Page 51 of What Happens at the Lake

“You look more than pretty good.”

My heart went pitter-patter like a schoolgirl’s. “Thanks.”

“Goodnight.”

“Sweet dreams, Fox.”

CHAPTER 15

Slippery When Wet

Fox

“Have you seen your neighbor around lately?” Porter asked.

I leaned against the pillar, fiddling with my phone, waiting for the building inspector to arrive. My employee was supposed to be inside laying tile in the last of the building’s bathrooms. I wasn’t sure what annoyed me more, the fact that he was slacking off at work or that he was sniffing around about Josie.

I didn’t look up from typing into my cell. “I think Mr. Hanson goes up to visit his daughter for a few weeks in the summer.”

“I meant your neighbor on the other side.”

Of course I knew that. And I’d also seen Josie two days ago when she’d spent the afternoon testing my self-control—down on all fours in those cut-off denim shorts helping me plant. Yet I shrugged. “Not her keeper.”

Porter lifted his baseball cap and spun it around backward. “I called her and asked if she wanted to have dinner this Friday night. She said she’d get back to me. Texted yesterday to check in but didn’t get a response.”

“Maybe you should take a hint.”

Porter’s forehead wrinkled. “You think she’s not interested?”

The kid got rejected so infrequently that he wasn’t even sure what it looked like. “You called her. She blew you off. You texted because you didn’t take the hint the first time, and yet again she gave you the silent treatment. What part of that seems like she’s interested?”

“I figured she was just busy or something.”

“If a woman is interested, she’s never too busy to respond.”

“Ouch.”

I went back to my phone. “It is what it is.”

“Maybe I should send flowers.”

I shook my head. “Damn, he still doesn’t get it.”

“I thought I felt something between us when we talked,” Porter mused. “You know, like a spark.”

This conversation was grating on my nerves. I lifted my chin toward the entrance to the building. “Don’t you have tiling to do?”

“I finished everything I can. They shorted me on the border pieces, so I’m going to have to go over to Ludsville to pick some up.”

“Ludsville? Didn’t we get all the tile from Abbotts in town?”

“Yeah, but I called and Abbotts doesn’t have the border tiles in stock. They’d have to order, and it would take a week to ten days. Tile Emporium has ’em now. It’ll take me about an hour to get there and back, but I’ll still be able to finish the bathroom today.”

I scratched my chin. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll take the ride to Ludsville after Ernie from the building department comes and does his inspection. Why don’t you get started installing the baseboard heating covers? They were delivered this morning.”

Porter shrugged. “Sure. Whatever you want, boss.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a tile. “This is the border, so you can make sure it matches up.”

“Thanks.”

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