“Hey.”
“This is Autumn?” Another man joined Griff and Lucas, slapping them both on the backs. “Hey, it’s good to finally meet you. I’m Jackson.” He wasn’t as tall or as broad as Griff, but he was still a good looking guy. “How are you settling in?”
“Really well.” She smiled at him as he sat down on the sand next to her, being careful not to get her wet. “I’m loving Lucas and Ember’s beach cottage. I used to play white noise to get to sleep in New York, but now I get to nod off to the sound of the waves.”
“And you’re planning on being here for a while?”
“I think so. I’m still hashing out the details, but if the weather is always like this, then I’m in.”
“It really is,” Jackson told her. “The best thing about living here is the climate.”
“And the ocean,” Breck pointed out.
“Well, yeah.”
“And the mountains,” Lucas said. “If you like hiking.”
“I do like hiking,” Autumn told them. “I didn’t get to do a lot of it in New York, but I’d try to get to the Catskills at least once a year to climb some hills.”
“You got your hiking boots with you?” Griff asked.
“Um, yeah. They’re somewhere in the cottage.” Still in the box she’d packed them in.
“I can show you a trail later if you want,” he said, his voice nonchalant.
“Today?” Autumn blinked. It was a simple friendly offer. Her skin didn’t need to heat up like it was on fire.
“Yeah. If you’re not busy.”
“I’m not busy,” she said quickly. “And I’d love to check out some trails.”
Jackson looked from Autumn to Griff, a bemused smile on his face.
“Okay, then,” Griff said, ignoring his friend’s questioning gaze. “I need to go home and wash up. I’ll pick you up at your place at one.”
7
“What’s with the caveman attitude over the new girl?” Jackson asked as they carried their boards up the beach. “Me Griff, you Autumn. You were practically beating your chest, man.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Griff felt his jaw twitch.
“Come on. I was shooting the breeze with her and you jumped in so fast it took my breath away. You like her, right?”
“She’s my landlord. A colleague. And she’s new in town. I just didn’t think you should be hitting on her like that.”
The corner of Jackson’s mouth quirked up. “So if I ask her out on a date you’ll get angry.”
“I don’t want to deal with the fallout when you mess it up,” Griff said, raising an eyebrow. “I have to work with her.”
“But what if I don’t mess it up?” Jackson tipped his head to the side. “What if I like her and she likes me. You’d be okay with that?”
The thought of it made Griff feel weird. And he had no idea why. Yeah, she was pretty, and clever as hell. But he knew better than to date somebody he had to work closely with. Look at what happened with him and Carla.
“I don’t think she’s planning on sticking around forever,” he finally said, avoiding Jackson’s question altogether. “Just until she has the pier under control. Then she’ll head back to New York.”
“So we could have a fling.” Jackson shrugged. “Suits me.”
Griff’s fingers tightened on his board, his knuckles blanching. “Leave her out of it.”