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

by Annah Conwell

I’m not one for small talk and neither is MJ, so our conversation dwindles after that. But as Maddie is opening every drawer in the apothecary cabinet I converted to storage for tea, MJ speaks up. “You got a plant.” My spine stiffens. The thing about my family is that our observant nature is in our blood. All three of my brothers and my sister are incredibly attentive to our surroundings. My dad is the same way, and my mom was too before she passed away. This means that rarely anything goes unnoticed. “Yes, I did.” “You told me you didn’t want any plants. We have plenty I could have given you.” “We have a lot at home,” Maddie adds with a nod. “I didn’t buy it.” I pause. “It was a gift … from my neighbor.” MJ raises a dark eyebrow. “The pretty blonde one?” “Grayson told you about her,” I deadpan. “Of course he did. He tells me everything, too much, actually. So, who is she?” She crosses her arms and eyes me. “Her name is Juliette. She’s my neighbor. She has a dog.” “That’s all?” “Yes.” “Can I meet her?” Maddie asks, reminding me that she’s listening to all of this. “Maybe one day, but I wouldn’t count on it,” I say and she pokes her bottom lip out in response. “I want to meet her dog, though. Mom and Dad won’t let me get a puppy.” MJ sighs as if this has been a well-discussed topic in their home. “We didn’t say no, we said we would talk about it.” MJ pulls her phone out of the pocket of her paint-splattered jeans. She’s an artist, and it’s rare she’s without at least a spec...