How to Love Your Neighbour(100)

LOL I’d rather you didn’t show your goods to the entire beach so, yeah.

Noah

Fair enough. Need anything?

Grace

Just you. Always you.



The back door opened, and Noah came out onto the porch. He stood on the deck in shorts and a T-shirt, his feet bare, and surveyed everything Josh and Rosie had helped her pull together in record time. Should she have told him to put on a bathing suit? The gesture was supposed to be more symbolic than anything.

His gaze moved over the canopied tent that covered the rectangular blow-up pool. Candles flickered in the light breeze, set up on a bistro set she’d picked up for the back porch. Three fully-stocked coolers rested beside the pool. Towels lay over the back of the chairs.

Grace walked forward, meeting him at the bottom of the stairs.

“You got me a pool,” he said, his lips twitching.

“It’s where this all started, right? You wanted a pool.”

He nodded, taking her hand and walking forward. He dipped a hand inside. “It’s freezing,” he said around a laugh.

“We don’t have to get in,” she said.

“Oh, we’re getting in. Those curtains close,” he said.

She’d tied them open so they had the view of the setting sun over the water behind them, but maybe his idea was better. There was nothing she’d rather look at than Noah. They worked quietly, each of them taking two sides, pulling the strings so the massive canopy curtains closed around them. Seagulls squawked in the distance, laughter drifted faintly from people enjoying the beach. But inside the curtains, it was just them.

Noah glanced at the pool. “Maybe I didn’t think this all the way through. That water is pretty cold.”

Grace laughed. It didn’t matter if they went in. She kissed him, pulled him to the bistro set. “Sit down. There’s more.”

She opened two of the coolers, delighted to see Noah’s jaw drop.

“That is a lot of peanut butter brownie ice cream.” He dug through the ice and pulled up a pint-size container. Grace grabbed a spoon from the other cooler, which was filled with a picnic. She passed it to him.

“You said you needed it like air,” she reminded him.

“I did say that, didn’t I?”

He opened the lid, scooped up a bite, and held it out to her. She swallowed the delicious treat. “I should be feeding you.”

“We can take turns. Give-and-take, right?” He took a huge spoonful for himself.

“What now?” She whispered because the words wouldn’t go away.

“For us?” He smiled at her with a quiet sincerity she knew she could trust. For good.

“For all of it.” She gestured wide, meaning to include his house, her house, their parents. Everything.

“Well,” he said, then paused long enough to make her breath hitch. “I was hoping we could make my house our home but, honestly, it doesn’t matter where we live as long as we’re together. I’ve never wanted all of this with anyone. I thought I wasn’t built that way but that wasn’t why. It was because I hadn’t met you. This house is special. We did it together. I want to build a life and a family here with you. I want it to be our home.”

She launched herself at him, not even caring that he held ice cream. He laughed, catching her as he promised he would, managing not to drop the ice cream. He set it down as she straddled his lap on the chair.

“I’m supposed to be making the grand declarations and you’re just doing it all over again.”

He laughed as she buried her face in his neck. “You can declare whatever you want to me, baby.”

“I want everything you just said.” She brought her mouth to his, kissing him, getting lost in the fact that this was really real.

As his hands moved over her body, sending the best kind of shivers over her skin, she pulled back slightly. “I’m second-guessing the cold water.” She nuzzled against him.

“Especially when there’s a jetted tub upstairs,” he said against her neck where he pressed his lips. He handed her the tub of ice cream they’d been sharing. “Hang on to that.” Without warning, he stood, with her in his arms.

She laughed as he carried her through the curtains, up the stairs. “What about the rest of the ice cream?”

He didn’t answer. He was too busy kissing her.





48


Grace stared at the magazine, unsure if she was ready to open it.

“Why are you nervous?” Noah rubbed her shoulders as they both stared down at the shiny cover.

They’d been so busy with Noah’s work on getting donations for the community center, getting ready for Morty and Tilly’s wedding, moving in together, she’d forgotten that the magazine hit stands today.

“I don’t know. It’s almost like a snapshot of our relationship. This is the last one.”

“But not the end,” he said, kissing her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder, his arms looping around her waist.

He’d wait patiently, content to just hold her, which was so different from when they’d first met. Both of them had been in constant motion, not stopping to recognize where the holes and emptiness were in their own lives. Until their worlds collided thanks to a nine-pound Chihuahua.

“What did Rosie say about the offer?” Noah asked, distracting her from her thoughts.