Chris laughed harder. “Good to see you’re all grown up.”
He didn’t feel less restless when he got in his truck, but he did feel happier.
* * *
Noah might not be entirely sure what was going on with him lately but he knew, as he parked his truck in front of the worn-down recreation center about twenty minutes outside of Harlow, that this place brought up a lot of memories and feelings. Good ones.
Grabbing the huge duffel bag from his backseat, he had a wide smile on his face when he met up with Rob in the parking lot.
“Hey. Sorry about last time, man,” Rob said, coming up beside him.
“No worries. It was fine. Relationships take time. Think the kids will show up?”
“I do.” Rob jutted his chin toward the duffel. “I told them there was a surprise. Thanks for doing that. I really didn’t tag you into this for the money.”
Noah knew that but had some ideas about it anyway. He’d been invited to enough things in his life because of his financial status or his family name to know when something was genuine.
“It’s all good. I’m happy to do it. I’m not above a little bribery to get them to let me in a little.”
He also knew that it took more than some nice jerseys to actually make headway. He just hoped they’d let him try. Noah and Rob found four kids waiting for them on the basketball court behind the rec center. They were an eclectic mix of heights, ethnicities, and ages. If he had to guess, he’d say the youngest one was about ten, the oldest just about done with high school.
“This guy again?” Leo said, making a derisive noise as he grabbed the ball from the youngest kid to start dribbling.
“I know,” Rob said. “With your moody teenage hormones, I didn’t think he’d want to come around again either, Leo.”
Noah looked at Rob. “I grew up with two brothers and a sister, a little attitude can’t scare me.” Noah smiled at the other kid, tossing the duffel on the ground. Two more boys came out from the center doors.
“Who’s this?” an older kid with an Afro bigger than the basketball asked.
There was a pale blond kid, slight thing though he was tall, walking alongside him. “Probably Rob’s lawyer.”
The others laughed, but Noah didn’t know what made something funny to teenagers.
Rob put up his hands. “All right, bunch of comedians, get in here.”
To their credit, the ragtag group of kids listened, standing in a semicircle around them.
“What did you think of me when we met?” Rob asked them, then held up a hand again. “The PG version.”
The kids snickered. Even Noah grinned, wondering what they’d said.
“Thought you were lost,” the pale blond kid said, showing crooked teeth when he smiled.
“Thought you were a lawyer or some schmoozy politician,” the Afro-haired kid said, another smirk.
Rob glanced at Noah. “I was wearing a button-down, collared shirt. Unless you never want to hear the end of it, don’t wear one.”
“Noted.” Noah glanced around, caught Leo mean-mugging him.
“We thought you were just another sucker who had to do some community work for some program so you could get a fancy degree,” the little guy said.
“You were all wrong about me. Whatever perceptions I had about you guys were wrong, too. We talked about that, judging people at first glance.”
“Happens all the time,” Leo said.
“To more people than you’d expect,” Noah said, holding the kid’s hard gaze.
He scoffed. “Oh yeah? Someone judge you on sight, rich boy?”
“Leo,” Rob said in a warning tone.
Noah patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. I get judged all the time. Not as much here as in New York where I’m from. Nothing you can do about what people say or think except be yourself and walk away from anyone who doesn’t like it.”
His words were met with silence, and for about three point two seconds, he felt like he’d imparted some strong wisdom to today’s youth. Until they started to laugh. Leo doubled over, holding the basketball to his side while he let out deep chuckles. Even Rob laughed, shaking his head.
“What?” Noah said, holding his arms out. “What?”
“Dude. You brought a motivational speaker?” a kid with one half of his head shaved, the other half sporting shoulder-length hair, said.
“Something like that,” Rob said, opening the duffel. “He’s also a friend of mine and when I told him about you scoundrels and us needing another player, he jumped at the chance. Which you’d know if you showed last time. He also brought us some swag.” Rob tossed out bright blue jerseys with each of the kids’ names and numbers on the back.
Five out of six of the kids took those jerseys, stared at them with some reverence, then whipped them on over their heads. Leo, however, held his in a tight-fisted grip.
“Why’d you bring these?” He stared directly at Noah.
“Because Rob said you needed jerseys.”
