No One Like You (5 page)

She shook her head, shaking away the painful memories of the hurtful words that still rang in her ears. Truth be told, she and the groom had once been involved . . . up until the time he’d betrayed her. The man had dumped her for the bride. He’d quickly come up with the maddening story about having an affair with Beth—which was a total lie. Yet no one had believed her. Everyone had turned against her. She’d been his scapegoat.

He’d snuck around and sought her forgiveness six months into his marriage. She couldn’t believe his arrogance. She’d refused his advances.

Fortunately, those days were behind her. She had a pair of maroon and brown checked socks in her suitcase with the positive lime green message
When the Past Calls, Let it go to Voicemail. It has Nothing New to Say.
She believed that to be true.

She was fortunate that Barefoot William was a city of sunshine and moderate temperatures. She would keep an eye on the local forecast. She didn’t need any surprises.

Returning to work, she proceeded to type a prep list for the picnic.

She’d noticed a lawn maintenance service in Ry’s contacts and wondered if the backyard needed to be mowed before the gathering. She decided to take a look. Carefully pushing back her chair, she gently slipped Atlas’s paw off her knee and stepped around the two sleeping dachs. Rue peeked at her as Beth left the room. Only Atlas followed her out. She had to smile. As far as he was concerned, they were joined at the hip.

The front doorbell chimed before she made it to the yard. Chimed and chimed. Someone was impatient. She went to see who was leaning on the bell. One ring would’ve been sufficient.

Atlas beat her to the door and pressed his nose to the narrow glass pane.

Beth peered around him. Two tall men stood outside on the porch, intimidating in their size. Muscular arms and seam-stretching shoulders. They were fit, firm, and superfine.

She let out a sigh of relief when Atlas woofed and wagged his tail. He seemed to recognize them. They looked familiar to her, too. From Rylan’s online photo album with all the captions, she recognized them as Ry’s teammates, right fielder Halo Todd and third baseman Landon Kane. Pictures didn’t do them justice. They looked even better in person.

She cracked the door, only to have Atlas bolt past her. The door hit her in the hip. A sharp pain slammed through her. She pulled a face. That was her second bruise of the day.

“Atta-Boy,” said Halo. He held his own as the Dane charged him. He bent and rubbed his knuckles over the dog’s head. The scrub must have felt good. Atlas’s eyes rolled back and he drooled. He leaned heavily against the man’s leg.

Beth took the men in. Richmond Rogues baseball caps shaded their eyes. Light blue T-shirts were tucked into jeans worn low on their lean hips. She couldn’t help but smile when she read the navy inscriptions.

She eyed them curiously. “You’re not Cateses. What’s with the shirts?”

Halo removed his cap and ran one hand through his thick black hair. He looked down at her; his eyes were dark green and scheming with humor. “We had the shirts made before we left Richmond,” he told her, grinning. “Ry’s our team captain. Being Rogues makes us brothers. The Cates family owns Barefoot William. We decided to have a little fun. We had shirts made for the starting lineup. It’s good to be family.”

The shirts had entertainment value, she had to admit. She wondered if Rylan would find them as funny as his teammates. She hadn’t known him long enough to gage his reaction.

Halo gave her a body scan, slow and easy. He smiled. “You must be Beth, Rylan’s PA. We spoke earlier.” His voice was as deep as his dimples. He had the sexiest mouth she’d ever seen.

Landon winked at her. “I can see why Ry hired you.”

Landon’s wink would set female hearts racing, Beth thought. He had light brown eyes and a face so handsome women would hate to blink.

She wondered what Landon saw in her that she didn’t see in herself. She’d qualified for certain aspects of the job, but not for all of them. She was definitely scoreless when it came to her looks. But Rylan’s confidence in her motivated her to do her best. She would learn as she went.

Landon shot a look into the house. “We came to see Ry. Is he here?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, no. He had meetings and errands.” And a date tonight, which she kept to herself. She needed to make Ry’s dinner reservation, then confirm the time and place with Ava.

“When will he be back?” asked Landon.

“Late afternoon.” Rylan hadn’t been specific.

