4. Ayla

Chapter 4

Ayla

L inda lived a couple of houses down Magnolia Lane, so it only took two minutes to walk there. And I made sure not to come empty-handed. When I visited Kat in North Carolina, we’d gone to an amazing place called Thistle Meadow Winery. Their wines were some of the best I’d ever tasted. Linda and I had finished a few bottles of wine together before, and I figured tonight we could enjoy a bottle she hadn’t tried yet.

Her front door was open, and I could smell her famous fried chicken. She was known in town for being an exceptional cook.

When I walked in, I heard Linda moving around in the kitchen. I couldn’t wait to show her the bottle of wine I wanted her to try. The second I stepped into the kitchen's doorway, I held up the bottle and was about to announce I had a surprise for her, but then I clamped my mouth shut and hid around the corner. It wasn’t Linda in the kitchen . . . it was Declan!

Slowly, I peeked my head around the corner, hating myself for wanting to see more of him. Even though I despised him, he was still a very sexy man. Declan didn’t have a baseball cap on, which revealed his ashy brown hair with sprigs of gray. However, it was his body I recognized. He was dressed in khakis and a light blue polo shirt. The shirt didn’t hide his toned muscles; it hugged him perfectly.

My pulse skyrocketed, and I gritted my teeth. Why the hell was he here?

Then, of course, it all made sense. Linda wasn’t just the town’s favorite cook; she was also the town matchmaker. I knew one day she’d try her luck with me, but I didn’t think it would be with Declan.

I took a deep breath then let it out slowly. Everything was silent, so I had to assume Declan hadn’t heard me. If that was the case, I could sneak out unnoticed.

I took a step toward the front door, praying the hardwood floor wouldn’t creak, holding my breath until I reached the door. When I did, I stepped out and rushed down the porch steps.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Linda shouted.

My heart stopped and I froze, unable to turn around and face her. The sound of the screen door opening and Declan clearing his throat filled me with even more dread.

“This is so not happening right now,” I mumbled to myself, too embarrassed to face them. It was obvious I was running away.

I turned around and plastered on a fake smile. Linda was all too amused by the grin on her face, but Declan’s expression was blank. I was pretty good at reading people, but I had no clue what was going on in his mind.

Linda cocked her head to the side, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “Sweetheart, what are you doing? Were you running away?”

Leave it to Linda to put me on the spot.

I blew out the breath I’d been holding, failing at my attempt to hide my disappointment at the sight of Declan.

“You didn’t tell me you were having others join us for dinner?” I said, but it came out as a question.

Linda’s smile widened. “Well, you know now.” She waved a hand in the air. “Come on, the food’s getting cold. And you know I hate it when that happens.” Then her gaze dropped to the wine bottle. “We can open that up, too.” She glanced back and forth between me and Declan. “It looks like you both could use it.”

She turned around and strolled through the door, leaving me outside with Declan. He made no attempt to follow her in, which left me standing in the yard looking like an idiot. Great.

I marched up the porch steps and was hoping to bypass Declan without having to speak to him, but he stepped in my way, reaching for the screen door’s handle. He opened the door, but only slightly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I shot my gaze to his, cutting him off.

“Look,” I snapped, making his sea-blue eyes widen. A hint of humor flashed in them, and it prickled my nerves. “Linda sure does have a sense of humor. I know why she’s invited us both here for dinner.” He tried to speak again, but I held up a hand. “And just so you know, I don’t need help getting a date.”

He shook his head and chuckled. “Neither do I, Ayla.”

My brows lifted. “That’s shocking. Especially after our interaction yesterday. Being an inconsiderate ass isn’t the way to a female’s heart.”

His smile faded. “About that. I’m sorry for how I acted. I shouldn’t have been a dick.”

That caught me off guard. I stared at him for a few seconds, and there was nothing but sincerity on his face. It made all the anger inside of me disappear.

I blew out a sigh. “And I didn’t help matters by storming over to your house. I’m sorry for my part. Hopefully, it was just all a misunderstanding.”

Declan nodded. “It was. I’m going to get my lawn mower fixed and do my yard work on a different day.”

My mouth dropped. “Why the change of heart?”

He opened the screen door wider, but neither one of us made a move to walk in. “Let’s just say we have a mutual friend who put me in my place.”

We stepped inside and he held out his hand, his smile genuine and sexy as hell. “I’m Declan Parker. It’s nice to officially meet you.”

I shook his hand and smiled back. “Ayla Carington, your very grateful neighbor. Thank you for offering to do your lawn on a different day. Then again, it probably wouldn’t be so bad with a mower that doesn’t sound like it’s about to explode. ”

Declan laughed. “True. I promise I won’t be a problem anymore.”

“Neither will I,” I replied, letting his hand go. “Now, let’s get inside before Linda drags us in by our ears.”

He flourished a hand toward the door. “After you.”

My heart started to race, and this time in a good way.