“That would be great, thanks.” I glanced past Morgan to see Sawyer and Garrett headed this way. “Okay, forgive whatever comes out of these idiots’ mouths. They know not what they speak, but they are my best friends,” I warned before they appeared on either side of her.

“Got it.” She nodded, already placing cheese slices on an empty plastic plate.

“You couldn’t help us out there?” Sawyer accused me, then promptly assessed Morgan while she wasn’t looking.

Asshole.

“Hey, I sent Moreno,” I answered, bringing his attention back to me.

“Ignore him. He’s whiny today,” Garrett said, pointing to Sawyer. “Burgers smell good, though.”

Morgan glanced at them both and finished peeling the cheese. A tiny—okay, huge—pang of satisfaction smacked my chest that she hadn’t lingered on either of my friends the way she had when I’d run past her that first morning.

“Garrett, Sawyer, this is my new neighbor, Morgan,” I introduced them.

“Nice to meet you.” Her voice was soft, but her smile was fake. She was missing the little crinkles next to her eyes that had appeared when she’d smiled a few minutes earlier.

“Nice to meet you.” Sawyer poured on the charm. “Where did you get that delicious accent?”

“So subtle,” Garrett mumbled.

“Isn’t it the same as around here?” she asked.

“Not even close,” I answered and was rewarded with her attention. “Yours is deeper. Don’t give me that look—it’s not a bad thing. It’s pretty great, actually.”

She smiled, the crinkles appearing at the edges of her eyes, and I mentally fist-pumped.

“Southern Alabama,” she answered. “I guess I never realized it was that much stronger. Y’all don’t even have accents.”

“That’s because I’m from Oregon,” Sawyer said, like it made him foreign or something. “West Coast.”

For fuck’s sake, it was Oregon, not Brazil.

“And you?” she asked me.

“Maine.”

“My God, could you get any farther north?”

“Not without becoming Canadian.”

“Or Alaskan,” Sawyer suggested, stepping closer to Morgan.

“That would still be American, jackass,” Garrett interjected.

The two started trading insults, and Morgan stepped backward and picked up her beach bag. “You know, that water looks pretty great. I’m going to sneak away, if that’s okay with you boys.”

Boys? My eyebrows hit my hairline. Between that and pretty, I didn’t know if I should be charmed or offended.

Her hands twisted in the strap of her bag, and I nodded in understanding when she caught my eye. “Enjoy your alone time. Just a warning: the water’s still freezing.”

“Doesn’t seem to bother you.”

“Well, yeah, but I swim it every day.”

“Part penguin. Gotcha. I’ll watch my toes for frostbite.” She flashed me a quick smile and practically ran toward the water.

“That’s your neighbor? I mean, holy shit. I’m going to move in,” Sawyer said, grabbing his chest in dramatics.