“How long have you worked for him?” Landon was curious.

She glanced at her watch. It was one o’clock. “Two hours and thirty-seven minutes.”

“How’s it going?” Halo asked. “Getting a lot accomplished?”

A sigh escaped her. “So far I’ve walked the dogs and made them lunch.” Her activities didn’t sound like much, but they had been time consuming.

Landon eyed Atlas. “Still eating organic?”

The Dane woofed.

Landon lowered his voice. “I’d sneak you a Milk Bone, buddy, but Ry would chew my ass.”

“The dogs only get homemade treats,” said Beth.

“Can’t break Ry’s rules,” said Halo.

“I’ll be baking peanut butter biscuits for them later.”

“Lucky you, Atlas,” Landon said.

The dog wagged his tail.

The conversation slowed. Beth had nothing more to say. She waited patiently for the men to leave. Still they lingered.

“So . . .” Landon said.

From Halo came, “So . . . Ry’s not home. What should we do?”

“How about the beach and boardwalk?” she suggested, hoping to move them along so she could get back to work.

Landon shrugged. Indifferent. “I’m not feeling it.”

“Me either,” said Halo.

There was a lengthy pause before Landon asked her, “What’s on your agenda, Beth?”

“I’m planning Rylan’s picnic.”

Picnic
caught their attention. The men exchanged a look. A long look. Their silent communication spoke volumes. She grew uneasy. Halo’s eyes soon glinted, and one corner of Landon’s mouth tipped up. She sensed that they had come to a decision without consulting her.

Leaving was ruled out. The men settled in. For the duration. Halo hiked his hip onto the porch railing. “Our day is free. We could help you.”

Landon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned one broad shoulder against a post. “We know what Rylan likes in food, beer, and entertainment.”

What was happening? Beth was at a loss. Were they restless and bored or did they have an ulterior motive? She felt it might be the latter, given their smug expressions.

They looked far too comfortable. Too solid. Too immovable. Too sure of themselves. They gave her little choice. They were there to stay.

She bemoaned that fact. What to do? Interacting with his teammates was part of her job description. She didn’t want to be rude. She had only one choice. She would keep them. And put them to work.

She crooked her finger for them to follow her. “I was headed to the backyard when you arrived. The picnic will be outside. I wanted to see if the grass needed to be mowed.”

Halo hopped off the porch railing. “We can advise you.”

Landon pushed off the post. “I’ll mow if it’s needed. If not, we can sit on the porch and watch the grass grow.”

Beth didn’t want them sitting. She wanted them working.

“Let’s cut through the house.” Halo entered through the front door before Beth could object.

“He knows where he’s going,” Landon assured her. “We’ve been here once before. Not by invitation. We dropped by yesterday unannounced. Ry didn’t even offer us a beer.”

“Perhaps you caught him at a bad time.”

“I don’t think there’s a good time with him when it comes to us.”

Beth mulled over his words. “Maybe you should call ahead.”

“Warn him we’re in the neighborhood? He’d never pick up.” Landon held the door for her. “Let’s find Halo.” He placed his palm low on her spine; came in behind her.

To her surprise, Atlas made a low sound in his throat. Not quite a growl, but more of a grumble. He butted between her and Landon, separating them. Beth bumped her hip on the door frame. Bruise number three. The Dane stuck to her side. Guarding her.

Landon lowered his hand and eased back. “What’s up with that? I’ve never seen him so territorial. He doesn’t want me near you.” He raised his hands, palms out. “No touching, big boy, promise.”

The Dane barked his approval.

They moved through the living room. “Ry still needs furniture,” Landon observed. “I’ve never known anyone to live with so little.” He stopped at the sofa, studied it. “Teeth marks. Slight tilt.”

Beth glanced at Atlas. “He had a moment.”

The dog turned in a circle, barked as if proud of himself. Rue and the two dachshunds wakened from their nap. Stretched and stood. Spotting Landon, they got all wiggly.

“Sweet Rue and the weenies.” He bent to pet them.

After he gave them plenty of attention, they moved toward the kitchen.