“So you got money? You’re gonna flash it around, make yourself feel like a Good Samaritan, give us some gifts, maybe get some tax breaks.”
Rob sighed, stepped toward Leo. Noah put a hand on his shoulder and stepped forward instead.
He went toe-to-toe with the kid, seeing that he was only a few inches shorter than his own six feet.
“Leo.”
The kid gave him a “duh” look that almost made Noah smile. Instead, he held his jaw tight, kept his gaze free of emotion. Every negotiation required a different approach.
“The jerseys are a gift because I heard you needed some. I have money but I’m hoping you don’t hold that against me. I came to play some basketball. Whether you wear that jersey or not won’t affect my ability to beat you.”
They stared at each other, and more than that, he could feel the others staring at them. The sound of the ball hitting the court stopped.
Leo’s chest puffed out. “Like last time?”
Noah pursed his lips, did his best not to grin. “I was being nice.”
Something almost friendly sparked in Leo’s dark eyes. “Hope you got insurance, old man.”
Noah laughed, stepped away, and bounced the ball out of the youngest kid’s hand. “Should the rest of you tell me your names before Rob and I school you on how it’s done?”
The kids whooped and hollered, called out some trash talk that reminded Noah how much he’d missed this sort of thing. On the court, on the water, pounding his feet on the pavement during a good run … everything else fell away. His focus was pure and easy. He wasn’t his father’s son or a brother. He was just a guy who loved what he was doing. Like when he was closing a really great deal, in the middle of an awesome negotiation. When his grandfather had smiled at him like he believed Noah could change the world.
“You two against the six of us.”
“They can’t handle that.”
“They’ll be limping away crying.”
Rob and Noah exchanged amused glances, then dove in, spending the next hour getting their asses handed to them by a group of kids who had a hell of a lot of skill when they worked as a team.
It was one of the few times since he’d arrived in California that he felt like he’d made the right decision.
13
“You’ve been gone almost two weeks and all you’ve done is paint a room?” Morty set his fork down, his irritated scowl burrowing under Grace’s skin.
“Sorry I’m not moving fast enough for you,” she replied, picking up a crinkle fry.
“Don’t you say sorry, honey. You have a life. You just moved, you’re finishing up school. There’s no rush, is there? You’re making a home not winning a race. You leave her alone, Morty, you old grump.”
“Not what you called me last night,” he said with a harrumph.
Grace set her fork down and covered her ears. “Gross.”
Tilly laughed, reached out and pulled Grace’s hand away from her ear. “He’s all talk, sugar. Now. Te
ll us about the neighbor Morty mentioned.”
Grace narrowed her eyes in his direction. “You told her about my neighbor?” Whom she’d been doing her best not to think about even while finding office ideas for him.
“What? I just said the guy who lived in the fancy house next door to yours wanted to pay too much for your place and was eyeing you up in a way I didn’t like.”
Grace laughed, using her napkin to wipe her fingers. “Is there anything you do like?”
“Half price at the movies,” he said, smacking his hand on the table.
Tilly shook her head, getting up to clear plates. Grace stood up to do the same, putting a hand on Morty’s shoulder as she passed. His grouchy persona was mostly bluster. Though his cheapness was the real deal. He loved to save a buck. When she’d first started working for him, he’d had no problem sending her clear across town to save forty cents on a can of something he wanted.
Morty patted her hand, his weathered skin brushing over her own. When she started to pull away, he squeezed, looking up at her. “You’ve got some mail.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him, thinking the look in his eyes was more emotional than the moment called for.
It wasn’t until they were settled in the living room with dessert, an unnecessary fire adding an extra glow to the room, that Morty cleared his throat, sat up straighter like he was about to give a speech.
“Tilly moved in,” he said, folding his hands on his lap.
Tilly ducked her head almost shyly, reaching out to put a hand over Morty’s.
When Grace burst out laughing, both of them looked up at her, mouths hanging open.
“Sorry. Was that supposed to be a news flash? When I went into the bathroom, her laundry was hanging over the curtain rod. Unless you’ve started wearing bras, Morty, and I’m not judging, I picked up on your little secret.”
Guilt nudged her when Tilly’s cheeks went a deep shade of pink. Jumping up off the chair, setting her chocolate cake aside, she rushed to Tilly, wrapping her arms around the woman.
