Page 55 of The Off-limits Grump Next Door
“Whatever it is can wait.”
I tilted my head towards the phone. “It doesn’t sound like it wants to.”
With a reluctant sigh, Antonio reached for his phone, glancing at the screen. His eyes widened, and he muttered a sharp curse under his breath. Swinging out of bed, he answered the call, his voice dropping into a low, tense tone.
As I lay there, my phone chimed with a text. It was from Thompson.
“I’ve learned that you’re over at the Michaelsons. Good job. Remember, Ms. Ryan, you have five more days.”
The reminder hit me like a punch to the gut. For a blissful moment, I had almost forgotten about the real reason I was here. But reality crashed back in as sharply as the message on my screen.
I needed a plan. Fast. Antonio’s mother would be arriving soon, which would make snooping around even more complicated.
But then, an idea sparked. Tina! If I could get her here, maybe I’d have a chance.
Antonio walked back into the room, his earlier smile replaced by a wary frown. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, his eyes searching mine.
“Yes, but…” I hesitated. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything, love. Name it.”
“Could I invite Tina over for a drink? I have some things I need to discuss with her… in person. It’s urgent.”
His brow furrowed slightly, but then he nodded. “Of course. We could even invite Jake over. And when you ladies are done with your gossip, we could all hang out and play games…”
He gave me a teasing grin, his eyebrows wiggling mischievously. “You know, maybe they could connect.”
I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. *Is he matchmaking?*
“Says the man who didn’t believe in love,” I teased.
He leaned in, his gaze intense. “I hadn’t met you then.”
“And what did meeting me do?”
“You made me fall for you… effortlessly.”
My heart skipped a beat. I knew I wasn’t being completely honest with him, and that lie between us hung over me like a dark cloud.
“So, is that a yes?” he pressed softly.
“Definitely,” I whispered, my eyes drifting to his lips.
***
Tina and Jake arrived at the estate shortly after, and we all settled outside in the lush garden, surrounded by meticulously trimmed bushes and vibrant flowers.
When Damon first showed me this place, I had been awestruck by its beauty. But watching Tina’s reaction was even better.
“I need to take pictures of this place!” she exclaimed, pulling out her camera. “It has to be part of my nature collection.”
I laughed. ‘Classic Tina’. For as long as I could remember, she had been obsessed with photography, even if she insisted it was just a hobby. Who studies photography just to make a hobby out of it? You guessed it: Tina.
Drawing her away from Jake and Antonio’s curious eyes, I led her to the far end of the garden where a small, stone waterfall trickled into a pond, shimmering in the morning light.
Her jaw dropped. “How…? Who even builds a waterfall in their garden?”
“I asked the same question,” I chuckled.
