How to Love Your Neighbour(41)

“Just a neighborly dispute. I’ll sort it out later. Come on. I want to show you what I plan for the guest rooms,” Noah said, heading back up the stairs and leading them down the carpeted hallway.

Emily stayed rooted to her spot, so Noah turned, gave her his full attention, his body vibrating with the tension of wanting this to go well and wanting to chase after Grace.

“That woman is your neighbor?” Emily asked.

Yup. His pissed-off neighbor who just outed him for his home-reno inabilities. “She is.”

“She’s fiery. Great energy.”

Josh laughed. “Noah seems to bring it out in her. Frequently.”

Noah’s stomach pitched at the little “hmm” sound that came from Emily. He sent a quick glare to Josh, who shrugged, his smile wide.

“I want something different for this feature. Something unique. Something that will bounce off the page.” Was she just talking to herself? She was looking around his upstairs like she could see things he couldn’t. “It’s an incredible space. I like the old Hollywood vibe.”

That was a good sign. “Yes, I agree. It’s got so much potential and I plan on being part of each room.”

“You have a designer?”

“In the works.” Damn, he needed to make a choice. Why was he waffling?

“How about an assistant?”

Josh cleared his throat. “Right here.”

Emily crossed her arms over her chest, looked back and forth between them. “The chemistry between you and the girl next door is captivating.”

Shit. Could they just focus on his house?

“Oddly enough, Grace is finishing up her degree in design,” Josh said.

Noah’s jaw dropped. What the hell was he doing?

Emily’s expression turned nothing short of gleeful. She actually clapped her hands as if Josh had just put on a show.

“This is too good.”

Noah stepped forward. “Grace is a neighbor and as you saw, she’s currently mad at me. We have a shaky relationship at best. She hasn’t finished her degree and I plan on making this house a livable masterpiece.”

“I’m going to level with you, Noah. We both have wants here. I want to be able to use this spread as my stepping-stone to editor in chief. I need something in keeping with the magazine’s reputation but also a hook that will appeal to an audience that likes to be instantly gratified.”

He did not like where this was going. He was done being a show pony. It was one of many reasons he’d walked away from his father.

“What are you suggesting?”

Her smile widened. “Let’s finish the tour.”

He wanted to believe he was in charge, but in this instance he knew she was calling the shots. They walked through the upstairs, chatting about carpeting versus laminate, the new landscape of wallpapering, and how to make it feel cozy but roomy. The entire time, his mind jumped back and forth between Emily’s thoughts and Grace’s hurt. This screwup was more than flowers. Something warm and unfamiliar had spread through his chest when he saw her planting those flowers in her yard. Without even trying to, this woman was weaving her way into the fabric of his life, and he was scared to pull at the threads. To see where they led.

“Oh, I love this!” Emily clapped her hands, walked straight to the window seat, and sat down on it. He’d had Kyle add it after Grace mentioned it. She’d been right. It looked perfect.

Emily beamed from the spot. “It’s gorgeous. It’s exactly the vibe you said you were going for. It’ll photograph beautifully.”

Noah’s attention took a sharp turn. “You think so?” Please think so. He needed this. Nothing felt like it was going the way it was supposed to. This would make him feel like he was back on top.

Emily tipped her elegant chin up. Strands of her tightly wound bun looked golden in the light of the window. “I have some thoughts. I’d like to work with you and a designer of my choosing.”

The hair on the back of his neck stood up. “Excuse me?”

“I like Grace.”

He closed his eyes, counted to three, and met her gaze. “Grace is my neighbor. Who I’m not on the best terms with.” Who rocked my world with a kiss I won’t ever forget. “She’s not some up-and-comer. She’s completely green.”

Emily stood. “The dynamic between the two of you will make up for her inexperience.”

“I respect you, Emily. But I want a professional.”

Apparently this woman had her own deal-closing smile. “More than you want this spread? Because I’m going big. This is big. This is the kind of thing that people will remember. It’ll do more than put you on the map without your father’s backing. It’ll create an entirely new map. Like reality television on the page. There’s no way for this not to work. It’s edgy but in keeping with our brand.”

Josh made himself suspiciously busy. Noah shoved his hands in his pockets, trying not to act or look petulant. “This is a deal breaker?”

She nodded. “I have good instincts. So do you.”

Son of a bitch. He did, and those instincts told him that Grace would do a hell of a job on his house. That wasn’t what worried him. There was something about her that made him think she could also do one hell of a makeover on his heart.