JOSIE
NINE
I’m two glasses of wine deep and have been staring blankly at my computer screen, unable to produce any more words for the day for I’m not sure how long, when a soft knock on the front door breaks me from my thoughts.
I sit up in my seat at the kitchen island, wondering who could possibly be knocking.
I can’t see the door from here, so I keep my butt planted in my seat, not in the mood to talk with some random person.
It could be a delivery driver—although I’m not sure what could possibly be delivered since I didn’t order anything—or maybe even a solicitor.
I frown because I’d be kind of shocked if anyone was out here selling anything based on where the house is.
There’s another knock, and the sound of it has me letting out a sigh. I’ve been locked away in the house all day writing, and it wasn’t my intention to have to people today, but it seems like I might not have a choice.
I take my time walking to the front door, halfway hoping that by the time I make it there, whoever was waiting for me would already be gone.
My mouth falls open when I pull open the door and find Tyson Bishop standing in front of me.
“Tyson?” I ask, tilting my head to the side as I wonder what he’s doing here. I immediately look over my shoulder, wondering if Mouse somehow got out and I didn’t know it.
As if he knows I’m looking for him, Mouse comes racing down the hallway, letting out an excited meow when he finds a visitor at our door.
Tyson tucks his hands in his pockets, his eyes going a little wide as if he’s a little shocked himself to be standing at my door. “Hopefully, I’m not bothering you,” he rushes to get out. There’s that normal sexy rasp to his voice, but there’s also a hint of hesitation in his words.
I give him a soft smile. “No, I was just working.”
He takes a step back. “Oh, if you’re working, I can leave you alone.”
I shake my head, wondering why I don’t just allow him the out. Now that he’s here, I want to know what brought him to my doorstep in the first place. “Is everything okay? What are you doing here?”
Tyson gives me a lopsided smile. He seems so unsure about being here, and I don’t know why I love it. “I promise I don’t mean this weird at all,” he begins, his eyes darting to his feet for a moment.
“Okay…” I respond, dragging the word out slowly. I prop a hip against the doorframe as I wait for him to explain.
“I’ve normally gone to my sister’s for meals while here, but tonight, I decided I wanted to make food at my house, and I didn’t know if you had plans, and…” His words fall off again.
I bite the inside of my cheek as I wait for him to finish his thought. He doesn’t. Instead, he stares at his feet and lets the silence linger between us.
“Are you asking me to have dinner with you?”
Tyson’s eyes find mine immediately. I stare into them, trying to understand his intentions.
He runs a hand over his mouth before the corners of his lips pull up in a smirk.
“Yes, but not in the way that you think. I know we just met because of your cat, and you won’t hurt my feelings if you say no.
I was just alone this evening and made enough for two, and I figured if you were also alone tonight, I could be a good neighbor and offer you some dinner. ”
I can’t help but smile at his words. The two times I’ve spoken with him previously, he seemed so sure of his actions. But this time, when he’s the one who came to my house instead of me coming to his, chasing my cat, he’s suddenly nervous.
“So this is you being a good neighbor?” I ask slowly, not bothering to hide the teasing tone in my voice.
His lips twitch as he scratches his cheek. “Yes. How am I doing?”
A small laugh escapes me as I shake my head.
“Shouldn’t I be the one offering you some sort of meal since it’s my cat that keeps interrupting your mornings and causing me to trespass?
” I ask, even though I hope he doesn’t actually take me up on the offer because I’m an awful cook.
I grew up with meals that were prepared for me, and no matter how many times Nan asked if I wanted to learn to cook, I wasn’t interested.
It’s Tyson’s turn to laugh. I can’t deny how much I love the sound of it.
It’s deep and throaty and sends a shiver down my spine.
“I’ve already prepped everything for dinner.
And I figured if there’s a chance you’ll also be spending the summer here, it wouldn’t hurt for us to get to know each other a little better.
My sister knows all of her neighbors, and since this cove is just us, I figured it’d make sense for me to make an effort to get to know you. ”
I stare at him for a few moments as I try to come up with an answer.
I want to say yes to him, but I’m conflicted.
No matter what his motives are, I didn’t come to the Hamptons this summer to get to know anyone down here.
I especially didn’t come here to get to know my handsome neighbor, who I swore was flirting with me this morning.
Tyson must take my silence as a no because he takes a few steps back.
Now a little farther away from me, his eyes meet mine as he rubs the back of his neck.
“Forget I said anything. We just met, and it’s weird for me to just come over and invite you over for dinner. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
I rub my lips together. I know I should just let him go. I have no business having dinner alone with my hot Hamptons neighbor, but now that he’s offered, I can’t deny how much I’m thinking about saying yes.
“I’m done working,” I blurt. I close my eyes the moment the words leave my mouth, wondering if I should be saying them or not.
When I open them again, I find Tyson staring back at me with a hesitant smile. He doesn’t make a move to step closer, but he does watch me carefully, as if he’s still trying to figure out if I’m going to change my mind.
“Is that a yes, then?” he asks cautiously.
I look down at my feet for a moment, wondering if this will be a good idea or not.
It’s been so long since I’ve had dinner with a man who wasn’t Pop or Eli.
I know it’s just a dinner between neighbors, and he didn’t mention it being anything like a date, but still, I don’t have a lot of men in my life besides Pop.
I don’t do dinner with men unless it’s for work, and I don’t know if this will end up being a good idea.
But…there’s only one way to find out.
I nod and give him a wide smile. “Sure. I’ve been in these clothes all day, so let me change, and then I can head over, if that’s okay.”
He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth before giving one curt nod of his head.
This isn’t going to be a good idea.
He’s too hot, and there’s something about him that draws me right in. If only I were looking for a distraction…because he’d be a perfect one. But I feel okay about how much writing I got in today, and a harmless dinner won’t hurt anything.
Right?
“I’ll leave the front door unlocked for you,” he says. He tucks his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans once again and takes a few steps back toward his house. “Come over whenever you’re ready.”
He turns and doesn’t say anything else. I swear, as he walks through my yard in the direction of his house, I see his shoulder sag with what appears to be a sigh of relief.
I close the door and press my back to it.
What did I just get myself into?