Page 9 of Matched with the Playboy Next Door

Mia follows my gaze and smirks. “Oh, look, there he is. Why don’t you go say hi?”

“No thanks,” I say, quickly looking away. “I’m just here to drop off these cookies and leave.”

But before I can escape, Aunt Dotty appears out of nowhere, carrying a clipboard and wearing her “volunteer queen” sash like she’s running for mayor.

“Riley! Perfect timing!” she chirps.

“Aunt Dotty, no,” I start, already feeling the trap closing in.

“Oh, hush now,” she says, ignoring me entirely. “We’re pairing people up for the scavenger hunt, and wouldn’t you know it? You and Ethan are both without partners!”

I blink at her, my brain short-circuiting. “What? No, I?—”

“Perfect!” Mia cuts in, clapping her hands. “It’s meant to be.”

“No, it’s not,” I say, glaring at both of them. “There’s nothing meant to be about this.”

But it’s too late. Aunt Dotty is already waving Ethan over, and I can see the moment he realizes what’s happening.

I groan internally as Aunt Dotty and Mia practically shove us together, but there’s no point in fighting it. Ethan’s grinning like this is the highlight of his week, and for a second, I envy how easy everything seemsto come to him.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite neighbor,” he says as he approaches, hands in his pockets and that stupid, charming smirk plastered on his face.

“I thought you’d be too busy mowing the lawn at dawn to make it to this,” I reply dryly, crossing my arms.

He chuckles, completely unfazed. “Nah, I figured I’d take the day off and see how the locals spend their weekends.” He glances at the clipboard in Aunt Dotty’s hand. “So, what’s this? Some team-building exercise?”

“Exactly,” Aunt Dotty says, clearly delighted. “A scavenger hunt! You and Riley will make a wonderful team.”

“Great,” Ethan says, looking at me with a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. “Looks like I got the best partner.”

I groan internally, clutching the cookie tray a little tighter. “Don’t get too comfortable. I’m not carrying this team, but maybe I’ll let you handle the heavy lifting.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he says, leaning just close enough to be annoying. “I’m excellent at scavenger hunts. It’s all about charm and strategy, you know.”

“Yeah, you’re halfway there,” I mutter, but Aunt Dotty and Mia are already ushering us toward the starting point.

“Have fun, you two!” Mia calls out, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

I glance at Ethan as we stand side by side, waiting for the hunt to begin. “This is your fault,” I whisper.

“How is this my fault?” he whispers back, grinning.

“You exist,” I reply flatly.

He chuckles again, and I can’t decide if I want to punch him or laugh with him. Probably both.

We set off on the scavenger hunt armed with a list of random items that seem specifically designed to provoke debate. A rusty nail? A red feather? Who thinks this stuff up?

Ethan, of course, takes it all in stride. He folds the list neatly and tucks it into his back pocket like he’s about to conquer Wall Street, not wander around looking for a rock shaped like a heart.

“All right, partner,” he says with that signature smirk. “You call the shots, and I’ll do the heavy lifting.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not sure you’re cut out for heavy lifting, city boy. Unless you’ve got a briefcase full of stocks to hoist around.”

He chuckles, unbothered as usual. “You’d be surprised. I can handle a little dirt, too.”

“Sure you can,” I say, walking ahead of him.

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