Page 48

Somehow, he looks even more attractive. More mature. A few days’ worth of scruff shadows his jaw, his thick hair falling over one eyebrow. As if that’s not bad enough, he has the audacity to push up the sleeves of his Henley, baring those forearms.

Apparently, I’m a sucker for good forearms.

And Joshua’s forearms belong in a goddamn museum.

“Hey,” he says with a smile that all but turns my knees to jelly.

“Joshua. Hey. How are you?”

“I’m good. Haven’t seen you around lately.” He steps closer, studying me. “Is everything okay?”

“Of course,” I reply, my voice coming out higher than I expected. I clear my throat, pulling Hilde closer to me. “This is my friend from Houston, Hilde. Hilde, this is Joshua. He grew up in the house next to me.”

“So you’re the boy next door.” She extends her hand, and Joshua takes it in his.

“I guess I am. Although I’d like to think I’m not exactly a boy anymore.” He shifts his gaze from Hilde to me, the intensity in his stare searing my skin.

“From where I’m standing…” Hilde eyes him up and down, completely unabashed about checking him out. “You definitely aren’t. Tell me, Joshua. How old are you?”

Hilde flashes me a conniving smile, as if she’s privy to a juicy secret.

She can’t possibly pick up on anything between Joshua and me, can she? It’s not like there’s anything to pick up on.

Do I think Joshua’s attractive?

Of course I do. But there’s nothing going on. And there never will be.

“Turned twenty-five a few weeks ago.”

Hilde’s eyes light up. “That’s the perfect age, if you ask me.”

“Do I even want to know what it’s the perfect age for?” Joshua asks with a smirk.

“I’ll let you use your imagination.” Hilde’s smile turns wicked. “But it’s nothing PG-rated.”

“On that note, we’ll let you get back to work,” I say in a chipper voice, pulling Hilde away from Joshua before she says anything else that’s borderline inappropriate.

“It was great seeing you, Wynter,” Joshua calls out. “And nice meeting you, Hilde.”

Hilde glances over her shoulder. “Not as nice as it was to meet you, Joshua.” She gives him a flirtatious waggle of her brows before leaning closer to me. “Who was that delicious man?”

“No one,” I reply, aiming for breezy.

“That didn’t look like no one to me.”

“Like I said. He’s my neighbor.” I slow my steps as we approach the line at the winery tent.

But when I steal a glance over my shoulder, Joshua is still watching me. My cheeks warm, my pulse quickening, the tiny hairs all over my body standing on end.

I don’t think anyone’s ever looked at me the way Joshua does. Not even Wyatt.

“So which is it?” Hilde pulls my attention back to her. “No one? Or your neighbor? Better yet, a NILF?”

I raise a brow. “A…NILF?”

“Neighbor I’d like to⁠—”

“Got it,” I cut in before she can finish. “And definitely not. He’s friends with my brother.”