How to Love Your Neighbor

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How to Love Your Neighbor Page 21

by Sophie Sullivan


  Reaching over, she used the hand not holding his to stroke his arm. It was time to lighten the mood. “Speaking of meaningful, those brownies brought new meaning to my life.”

  Noah’s chuckle filled the cab. “I saw your eyes widen when Stacey and Everly brought it up. “Were they good?”

  Grace let out a deep sigh. “So very good.”

  “Did you save me one?” He pulled onto the highway, piquing her curiosity.

  “There might be a few left. I could probably split it. I’ll decide after the date.”

  “Ouch. No pressure.” His lips twitched. “Fingers crossed I earn one.”

  They settled into an easy silence, but the smile stayed on her face. If she didn’t think about how a relationship could derail all of her hard work, she’d be fine.

  Noah took the exit for Venice Beach. Grace’s heart rate accelerated. “Are we going to Mi Casa?”

  He turned his head, a wide smile giving her the answer. She bounced on the seat. “You’re going to love it!”

  “Be one hundred percent honest,” he said, weaving through the traffic.

  Her tummy tumbled with the serious tone. “Of course.”

  “Would you rather visit Mi Casa or have those brownies?” He asked with such mock seriousness that Grace tried really hard to answer in kind.

  “I’m not sure what kind of man would make a woman choose.”

  After he pulled onto the kitschy street that housed her favorite store, he found a parking spot, then turned his body toward her, pulling her close with the hand he still held.

  “Obviously not a smart one.”

  When his mouth met hers, Grace had to remind herself that she deserved to live her life, not just wait for it to happen. It was happening now. Falling for Noah didn’t mean leaving all her dreams in the dust. No other guy made her worry about her ability to keep her focus. But clearly, given the brownies and the first stop on their date, Noah Jansen was unlike any other man she’d ever known.

  31

  Noah hurried around the front of his truck to open Grace’s door. Why was he so nervous? He’d gone into multimillion-dollar-deal meetings with less anxiety rumbling around in his gut than he’d felt today.

  He opened the door, held out a hand to help her down. She was stunning. What she couldn’t know, what he knew she wouldn’t believe, was even in jeans and tank top, all that sexy hair tied back in a cascading braid, she was the most enticing woman he’d ever known.

  “You’re looking at me funny,” she said, lifting her chin to meet his gaze.

  He pressed a kiss on her nose. “That’s better than being funny-looking so take what you can get.”

  Her laughter made him feel like a king. He slung his arm around her shoulders while they waited for the cars to pass so they could cross the street.

  “I want to go surfing here,” he mentioned as they walked across.

  “It’s popular.”

  “You ever done it?”

  She shook her head as she stepped up onto the sidewalk. Dozens of shops lined the street. The beach was only a block over, but this felt like a tiny world of its own, the palm trees standing like sentinels in front of the brightly colored shops.

  “We’ll have to change that,” he said, pulling open the door to the shop she loved.

  “You’re a funny, funny man.”

  “You can’t live in California and not surf.” He stared at her, blocking her from stepping farther into the store.

  She leaned into him and he caught the light citrusy scent of whatever she wore. His blood hummed. She was so sexy without even trying. Maybe that’s what made her different from anyone else he knew.

  “Don’t spread it around but there are actually many Californians who’ve never stepped onto a surfboard. Despite the rumors, it’s not mandatory.”

  Noah leaned down so their noses touched. She had the cutest nose, and he realized when the thought entered his head that if he was cataloguing that feature, he was probably in dangerously far over his head already.

  “Is Grace Travis actually scared of something?”

  She glared at him, moved around his body. “Nobody said scared.”

  Taking her hand, he pulled her to his side. “Our little secret.”

  She gave him an indulgent but exasperated look. Even that was cute. He was falling fast. “Okay, show me what you love, Gracie.”

