Lovely Neighbor by Alexa Riley Page 0,13

ahead. “Do you have plans for dinner?”

“Umm.” She looks at my front door as if trying to see through to her grandmother. “I don’t think so.”

“I have to go,” I say, waving the folder. “But I’ll bring something to eat when I come home and we can officially meet.” She nods and I see a smile tug at the corner of her lips. Meanwhile I’m smiling like an idiot who just rode their first roller coaster. “Get some sleep.”

I walk out of the apartment quickly like I’ve somehow broken into someone else's place and stolen the file. Maybe I’m trying to get away from the whole scene that just happened in there or maybe, and more accurately, I’m trying to hurry the day to be over.

One thing is for certain, and it’s that I have to see Erin again.

Chapter Nine

Erin

“Aren’t all these little shops cute?” Grams asks. She’s been working hard on selling the idea of me moving here all afternoon.

“It’s nice that they’re all so close,” I admit. The street outside her building is filled with all kinds of stores and most everything you could need is within walking distance.

“Here, this place has the best pie.” She holds the door open to a little bakery.

“Betty! How are you, sweetness?” the older man behind the counter shouts.

“I’m good. I brought my—”

“Sister?” he chimes in, and I hide my laugh behind my hand.

“Granddaughter, Erin.” She shakes her head at him, smiling.

“Yes, Erin. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He holds his hand out over the display case. “I’m Johnny.”

“It’s nice to meet you too. I hear you have the best pies around.”

“You've been talking about me, sweetness?” Johnny winks at Grams and I’ve never met anyone that’s a bigger flirt than her. I wish I had a little bit of that in me. Instead I stand in shock whenever I see a handsome man. Exhibit A was this very morning.

“I’m trying to talk my granddaughter into moving here. What better way than with pie?”

“All right. How about you two take a seat and I’ll bring you some samples out.”

“That would be perfect.” Grams smiles at him. I notice her cheeks are a little pinker than normal. Grams is a flirt but no one ever turns her eye and it’s always in good fun. I keep thinking one day she’s going to fall face first into a man before she knows what’s happening.

We take a seat in the back corner and Johnny comes out a moment later with iced teas. Clearly he knows what Grams wants, because when I take a sip it’s as sweet as she likes it.

“So how are you feeling today?”

“Okay, actually. The building here makes me feel safe. I mean, it’s only us on that floor and there’s a doorman.” It’s not like my apartment, where people can come and go, and I never thought about how dangerous that could be for a single woman. “I think what keeps getting to me is what if I’d been home.” I try not to cry thinking about it because it kept me up most of the night. Grams reaches out and squeezes my hand. “How long would it have taken for someone to realize I was missing or to come looking for me?”

“Oh Erin.” Grams stands up and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. “I never want you to think like that. If you don’t move out here then I’m going to have to move out there.” I shake my head no because that’s silly. She has a whole life here and there’s no way I’d ask her to give that up.

“I’m going to move here,” I reassure her.

“Pie!” Johnny calls as he carries a tray filled with more pie than we’ll ever be able to eat. Those don’t look like samples. They are full-on slices of every kind of pie you can think of.

“You’re so good.” Grams sits back down as Johnny places the tray on the table then hands us both a fork.

“Can I get you ladies anything else?”

“I think we’re good.” Grams pushes the tray closer to me.

“Thank you.” I smile up at Johnny, who is looking down at Grams, quite smitten.

“Anytime.” He walks back behind the counter and goes back to work.

“Try this one. It’s coconut,” Grams says, holding it out.

“Oh god, that’s good.” Coconut is my absolute favorite.

“See, you can come get this anytime you want.”

“That sounds dangerous,” I laugh while taking another bite. “You know Johnny seems sweet on you.”