My Beautiful Neighbor (The Greene Family Book 1) by Piper Rayne (android based ebook reader txt) 📗

“What?” I ask.

“Not that I’m condoning it, but if you want any hope of having anything with Presley, you pretty much screwed yourself just now.”

Presley’s name takes me out of my trance. “Pretty cool how she did that with Adam, huh?”

“The Motown thing? Yeah, but I still think he needs to get laid. Get under someone else to get over Lucy. He’s dodging my set-up.” Jed puts a beer in front of me. I never even saw him fill it.

“Not everyone solves things by screwing people.” I sip the beer to calm myself. “She looked good.”

“Same money-grubbing girl as ever.” Jed’s hated Reese since high school. And I can’t say I don’t understand why. “I’d take Presley over her any day.”

“Since when did you join the Presley train?”

“Since Reese’s train pulled into town. She’s nothing but trouble.”

I know she is and I’m not thinking of rekindling anything with her, but she was so much a part of my life, it’s hard not to have all those feelings rush to the surface with her unexpected appearance. She was the only girl I was ever honest with about my mom dying and the responsibility I felt toward my family. Jesus, she’s the only person other than my dad I’ve ever allowed to see me cry. All that doesn’t disappear just because we broke up.

“What’s going on with you and book girl?” Jed asks.

I sip my beer, not sure if I should tell him. I don’t want it getting around. But then, Reese’s appearance reminds me of how much I can trust him. He proved that long ago.

“We make out sometimes.” I shrug as though it’s no big deal.

He rolls his eyes. “You know it’s only going to end with trouble, right?”

“What’s that mean?”

“Don’t get me wrong.” He hops up to sit on the back counter. “It’s great that she’s brave enough to stick around, open a new store, and give it a go. The whole finding yourself thing is great, and so far, she looks awesome doing it.”

I quirk an eyebrow and he waves me off. “Relax, I don’t wanna fuck her. But what if it doesn’t last? I mean, if anything is evident, it’s that she’s not from around here. What happens if the bookstore doesn’t take off? Do you think she’ll try again with another business? Can she even afford to? She ran away from home once… what’s to say she won’t run away again? You’re a Sunrise Bay lifer, but is she?”

“She doesn’t have to be.” I finish my beer and walk around to wash my glass. “There are no strings.”

He hops down from the counter. “You’re a smart guy, always did better than me in school, and even I don’t believe that.”

Whether my brother believes it or not, it’s true. Presley didn’t expect me to spend the night last night. She lectured me about bringing her breakfast. She’s getting her own car. There are no signs that she wants anything more than my dick.

“It’s working for us,” I say.

“One day you’re gonna be knocked on your ass when this goes to shit.” He disappears down the hall.

When someone knocks on the window, I turn toward the front. It’s Presley. She gives me a small wave.

I head over and open the doors of the brewery. “Hey.”

“Hi. I just wanted to thank Jed for putting up my awning and give you this.” She hands me an envelope with the word rent in girly script on the front.

“I told you—”

She puts up her hand. “I feel the need to make the point even more pointed that I’m just a tenant.”

“You don’t have to pay to stay there.”

“Oh, and I asked Zoe if she wouldn’t mind giving me a ride to the car rental place tonight. It’s on her way home, so that way I’m not disturbing you.”

Jed comes walking out from out of the back.

“Hey, Jed, thanks again for helping Adam with the awning. I really appreciate it.”

He waves. “No problem.” He pretends he forgot something and goes back down the hall.

But she’s already walking away. “See you later.”

“Presley,” I call after her.

She puts her hand in the air. “I’ve got a million things to do. A new shipment just came in. See ya.”

I watch her open the door of her shop and disappear inside.

“Things already went to shit, didn’t they?” Jed asks as if he never left. “Leave it to Reese to screw it up for you.”

Just as he says her name, she walks out of the butcher, so I shut the door and lock it as if keeping her physically out of my brewery will stop her from invading my life once again.

Chevelle walks into the house and covers her eyes. “Fisher, ew. Put on some pants.”

“We bathed together.” He continues playing Xbox with Jed, not even glancing in her direction.

“As babies. This is very different,” Chevelle says.

Jed laughs. “I don’t mind seeing your junk, Fisher.”

“I’m comin’ off a long damn shift, Chevelle, so I suggest you get yourself a blindfold if you don’t like it.”

I pick up a piece of pizza and relax in the chair, enjoying not having any attention pointed my way. Plus, the chair gives me the perfect view of the driveway, so I’ll know when Presley comes home. As it grows darker, I worry she doesn’t know her way around.

“So, Mom’s birthday,” she says, plopping down on the couch next to Fisher. But she’s perched on the end and turned in my direction.

A car pulls up the drive and I lean over to get a better view out the window. It parks behind Fisher and I sigh when I see it’s Fisher’s best friend, Cameron’s, Jeep. Damn it. Where the hell is she?

Cameron knocks and we all yell to come in. He steps into the room and Chevelle sighs.

“Hey, Cam, I’m almost done obliterating your friend.” Jed tilts his whole body as if it controls what’s happening on the screen, his fingers moving a mile a minute.

“Like hell.” Fisher’s body moves