  Before she could point to the first item—her arm was already in motion—the shop’s owner greeted them, asking if they were looking for anything in particular. When they said no, she left them to wander.

  It was an interesting setup that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. Different areas resembled different rooms in a home, showcasing items, antique, new, and used, that might be found in whatever area of the house it showcased.

  “I’ve been thinking about getting a coatrack,” she said, stopping at a dark brown, slightly scuffed rack with black iron hooks. She ran her hand over it. “This one is cool.”

  “Pretty old-school.”

  She looked up at him. “That’s part of the cool factor.”

  “My grandmother has one like this. My grandfather would come home from work every single night at seven o’clock for dinner, even if he had to go back to the office. He’d hang his fedora on it. We used to tease him about it all the time. The hat. He said gentlemen wore hats.”

  Grace turned to face him, putting a hand to his chest. “Your voice sounds sweet when you talk about him. You were close?”

  Noah nodded, his mouth suddenly dry. “We were. He was the glue. Well, he and my grandmother, but once he died, things changed.” Noah shook off the dark thoughts, thinking he should call his mom and his grams. It’d been too long. “Let’s get this for your place.”

  Like she sensed he needed to gloss over the moment, she nodded. “We’ll come back to it. Come on, I want to show you something for the sitting area.”

  When she stopped in front of a fireplace mantel, he didn’t get it at first. Grace ran her hand along the delicate carvings in the dark wood.

  “With the white window seat, the white shelving, I feel like this would be such a great focal piece. It’s modern and elegant but also warmer than the slate or brick ones that you typically see in homes these days.”

  Again, it brought back memories of his grandparents’ home. What the hell was wrong with him? He was on a date and emotions were swamping him, making him feel twelve years old again. A time when he’d thought his father was as amazing as his grandfather. When he’d thought they’d all work together, changing homes and lives in the neighborhoods of New York. When he didn’t know that life changed and not everything stood the test of time.

  “Are you okay?” Grace stepped into him, settling both hands at his waist.

  “Yeah. I don’t know. Something about this place really reminds me of my grandparents. It’s hitting me funny. That’s all. It’s a gorgeous piece.”

  “We can go,” Grace said, her brows furrowing in concern.

  He shook his head. “No. You were right about this store. It’s great. Let’s get the mantel. We’ll have it shipped with the coatrack.”

  “You sure?”

  “My grandmother would love you,” he said.

  Grace’s surprise showed in her eyes and the way her mouth dropped open. “She’s still alive?”

  “Yup. She’ll outlive us all.”

  Grace grinned. “Let me take a picture of the mantel with you in front. You can send it to her. I bet she’ll get a kick out of that.”

  She would. She absolutely would. Somehow, Grace made him feel more connected with little pieces of himself he’d closed off. He didn’t know if that should worry him or make him happy. For now, he’d go with happy. He knew how fleeting those moments could be.

  * * *

  When they got back in the truck, Grace looked over, her gaze clearly expectant.

  “What?” He started the truck.

  “Admit that Pottery Barn’s got nothing on Mi Casa.”


  Grinning, Noah pulled out of the parking spot. “I don’t think it’s fair to compare the two. It’s like comparing a show dog to a mutt.”

  “Did you just call my favorite store a mutt?”

  He wasn’t sure how he walked into these ridiculous conversations, but they amused the hell out of him. “Not intentionally. I think they cater to very different tastes. One for show and one for feel. Hungry?”

  “Nice deflection but good description. Yes, I’m hungry. Where are we eating?”

  “Can’t tell you. Top secret.”

  She leaned back in the seat. Unlike a lot of the women he’d spent time with, Grace was entirely fine with silence. It was refreshing. It made him relax, feel more like himself.

  “Have you talked to Josh?”

  Switching lanes, Noah thought about it. “Texted a couple times today. Why?”

  “Did he say anything about him and Rosie?”

  “No. But we don’t gossip and braid each other’s hair.”

  Grace shoved his arm. “Sexist. I braided my own hair.”

