Page 49 of How to Love Your Neighbor
Noah stepped forward. “Grace is a neighbor and as you saw, she’s currently mad at me. We have a shaky relationship at best. She hasn’t finished her degree and I plan on making this house a livable masterpiece.”
“I’m going to level with you, Noah. We both have wants here. Iwantto be able to use this spread as my stepping-stone to editor in chief. I need something in keeping with the magazine’s reputation but also a hook that will appeal to an audience that likes to be instantly gratified.”
He didnotlike where this was going. He was done being a show pony. It was one of many reasons he’d walked away from his father.
“What are you suggesting?”
Her smile widened. “Let’s finish the tour.”
He wanted to believe he was in charge, but in this instance he knew she was calling the shots. They walked through the upstairs, chatting about carpeting versus laminate, the new landscape of wallpapering, and how to make it feel cozy but roomy. The entire time, his mind jumped back and forth between Emily’s thoughts and Grace’s hurt. This screwup was more than flowers. Something warm and unfamiliar had spread through his chest when he saw her planting those flowers in her yard. Without even trying to, this woman was weaving her way into the fabric of his life, and he was scared to pull at the threads. To see where they led.
“Oh, I love this!” Emily clapped her hands, walked straight to the window seat, and sat down on it. He’d had Kyle add it after Grace mentioned it. She’d been right. It looked perfect.
Emily beamed from the spot. “It’s gorgeous. It’s exactly the vibe you said you were going for. It’ll photograph beautifully.”
Noah’s attention took a sharp turn. “You think so?”Please think so.He needed this. Nothing felt like it was going the way it was supposed to.Thiswould make him feel like he was back on top.
Emily tipped her elegant chin up. Strands of her tightly wound bun looked golden in the light of the window. “I have some thoughts. I’d like to work with you and a designer of my choosing.”
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. “Excuse me?”
“I like Grace.”
He closed his eyes, counted to three, and met her gaze. “Grace is myneighbor.Who I’m not on the best terms with.”Who rocked my world with a kiss I won’t ever forget.“She’s not some up-and-comer. She’s completely green.”
Emily stood. “The dynamic between the two of you will make up for her inexperience.”
“I respect you, Emily. But I want a professional.”
Apparently this woman had her own deal-closing smile. “More than you want this spread? Because I’m going big.Thisis big. This is the kind of thing that people will remember. It’ll do more than put you on the map without your father’s backing. It’ll create an entirely new map. Like reality television on the page. There’s no way for this not to work. It’s edgy but in keeping with our brand.”
Josh made himself suspiciously busy. Noah shoved his hands in his pockets, trying not to act or look petulant. “This is a deal breaker?”
She nodded. “I have good instincts. So do you.”
Son of a bitch. He did, and those instincts told him that Grace would do a hell of a job on his house. That wasn’t what worriedhim. There was something about her that made him think she could also do one hell of a makeover on his heart.
Emily pulled out her phone, brought up her camera. “I have so many ideas. The photographer can add a video element to our website. We’ll get double the audience.”
Josh joined them again. “Should I help her with a schedule, boss?”
Noah bit back an unfriendly retort and simply gave one hard nod. He held out his hand to Emily. “I guess we’ll be working together.”
Her gaze brightened. “Don’t you have to work it out with your neighbor?”
Instincts. He had plenty. Grace Travis was a smart woman. There was no way she’d say no to this. No matter how much he pissed her off. Or turned her on. “I’m positive she’ll be on board.” Then why did he have this niggling worry it was going to take some work to convince her?
Emily beamed. “Instead of one article, which is our usual, I want to do a series. Beginning, middle, end. How a house becomes a home. Oh, that’s an excellent title, if I may say so.”
Noah’s thoughts were running around like a dog after its tail. This was more than big. This was huge. If not for one gorgeous hurdle.
“That’s incredible,” Josh said, his voice nearly reverent.
“It’s going to be a game changer,” Emily said.
On that, at least, they could agree.
Noah tried to put Grace out of his mind while he sorted through logistics, emails, and contracts. Josh had left hours ago, promising to finalize the details with Emily. Noah’s job, in the morning, was to smooth the path with Grace—get her on board for something that could be huge for both of them. Right after he got her to forgive him. Again.
