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

by Annah Conwell

I jog the final stretch of my usual trail, but I halt when I see Juliette outside. She’s lying on her stomach on a picnic blanket by the lake. Her attention is focused on the book in her hands as she kicks her bare feet absentmindedly. Murphy is sprawled out beside her, sleeping. I swallow as I approach her, my throat feeling tight. The warm hues of the setting sun make her look ethereal in her cream sweater and cuffed jeans. Her blonde hair resembles spun gold and it’s a breathtaking view. I’m once again struck by how soft and sweet she looks. Her head turns and I’ve been caught staring. The sunny grin she gives me makes my heart give an odd thump in my chest. “This is a rare sight,” she calls out, not moving from where she’s splayed out on the blanket. It feels awkward staring down at her like this, so I take a few steps forward and sit down in the grass beside her blanket. Her grin widens and I feel as though I’ve fallen into some sort of trap. “What do you mean?” I ask as she shuts her book. The Great Gatsby, the same book she was reading in the café. The spine is fraying and the copy looks like it’s been bent open and folded over several times. I haven’t read it in years, but I have a sudden urge to pick it up again and see what the woman beside me finds so enthralling about it. “You’re usually not home until much later, sometimes I’m in bed when I hear your car pull in.” An image of Juliette curled up in those satin pajamas of hers flits through my mind and I sink my...