She had a knowing air as she led me back into the hallway, brushing her hair back. “What about you? Any pets?”

  “I wish. Not since I was a kid.”

  “Mmm, I haven’t had any since Mitsy. Just couldn’t bring myself to replace her.”

  The hall led to a den with bookshelves, armchairs, and a fireplace. Big windows looked out to the back porch, and a large antique desk stood in one corner.

  As we entered, a swampy warmth drifted through the open windows, bringing heady scents from her garden— lavender and rosemary.

  My eyelids were agreeably heavy. The afternoon felt like a dream. Something about the heat, the isolation of the town, this big sleepy house…

  Caroline’s silky voice vibrated softly in the air. “I call this the reading room.” She grazed her fingers over the desk. “I was thinking of making it kind of a coworking space, put a couple more desks in here, you know?”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” I moved towards the bookshelves, scanning the titles. “Sorry, whenever I see a bookshelf, I always have to investigate it.”

  “Oh my god, I’m the same!” She moved towards me, hugging herself. “You can kind of tell a lot about a person from their bookshelf.”

  I nodded, tracing my eyes over the titles—Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations. Lots of classics. Also lots of paperback romance and historical fiction.

  Our eyes met. Her arms were still folded, exposing the line of her cleavage a little more—I was absolutely aware of it, though I didn’t let myself look.

  A strand of her hair was curled against her neck, darkened with perspiration. She brushed it behind her ear. She stood close, and I caught the warm, dewy scent of her body.

  She tilted her head, holding my gaze. “If you want to borrow some, feel free.”

  Was she flirting?

  Or is she just having fun, trying to see if she can crack me?

  I kept my cool, though I felt the blood pulsing through my neck, and my shirt was sticking to my stomach.

  “Actually, you know what?” Calmly, I turned to the bookshelf and reached for a book. Her bright blue eyes lingered on the profile of my face before moving towards the books.

  I casually pulled out Birds of the Three Rivers Region: A Guide. An exotic-looking blue bird was on the cover.

  “I just might have a look at this one. Part of the reason I came here was because I heard it was a birding hub.”

  Her lips parted for a second. “Oh, yeah! Are you kidding? Birding is huge here. So, wait, you like bird watching?”

  I grinned. “I love birds.”

  “That’s really cool. I belong to the local birding association. They’re the ones who published that book. I can take you out to some hotspots some time.”

  “Really? I would love that.”

  “I even know where you can see that guy—the Sapphire Finch.” She drummed her nails on the cover of the book, still in my hands.

  I looked down and saw her fingers close to my hands. We seemed to sway in the heat. A fly buzzed lazily somewhere. Outside, a breeze hissed through the trees.

  “Yeah, uh, I’d love to see those guys,” I murmured, my throat dry. I shook my shirt to fan myself as I returned the book to its spot.

  Caroline made an apologetic face. “Sorry, this room gets hot in the afternoon. I’d turn the fan on, but it’s all wobbly. I keep meaning to ask Bill to come and fix it. He’s my neighbor.”

  I gazed up at the ceiling fan. “I could have a look at it.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Really? I mean, you don’t have to.”

  “You have a ladder?”

  “Well, yes. In the shed.”

  “Should be easy. I’m pretty handy with tools.”

  Her fingers brushed over my T-shirt sleeve. “That’s real kind of you, hon. Don’t do it today, though. I want you to get settled in first.”

  “Oh, yeah, for sure.”

  She touched me. She is totally flirting. No… Relax. Maybe it’s just Southern friendliness.

  “Well, anyway, like I was saying, about the birds? You can see a lot of them right here in the yard, too.” She gestured over her shoulder to the window.

  Taking my eyes off Caroline, I noticed a bird bath on her lawn, and a garden. Just beyond, through the trees, the river was slithering by like a giant, glittering serpent.

  “Wow, that’s an amazing view.”

  She smiled. “You want to see it? Come on.”

  I followed Caroline through a sliding screen door onto a wooden deck. It was nice, though it looked like it could use a fresh coat of stain.

