“I don’t want it trimmed. I want it removed.”

“That is not happening.”

He began lecturing me about property values, insects and appearances. I reminded him that the tree stood entirely on my land.

His expression hardened.

“You may not like what happens next.”

The following day, I hired someone to cut back every branch that crossed the fence. Nothing from the tree would fall into Ryan’s garden again.

That should have ended the disagreement.

Instead, Ryan continued complaining.

He claimed the roots would damage his foundation. He said the apples attracted rodents. Eventually, he filed a formal complaint with the homeowners’ association.

Mira, the association representative, inspected the tree and found no violation.

“The tree is on Sloane’s property,” she told Ryan. “You are not allowed to damage it.”

After that, Ryan stopped speaking to me.

But he continued watching.

Whenever I worked outside, I could feel his eyes following me from his kitchen window.

That was why I quietly installed a trail camera behind a hedge, facing the tree and the garden gate.

I hoped I would never need it.

Three weeks later, I woke to find hundreds of apples scattered across my lawn.

Nearly every fruit had been ripped from the tree. Several smaller branches were broken, and the soil beneath them had been torn apart.

I was not crying over apples.

Someone had entered my property and deliberately damaged the tree Dean had planted.

Ryan appeared on his porch holding a cup of coffee.

“Did you do this?” I asked.

He looked at the ruined fruit and smiled.

“Must have been a strong wind.”

There had been no wind.

He was waiting for me to shout, cry or lose control.

Instead, I smiled back.

“It must have been.”

Then I went inside and opened the trail-camera footage.

PART 2 — THE STRONG WIND

SEE NEXT PAGE >>>

To see the full cooking instructions, go to the next page or click the Open button (>) and don't forget to SHARE it with your friends on Facebook.