Bossing the Billionaire: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ryder's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (8 page)

When they got to the garden plot Blake gave a gasp of surprise.
“This is huge,” she said, her look one of admiration. “When did you find the
time to do all this work?”

Ryder shrugged. “You were gone. The business was closed. I had a lot
of time on my hands.” He didn’t tell her the time he’d spent working in the
garden had been therapy for him. It was time he had used to think. “I just want
to get this soil tilled before I go. Give them a fighting chance once I go.”

Blake put a hand on her hip. “Are you saying I’m going to kill your
precious plants? I may not have a green thumb but I’m no plant killer.”

“That may be,” he said as he bent to pick up the garden fork, “but
I’ll feel better if they’re all set before I leave.”

Blake rolled her eyes. “If you want to give yourself all that work,
be my guest.” She put a hand up to swipe a tendril of hair from her forehead.
“It’s hot out here. I’ll be inside if you need me.” She turned to head back
toward the rear porch but then paused and looked back at him. In her eyes was
an expression he could not read. “Don’t stay in the sun too long.” That was all
she said but the words hung in the air as she stared at him, looking like she
wanted to say more. The next instant the spell was broken and she turned and
walked away.

It was a full minute before Ryder stopped staring after her retreating
back and at the back porch door as it swung closed behind her. Then, with a
grunt, he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Ryder had been digging the earth for less than ten minutes when he
heard the sound of a car coming up the stretch of dirt road leading to
Beaumont’s. When he looked up it was to see Peggy Thatcher’s champagne-colored
Chevy pulling up to the front of the building. It soon disappeared, blocked by
the hulking structure of the building, but Ryder knew the instant she got out
of her car and entered the front door. The tinkle of the bell was that loud.
Sure that Blake would have heard the bell, too, he got back to his digging. The
ladies were sure to have lots to talk about. He would be in no danger of being
disturbed by those two.

Ryder soon found out that that was where he was wrong. He’d been
back at his task for only twelve minutes or so when he heard a cheerful female
voice call his name. He looked up in time to see Peggy descending the steps and
then she was heading across the yard toward him.

“Howdy.” She was waving her hand at him and there was a wide smile
on her face.

“Howdy,” he said back as he let the garden fork fall into the dirt.
He was sliding his hands down the sides of his jeans, getting rid of the excess
dust, when she came to a halt in front of him. “Well, aren’t you the busy one?
Blake told me you made her a vegetable garden.”

“Yes, ma’am. Been working on it for the past week.”

She folded her arms across her bosom and shook her head. “You never
cease to amaze me, young man. There’s a lot about you I like, and now this.
You’re a man after my own heart.” She released her arms and spread them wide,
looking like she was getting ready to wrap them around him.

He raised his eyebrows then gave her a crooked smile. What was the
lady going on about now?

“I didn’t know you were a gardener like me. This is wonderful,” she
gushed. “Maybe you and I can swap gardening tips.”

He shrugged. “Any time.” He was still curious, though. She hadn’t
come out to the backyard to talk gardening, had she?

“Listen,” she said, stepping closer and lowering her voice like she
was about to share a secret, “I’m inviting you over to my house this evening.
Seven o’clock. Just a gathering of friends. I want you to be there.”

Ryder cleared his throat. “Thanks for the invitation. I would have
loved to be there but I’m leaving town today. I’m sorry.”

“What? You’re leaving?” Peggy’s brows fell and she was glaring at
him like he’d just committed a grievous sin.

“Yes,” he said, his voice quiet. “I’m heading back to Des Moines.”

“No, you’re not. I made arrangements. I had this all planned. You
have to be there.” Her glare was still there but now there was a hint of
disbelief, maybe even desperation, in her voice. It didn’t make sense. His
presence certainly couldn’t make or break her party.

He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. “I told all my
friends you would be there. They’re expecting you. You have to come.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Well, since you put it that way, I
guess I could stay one more day. I’ll just tell Blake-”

“Excellent.” She clasped her hands together, her eyes flashing with
glee. “You know my house. Be there at seven o’clock sharp. The front door will
be open. Just walk right in.” And then she came closer and tilted her face up
to whisper in his ear. “And don’t tell Blake you’re coming. It’s a surprise.”

Now he understood. It was a surprise party for Blake. It looked like
Peggy and her friends were about to give her a big welcome home. Ryder smiled
and, without hesitation, he nodded. “I will definitely be there.”

CHAPTER NINE

“Where is everybody?” Blake whispered the words to herself as she
stepped in the front door of Peggy’s house then pushed it closed behind her.

She left the foyer and stepped into the living room but there wasn’t
a single soul in sight. “Strange.” She frowned. Had she gotten it wrong? She
could have sworn her friend had said she should get to her house by ten minutes
to seven, not a minute later, and just walk in the front door. Peggy had said
she and the ladies from the sewing circle would be there, waiting. They’d
planned a get-together, and Blake should arrive at the appointed time and she
shouldn’t tell Ryder. Now if that wasn’t a sign of a surprise party in the
making, she didn’t know what was. She’d guessed they’d planned a going-away
party for Ryder. They must have given him some cock-and-bull story because he’d
suddenly changed his mind and decided to stay one more night. So where the hell
were they?

