How to Love Your Neighbour(31)
Chucking all her mail into the passenger seat, she started for home, waves of uncertainty washing over her. She questioned which would be better: Take Noah’s offer and lock the door to the past, leaving the future wide open? Or follow through on her plan because she knew exactly where she was going? As long as nothing got in her way. Like snippy neighbors, broken roofs, or unwanted letters that came with even more unwanted feelings.
14
Having projects due, getting résumés ready, and having multiple jobs really messed with a person’s schedule. Grace didn’t see Noah much for the next week, which she told herself was a good thing. Her feelings were, at best, mixed. More than ever since Rosie told her she’d seen Noah at the rec center where her nephew played basketball. The more she learned about him, the more confused she grew.
As she came back from a last-minute walk with Brutus—which paid double—her mind was mostly on studying for her Theory in Design test. She had a list of furniture to run by Noah for his office, a couple of sketches to give him choices. She just needed dimensions for the room to make sure whatever he chose would fit.
She walked across the sand, away from the gathering crowds, loving the fact that she could see her house even with Noah’s mass of palm trees. Her house was worth what Noah was offering for the view alone. That was something else that had settled on her mind like an unbalanced weight. It was a good deal, but would the money from it fill her with nearly the same joy as walking up to her back gate did? It was funny, in a way, that he’d asked her a half dozen times but now that he’d stopped, she was considering it. Because it’s your choice. You do like your control, Gracie. A subtle warmth traveled over her skin, remembering the way he’d said her nickname that few people used. The way she’d told him not to.
She played with the finicky latch. Another thing to fix on her to-do list. She’d found a YouTube video but hadn’t watched it yet. Moving the latch up and down, she was trying to get it to release when she heard Noah’s laughter.
When she glanced up, he was stepping off the porch with a man who looked very much like him and a pretty brunette. The woman saw her first, giving a small smile. Grace lifted her hand in greeting, doing her best not to swear out loud at the gate.
Noah noticed her a second later. “Hey. You okay?”
“Fine, thanks. The lock is stuck again.”
“Need some help?”
“Nope. Got it.” Thank goodness. She didn’t need to be rescued in front of Noah’s guests.
Closing the gate behind her, she smoothed down her hair, wondering why her heart rate had accelerated. The walk hadn’t been taxing. She refused to believe it was just proximity to Noah. She wasn’t even entirely sure she liked him. Or that he liked her.
“Noah lacks social graces so I’ll introduce myself. I’m Chris, his brother. This is my girlfriend, Everly.”
She smiled, liking him already. Extending her hand over the fence, she shook Everly’s first. “I’m Grace.”
“Nice to meet you,” Everly said. She wore a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt but managed to look comfortable and chic at the same time.
Grace noticed her shoes. “I love your Converse.”
Everly glanced down at the striped black-and-white shoes. “Thanks. I’m a bit of a Converse addict.”
Chris stepped into her, putting his arm around her shoulder with a sweet familiarity that made Grace’s heartstrings tug sharply.
“There are definitely worse habits,” Grace said.
Noah’s gaze burned into her skin. Feigning a nonchalance she did not feel, she looked his way. “Good week?”
He nodded. “I got a lot accomplished. I’m waiting on the list of office furniture you owe me.” His gaze sparked with amusement. She wondered if he’d told his brother about their bet.
“I have it. With some sketch ideas.”
She felt curiosity from Chris and Everly.
“You’re in design school, right?” Chris asked.
“Just finishing up.” Normally, she didn’t mind idle chitchat, but everything about talking to Noah, with his family no less, made her feel like simple conversations could go sideways.
Chris looked at his brother with an overly wide gaze. “Aren’t you looking for a designer?”
“Chris.” Noah all but growled the word, making Grace’s back stiffen.
“No luck?” she asked with more of a bite than she intended.
“Something will work out,” Noah said.
Cue awkward tension. She was planting herself firmly in the “don’t like him” camp at the moment.
“Sorry, just to clarify, you’re a designer; Noah, you’re looking for designers, and Grace is doing your office for you?”
“That’s right. Grace is doing my office because all it has to do is be functional and because she lost a bet. I’ll be going with a professional firm for the rest of my house.”
Did he realize how insulting he sounded?
“You sound like a dick,” Chris said.
Grace coughed to cover her laugh. Well, he knows now.
“What?” Noah looked completely confused. “What did I do?” He stared at Grace.
“Nothing. Just stop saying I’m only doing your office because you’d trust a blindfolded toddler to do it. It was your idea. Maybe you’re just too lazy to pick out your own furniture, I don’t know. It might surprise you to know, but I have serious skills. I’m top in my class.”