Page 30 of Mister Curb Appeal
I don’t doubt any of that is true.
“I appreciate you letting us view it privately. She was really insistent on a home here, something to do with her childhood. I thought she would’ve been at least a little bit impressed. I admit that I can’t read her very well.”
“I think she holds her cards close to her chest.”
“Definitely,” I agree.
“It was nice of you to step in for Ali,” Melinda says with a warm smile. “I wish I had an assistant like you that could jump in at the drop of a hat.”
“Good help is hard to find,” I chuckle.
“That it is.” She taps her beautifully French tipped nails on her chin for a second, clearly contemplating something. “So, you and Josh?” she finally says.
A sharp intake of breath leaves me as I take in her question. I can hardly forget her words earlier, before Monica rushed in the door, about him making eyes at me and having a thing for me. “Me and Josh?” I squeak.
I’m not sure if we should be discussing this while waiting for our client to come back, but if Melinda is phased by it, she doesn’t show it.
“Like I was saying before, he’s totally adorable and I think he’s really taken with you. He might just need a nudge in the right direction.”
“A nudge?” I press my hand to my chest in a hapless bid to keep my heart from beating right out of my chest.
“Josh is a professional through and through. He won’t cross the line if you don’t give him some indication you’re interested. You are, right?”
“Ummm…” The words flail off my tongue, and I feel more like a flounder gasping for air than a trained real estate professional.
Her smile is broad and she blinks a few times before reaching out to squeeze my arm. How can his ex actually be this nice? Seriously! “It’s okay, I get it. It’s weird talking about Josh to his ex, but like I was saying before, we’re still good friends. Neither of us wanted to move back then because we both loved where we were based. Then I found Peter and I love him to pieces. And I want that for Josh, too. He’s a good guy.”
“Hey, I think it’s cool you’re still friends. But wouldn’t it be a conflict of interest if I were to date him since we work for opposing firms?”
She gives me a semi-serious pointed look. “Not since your boss and Josh’s dad got together.”
I facepalm myself, unable to hold off the laughter that escapes me. That little detail almost slipped my mind.
“If Tristan can, why can’t Josh? And more importantly, why can’t you?”
“Take the bull by the horns?” I whisper, as the thunder cracks loudly and makes us both jump. Then we laugh.
“Exactly!” Melinda claps her hands together, giddiness erupting over her face. “Josh hasn’t had a girlfriend in forever. I’d love to see him happy. And I probably shouldn’t say this…” She drops her tone slightly, talking behind the back of her hand. “But once you take that bull by the horns, I promise you won’t regret it.”
I feel the heat of a blush dust my cheeks before I can even answer. Boy, oh boy, would I even have the gall to attempt to tame that wild bull?
We are going to be stuck in the cabin tonight until the storm passes, I guess.
Maybe it’s time to test that theory?
Chapter Fifteen
JOSHUA
I collect Lexi just before the heavens open again. This damn weather lets up for a while, then hammers down again angrily. I’m freshly showered, not wanting to show up in muddy sweats, but ultimately get drenched again holding the umbrella over her so she doesn’t get wet.
Once we’re in the car, she pats her face with her wet hands in an attempt to dry herself as I hand her a towel.
She grins up at me. “You came prepared.”
I thumb to the back. “I went and got some supplies from the store. I was going to suggest we high tail it home, but I heard the old lady who runs the store say that one of the roads on the way out of town has already flooded.”
Her eyes go impossibly wide. “Oh no.”
