Page 56 of The Grumpy Side of Paradise

I shouldn’t be as excited as I am to see her again so soon, but we’ve had a great time this past week. And maybe I shouldn’t compare Evie to Dakota, but Dakota was never interested in what I do for a living. Even though I didn’t have my own construction company when we were together, I’ve worked construction for almost as long as we dated. The only time I didn’t work construction was when we lived in New York and I was going to culinary school.

Evie seemed genuinely interested in not only what I was doing, but also in learning how to do it herself. I’d be lying if I said a beautiful woman in a hard hat holding a nail gun wasn’t a fantasy of mine.

But even if Evie and I had just hung out all week, I would have enjoyed spending time together. She’s easy to talk to, and I can’t say that about many people. Who can blame me for being excited about talking to her some more? Or for hoping maybe we’ll do more than talk.

I wait for Seb and Bear to leave before I grab the grooming kit I keep in my office for emergencies and head to the restroom. After tying my hair back and giving my beard a quick trim, I head out. When I cross the street to my place, I don’t hear Rosie barking like I usually do, and she’s not waiting for me at my window. She’s not even waiting for me at Evie’s upstairs window, which ignites a spark of jealousy. I don’t want to be second choice for either of them.

My worries subside when she barks the minute I knock. Evie opens the door and my breath catches. Her hair is pulled back, and she’s wearing a blue sweatsuit thing that matches her eyes. I don’t think she even has makeup on, but she looks even more beautiful than she did this morning.

“Hey.” That’s as much as I can get out before Rosie charges out the door to greet me, which was not the plan. I was hoping to come inside to get her. “I hear you escaped and had to be recaptured,” I say as I scoop her up.

Evie rolls her eyes and laughs. “Britta told me she probably needed to go out, so I guess it’s my fault.” Her arm brushes mine as she reaches to scratch Rosie’s back. “I swear she hasn’t made a peep or tried to run away since I brought her over here. Also, you should probably lock your doors. I could have dognapped her.”

“Wouldn’t be Paradise if I had to lock my doors.” Our arms touch, and I hold very still to keep it that way. “I don’t even know where the key is.”

“That’s what I figured.” She draws her arm back and an expectant pause follows, like she can’t decide if she wants me to stay or go. Her eyes are telling me to stay, but she stands in the doorway, and she doesn’t invite me in.

“Well, I should—”

“Do you want to come in for a minute?” she blurts. “It’s freezing outside.”

“Sure.”

She opens the door wider, and Rosie and I step through. Once I’m inside, I don’t know what to say or do. I don’t know if Evie invited me because she felt sorry for me standing outside her door looking pitiful or if she really wanted me to come in. All I know is the quiet between us doesn’t feel like it did this afternoon. It’s tight and awkward. Even Rosie feels it. She’s doing her best to squirm out of my arms.

“Put your dog down and make yourself comfortable.” Evie points to the couch, and we both let out a relieved laugh. “You want a beer or something?”

“Sounds good.” I sit while she walks to the fridge. Her coffee table is covered in sketches and swatches that are obviously for Grandma Rose’s. “Do you mind if I look at your designs here?”

“Go ahead.” She hands me a bottle, then curls up in a blanket on the other side of the couch.

I take a sip of the beer and let my eyes skim over the papers scattered across the table until I find one I can make sense of. I pick it up and pretend to study it. Just being near Evie, on her couch, has my head spinning. Her place is furnished exactly like mine and the layout is very similar, but this unit includes a beautiful woman.

I’ve entered an alternate reality. One where I might fall in love with someone besides Dakota. Or at least be really attracted to someone besides her.

I hold up Evie’s design and hazard a glance at her. “These are great.”

“Thank you.” She has the blanket pulled up to her chin, and I’m fighting all my thoughts about wanting to climb under it with her.

“Are you cold? I could start a fire.” Anything to keep from running my hands over the outline of her legs under the blanket.

“That would be nice if it’s not too much trouble. I can’t get warm.”

The thought darts through my head that maybe she’s inviting me to help her warm up with something other than a fire, but I let it run its course. I’m not taking any chances that I’ll do something wrong.

“It’ll only take a second.” I rub my hands over my thighs. She’s freezing, and I’m sweating like a kid about to move in for his first kiss.

As soon as I stand, Rosie does what I didn’t have the courage to do. She jumps onto the couch and burrows under Evie’s blanket. A look of horror crosses Evie’s face before I can stop Rosie.

“Rosie! Get down!” I’d go in after her, but she’s twisting and turning under the blanket and things could get really awkward if I try to grab her. “I’m so sorry.”

Evie squirms back and forth to avoid Rosie. “What is she doing?”

“Nesting. It’s what she does when she’s ready to go to bed.” I attempt to grab her without pulling back the blanket, but she lies down and goes quiet.

Evie goes still. “She’s on my feet.”

“I can get her off.”

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