  Noah gave her a smile. “It’s sexy as hell. I look forward to undoing it later.”

  The heat in her eyes sidetracked him. “Don’t look at me like that while I’m driving, Gracie. I’d like to get to our destination safe and sound.”

  “Then don’t say things that make me look at you like that.”

  Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, he returned them to the conversation. “Josh?”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you. It’s gossip. Though, not really since it’s true. You really don’t talk about stuff outside of work?”

  Noah cringed. “Other than the time I asked him out, no.”

  Grace’s laughter rang out over the music playing in the background. “Oh my God. I forgot about that!”

  Noah laughed along with her, remembering how awkward he’d felt.

  “I wonder if he told Rosie.”

  “Are you going to tell me the gossip or what?”

  “They’re moving in together.”

  He nearly slammed on the brakes. “What?”

  She nodded. “That’s what I said. But hey, they’re grown-ups. They make each other happy and as Rosie told me, not everyone has a mapped-out plan of how life is supposed to happen. She said they don’t want to waste time when they both know.”

  He bit down on his lip to keep from asking the cynical question that popped into his brain: How could anyone actually know? They couldn’t. There was no way. Moving in together wasn’t like buying a great piece of property. It wasn’t something someone just did with the security of knowing if it didn’t work out, there’d be plenty of others available.

  “It’s okay if you’re skeptical,” she said softly.

  “Aren’t you?”

  She was quiet a moment. “Yes. But then I think, I’ve spent my life being cautious, weighing and measuring my feelings so I didn’t dive headfirst into cement. Now I’m almost thirty and single. When I was little, I thought I’d be married with kids by now. What I’m saying is, there’s no one right way, I guess. If they’re all in, they’re all in.”

  “That’s a hell of a gamble. Nothing wrong with weighing your choices. Thinking things through and being sure.”

  He felt her gaze on him. He focused harder on the road, flipping the visor down to block the streaks of sunset shining in his eyes.

  “Haven’t you ever just gone with your gut? On a deal? A place you wanted to buy?”

  He thought about the warehouses he’d purchased through his father’s company. The ones he was currently trying to off-load to get his money back because his father wasn’t willing to see Noah’s vision.

  “Sure. But that’s different.”

  Grace’s laugh didn’t hold the same humor it had earlier. “Right. A deal is just millions of dollars.”

  Exactly. A hell of a lot easier to lose money than your heart. He kept the thought to himself.

  32

  Grace did her best to put the obvious skepticism in Noah’s tone behind her as he parked the truck. You feel the same way. Why judge him for something you agree with? Because if neither of them believed in acting on their feelings or throwing caution to the wind, what were they even doing?

  She looked up when Noah stopped. The Art Shop. Her smile widened when she met his gaze.

  “Up for something different?”

  Grace gave a quick nod. “You like to paint?”

  Noah took her hand. “Walls? Not really. This is different.”

  “It really is. I thought we were going to grab something to eat,” she said, surprised that he could surprise her so much.

  “Give me some credit, Gracie. I know how to treat a girl.” He nudged her with his hip.

  When he knocked on the bright yellow wood door, she saw the sign in the window that said CLOSED. Before she could ask him about it, a lock clicked and someone pushed it open.

  A woman, probably in her late twenties, wearing a canvas smock, with clear goggles pushed back on her head and paint smearing her hands, greeted them.

  “Mr. Jansen?”

  “Carrie?”

  “Yup. Come on in.”

  “We’re excited to have you. We’ve set everything up as requested. The back door locks automatically and I will engage the alarm remotely once you text me that you’re finished. Do you have any questions?”

  “No. Thank you for accommodating us.”

  “Our pleasure. Dinner is set up.” She pointed to one room. “When you finish, in there, you can head to the back to the Sunset Room. If you need anything, you can call me.”

  Noah nodded his head while Grace did her best not to let her jaw drop.

