Page 19 of Barefoot Lake

Great.

“Goodnight, Ace. Piper.” I get back in my truck and immediately drive the handful of yards to park it in front of my garage. Scott can walk his smug ass home. I use the side door to the house to go inside and try to ignore the way the distinctly “Alice” smell lingered in the cab of the truck.

I hear Scott come in through the front a few minutes later. He meets me by the base of the staircase.

“You want to talk about what happened tonight?” I ask. He’s been dealing with Troy for forever, and Scott has thick skin, but that bastard really knows where to poke for it to hurt.

“Only if you want to tell me more about what’s going on with Neighbor Ace.”

I glare at him. “Her name is Alice, and there’s nothing going on.”

“Oh yeah? Because I think you liiiiiiiike her.”

“Go to bed, you criminal.” I give him a hard but playful shove up the stairs and follow after him.

There’s nothing going on.

CHAPTER 11

Jake

It took longer than I’d hoped to get back to sleep, so I’m a grumpy bastard when I get up for the day. It’s a big change from my recently sunny personality, I know. Scott, on the other hand, is painfully chipper. His night ended in almost getting arrested, and he’s sporting a nasty shiner today, but he doesn’t seem to care.

“What are you smiling about?” I grumble as I make myself a bowl of cereal.

“Just thinking about Piper.” He isn’t even trying to downplay his giddiness.

“Of course you are.” I roll my eyes. Scott has always felt his feelings in a big way.

“She’s just so alive. She’s funny and creative, and I swear she’s read at least one book about everything.”

I take a seat, and when I look at him across the kitchen table, I’m surprised I don’t see cartoon hearts in his eyes. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him so smitten, and he looks completely dopey after just one night with this woman.

“What, are you trying to sell me on her? I’m not sure she’s my type,” I joke because this is too damn funny. I chuckle to myself as I keep eating my cereal.

Scott’s face falls, and a crease appears between his eyes. “No! You stay away from Piper. You have Alice.”

I stop with the spoon halfway back to my bowl and point it at him.

“Hey. I do not have Alice. I do not want Alice.”

Now it’s his turn to laugh as he gets up and takes his bowl to the sink. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that.” He sighs dreamily. “Maybe I’ll see if Piper wants to go out on the lake today.”

“Get your head on straight. You’d both be shivering too much to flirt,” I scoff.

It’s been getting steadily cooler each day, and the wind and spray on the lake would be miserable.

“I could keep her warm⁠—”

I smack him upside his head before he can finish the thought.

He glares at me before glancing at the clock on the microwave. “Aren’t you going to be late to rescue Alice?”

“She doesn’t need rescuing,” I huff under my breath. I can only imagine how she’d react if she heard him saying that.

I look over at the clock. Scott’s right, and I need to head out. I finish my breakfast, drop my bowl in the sink, and grab my keys from the hook by the side door. Do I go knock on her door? Drive over there and pick her up? My dilemma is resolved when I hear a knock on the front door and spot Alice through the window.

Scott beats me there and flings the door wide.