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“Maybe you should give it to your wife,” I toss at him, suddenly feeling defensive. After all, he made assumptions about me.
“I’m not married,” he spits out.
“I can see why.” My tone is exasperated, and I hate that he’s turned me into this.
His jaw tics as he clenches it.
“Please, just take the plant.” I hold it out to him. If he takes it, then I can go back home, pretend he doesn’t exist, and never see him again.
“No thanks. I’m not one for clutter lying around my house.”
“Clutter!”
I look down at the plant in my hands, and my heart pinches. He just insulted something that means a great deal to me, and anger diffuses from my bones into my muscles. The devil and the angel appear on each shoulder. The devil says, “Throw it at his head,” and the angel says, “Just take it home and be done with this.”
I came over here with the best of intentions. It never occurred to me that he would be just as horrible and grumpy today. I understand how last night could be situational, but I’ve done nothing to this guy for him to be so unfriendly.
“You’ve got some nerve,” I say to him as I take a step backward. Righteous indignation has my heart rate picking up.
“You’re the one standing on my doorstep uninvited,” he growls at me.
My jaw drops open, and the old sweet dog between his feet lets out a small whine. Even the dog is aware of how inappropriate this guy is being. I mean seriously, what is his problem?
“Wow. Are you always this insufferable to people you just meet? I mean, I hope your investors keep you from paying customers at this orchard. With the likes of you, I would never return.”
“If we’re done now,” he says in a flat tone as he shuffles the dog backward.
Oh yes, we are done. So done, we never even began.
Setting the plant on his top step, I whip around and storm down the stairs to leave. I’m so offended by this guy that I don’t even know which emotion to settle on first! Arrogant, condescending prick. He may think his gruff and rude attitude will sway me to stay away, but he’s got another thing coming. No one treats me badly and gets away with it. I am not the type of girl who will just sit back and let him think he’s running this show. I may be new to this town and this mountain, but he just inadvertently declared war.
Turning back, I see he hasn’t closed the door and gone inside. He’s watching me with his arms crossed over his chest. Only this time, his expression is one of curiosity and not annoyance, but then, just as quick as it’s there, it’s gone.
A warm breeze blows, and I breathe in the sweet smell of the mountain. It clears my head, and I know my eyes have brightened with mischief. In the sweetest voice I can muster, I say to him, “I’ll see you around, Briggs.”
My smile is more like a smirk, and I know he sees it. He frowns again, and those two little lines I’m becoming familiar with strike deeper between his eyes. I’ve confused him with the one-eighty of my emotions, and the devil sitting on my left shoulder laughs. Good. I give him a little finger wave and then turn to head back to my house.
This will be fun.
He doesn’t know we’ve gone into battle, but he will soon enough. And if there’s one thing I know for certain, I will not lose.
5
BRIGGS
It’s been a week since I’ve seen my new neighbor. And even though we’ve had zero interaction, I still feel her presence on the mountain as a part of each day, and I hate it.
I hate knowing she’s just on the other side of that tree line and down the driveway. I hate knowing that she’s over there by herself even though I shouldn’t care, and I hate wondering if she needs any help. I’ve only seen one car come and go from the house, so most of the time, she’s alone.
I can admit I was an ass to her. I had just gotten off the phone with my brother, who’s demanding I be at the board meeting next month as we approach closing out the fiscal year, and even though I’m not an employee, just a shareholder, he loves to remind me that I owe it to him and my father to participate.
I hate these meetings.
With a passion.
Too many suits in one room with too many opinions and none of them align with mine. Of course I keep my mouth shut. There’s no point in me saying anything. I don’t participate in the day-to-day structure of running the business. I’m just the third largest shareholder, and it would be in bad taste not to show up and show solidarity with the family among the others.
Then all of a sudden there she was looking like a fucking ray of sunshine, petting Duke all sweetly and trying to gift me a plant.