  Descending the steps to lush green grass, I saw her garden to the right—herbs and flowers growing in neat beds all the way to the fence. Behind the fence, the evergreen bushes went all the way to the riverbank, giving total privacy.

  On the other side, however…

  A chain-link fence bordered by a flower garden ended partway, leaving most of the stretch to the riverbed unfenced.

  My eyes were drawn to movement in the next yard, where I saw two round butt cheeks in a thong bikini. Thick thighs. Brown skin and shining, raven black hair. A woman was lying face-down on a lounger, sunbathing.

  “That’s Sofia,” Caroline said. “My neighbor.”

  “Oh yeah?” I tried to sound casual. I looked around, seeking something else to look at, knowing my gaze had lingered too long on Caroline’s neighbor.

  But my head was swimming in the heat. Was there another hot, mature woman right next door? What were the odds?

  The sun blazed over a distant wall of mountains beyond the river. Its heat seemed to warp the air around me, blurring the corners of my vision.

  Caroline’s voice hummed beside me, telling me about her peaches. The overgrown tree stood on the edge of the bank, its branches weighed with ripe fruit. They looked fat and juicy.

  “I’ve got some fresh ones inside, if you’d like one. Picked them this morning. That might tide you over till dinner’s ready.”

  “Yeah, that would be great.”

  A voice with a heavy Latin American accent called out. “Carolina! Who is your friend?”

  The neighbor, Sofia, had propped herself up on her elbows, giving a view that made my throat go dry.

  She wore large sunglasses, and her exquisite lips were curled into a smirk.

  Though I couldn’t see her eyes, I felt them on me as she rose from her lounger and walked towards us.

  Chapter four

  Sofia glided comfortably through the heat, her bare feet treading on the lush grass.

  Ho-ly shit. What a body.

  Her hips were broad and round. Her thighs were both shapely and pert, tapering perfectly down her legs to her feet. The bikini top barely covered a pair of fulsome, perky breasts. Her black hair fell straight down her back, gleaming in the sunlight.

  She beamed a warm smile as she crossed into Caroline’s yard.

  Caroline gave a friendly wave. “Hi! Haven’t seen you all week.”

  “Ugh! I was super busy.”

  Suddenly, I noticed a distant beeping noise floating in the air.

  Caroline gasped. “Oh, no! My oven timer! I hope it hasn’t been going long.” She hurried back into her house.

  Sofia followed her, giving me an easy smile as she strode past. “Hello, how’s it going?”

  I returned her smile. “Hi, how are you?”

  Caroline’s voice came from inside the house. “Come on in, you guys!”

  Sofia walked ahead of me, as casually as if she was on a nude beach. She might as well have been, with that thong bikini.

  With nobody watching me, I let my eyes linger on the incredible shape of her behind. The way it swayed when she walked was something to behold.

  But I tore my gaze away as she passed under the shade of the porch. In the kitchen, Caroline was lifting her cookies from the pan onto a plate.

  “Sorry to run off like that, Sofia. My cookies came out perfect. Would you like one, or do you want peaches and ice cream?”

  Sofia sucked air through her teeth, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head to look at the cookies. Her large dark eyes were expressive, and, though she had some lines on her face, it was still incredibly adorable.

  But she had to be in her forties, like Caroline.

  “Ay, Carolina! Why do you force me to choose? Okay, ice cream and peaches!”

  Caroline pointed the spatula at me. “Ryan, cookies or peaches and ice cream?”

  “Just a peach, please.”

  She popped her mouth open in playful shock, then turned to the freezer, grabbing the ice cream.

  “So, your name is Ryan?” Sofia said.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said, smiling and concentrating on not looking at her body. Her breasts were covered with thin triangle shapes, nipples poking at me beneath the fabric.

  “Mucho gusto, Ryan.” She extended a dainty hand. Her fingers were warm and limp.

  “Sorry I didn’t introduce you. He’s my first guest,” Caroline said.

