That’s the last of it, Mrs. Lewis.”

“It’s Miss,” I haughtily told the man in charge of the moving company.

“Sorry, Miss,” he replied with a grimace that conveyed where he wanted me to stick that apology.

Shoot. I came across as bitchy again.

I tried to give the man a genuine smile, but it was too late, he was already walking down my sidewalk to his truck.

I sighed and waved until the truck drove away.

I’d promised myself I’d work on reforming my personality now that I was back home in Cherry Springs. My family expected me to be sweet, quiet, together Rena, the only cousin who’d left our hometown during our formative years and was now back to stay.

What they didn’t expect was snooty, loud, city Rena, who’d worn disdain as a shield throughout high school and college.

Letting go of that side of me was proving more difficult than I thought.

“A little rough on the guy, weren’t you?”

My eyes widened and I turned my head in shock.

Had someone been spying on me?

Standing on the grass, just on the other side of my property line, in what I could only assume was his yard … unless he’s the gardener, I thought snottily, was a tan, sweaty man who looked vaguely familiar.

“Excuse me?” I asked, my tone relaying what I thought of his observation.

I think one side of his mouth cocked up, although it was hard to tell underneath all that stubble.

“I couldn’t help but overhear while I was out here doing my lawn … You didn’t cut that guy any slack. You know he’s just trying to do his job, right?”

My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t help it. No one ever talked to me that way.

“Because I told the moving guy where to put my stuff, how I wanted it, and when he could take a break, I’m not cutting him any slack?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and practically huffing. “As you said, it’s his job … and, I’m paying him to do it, so…”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t speak to him with some respect, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Who even are you?” I asked, totally annoyed that this asshole was my new neighbor.

Seriously, I had no luck.

The dark-haired stranger shook his head with a wry grin that practically screamed his derision.

“We’ve met,” he replied, and although I knew he looked familiar, I couldn’t place him. Then he added, “I’m Jed Monroe. I’ve been doing construction at your cousin Gabe’s for over six months. I’ve met you at the bar, at countless parties, and at Gabe and Zoey’s wedding.”

“Oh, right,” I said, smiling a bit now that I could place him. Then I frowned, because although he’d always seemed like a nice guy, he wasn’t my favorite right then.

“Yeah, I’m sure since I’m just the hired help, I wasn’t important enough for you to remember.”

“That’s not fair,” I argued. Great, I would have to move in next to a man who was not only friends with my cousins, but who now thought I was an uppity jerk.

He was sure to tell Gabe, Reardon, and/or Dillon. They wouldn’t believe him, of course, and would feel the need to defend my honor, and then Jed would tell them how awful I was to the moving guy, and to him.

This was not how I wanted my new start in Cherry Springs to go. I needed to fix it.

I walked down the steps and across my grass, pausing when I was a few feet away. When I stopped, I noticed his perusal. I was used to it. Men always looked me over. When I entered the room, when I walked past them, or when I stopped to speak to them. I wasn’t conceited, I was a woman who’d been told her whole life she was beautiful. And, those words had been proven correct by the reaction of others when they saw me.

They’d look me over from head to toe, noticing my petite stature, my well-proportioned body, long, silky dark hair, and my face. They usually got stuck on my face.

It wasn’t a ritual I enjoyed; it was one that I put up with.

I waited until his eyes paused on my face, then turned on my best smile and said, “Look, Jed. We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. Not only are you friends with my cousins, but, we’re neighbors. What do you say we start over?”

I stuck out my hand and kept a pleasing look on my face as I waited.

And, waited.

Finally, Jed reached out and shook my hand.

He had a firm, but sweaty, grasp, and it took all of my willpower not to wipe my hand on my jeans once he let it go.

With narrowed eyes, Jed said, “All right. I’ll agree to a reboot … but, only because your cousins are great guys, and I know how excited they are to have you back in town.”

I bit back a nasty remark and gave a smooth nod.

“Thank you,” I replied, then turned to go.

“That being said,” Jed added before I could walk away. “If you have an issue with your plumbing or electricity, or just need something heavy moved…” I smiled, patiently waiting for him to offer his assistance. “It’s probably better if you call one of them, rather than knocking on my door.”

Then, without so much as a farewell, he picked up his weed whacker and turned around, leaving me standing there catching flies.

What an asshole, I fumed as I stomped back to my new house.

I thought momentarily about walking over to Reardon and Chloe’s house. They lived in the Copper Woods subdivision too, and was part of the reason why I’d chosen to buy a house there. I knew Chloe would listen with a sympathetic ear about my super jerky neighbor.

I sighed. No, I couldn’t do that. Not only did I know they liked Jed, but I didn’t want them to find out about my snarky behavior. I needed to be Serena, the sensible cousin and put-together art gallery manager.

Plus, Chloe was about to give birth and was currently on bed rest.

Instead, I walked into my house, opened a bottle of wine, and decided to start unpacking.

“Welcome back to Cherry Springs,” I said to the empty house, my glass raised. “Here’s to starting over and becoming the woman my family has always expected me to be.”