“Everyone’s already here,” Marla is saying. “A few of Jim’s work friends and the neighbors from the corner that just moved in. You haven’t met them yet, have you? And some of the kids’ friends. Come say hello.”
“Yeah,” I say, hugging all of the familiar faces. I’m not a guest here, not really. I’m part of the chaos. I’m the extra daughter who knows where the wineglasses are and how to jiggle the downstairs bathroom door so it latches.
I finally look over the sea of people and spot him. Cole’s by the living room archway, dark sweater, beer in hand, talking to his dad and a guy I don’t recognize. And he’s not just looking at me. He’s watching me.
His gaze drags down the red dress slowly, like he’s picturing what it would look like puddled at my feet. My pulse trips. For a second his jaw flexes, like he’s physically restraining himself, then he fixes his face and nods at something his dad says.
Nobody else seems to notice it but I do.
“Come on,” Maddie says, looping her arm through mine and tugging me toward the kitchen. “You gotta meet the new neighbors. And Mom invited Mr. and Mrs. Clarke, you remember, they bought the old Fuller place. And she said someone from Dad’s office was bringing his daughter?—”
“Is this payback for me making you go to my company happy hours?” I tease.
“Yes,” she says without hesitation. “Also, you moved away, so everyone’s obsessed with you like you’re the Hallmark movie heroine who left the big city and moved away but has returned.”
“Literally, gone for four weeks,” I whisper, but I follow her anyway.
We weave through the house. I say hi to Mr. Bristol and other relatives of theirs, and then Maddie does rapid-fire intros.
“This is Hailey. She basically lived here growing up. She’s like my sister, and she now lives in Denver.”
“Hi,” I say, smiling. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh! You’re that Hailey,” the neighbor woman says, like she’s heard legends. “We’ve heard about you.”
“Oh no.” I laugh, looking over at Maddie. “What did you tell them?”
The group bursts into laughter and Maddie immediately launches into one of our old stories. She’s describing how my shorts got stuck on the fence when I tried to climb it after throwing dirt clods at some boys.
I’m nodding and talking and laughing, but the whole time I can feel him. He’s moved closer to the kitchen, like he’s adjusting his position to keep me in his line of sight. It feels sexy and dangerous.
I glance over Maddie’s shoulder. He’s leaning casually against the counter. His eyes meet mine, and heat hits me low and hard.
I mouth the wordsstop staring.His mouth tips, just a little, before mouthing back a very obviousNO.
“Okay,” Maddie says, oblivious, “after this, we’re doing cookie decorating in the dining room. Mom got the good sprinkles. And don’t let Mrs. Clarke talk your ear off about the HOA; she will never stop.”
“Got it,” I say, sipping the mug of warm cider she just thrust into my hand.
“Also.” She drops her voice. “At some point tonight you have to tell me about your mystery guy.”
My brain short-circuits. “What mystery guy?”
“The one who clearly has you walking on cloud nine and making some weird faces.”
“I make a lot of faces.”
She narrows her eyes. “Uh-huh.”
I laugh it off, heart pounding, because my mystery guy is currently five feet away, pretending to listen to his dad and very much thinking about what I look like without this dress.
Across the room, Cole checks his phone, thumbs moving like he’s texting. And I know without even seeing the screen it’s for me.
My phone buzzes in my hand a second later, and my stomach drops like I’ve just stepped off a cliff.
Cole:I’m going to take that dress off your sexy body with my teeth.
I press my lips together, pulse hammering.Do not respond. Do not indulge this right now.
