his hands jammed into the pockets of his khakis. Atlas ran toward him. Rue and the dachshunds dashed down the porch steps and barked their greetings. Ry petted and spoke to each one of them as if they were his kids.
Once again, Beth wondered how long he’d been there. Watching what was going on. Taking it all in. He had a way of showing up without her hearing him. His profile was sharp, serious. His stance, tense.
He nodded to his brother and sister. They waved back.
He then narrowed his gaze on Halo and Landon.
Beth hesitantly walked toward him. Her heart skipped, missing beats. “You’re home early.” It was three o’clock.
“Apparently not soon enough.” He paused. “What’s the deal with Halo and Landon?”
“Picnic prep. They stopped by, looking for you.”
“I wasn’t home.”
“They—” stayed .
Rylan sensed her reluctance to rat them out. “Made themselves at home.” He knew them well.
“They’ve been working hard. Mowing and trimming.”
“Not so hard now.” His blue eyes darkened. “Landon’s juggling volleyballs and Halo’s playing croquet.”
Three
R ylan noticed his teammates’ T-shirts when they crossed the yard to speak with him. Landon tossed a volleyball in the air as he walked, and Halo swung a croquet mallet by his side. Ry wasn’t surprised by their shirts. They ran with a thought without ever expecting repercussions. What they saw as funny, he found mental.
“Hello, brothers .”
“We got a shirt made for you, too,” said Landon.
“I’ll pass. I already know who I am.”
“We like being Cateses,” Halo said.
“I bet you do. You’re making yourselves at home, I see.”
Halo side-eyed Beth. “We came to see you, and she begged us to stay. We’re planning your picnic.”
Beth scrunched her nose, but didn’t out Halo. She appeared calm, yet her eyes gave her away. The color was more gray than blue. Frustration? Possibly.
“You’re damn lucky we stopped in,” Landon said. “Otherwise there’d be a wading pool, slip and slide, and bounce house in your backyard on Saturday. Beth can be such a kid. We talked her into volleyball and croquet.”
Rylan shook his head. The men were all tongue-in-cheek, teasing her. She had yet to say a word—which only pushed them further.
“She fed me peanut butter dog treats,” came from Halo.
“She forced us into that creepy shed to get the yard equipment,” Landon added.
Beth rolled her eyes at that.
“You could’ve called Lawn Rangers,” Rylan said to her. “It would’ve made your life easier.”
“And mine, too.” Halo rested the mallet against his leg, slipped off his work gloves, and held up his right hand. The skin was red between his thumb and forefinger. The leather hadn’t prevented a blister on his palm from using the hedge clippers. He glared down his nose at Beth. “There was no mention of a lawn service,” he growled.
“You took over before I could tell you about it.” Her eyes were blue—the color of satisfaction.
Halo slapped his gloves across his palm. His face was hard, then hinted at a smile. “Touché, babe. Game on.”
She shook her head. “Game over.”
Landon lobbed the volleyball to her, and she tossed it back. “We like her,” he said matter-of-factly.
The approval was unexpected. Beth would be dealing with them on occasion. They could be difficult. Pushy came naturally to them. They were used to getting their own way. Which she had witnessed today. Somehow she’d withstood their company. A good sign as far as Rylan was concerned.
How did he feel about her? Ry asked himself. He self-consciously flexed his hand. The feel of her breast still lingered on his palm. Soft, warm, full. Long after he’d caught her.
He wasn’t a man to capture moments. That wasn’t like him.
“Give us five minutes?” he requested of her, shifting his attention to his teammates.. What he had to say to Halo and Lander, he preferred to do privately. Word of their night out had
Once again, Beth wondered how long he’d been there. Watching what was going on. Taking it all in. He had a way of showing up without her hearing him. His profile was sharp, serious. His stance, tense.
He nodded to his brother and sister. They waved back.
He then narrowed his gaze on Halo and Landon.
Beth hesitantly walked toward him. Her heart skipped, missing beats. “You’re home early.” It was three o’clock.
“Apparently not soon enough.” He paused. “What’s the deal with Halo and Landon?”
“Picnic prep. They stopped by, looking for you.”
“I wasn’t home.”
“They—” stayed .
Rylan sensed her reluctance to rat them out. “Made themselves at home.” He knew them well.
“They’ve been working hard. Mowing and trimming.”
“Not so hard now.” His blue eyes darkened. “Landon’s juggling volleyballs and Halo’s playing croquet.”
Three
R ylan noticed his teammates’ T-shirts when they crossed the yard to speak with him. Landon tossed a volleyball in the air as he walked, and Halo swung a croquet mallet by his side. Ry wasn’t surprised by their shirts. They ran with a thought without ever expecting repercussions. What they saw as funny, he found mental.
“Hello, brothers .”
“We got a shirt made for you, too,” said Landon.
“I’ll pass. I already know who I am.”
“We like being Cateses,” Halo said.
“I bet you do. You’re making yourselves at home, I see.”
Halo side-eyed Beth. “We came to see you, and she begged us to stay. We’re planning your picnic.”
Beth scrunched her nose, but didn’t out Halo. She appeared calm, yet her eyes gave her away. The color was more gray than blue. Frustration? Possibly.
“You’re damn lucky we stopped in,” Landon said. “Otherwise there’d be a wading pool, slip and slide, and bounce house in your backyard on Saturday. Beth can be such a kid. We talked her into volleyball and croquet.”
Rylan shook his head. The men were all tongue-in-cheek, teasing her. She had yet to say a word—which only pushed them further.
“She fed me peanut butter dog treats,” came from Halo.
“She forced us into that creepy shed to get the yard equipment,” Landon added.
Beth rolled her eyes at that.
“You could’ve called Lawn Rangers,” Rylan said to her. “It would’ve made your life easier.”
“And mine, too.” Halo rested the mallet against his leg, slipped off his work gloves, and held up his right hand. The skin was red between his thumb and forefinger. The leather hadn’t prevented a blister on his palm from using the hedge clippers. He glared down his nose at Beth. “There was no mention of a lawn service,” he growled.
“You took over before I could tell you about it.” Her eyes were blue—the color of satisfaction.
Halo slapped his gloves across his palm. His face was hard, then hinted at a smile. “Touché, babe. Game on.”
She shook her head. “Game over.”
Landon lobbed the volleyball to her, and she tossed it back. “We like her,” he said matter-of-factly.
The approval was unexpected. Beth would be dealing with them on occasion. They could be difficult. Pushy came naturally to them. They were used to getting their own way. Which she had witnessed today. Somehow she’d withstood their company. A good sign as far as Rylan was concerned.
How did he feel about her? Ry asked himself. He self-consciously flexed his hand. The feel of her breast still lingered on his palm. Soft, warm, full. Long after he’d caught her.
He wasn’t a man to capture moments. That wasn’t like him.
“Give us five minutes?” he requested of her, shifting his attention to his teammates.. What he had to say to Halo and Lander, he preferred to do privately. Word of their night out had
Similar Books
