upset because Charlotte was supposed to meet her and when she didn’t show, Izzy worried the stalker had gotten to her. Izzy comes off as terrifying, but is a softie at heart.

Seth sets up beach chairs on the outdoor balcony between their apartments so they can sit outside together and enjoy the view. Charlotte brings iced coffees (Seth loves coffee) and Gabe sends tacos up to them in a bucket. They end up chatting for hours and their conversation is lively. I loved Seth’s tree puns and Charlotte does too.

I don’t want to give away too much, especially since this is a short story. I thought Seth was romantic when they shared a kiss and he says it’s ‘just a blink of an eye for a redwood, but timeless for me’. I loved it when Seth talked about how redwoods’ roots intertwine and support each other. It’s fun to watch Charlotte and Seth grow together.

If you are looking for a quick read with joy and compassion, this little gem might be just the thing.