Confused, Blake left the living room and headed down the hallway
toward the kitchen. Maybe she would find her answer there. They were probably
all hiding out at the back of the house, waiting to yell, “Surprise!”

She was halfway down the hall, walking past the dining room, when she
came to a sudden halt. The dining room, from what she remembered of it from her
last visit, had been transformed into the most romantic parlor she’d ever seen.
A glorious candelabra sat in the middle of the table, the glow from the
candles’ flickering flames reflecting in the dark, gleaming mahogany surface.
As if that weren’t idyllic enough, a bouquet of rich, red roses sat by the
candles, their petals gleaming ruby-red in the subdued light. Surrounding this
delectable display were a variety of covered dishes, obviously containing a
meal that had been set out for some very special guests. Peggy looked like
she’d pulled out all the stops in creating a scene that was sure to put whoever
it was in a seriously sensual mood. What was the lady up to?

Curious, Blake made her way into the dimly-lit dining room and that
was when she saw the folded card sitting on top of the largest covered dish.
There were words scrawled on the front of the card. “For Blake and Ryder,” it
read. What in the world?

Blake picked up the card and opened it to read what was inside. “I
made this dinner specially for you both. Enjoy.”  That crafty little
matchmaker. Blake could only shake her head and smile. Peggy Thatcher was
something else.

She’d just laid the card back on the table when she heard a knock at
the front door. Ryder, no doubt. Peggy must have set things up so that he would
arrive just after she did.

“Hello?”

She heard his voice before she saw him. He would have opened the
door, just as she had, and was probably standing in the hallway, wondering where
everyone was.

“I’m here,” she called out. “Come on back here.”

She heard when the front door closed and then came the sound of
footsteps as he headed toward her. Ryder soon came into view, coming to a halt
at the entrance to the dining room. He looked surprised to find her standing in
the middle of the room. “You’re here,” he said, like he hadn’t expected it. “I
thought maybe you would come…later.” Then he frowned. “Where is everybody?”

She gave a soft chuckle. “My question exactly.” Then she picked up the
card and handed it to him. “Read this.”

He took it and as he read she was watching his face, her smile
widening with each passing second, expecting him to burst out laughing. But he
didn’t. Instead, he read it through then folded the card and set it on the
table. “It looks like Peggy had this all planned out,” he said, his voice
strangely quiet. “We'd better not let her efforts go in vain.”

Now what the heck did he mean by that? Blake cocked an eyebrow at
him, waiting for his explanation, but he didn’t say another word. Instead, he
walked over to the chair closest to the display of dishes and pulled it out.
“Your seat, madam.” He gave a slight bow, as gallant as ever, waiting for her
to make her move.

Two could play that game of formality. “Thank you,” she said and
gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement then she went over to take her seat in
the chair he’d selected for her.

As soon as she slid down onto it Ryder took the seat beside her.
When he turned to her he was smiling. “I owe Peggy one. I can’t think of
anything I’d enjoy more than spending a romantic evening with you.”

Blake knew exactly how he felt. This would be his last evening in
Pequoia and Peggy, bless her heart, had made sure it would be a memorable one.
Memorable for Blake, at any rate. She wanted to say something, to agree with
Ryder, to let him know she was glad they were there. Alone. Together. But she
couldn’t say it. Not just yet. It could break the spell she was under and she
didn’t want to take that chance.

When Ryder didn’t seem perturbed by her silence Blake gave a
surreptitious sigh of relief. He’d begun to lift the covers from the various
dishes and she used the opportunity to admire Peggy’s handiwork and take the
focus off the fact that they were alone together in a perfectly staged romantic
rendezvous. By the time he’d uncovered everything Blake was gazing at fried
chicken, baked potatoes, catfish, corn bread and a garden salad bright with
baby tomatoes. She could only shake her head in awe. “Peggy certainly outdid
herself.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more.” Ryder looked just as surprised as
she was at the bountiful fare. Then he nudged a dish toward her. “I guess we’d
better get started before the food gets cold. Bon appetit.”

“Back atchya.” She’d skipped lunch and was hungry as a horse so she
needed no further encouragement.

They both began to help themselves to the various dishes and Blake
was tickled when Ryder took the serving spoon from her and began to ladle the
catfish onto her plate. “Hey, I’m a big girl,” she teased. “I can help myself.”

“Just relax and enjoy. Let me spoil you tonight.”

The words were innocent enough but the way he said them sent tingles
up Blake’s spine. God, he sounded sexy. And the flickering light from the
candles that cast a golden glow over his skin wasn’t helping her blood
pressure, either.

She cleared her throat. “I might just do that.” And, almost in synchrony
with his tone, the words came out in a low, throaty whisper. Not that she’d
meant for them to come out that way.

