Page 29 of Matched with the Playboy Next Door

I shake my head, trying to mask the flicker of warmth in my chest. “You two need hobbies,” I say, but my voice lacks the usual bite.

“Oh, we have hobbies,” Aunt Dotty says, winking at Mia. “Book club, gardening, matchmaking?—”

“Matchmaking is not a hobby,” I interrupt, glaring at her.

“It is when you’re good at it,” Mia quips, taking a bite of her bread.

I shake my head, trying to keep my voice steady. “There’s nothing to matchmake here. Ethan and I are just neighbors.”

“Uh-huh,” Mia says, clearly unconvinced.

Aunt Dotty chuckles, crossing her arms. “You know, Riley, you can tell yourself that all you want, but actions speak louder than words. And your actions last night? They were saying plenty.”

I exhale slowly, my grip tightening on the edge of the counter. “You’re both impossible.”

“And you’re both perfect for each other,” Aunt Dotty says, her tone light but sincere.

For a moment, the kitchen falls quiet, the weight of her words settling between us. I glance at Mia, who’s watching me with that infuriatingly knowing smile, and then at Aunt Dotty, whose eyes are soft with affection.

I shake my head, grab my glass, and head toward the door. “I don’t have time for this,” I mutter.

“Sure you don’t, sugar,” Aunt Dotty calls after me, her laughter following me out onto the porch.

As I step outside, the cool air wraps around me, but it does little to calm the storm of emotions swirling in my chest.

Because no matter how much I try to deny it, they’re right about one thing: Ethan isn’t just my neighbor anymore. He’s something more. And that thought… it’s equal parts terrifying and exhilarating.

CHAPTER 11

ETHAN

The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the air as Georgia leans back against my kitchen counter, laughing at something I said. It’s been years since we’ve spent this much time together, but with her, everything feels easy, like no time has passed at all. She had a conference nearby and she just thought to drop by. I chuckle remembering how both our parents always tried to get us together, Georgia and I went out on a couple of dates before we realized we were better off as friends and now, she’s like a sister to me.

“I still can’t believe you moved out here,” she says, shaking her head with that familiar smile. “Bardstown, of all places. What happened to ‘The city is where I belong, Georgia’?”

Georgia laughs, and it feels like we’re kids again. She’s always been family, the kind of person you trust implicitlybut never quite look at the way other people expect. It’s comfortable, easy. But as easy as this moment is, I can’t shake the thought of how Riley might see it—Georgia, leaning against my counter, all polished and poised. Riley’s the type to assume the worst, especially given my track record.

I chuckle, taking a sip of my coffee. “Yeah, well, things change.”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” she teases. “You? In a small town? I half expected to see you in a suit and tie, charming investors.”

“Believe it or not, I like it here,” I reply, setting my mug down. “It’s quiet. Simple. Something I didn’t realize I needed until I got here.”

Georgia raises an eyebrow, her expression turning playful. “But you told me this wasn’t permanent. What happened to your grand plan to figure things out and move on?”

I hesitate, scratching the back of my neck. “I thought it wouldn’t be,” I admit. “But Bardstown has a way of growing on you.”

Her eyes narrow slightly, but there’s no malice in her gaze. “You’re really settling in, aren’t you?”

I shrug. “Maybe I am.”

Before Georgia can say more, there’s a light knock at the front door. I glance at her, then head over to answer it, my stomach tightening slightly for reasons I can’t explain.

When I open the door, Riley’s standing there, holding a small box in her hands. Her expressionshifts the moment she sees me, her easygoing demeanor replaced with something tighter—something guarded.

“Aunt Dotty asked me to drop this off,” she says quickly, holding out the box like it’s a lifeline.

“Thanks,” I say, taking it from her. “You want to come in for a minute?”

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