reached him. The guys had screwed up. He wanted to hear their side of the story before he passed judgment.
Beth nodded and took off with the dogs. She chased Atlas across the yard toward Dune. Rue, Oscar, and Nathan returned to the porch. His brother had worked fast, Ry noted. The poles and net were set and Dune was measuring the sidelines.
Atlas tore open a bag of mulch before Beth could stop him. Mulch flew in all directions. “Sit!” she commanded.
Atlas looked at her with a mouthful of twigs. He sputtered, spat, and tried to wipe his mouth on her cutoffs. She jumped back, and he dropped down on his haunches. The big boy had behaved.
Rylan smiled to himself. There was a first time for everything. He felt inordinately pleased.
He turned to Halo and Landon, only to find them staring after Beth. She held their interest.
“Is she yours?” Halo asked Ry.
“She works for me.”
“Then she’s available,” Landon assumed.
Rylan wasn’t sure he wanted Beth dating his teammates. “Clear it with Atlas.”
The men glanced at the Great Dane.
Seriously? Rylan thought. They’d better not try to bribe Atlas with a Pup-peroni stick. He moved on. “Tell me about your altercation last night at the Lusty Oyster. You promised my cousin Ron Nash that you’d reimburse him for damages. He just texted me. You’ve yet to pay up.”
“The afternoon’s young,” Halo said. “We’ll get to Ron soon enough. I plan to compensate him, even though the damages weren’t my fault.”
“It’s never your fault, Halo.”
“This time it really wasn’t.” Landon came to his buddy’s defense. “Some guy’s date came on to Halo. She straddled his lap. Tried to slip him her tongue. Her date was drunk. He got mad and took a swing at Halo. Halo warned him off. The guy didn’t listen. He gave Halo a shove. Halo’s chair rocked back, and he and the woman knocked into a table. The table tipped, taking out a second chair. Halo’s chair broke when they hit the floor. The table was chipped.
“There were only six people in the bar. Few witnessed the incident. Ron escorted the dude and his date to the door. I cleaned up, and Halo offered to pay for the table and chair.”
A muscle ticked along Rylan’s jaw. Ron’s accounting differed from Landon’s. His teammates were creative. They formulated excuses to counter whatever trouble they might face. According to his cousin, the bar had been packed. He’d turned away customers. Halo had pursued the brunette from the moment he walked through the door, while her date played darts. They’d slow danced to music from the juke box. Pressing bodies and making out like lovers. They’d drawn a lot of stares.
Once the dart game ended, the man came looking for his date. He found her with Halo, who had his hands up her shirt. The man back-tackled Halo. The brunette was taken down along with the men. She rolled to the side. Saved herself. The crowd stepped back. Punches were thrown, knocking the men into tables, chairs, and bar stools. Beer was spilled, shot glasses broken, and baskets of pretzels upended. The man left the bar with a black eye and split lip. Halo walked away without a scratch. He was damn lucky the man hadn’t darted his ass.
Rylan hoped to avert another bar fight. He eyed Halo’s T-shirt. “Wear the shirt, walk the walk. There are a lot of available women in town. Avoid one with a date.”
“What if she’s really, really hot?”
“Take a cold shower.”
“We came by your cottage to make amends,” said Landon.
Ry had figured as much. They’d tried to get back in his good graces. “Yard work doesn’t make up for a busted bar.”
Landon presumed, “We thought it might.”
“Think again.”
“It sucks to be the black sheep of the family,” Halo said.
“At least we got to meet Beth,” said Landon.
All three men looked in her direction. Rylan ran one hand down his face, concerned by what he saw. Atlas had sunk his teeth into a volleyball. His jaws were
Beth nodded and took off with the dogs. She chased Atlas across the yard toward Dune. Rue, Oscar, and Nathan returned to the porch. His brother had worked fast, Ry noted. The poles and net were set and Dune was measuring the sidelines.
Atlas tore open a bag of mulch before Beth could stop him. Mulch flew in all directions. “Sit!” she commanded.
Atlas looked at her with a mouthful of twigs. He sputtered, spat, and tried to wipe his mouth on her cutoffs. She jumped back, and he dropped down on his haunches. The big boy had behaved.
Rylan smiled to himself. There was a first time for everything. He felt inordinately pleased.
He turned to Halo and Landon, only to find them staring after Beth. She held their interest.
“Is she yours?” Halo asked Ry.
“She works for me.”
“Then she’s available,” Landon assumed.
Rylan wasn’t sure he wanted Beth dating his teammates. “Clear it with Atlas.”
The men glanced at the Great Dane.
Seriously? Rylan thought. They’d better not try to bribe Atlas with a Pup-peroni stick. He moved on. “Tell me about your altercation last night at the Lusty Oyster. You promised my cousin Ron Nash that you’d reimburse him for damages. He just texted me. You’ve yet to pay up.”
“The afternoon’s young,” Halo said. “We’ll get to Ron soon enough. I plan to compensate him, even though the damages weren’t my fault.”
“It’s never your fault, Halo.”
“This time it really wasn’t.” Landon came to his buddy’s defense. “Some guy’s date came on to Halo. She straddled his lap. Tried to slip him her tongue. Her date was drunk. He got mad and took a swing at Halo. Halo warned him off. The guy didn’t listen. He gave Halo a shove. Halo’s chair rocked back, and he and the woman knocked into a table. The table tipped, taking out a second chair. Halo’s chair broke when they hit the floor. The table was chipped.
“There were only six people in the bar. Few witnessed the incident. Ron escorted the dude and his date to the door. I cleaned up, and Halo offered to pay for the table and chair.”
A muscle ticked along Rylan’s jaw. Ron’s accounting differed from Landon’s. His teammates were creative. They formulated excuses to counter whatever trouble they might face. According to his cousin, the bar had been packed. He’d turned away customers. Halo had pursued the brunette from the moment he walked through the door, while her date played darts. They’d slow danced to music from the juke box. Pressing bodies and making out like lovers. They’d drawn a lot of stares.
Once the dart game ended, the man came looking for his date. He found her with Halo, who had his hands up her shirt. The man back-tackled Halo. The brunette was taken down along with the men. She rolled to the side. Saved herself. The crowd stepped back. Punches were thrown, knocking the men into tables, chairs, and bar stools. Beer was spilled, shot glasses broken, and baskets of pretzels upended. The man left the bar with a black eye and split lip. Halo walked away without a scratch. He was damn lucky the man hadn’t darted his ass.
Rylan hoped to avert another bar fight. He eyed Halo’s T-shirt. “Wear the shirt, walk the walk. There are a lot of available women in town. Avoid one with a date.”
“What if she’s really, really hot?”
“Take a cold shower.”
“We came by your cottage to make amends,” said Landon.
Ry had figured as much. They’d tried to get back in his good graces. “Yard work doesn’t make up for a busted bar.”
Landon presumed, “We thought it might.”
“Think again.”
“It sucks to be the black sheep of the family,” Halo said.
“At least we got to meet Beth,” said Landon.
All three men looked in her direction. Rylan ran one hand down his face, concerned by what he saw. Atlas had sunk his teeth into a volleyball. His jaws were
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