After that, the electricity in the air eased up a bit, enough for
Blake to tuck into her meal and actually enjoy it. She was liking the light
banter, too, as Ryder filled her in on the goings-on while she’d been away. She
couldn’t help but laugh when he told her how the ladies of the sewing circle
had corralled him for an entire afternoon. By the time they’d let him go he’d
learned the cross-stitch, the hemming stitch and how to embroider.

They were halfway through the meal when Ryder found yet another
surprise of Peggy’s. “Look at that,” he said, tilting his chin toward the sideboard.
“Would you believe it? She left us a bottle of wine.”

Blake followed his gaze and saw that he was right. A shiny silver
ice bucket sat there, reflecting the light from the candles, and in it was a
bottle of wine. They’d been so caught up with the food they hadn’t even noticed.

When Ryder brought it over and poured her a glass she took a small
sip and then another, more generous one. The wine was delicious, rich and
aromatic, the perfect complement to a perfect meal. With Ryder there with her
there was no other word to describe the evening except…perfect.

The perfect wine didn’t just titillate her taste buds, though. With
each sip she took, the tension that had made her sit up straight in her chair now
flowed out of her and in its place came a mood so mellow that she didn’t even
flinch when, out of the blue, Ryder asked her a question about Jerome.

“So how did you end up in business with a man like your partner,
someone who would betray you like that?” He wasn’t just looking curious. He
actually looked puzzled.

She took another sip of wine to fortify herself then gave him a wan
smile. “It’s a long story,” she said. “Got the time?”

He cocked his head to one side. “I’m all ears.”

Blake drew in a shallow breath and then she began. “I met Jerome at
a cocktail party. One of those meet-and-greet affairs. You know, you’re in
business, trying to network, so you show your face at these events.”

“Sure, that’s part of doing business.”

“ Jerome was at one of those events and he walked up to me and said
he was a huge admirer of my work.” She gave him a rueful smile. “He started
laying it on real thick and I guess after a while I began to believe a little
bit of what he was saying.” She shook her head. “Silly me, but you live and you
learn.”

Ryder’s gaze narrowed. “Meaning?”

“Meaning, it went from that simple conversation to a meeting at my
office to an invitation to go out on a date.” She grimaced. “It turned out that
he wasn’t so much interested in my work as he was in me. At least, at first.”
She bit her lip and then she spoke again. “Jerome was a real charmer, going out
of his way to surprise me with gifts and doing cute little things, unexpected
things, things that made me begin to like him.” She gave a hollow laugh. “One
time he even made me leave the office to go out with him for the afternoon for
a picnic and a ride in a hot air balloon. He was so spontaneous.” She glanced
over at Ryder but in the dimness of the room she could read nothing in his
eyes. And he wasn’t saying anything. He was quiet and he was watching her,
waiting for her to go on.

She let out her breath. “To cut a long story short, it took only a
few months before I fell in love with him and when he asked me to marry him I
said yes.” Her lips tightened. “Soon after that he started paying close
interest in my business and then one day, out of the blue, he said we were a
couple now so it would only make sense for us to be business partners.”

“You were okay with that?”

She shrugged. “After I got over the initial shock I said yes.” She
gave a soft snort. “Little did I know it was the worst decision of my life.”
She grimaced. “Well, maybe the second worst. Agreeing to marry him would
probably take that prize.”

Ryder raised an eyebrow. “Your second worst decision, because?”

“Because although he said we should be partners I was the one
undertaking most of the risk. His financial contribution was sort of…sparse, to
put it generously. He said his main contribution would be his vast network of
clients, both private and corporate.” She sighed. “It was more a promise than
anything tangible but I guess by that time I was too involved to object. I
talked myself into it, telling myself that clients were the key success factor
in any real estate business.” She reached for her wine again. After a slow sip
she continued. “But that, I could have lived with. What killed me was when I
found out, three months after we’d formed the partnership, that he’d begun
writing checks to a company I’d never heard of, called Evergreen Enterprises.
When I checked into it, it was to find out that he was the owner.”

By this time, no matter that the lighting was weak, Blake could see
that Ryder’s face had darkened into a scowl. “The bastard. You reported him to
the police, right?”

Blake looked down at her hands then she shook her head. She opened
her mouth to speak but she couldn’t. A huge lump had formed in her throat. It
took several seconds before the words could come out. “I didn’t. I couldn’t. I
couldn’t believe what he’d done.” She raised her gaze to Ryder’s face. “This
was the man I was going to marry. I found this out a week before our wedding
day.” Despite herself, her mouth began to tremble and she bit down on her
bottom lip. When she spoke again there was a tremor in her voice. “That was why
I just left. I had to get away. I found out I couldn’t trust Jerome, the man
who swore he loved me so much he couldn’t live without me. After what he did to
me…he’s made it hard for me to trust any man again.”

Ryder was staring back at her, looking like he wanted to say
something to reassure her, but then he nodded slowly. “I understand,” he said,
his voice low and gentle. “You were in shock. And I know exactly what you mean
about not being able to trust again.”

She tilted her head as she gazed back at him. “You do?”

He drew in a big breath and as he did his nostrils flared. Then he
nodded. “There was a woman I almost married…until I found out she was pregnant
for my best friend.”