  She smiled at Grace, then went down a hallway Grace assumed led to the back exit.

  Turning in a circle, Grace took in the walls. One was a swirl of rainbow colors with a quote by Degas in black lettering: “Art is not what you see, it’s what you make others see.” Another wall was a mosaic of colored tiles. Bits of evening sunlight shone through the window, bouncing off those tiles, creating a myriad of colors dancing on the floor.

  She’d never been anywhere like this. Grace became acutely aware of the pressure invading her chest. It was like Noah was physically seeping inside of her heart to carve out a cozy spot for himself. One that would leave a hell of an imprint if this didn’t work.

  “You good?” Noah’s voice was soft, the front of his body barely touching the back of hers. She turned, much like she had at her house, launching herself at him.

  “This is the best date ever,” she whispered into his ear.

  Noah lifted her off her feet. “It’s only just started.”

  “Still the best.”

  Noah’s laughter washed over her skin, making her smile, but when his lips pressed against the sensitive skin of her neck, she had to bite back a heady sigh.

  “Let’s eat.”

  He led her to a large room with multiple tables. The sign above the door read STUDIO. From the shelves around the room, it looked like this was a do-all room. Paintings dried, brightly colored pottery of different sorts sat side by side, and a few sculptures littered the floor, some as large as Grace.

  One of the tables was covered in a soft yellow tablecloth, a vase of daisies in the center. There were two wineglasses, several silver warming trays, and candles burning.

  “How?” She could only stare at him.

  Noah shrugged. “I had some help.”

  She was so blown away, she forgot to censor herself. “How am I supposed to not fall for you?”

  He grinned. “Is that the goal?”

  She tilted her head from side to side, pretending to weigh the question. “A little bit of falling would be okay.”

  He stepped closer. “Good thing.”

  “But too much seems unwise.”

  Closer. “Who’s to say how much is too much?”

  Grace took a deep breath. “I’d like to escape with my heart unscathed,” she whispered.

  Both
of his hands came to her face, framing it, his thumbs brushing over her cheeks. “I’m afraid there’s no guarantees there, Gracie. But I can tell you it’s not my intention to hurt you.”

  God. This was too much for a first date. She suspected that the feeling running around like a wild animal in her chest was the kind of thing that made a woman run off with a boy she loved at seventeen. Like Tammy. Or a full-grown woman move in with a man after only three weeks. This is different. You’re going in with your eyes wide open. Said every person who had their heart broken.

  “Don’t overthink it, Gracie. Let’s just enjoy each other.”

  She could do that. Hadn’t she already told herself that? She could enjoy him without losing herself. She didn’t even want forever yet. But as his mouth found hers, she lost her train of thought, her convictions, and her mind. All she could do was feel.

  When he pulled back, she gave in to his suggestion. “Let’s eat. I’m starving. What’s the plan after this?”

  Noah gestured to a stool, waited until she sat before he lifted the lids off the silver domes. “We paint. I’ve heard it’s a great way to get out some energy or frustration. Like, say, an annoying neighbor who’s been a bit of a pain?”

  “I’d say you’ve more than made up for it and I’ve had a few moments of my own.”

  She eyed the delicious foods—an assortment of all of her favorites. “I love everything here.”

  He arched his brows. “You don’t say?”

  She’d bet anything that he’d asked Rosie. Which made the gesture even sweeter. She loaded some rice onto a piece of naan, and took a bite.

  “Want some wine?”

  She nodded because her mouth was full. When she finished, she took a sip of the wine he offered, gesturing to him with her glass. “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone.”

  His smile told her he knew she was just turning his words back on him. “Pretty sure I already did that today when I told you about Josh.”

  The memory made her laugh all over again. “That was a great story. Tell me something else. From when you were young.”

  He used a fork to spear some ultrathin pieces of steak. “When I was fourteen, that show Star Search came back on. Do you remember it? I made a video of me rapping and sent it in.”

 

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