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He straightened to his full height, and she gulped. He was a giant. Tall and broad with lean, tapered hips and a flat stomach. She’d bet every last dollar in her meager bank account he had a six-pack under his shirt.
And his name was Ryder. Gag. His mama didn’t like him much, did she?
He walked across the grass.
Sophie scowled as her adrenaline kicked in and she had a sudden urge to flight.
Maddie waved a hand between them. “Sophie Kincaid, meet Ryder Moore.”
He came to stand in front of her, tilting his strong jaw before raising his sunglasses to peer down at her.
Her scowl deepened.
His eyes were like nothing she’d ever seen before. They were gray, light and almost eerie.
He smiled and her heart skipped a beat. “Sophie, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t want anything to do with this man. She didn’t know what he was doing here, but she wanted him gone. “Why’s that?”
He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m your neighbor.”
Oh no. Why, God, why?Could this get any worse? What was Maddie thinking? She didn’t want to live next to him.
He grinned down at her. “And your landlord.”
Oh. My. God.
All those years of Catholic school, and this was how the heavens repaid her.
* * *
The tiny blonde stared at him as though he was a bug under her shoe. Arms crossed, she stood there, glaring at him like his very existence irritated her. Which, considering the deal he’d given her on rent, he didn’t understand at all.
She should be grateful.
She should at least smile at him.
But she did none of those things.
Instead she glowered.
Maybe Maddie Riley had told her something bad, but that didn’t seem right. He’d been a practical saint since moving to Revival. Maddie, her friends, and her family had been nothing but welcoming since he’d moved from a couple of towns over. Besides, he doubted they even knew about his trouble that had been the catalyst in his decision to start over fresh.
But the cute blonde he towered over clearly wasn’t a fan.
Too bad, because she was a pretty little thing. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, those big brown eyes of hers, and that sweet mouth, she should look soft and compliant. She didn’t. She looked fierce, with a defiant tilt to her jaw and the set of her shoulders.
At six-four he stood more than a foot taller than her, but his height didn’t appear to intimidate her, despite the disparity between them. Standing there, she was so small he had a sudden urge to pat her on top of her head. Certain that move wouldn’t win him any favors, he resisted and said, “Rent’s due on the first of the month.”
Her frown deepened. “Fine.”
He was intrigued. Rubbing women the wrong way wasn’t really his thing. In fact, he had the opposite problem; women always liked him too much. With the right smile, he could get away with almost anything.
Not with this one, though.
He tried again, putting on his most charming grin. “Utilities are included.”
She raised her brows. “Yeah, I know. I read the contract.”