  Sofia clapped energetically. “Congratulation!” She didn’t put the ‘s’ on congratulations, and it was adorable.

  She put her hands on Caroline’s shoulder, giggling softly. “I thought you had a new boyfriend.”

  Caroline gave me an apologetic look and rolled her eyes. “Sofia.”

  Sofia nudged her friend. “Why no? He is handsome!”

  Again, I wasn’t quite sure if she was just teasing me because I was young, or if she was actually flirting for real.

  She looked at me squarely, measuring me from head to toe. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty seven.”

  Her eyes widened, and she exchanged a glance with Caroline. “Yes, you’re very young.”

  I grinned. “Yeah, I am,” I said confidently. Might as well own it. I was curious how old they were but knew enough not to ask.

  Sofia’s eyes were on me again. “Are you married?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Sofia!” Caroline interrupted.

  The Latina looked at her innocently. “What?”

  Caroline gave me another apologetic look. “She’s from Colombia. She doesn’t mean anything by it.”

  Sofia put her hands on her hips. “Hey! What do you mean ‘she from Colombia’?”

  “Y’all ask a lot of really direct questions,” Caroline said, laughing.

  Sofia just shook her head and continued her interrogation. “You have kids?”

  I smiled. “Nope. What about you?”

  She nodded proudly. “Yes, I have two boys. The older one is 26, and the other one is 22. But they don’t live with me any more.” Her voice had a touch of sadness.

  “Ah, so you’re married, then.”

  “No! I’m divorced.” She said it emphatically, frowning. But her scowl changed into a bright grin as Caroline gave her a bowl of vanilla ice cream with sliced peach.

  I was already enjoying how expressive Sofia was with her face.

  She perched herself on a stool at the kitchen island, crossing her legs, forking a bite into her mouth. “Oyyy, Carolina! Is so good.”

  Meanwhile, Caroline washed a peach under the tap. I felt the touch of her fingers as she handed me the dripping fruit.

  Sofia looked at me. “You really won’t try the ice cream with your peach? Is really good.”

  I shook my head, biting into the ripe fruit. It burst in my mouth, sweet juice dribbling down my chin.

  “Here.” Caroline passed me a napkin, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

  “Thank you.” I wiped my chin, watching as she poured glasses of homemade lemonade.

  “And why do you come to Riverdale?” Sofia asked, dipping her spoon into the ice cream. “Most young people here just want to leave.”

  “Sofia’s boys both moved to Florida,” Caroline explained.

  “Well, I just sold my startup. Decided to go traveling for a while.”

  Sofia’s dark brown eyes widened. “You’re a businessman! That’s so cool. But, wait. Why did you sell your company?”

  “Because I was done with it. I worked on it for seven years, since I was 20. I dropped out of college for it.”

  Caroline nodded, her eyes fixed on me. “Really! Wow, you must have really believed in what you were doing.”

  “Actually, I didn’t even know what the app was going to be at that point. But one day I just decided that I was going to make money with an app, and I was just going to devote almost every waking minute to it until I got there.”

  Caroline nodded, her eyes wide with appreciation. “You have a lot of dedication.”

  “What about your parents?” Caroline asked. “Were they supportive when you dropped out?”

  “Hell no. They freaked out. It took a long time for them to come around.”

  “That must have been tough. It’s hard when your family doesn’t support you.”

  I shrugged. “Yeah, it was a little, but it didn’t matter at that point. My mind was made up.”

  Sofia was listening intently, and I could see her ice cream melting. “But why did you come here? You must have had a nice life running your own company?”

  I laughed. “I had to build it from scratch, so all the money I made went back into the business. I’ve lived in the same crappy apartment since I was 21.”

  I took a swig of the ice cold lemonade and stared at the shiny granite countertop. I was actually still processing those years of my life.

  “And then, yeah. I got a decent offer—Not an insane amount, but enough that would enable me to leave the grind… at least for a while.

  “Actually, at first I thought I’d just move to a better apartment and stay in the city. But prices for a nice place are crazy high.”

