was mad at me. While I put my keys in my purse, I watched her jog away, angling for the wrong side of the house. When I realized what she was doing, a moment of sheer panic twisted my guts. I thrust open the door in a hurry, but I was too late. My brazen daughter was already halfway to the neighbor's driveway with her hand stretched out and a smile plastered onto her face. The four guys she'd been drooling over were making their way toward her.
"Hi," I heard her say in a much too chipper voice. "I'm Gabriella Castillo, and we're moving in next door."
Four men stepped up to greet her, shoulder to shoulder like a barrier. All of them were built like fitness models. Side by side, they looked like something that belonged on Pinterest for women to drool over. The best part was their matching amber-colored eyes. I wasn't sure if these boys were brothers - because they honestly looked nothing alike - but each one had the same yellowish-brown irises. It was a shade that was impossible to miss. I'd only ever seen one person with eyes like that before - Ashley - and I'd always envied her a little because of the gorgeous way it complimented her blonde hair.
As I hurried to catch up, the men stopped just at the edge of the property line. The third one jerked his chin in her direction. "Didn't know we were getting neighbors."
"Yeah," Gabby told him. "So brace for the moving van that will be here soon."
"Great," one of the others mumbled.
"You know about this, Ian?" another asked.
The apparent leader shook his head, proving he was Ian. "Nope. Hadn't heard a thing."
Standing so close to my daughter made it obvious that Ian was anything but small. Her head barely reached his shoulder, and his chest was almost twice the width of hers. The lines of muscles decorating his abdomen were amazing, and Gabby was enjoying the view. She didn't bother checking out his cocoa brown hair or the close-cropped beard. Nope, my little girl's eyes dropped right to his happy trail. She didn't even look guilty about it.
"Gabby!" I snapped when I was close enough that it wouldn't be a yell. "I told you to go pick out a room. Now! Don't bother the neighbors."
Ian grunted in agreement. "That's probably safest."
Gabby rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, she doesn't care what I want anyway, but it's nice to meet you guys."
"Yeah," he said, and the others mumbled similar sentiments. My kid had clearly caught them off guard.
I stepped up to take Gabby's place as she scurried away before I could yell at her again. "Sorry about my daughter," I told the guys. "Like a typical teenager, she's not overly thrilled with the idea of moving and is trying to make sure I pay for it. This was her attempt to embarrass me."
Ian crossed his arms over his chest. "I honestly had no clue the corner lot had been leased."
"I just got hired for the front office," I explained. "The best perk of the job is living inside the gates, right?" This guy was giving me some very unwelcome vibes.
I started to step back, but his next words made me pause. "Ashley hired someone?"
I nodded, hoping I hadn't just made a mess of this. My goal was to live here for a while, and upsetting the neighbors wouldn't be a good idea. Especially not ones who actually paid to live here. And while yes, these guys were hot, I also couldn't forget that they all looked young enough to think of me as the old lady living next door - and they were probably rich. If they wanted to make our lives hell, they could.
"I'm the new leasing manager," I told him, making sure I looked nothing but professional, even if I wasn't exactly dressed for it. "Sorry my daughter bothered you. I'll let you get back to what you were doing."
I turned for the house as fast as I could. They were most likely waiting for me to cause problems and start complaining about their party life or music. Then again, that was something my husband would've said. He always expected the worst from people, and it was one more thing I needed to put on my list to change. Just because they weren't welcoming didn't mean they were bad. Just surprised, right?
Besides, up close, they looked a bit older than they had from the car. Probably closer