Bobbie snorted. “Hot, maybe, because of today’s heat and all the physical labor we’ve been doing.” She pushed back a damp strand of hair that had escaped her bun, getting it unstuck from her cheek. “Remind me to tell clients from now on that outdoor parties in July aren’t the smartest idea.”
“Like they’d listen,” Mel smirked.
“I hear you.” The clients all wanted exactly what they dreamed up, and if the weather didn’t cooperate? Well, sometimes that was the fault of Roberto’s Catering. Go figure. At least today’s clients seemed to be enjoying the near ninety-degree heat.
“Come on, Bobbie,” Mel cajoled, not giving up. “You can’t tell me you aren’t thinking of jumping that delicious man’s bones tonight. He is so freaking steamy, all dark hair and deep, fathomless eyes.” She sighed. “I might have even fantasized about him a little.”
No she hadn’t. Melo’s husband was no slouch, and Mel was madly in love with him.
Melo continued speculating. “Your brothers can lurk outside all they want, but you’ll find a way to lose them; beat them at their own game.”
Right.Her brothers.
The duo had, indeed, been hanging around all day.
They hadn’t interrupted the party, thank God, which was being held on the upper deck of a downtown hotel, overlooking the water. But they’d certainly been spotted by both Bobbie and Melo. On the boardwalk below, on the pier, and even near the company work vehicles when the unloading had been done this morning.
They sucked.
Bobbie figured their presence had to be their version of good, old-fashioned intimidation, but screw them. It wasn’t going to work. As the day wore on and she determined that they weren’t leaving until she did—when the party was over and everything was squared away—Bobbie made up her mind to call for backup.
Considering what she now knew they’d done to her, Bobbie wasn’t going to be a pushover any longer.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw it was the exact right time to put her as-yet-to-be confirmed plan in motion.
“Will you be okay for a minute, Mel? I’m going to make that phone call we talked about earlier.”
“Go,” Mel assured her. “I’ll keep an eye out around here. And good luck.”
“Thanks.” Although Bobbie felt like she didn’t need luck. Her request seemed like it would be a no brainer.
She stepped out of the main room and wended her way out a rear door until she was standing at the top of a wooden staircase that was clearly for staff only.
She wouldn’t be bothered here.
Bobbie hit the number she’d been given and waited for one ring…two…
“Hey, Bobbie. Is there a problem?”
Her body relaxed. Niceandastute.
“Theremightbe, Mason,” Bobbie told Buck’s police captain brother; the man who’d practically demanded she use him as her official guard dog. “Drew and Jeff have been hanging around all day at my jobsite.” She named the place, and of course he knew exactly where it was. The town wasn’t that big.
“I think it’s because they know I’m meeting with Buck tonight to pick up Reyghan, and they want to follow me and make sure I do a quick in and out.” Bobbie groaned to herself. Bad choice of words. It made her think of what other kinds of ins and outs she wanted to do with her Buck.
Luckily, Mason didn’t pick up on it. He replied without hesitation. “What do you need from me?”
“Will you be available in, say, an hour and a half, to distract them after I get home and before I leave my house?” She needed a shower and a change of clothes after her long, sweaty day, so instead of heading right to Buck’s from the shop, she’d stop in at her place.
“I sure can,” Mason told her. “Witha squad car. I’ll park it so I’m highly visible, then I’ll make sure to follow tight on their assif they try to trail you to Buck’s. But don’t worry. I won’t let them get that far. I’ll pull them over for some manufactured slight; seatbelts not worn, inoperative tail light…” he trailed off with a gleeful tone in his voice.
Bobbie snickered. Leave it to a Sothard to get a kick out of subverting her brothers.
“That sounds awesome, Mase. I’ll call you about, what, fifteen minutes before I’m ready to leave?”
“That’ll work,” he confirmed. “That way I can call Spence, too. I’ll have him stake out Buck’s house, just in case the pair know where he lives, and decide to head there instead.”
Bobbie gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much, Mason. I owe you, big time.”