  “Oh, I can imagine!” Caroline said.

  “And then, I just suddenly decided to leave. Travel, maybe? See places I’ve never seen. I don’t really have a plan.” I was grinning; the luxury of being able to not have a plan, to just explore, was thrilling.

  “Coming to Riverdale was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I’ve been told burned-out tech workers like coming here to unwind.”

  Caroline nodded. “Yeah, digital nomads, right? We’re even getting some from Europe. Some people say the Three Rivers Region’s about to become a big destination. That’s kind of why I decided to turn this place into a BnB.”

  Sofia was watching me with pursed lips, frowning thoughtfully. “That’s so cool what you’re doing. I really admire the entrepreneurs.”

  “What about you guys?” I asked. “What do you do?”

  Sofia brightened. “I have a restaurant—Colombian food. Do you like it?”

  “Cool! You’re an entrepreneur too, then.” I was genuinely impressed. I loved talking to anyone running a business. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever tried Colombian food.”

  Her hand flew towards me. “Ayyy, Ryan! You have to try it! Is really good.”

  Caroline agreed. “Sofia’s cooking is amazing. You should go to her restaurant.”

  The Latina’s hand swatted my forearm. “Yes! You must come.”

  “Alright. Is it spicy?”

  “Noooo! Is no spicy. Is really good. Do you eat meat?”

  I nodded eagerly. “Yeah, for sure.”

  She spread her hands. “Believe me, you’re gonna love it.”

  “I can’t wait to try it.” My face was still beaming with a smile. Two beautiful older women who insisted on feeding me? This was getting better and better.

  Caroline slapped her hands on her thighs. “Well! Look at us, talking and talking. Poor Ryan hasn’t even seen his room yet. You’re probably tired.”

  “It’s no problem. I’ve enjoyed it.”

  Caroline put the dishes in the sink while Sofia stood and thanked her, then breezily turned to me as she headed out the door.

  “Goodbye, Guapo.”

  “See ya later, nice meeting you.”

  I made a point of not looking at her butt as she left.

  “Thanks for the peach and lemonade,” I said, throwing the napkin and peach pit into the bin under the sink.

  Caroline waved her hand. “No problem! Alright, let me show you your room. Follow me.”

  Brushing her hair behind her shoulder, she went into the hallway, taking a different route back to the front hall to the stairs.

  Chapter five

  Once again, I found myself with a nice view as I followed Caroline up the stairs. I allowed myself one look at her rear end and then averted my gaze.

  “You never mentioned what you do, Caroline—apart from getting into the rental business.”

  She paused at the top of the stairs, resting one hand on the banister and fanning herself with the other.

  “Well, I do a few things. My day job is manager of the beauty section at Harold’s. It’s a department store in the next town over. But I also do some catering, and I sell stuff at the farmer’s market every week, too.”

  “Interesting. What do you sell?”

  “Mostly preserves.”

  “Like jam and stuff?”

  She nodded, her eyes bright. “Yup, jams and jellies, relish, pickled beets… Depends on what’s growing in my garden.”

  “That’s really cool.”

  She led me down the hallway towards a couple of open bedrooms. On the opposite end of the hall, I glimpsed what I assumed was the master bedroom.

  “This will be your room.” She gestured through the doorway on the right. “The bathroom’s right next door, and you’ll have it to yourself since no one else is staying here.”

  I stepped into a bright room. It had a queen-sized bed and antique furniture that matched the rest of the house. A tall window looked out over the river.

  “The dresser’s empty if you want to unpack,” she said, opening one of the drawers. “And there are hangers in the closet.”

  “This is perfect,” I said, very pleased.

  For a moment, we both relaxed into a comfortable silence. The sunlight seemed to be softening. Its golden glow on the hardwood floors made me sleepy.

  “This window can be a bit sticky,” Caroline said. Her bum wiggled as she struggled to push the window up with both hands.

  “Phew! There ya go. Just needs a little elbow grease.”