How to Love Your Neighbour(22)

“Tour?” Josh said a little too loudly. Noah lifted his brows at him.

“Is that okay?” Grace asked.

“Sure.” Noah gestured toward the living area. He wondered if she and her friend would have any preliminary thoughts. He could take them under advisement, but the firms he worked with on design back in New York had more than a few years under their collective belts. They definitely weren’t newbies not even done with their degrees yet.

“The ladder?” Grace asked as they followed Noah into the open space.

“Right. What are you doing?”

She eyed him curiously. “Does it matter?”

He grinned, feeling that push-pull feeling again. “Is it a secret?”

“Gutters.”

Josh and Rosie moved farther into the mostly empty room, but Noah stopped in front of Grace. He heard them chatting like reunited best friends behind him.

“Problem?” Grace crossed her arms over her chest, her mouth turning down on one side.

He ran a hand through his hair. “No. Not a problem, per se. Just wondered if you have your gutter-cleaning license as well.”

Grace’s gaze went a few degrees cooler. “Why? You want to hire me to do yours?”

He sputtered out a breath. Jesus. She twisted everything he said. “No. I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to lend you a ladder I don’t own. If you get hurt doing your gutters, I could be liable.”

“I don’t think you would be, technically,” Josh said from beside them.

If Grace were a cartoon character, she’d have plumes of smoke coming out of her ears. He lifted his hands in retreat. “Sorry. Forget I asked. Just be careful.”

“Sure thing, Dad.” Her smile was not friendly.

Josh snickered. “As you can see, this is the living area. Noah had that wall removed. It’s opened the place up considerably.”

Noah turned, shoved his hands in his pockets. “I take it you’re giving the tour?”

Josh mimed zipping his lips, making Noah laugh.

“What he said. That wall really made it feel smaller. I like open spaces.”

Grace let out a sigh that made his blood run hot. She and Rosie walked side by side, surveying the open kitchen, talking in some sort of hushed code. When they came back near the guys, Grace’s expression lit up.

“I love the bay window. It’s gorgeous. It would make a perfect seating area; put in a bench, built-in shelves, you’d have a reading nook. You read, right? The financial section or something?”

Josh’s laughter cut through any tension that might have existed. “Don’t paint him into a box. He also likes to surf.”

He was oddly pleased to see that gentle flush spread over Grace’s cheeks.

“The rest of the tour?” she asked.

Pulling himself together, he showed her the four bedrooms, including the master that had a kick-ass tub.

Rosie let out an exaggerated sigh, putting one hand to her head. “I’d marry this tub.”

Josh snickered. “I think he’s partial to it.”

Noah cleared his throat. “I never said I took baths.” His brothers would have a field day if they knew that.

“Nothing wrong with loving them,” Grace said, eyeing him with amusement.

“No one said love.” His tone came out far more clipped than he intended.

“This place kicks ass,” Rosie said. They made their way through the house, and Noah was surprised that Grace didn’t offer more commentary on her thoughts. He didn’t want to ask. He wouldn’t ask. She was a student. Not even a professional.

“I’m surprised you don’t have more furniture,” Grace said when they went back to the kitchen.

“I’m interviewing designers. I have the essentials,” he said, nodding toward the big-screen TV and couch.

“Interviewing interior designers?” Rosie’s voice rose an octave.

Shit. Way to put that out there. Not awkward at all. Josh was trying to send some sort of weird-ass signals with his eyes and eyebrows.

Rosie looked back and forth between Grace and Noah, her chin moving up and down in a gentle nod. “Right. Okay. Well, I should go.” She looked at Josh.

Josh’s gaze locked on Rosie’s. “Me too.”

“What?” Grace looked at her friend. “You said you were helping me paint.”

Rosie looked flustered for all of two seconds. “Rain check? It’s not going anywhere.”

“Cold, Rosie. Cold.”

Her friend winked, and she and Josh left like their asses were on fire. Noah stared after them, a little dumbfounded.

“What the f—”

“My thoughts exactly.” Grace’s tone was the kind of irritated he’d heard directed only at him. It was kind of nice not to be the reason.

They looked at each other and laughed at the same time. “You think they’ll hook up immediately or just exchange numbers?” Grace started for the door.

“I honestly don’t want to know. You’re leaving?”

“Gutters, remember.”

He didn’t like the thought of her up on the ladder but he didn’t like the thought of him up on a ladder either. He especially didn’t like the thought of either of them breaking their necks falling off said ladder.