They soon found Halo on the back porch, surveying the lawn. He’d taken off his baseball cap and shaded his eyes with one hand. “The grass is above the ankle. I say we mow. I’ve met Ry’s family. His sister Shaye likes to go barefoot. So does his older brother Dune.”

“This is one big yard,” Beth admired. The size would accommodate numerous afternoon activities and conversation areas. A buffet table would fit nicely on the porch.

“We can also cut back a few tree branches,” said Halo. “No one wants to get poked in the eye. Maybe trim the rose and gardenia bushes, too.”

Beth wasn’t sure that was a good idea. “Trimming is an art. Do you know what you’re doing?”

Landon grinned. “We learn as we go. We could turn the boxwood hedge into a train topiary.”

“No train.”

Her anxious expression had Halo saying, “Nothing will be ruined. Besides, nature grows back.”

They looked determined. For whatever reason, they’d taken on Rylan’s picnic preparations as their own. It was a bit disconcerting.

“Tell us what you’re planning,” Landon said.

“We’ll make it happen,” said Halo.

She claimed the moment and shared her thoughts. “I want everyone to feel comfortable. Each guest will know someone at the picnic. There should be areas to gather and talk.”

“Ry’s family is pretty cool,” said Halo. “His hometown friends that we’ve met are nice, too.”

“We need to make sure everyone has a good time,” Beth continued. “I scanned Rylan’s online photo album and noticed Shaye likes croquet. There was a photo of her playing on the beach. Dune played pro-volleyball. There’s plenty of room in the yard for a court. I want to set up both games.” She stared at the enormous banyan tree that shaded the porch. “A wraparound trunk bench would draw people to sit and visit. Picnic tables are a must. Maybe a couple porch swings. I’ll locate a rental service.”

“I’ll haul the outdoor furniture, if the company doesn’t deliver,” Halo said, donating his time. “I have a pickup truck.”

Beth appreciated his offer. “The picnic starts at four on Saturday. I’ll have soft drinks and beer available. Food will be served at six. People can eat and run or hang out. It gets dark by seven. I’ll need lighting of some kind.”

“Tiki torches,” suggested Halo.

Beth shook her head. “No fire.”

“Christmas tree lights?” asked Landon.

“Too holiday.” She bit down on her bottom lip, decided. “Large solar lanterns would work well. I can hang them in the trees. I’ll set them out in the sunshine during the day and they’ll glow brightly at night.”

Halo scratched his chin. “How do you know this party stuff?”

Beth had loved planning parties for as long as she could remember. Tea parties for her dolls and stuffed animals. Birthday parties for her friends. Decorating for high school dances. Becoming entertainment chairman for her college sorority. Hosting small family gatherings. Then opening her own business. Sadly, failure had come with her first society event. The bride’s family was old money. Influential and powerful. The community was small and tight. Gossip was their second language. No one wanted to hire her after the wedding fiasco.

She’d yet to gather her courage to start over in a new city. Although she hoped to someday. She looked up at Halo. “I visualize, then create.” It was as simple as that.

Landon scanned the yard and pointed to the far corner. “There’s a shed. Let’s see if Ry has a riding mower and garden tools. If he does, we’re looking at an hour max.” He jumped off the porch.

Halo took the wide wooden stairs. They headed for the shed, which appeared a hundred years old. It leaned to the left as if blown by a mighty wind. Perhaps it had even withstood a hurricane. The roof slanted dangerously. The glass in the solitary window was cracked.

Landon pushed on the door. The rusted hinges stuck. He put his shoulder to it, and it creaked open. The two men peered into the darkness, then stepped inside.

Beth gave a shiver. They were braver than she was. How many spiders called the shed home? she wondered. Snakes? She suddenly felt a little guilty that she hadn’t shared with the guys that Rylan had a lawn service.

She shrugged. The two men had stepped into her day and seemed intent on staying. She’d let them clip and mow. Then send them on their way.

Atlas still stood by her side, she realized. Rue and the dachshunds had stretched out on the wide porch. The golden was attentive. Oscar and Nathan snored.