Chapter 10
Ty went on a date with Maverick? How could Ty have gone on a stupid picnic date with Maverick just hours after she’d had him over for dinner the night before?
Memphis stormed into the back kitchen, glad Maverick’s legs couldn’t carry him as quickly as they would once he was fully healed. Andie and Trenton were seated in the staff’s dining area, chatting with Richard and Ava.
Great.The happy couples. Maybe he should go someplace else.
He stopped mid-stride and considered spinning on one heel when he felt a slap to the back.
Memphis tensed. There was no way Maverick had caught up to him so soon. But the sound of the guy’s greeting told him it was Emmitt instead.
“What’s up, man? Aren’t you going to join everyone for lunch?”
“Uh…”
“It’s our weekly roundtable meeting,” Emmitt reminded. “Better not skip out.”
Memphis sighed in resignation. He guessed he couldn’t exactly walk out on it now, but what in the world was he supposed to do with all this adrenaline? He had enough pent-up steam to propel a train for days.
Emmitt leaned in and covered his mouth with the back of his hand. “I know, it kind of sucks to be around the love birds. We’ve got to stick together.”
Just then a collective laugh broke out over the table. Ava tipped her head back. “That’s hilarious, Andie. I’ve noticed the same thing with Richard’s hair.”
At once, both Andie and Ava were running fingers through Trenton’s and Richard’s hair, tossing the strands this way and that.
Trenton shook his head. “Alright, alright. Can I put my hat back on now?”
“You can if you kiss me first,” Andie cooed.
“That would be my pleasure.” Trenton used his cowboy hat to cover the two as he came in for a kiss. Thank heavens for that, at least.
“On second thought,” Emmitt mumbled. “Let’s go grab a brewski from the bar.”
That sounded just right to Memphis, but Richard was already lifting an arm to signal them.
“Come on and take a seat,” he said while tearing his eyes off his fiancée, Ava. “Betty’s going to be joining in a minute too.”
“We’ve got the fall festival coming up,” Ava chimed with a grin. “It’s going to be incredible.”
Memphis smiled at the woman’s delight and moved to join them at the large roundtable. If anyone could soften him up at a time like this, it was Ava. She’d gone through a lot. Endured and eventually escaped an abusive relationship with a guy who was possibly still on the hunt for her. In fact, her ex was the reason Ava had accepted Maverick’s random invitation to join them on a trip to Costa Rica. She was working at the agency as an accountant while Memphis and Maverick booked their travel plans.
Of course, none of them had a clue that they’d be chased by the mafia upon landing and get forced into hiding where the rest of the Duran family waited. While it had turned Ava’s life upside down in one sense, the turn of events had actually kept her safe from the abusive ex who’d have likely hunted her down by now. Plus, she’d met Richard, her now fiancé.
That was another thing Memphis liked about Ava—she’d dissed Maverick for one of his brothers. Which brought his thoughts right back to Ty and the stupid picnic he’d stumbled upon. Had her parents not shown up, Maverick might have gotten a mouthful from Memphis. Maybe a fistful if he didn’t watch out. Of course, this is what he got for not telling Maverick, or anyone for that matter, that he was going to Ty’s for dinner last night.
Not that it would have changed anything. Professing an interest in a woman had proven to wake the alpha in Maverick. It could be a woman he’d never looked twice at. But as soon as Memphis said he was interested, Maverick would take notice and flex his charm in her direction. Half the time he’d getherto do the asking out first, alleviating him from any guilt in the scenario.
Mable, the kitchen’s lead chef, and her husband, Don, set up a buffet along the wall. The couple had grown very close to the Durans since they arrived, and often joined them for family and staff parties. But when it came to their weekly meetings, it was Betty who joined in. Guests often called her Dolly, as Betty resembled the country music star in look and demeanor. The woman had helped Trenton run The Homestead for years. She was sharp, savvy, and creative. Also, Betty, unlike Mable and Don, knew the Duran family’s secret—that they were here courtesy of the relocation program under different names and altered backgrounds.
Memphis joined the rest of the group as they moved over to the buffet and filled their plates. He couldn’t stop himself from checking over his shoulder to see if Maverick was coming. He’d already eaten outside with Ty, so maybe he’d just skip the lunch meeting and go lift weights instead. He was probably busy licking his wounds over hearing about Memphis and Ty’s dinner date.
A sick knot pushed through him as he relived the shock in Ty’s voice upon seeing her mother. And now she was giving her a massage—the woman who had, according to Ty—been very hard on her over the years. He wondered how the massage was going. Hopefully her mother would finally gain an appreciation for what Ty did. Coming all the way out here—staying at the Inn where Ty had just gotten a job—that said something.
“Oh, no, no…nobody worry about poor, old wounded Maverick who’s hobbling along out here by himself. Probably doing more damage than good without anyone around to help him.”
Memphis gave in to an eye roll.
Andie and Trenton were on their feet in no time, hurrying over to give the big fat baby some assistance.
