Dante could do that on his ownandin his own time.
Amanda refused to be pushed on him.
Best to stifle whatever was going on in her sister’s matchmaking brainandthe strange awareness rushing through her own body right now.
“You work at The Early Years Academy?” The low timber of his voice momentarily stole hers and sent an unexpected smattering of goose bumps over her skin.
It felt nice, but she did her best to overlook it.
“Yes, I do.” She nodded. At least for now. She had an application in at the local school district. “Is your son three?”
Ignoring the goose bumps was one thing. Trying not to get lost in the depths of his chocolate brown eyes again was another. Her body was still tingling from their initial glance five minutes ago.
“No.” He shook his head. “Not until October.”
She smiled. “Then the‘probably’in Holden’s statement is correct. I teach the three-year-olds in the preschool part of the building. Noah will be in the daycare side and in the section with other two-year-olds, like Mindy. But I do substitute in other sections when needed.”
The academy had two teachers assigned to each preschool class but only one to each daycare section, so if they needed help in the daycare they always pulled from the preschool.
“I see.” He smiled back and her pulse jumped. “Well, at least he’ll already have a friend in his class.”
She followed his gaze and watched the cute little girl holding Noah’s hand, her blonde curls bouncing as they both ran after a little boy Amanda knew well. “Dillan is in my class, but he’ll be moving up to the four-year-olds’ class before Noah turns three.”
“Pretty sure he’ll be having many opportunities to play with Dillan outside of school,” Hunter said, walking toward them. “Christa will be inviting Noah over for many playdates.”
She’d met Dillan’s father and mother both at the preschool and at her sister’s house. In fact, she’d met all the ESI guysthere and at Lyndsey’s, her sister’s childhood friend who now happened to be married to the local sheriff. The couple often held barbeques in their backyard just down the street.
“That’s great.” Dante nodded. “I’m sure Noah will like that. And I’ll be happy to return the favor.”
“Speaking of favors,” Emily said, her mischievous gaze sending a shaft of alarm through Amanda. “If you run out of sugar, you can always borrow some next door. I’m sure my sister would be happy to share some of her sugar with you.”
Heat rushed to the top of Amanda’s head so fast, it not only flushed her face, it also nearly fried her brain. “Emily!”
“What?” The idiot grinned. “You mean you wouldn’t give this poor guy a cup of sugar if he asked?”
Beyond mortified, she turned her back on her so-not-funny sister and faced Dante. “I am so sorry. Please ignore her. She means well, but I sometimes think she forgets we’re people and not animals that she rescues.”
He laughed, but Amanda detected a note of wariness in the sound.
“You’re really my neighbor?” he asked.
She nodded, pointing to her right, his left. “I’m renting the brick ranch. I signed the lease the day it was listed, two months ago. Ask me why.”
His gaze narrowed. “Why?”
“Because I couldn’t deal with one of my former roommates,” she replied, ignoring her sister’s grunt. “You see, she recently found her true love and thought by fixing me up with every Tom, Dick, and Harry that it would eventually help me find mine.”
“I see.” His lips twitched. “Take it that didn’t work.”
She nodded. “You would be correct, sir. Turns out I don’t need a guy to make me happy, moving did that.”
Dante, Holden, and Hunter all chuckled.
“Hey!” Emily not so playfully punched her arm. “Was I that bad to live with?”
Amanda ignored the urge to rub the ache and pulled her sister in for a hug instead. “No, of course not. But Iwashappy to leave,” she said, releasing Emily. “You two lovebirds didn’t need me invading your nest and privacy any more than I did. And I truly appreciate you two saving me from having to stay with Mom and Dad when I returned from the UK. I love them, but my room still has all my high school things in it. Nothing’s changed except time. I’m twenty-nine, not eighteen.”
“I understand, trust me.” Emily laughed. “Why do you think I bought my place before I left Houston?”