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I’m sorry.”
Tilly accepted the hug, laughing as she returned the embrace. “I forgot all about that. I’m so sorry.”
Grace leaned back. “Don’t be. I think this is great. I expected it. I mean, I don’t know why you’d want to live with this cranky human but I admire you for it.”
“Hey. You had no complaints for four years,” he said, fighting his smile.
Grinning, she reminded him, “I did. You just ignored them.”
“We’re going to get married,” Tilly whispered.
Now Morty’s cheeks darkened, and happiness blossomed like quick-grow flowers inside her chest. This time, she hugged them both.
“I’m so happy for you two.” Not at all jealous that a man three times her age had found his match before she did.
“Ought to be. Want you to officiate the wedding,” he said. “You like having weird jobs.”
Grace laughed and went back to her seat. “Don’t think that qualifies as a weird job but if it means something to you two, I’ll happily get ordained. I’m honored you’d ask.”
“Only going to say this once because it shouldn’t have to be said more than that,” Morty said, picking up his own cake, staring at it intently.
Grace’s stomach twisted. “Okay.”
Tilly’s smile reassured her, but it wasn’t until Morty lifted his gaze that she actually took a breath.
“You’re like a daughter to me. Family isn’t what you were born with. Well, that’s not all it is. It’s what you want it to be. You and Tilly are my family. Love you both. No way of knowing why things happen the way they do but I’m grateful for whatever led the two of you to me.”
A lump lodged itself in Grace’s throat. She could only nod as she widened her eyes in an effort to keep tears from falling.
“Aw, Morty. You’re such a softy.”
“Not what you said—”
Both women yelled at once. “Don’t!”
Moving into her grandparents’ house was supposed to make her feel like she belonged, but maybe she didn’t need a building to do that. Maybe she just had to let herself accept that it was a feeling. Not a place. Wasn’t it? Renovating her grandparents’ house wouldn’t bring them back or mend things with her mother. Not that she wanted to.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Morty licked his fork clean, setting his plate down on the coffee table.
“Just, Noah offered to buy the house and I’m hanging on to it, thinking maybe that’s my link to family, but it isn’t. My link is right here. You guys, Rosie. It’s just … the connection matters to me. I want to live there and not just because of its past. I want to make it a home but am I foolish not to take that much money?” He had it to spend. The man had more dollars behind his name than she’d known existed.
“Course you’re foolish not to take it. Not sure why he’d offer so much but people who’ve always had money spend it like it’s nothing. The house is yours but you could build a whole future on what he’s offering. Don’t punch a gift horse in the snout.”
Tilly rolled her eyes. “Could you have butchered that expression any worse?”
“Knew what I meant, didn’t ya?”
Noah wasn’t foolish. He said he’d stop asking even though he won the bet. She wondered why it mattered to him. From what she’d seen online, he didn’t get attached or involved with his investments. This was clearly different. For both of them.
“It does sound like a great opportunity, honey, but be careful. Sometimes things that look too good to be true, are.”
That was her thought. Shifting the topic to her graduation, she pushed Noah and her house to the back of her mind. On her way out the door, Morty reminded her about the mail. In the car, as she was giving it a minute to warm up, she looked through the pile. Bill. Bill. Junk. Bill. Letter from her mom.
Grace closed her eyes, leaning her head against the seat. Tammy never followed through on her word. Why had she thought she would? She didn’t promise not to write. She said she wouldn’t ask for more money. She was tired of running from her mother. The woman hadn’t wanted her around the whole time they lived together, but now that she was gone, Tammy needed someone to whine to, someone to blame.
It made her wonder if she even knew what she was hanging on to with her grandparents’ house. Maybe the happiness she’d envisioned never existed. Whatever had, included her mom, the very person she wanted to ignore. Tammy told her sob stories about how she hadn’t been listened to or understood. To the point she’d lit out at sixteen and never looked back. Grace left her mother at eighteen, but history was definitely repeating itself. Right down to location. Was she doing the right thing? Did she really want to bring the past into the present? Noah might have a reason for offering too much for her place, but sometimes good things happened to good people at the right time.
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.”
How to Love Your Neighbor Page 9
