Falling for the New Guy by Nicole Helm

Author:Nicole Helm [Helm, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MARC STARED AT the clock and tried not to grind his teeth. An old bad habit he’d kicked a long time ago. Or thought he’d kicked. But with Tess fifteen minutes late, after last night, and the impending doom of actually having to talk about himself or his feelings, he felt the need to grind something.

When a knock sounded on the front door, Marc frowned at it. Tess didn’t knock. She slid right in. Who could this be? Maybe he could ignore it and it would go away.

Okay, no, he could never ignore a door knock. He looked through the peephole and panic froze him.

His parents. With Tess due any minute. Sound the alarm.

Trying to feign as much cheer as he could muster, Marc opened the door. “Mom. Dad. Hi. I didn’t know you were coming over.”

Mom moved in without waiting for an invitation or without him even moving out of the doorway. She pushed until she was inside, eyes assessing every inch.

“This place...is...something.” Mom wrinkled her nose, then sniffed the air. “You’re cooking.” Before he’d even closed the door behind Dad, Mom was in the kitchen smelling and tasting and making noises about his garlic use.

“Not much of a kitchen. And the outside of this place. My goodness. Why didn’t you buy a house like your sister? I’m sure Jacob could have pointed you in the right—”

“I don’t need a house,” Marc said as equitably as he could manage. “I wanted somewhere small.” Possibly somewhere not totally permanent. Just in case.

In case of what, he had no idea, but it hadn’t felt smart to buy. Not here.

Mom started adding random spices to the sauce he’d been simmering and Marc tried to find some way to get her out. Get them out. Tess and his parents...that was a thing he didn’t want mixing. It was bad enough he’d agreed to talk.

The door creaked open and Tess slid through, her back to the three of them as she closed and locked the door behind her. “You would not believe what just happened to me. Something is up with Gra—” The moment she turned around, looked up, gaze landing on his parents, she stopped speaking, mouth hanging open. Since he wasn’t beyond wide-eyed terror himself, no words came out of his mouth, either.

Mom was the first to break the silence. “Whoops. We barged right in and didn’t even give Marc a chance to tell us he...had plans. Don’t mind us, we’ll be right on our way.”

“No. No, you don’t have to leave on my account,” Tess squeaked. “Please, I’d feel terrible if you left.” Her gaze flicked to his briefly. “You must be Marc’s parents.”

“Yes, and you must be...”

“Boss lady,” Dad said with a sly smile.

“Oh.” Mom drew out the syllable.

“No ohs. This is my neighbor Tess.”

“I see. So not who Leah was talking about?” Mom’s mouth curved downward into a pout. But as quick as it occurred, it disappeared and she clapped her hands together. “Either way, it’s so good to make friends with the neighbors.

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