But He's My Grumpy Neighbor (But He's a Carter Brother #1)

by Annah Conwell

He pays with a card, then drops a few bills in the tip jar shaped like a peach and stalks over to a booth by the window. My booth by the window. It has the perfect view of the town square with a sliver of the lake in the distance. And he’s stolen it from me. My face scrunches up in frustration and of course, this is the moment he looks over at me. He raises an eyebrow. My face heats and I whip back around to meet Poppy’s knowing gaze. “I’ve got your croissant in the warmer already. What tea are we thinking today?” I study the seasonal menu and I’m instantly annoyed that the one Adrian chose sounds the best for my mood. I know I can try it tomorrow without him here, but then my routine is off even more than it already is and I’ll have to deal with the post-church café traffic. The place fills up fast with a bunch of angry old sloths–aka the residents–grumbling and shoving each other in slow motion. “I’ll take a mint chocolate tea latte,” I grumble and ignore Poppy’s twinkling brown eyes. Just because Adrian chose it doesn’t mean I’m going to miss out on a delicious mint tea latte sweetened with homemade dark chocolate sauce. My grudge against him does not beat my love of chocolate. If it can even be called a grudge. What would I say if he asked me why I was mad at him? I’m upset because you refused to let me pick up the trash in your driveway and also your commanding voice made my knees weak. Yeah, that wouldn’t make me sound weird at all. “Sure thing, sugar. I’ll have it o...