He gave a curt nod and a crooked smile. “It would be my pleasure, ma’am. Ryder Kent, at your service.”
Blake laughed again. “Will you stop? You’re cracking us up. Now go get your hands washed and come right back.”
And so began one of the busiest mornings Blake had ever seen at Beaumont’s. It was a good thing Ryder showed up when he did because, in addition to the telephone crew, a government team of eleven turned up unexpectedly. They’d been sent from the communications commission to ensure that this new project underway in Pequoia was executed according to state guidelines.
That morning they had little time to do anything but shout orders to the kitchen crew, pile up the plates with breakfast food and deliver them to the hungry hordes waiting to be served. At one point Blake felt sorry for Ryder but all she could do was throw him an apologetic grin. They had him running back and forth between kitchen and restaurant till she saw a faint film of perspiration begin to bead his upper lip.
And then, as soon as the breakfast rush was over, they had to hurry to get ready for the lunch hour. That ended up being another couple of hours of non-stop rush and by the time three o’clock came around and it was all over they were so exhausted that they each grabbed the nearest chair and collapsed onto it.
Todd was the first to speak. “I hope those communications department guys were only here for the day. If they show up again tomorrow we’ll be in big trouble. I don’t think I can make eggs that fast again.”
Blake grimaced. “Sorry to disappoint you but one of them told me they’ll be here at least three days. One down, two to go.
Chris groaned. “My feet hurt.”
Blake turned to him. “Your sister’s off for the summer, right? What about asking her if she can help us out for the next couple of days?”
He looked doubtful. “She’s more the babysitter type but I’ll ask her.”
“Thanks.” She sighed then slipped her feet out of her loafers and wriggled her toes under the table. Then she glanced over at Ryder who was lounging in a chair by the window. As she watched he was gazing out back at his now flourishing garden.
“Hey, you,” she called out, drawing his attention over to where she and the teenagers sat. “You’re pretty quiet over there. Still alive?”
He gave her a lazy smile. “Yeah, but I’m glad it’s over.”
“Hear, hear.” Todd was only too quick to agree and then he pushed his chair back and got up. “Well, it’s time for me to get going. I promised my dad I’d help out at the store this evening.”
Blake shook her head. “You’re a busy guy. No rest for the weary, right?”
He chuckled. “Right.”
“Wait for me,” Chris said as he got up. “Mom asked me to pick up some stuff from the supermarket. She said she gave your dad her list yesterday.”
“Yeah, sure. Come on.” The two boys bid their goodbyes and then they were off, leaving Ryder and Blake still relaxing. Neither one of them moved an inch.
They sat there, enjoying the silence, such a contrast to the frenzy of the earlier part of the day. It was a moment before either one of them spoke.
“Remember that business you have to take care of,” Ryder said, his look pointed.
Blake sighed. “I know, but it’s better for me to do this in Dallas. I’ll get ready and head out right now.”
“Not without me,” Ryder said. “I’ll drive.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Within forty minutes of their conversation Blake was sitting in the passenger seat of Ryder’s SUV. They had a long drive ahead of them and Ryder planned to make it to Dallas and back before midnight. The restaurant would be expected to open as usual at seven o’clock next morning so they didn’t have a minute to waste.
He’d stuck the key in the ignition and was just about to start the car when he stopped and frowned. Something was not right. There was something he was forgetting…
He dug into the right back pocket of his trousers and then the left. “My wallet. Where the heck is it?”
Blake’s lips curled in a smile. “You’d better run back inside and get it. I don’t plan on washing anybody’s dirty dishes if we run out of gas along the way.”
He chuckled. “Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if that happened.” He shook a finger at her. “Payback for what you did to me.”
She laughed and held out the key to the building. “You deserved it.”
He didn’t bother to answer that. He grabbed the key, got out of the car and headed off to the restaurant. He knew exactly where he’d left his wallet. He remembered dropping it on top of the chest of drawers in his bedroom. But when he got there, there was no wallet in sight. Ryder gave a hiss of annoyance. Just what he needed – something to hold them up when they were in a huge hurry.
Moving quickly, he glanced around the bedroom then went to lift up the baseball cap he’d left on the chair, the book on the nightstand and the T-shirt he'd dropped on top of the bed. Nothing. He dropped to his knees and checked under the bed. Still nothing.
Growing even more annoyed, he walked out of the bedroom and down the hallway. When he threw open the bathroom door there it was, black and bulky and stuffed with papers. His wallet was sitting comfortably on top of the counter by the sink with not a care in the world. Ryder grabbed it up and stuffed it into his back pocket. “Stupid wallet,” he mumbled. “You just cost me a good four or five minutes.”
He pulled the bathroom door shut and loped toward the stairs. He went down the steps two at a time and within seconds was crossing the wide dining room and heading toward the front door.
It was when he was reaching for the knob that he heard it. Something that made him freeze. It was a man’s voice, a voice that he did not recognize.
“Are you ready to be sensible?” the man said, his tone irritated and impatient. “You don’t belong in this godforsaken place. You belong with me. Why are you fighting this?”
Ryder had heard enough. There was only one man who would be asking Blake a question like that. It had to be that Jerome guy she’d told him about. He swung the door open and stepped out onto the porch, eyes narrowed as his gaze zoned in on the target of his disgust and ire.
Immediately, two pairs of eyes swung in his direction, Blake’s flashing dark ones and another set, pale blue and cold and hard.
“Who the hell is that?” the man asked as he swung away from where Blake stood by the Mercedes Benz. He looked like he’d been just about to reach for her but Ryder’s sudden appearance put a stop to that.