Unexpected Rush (Play-By-Play #11)

by Jaci Burton

  Barrett rented a car for them, so they got into the car and he headed off to the city.

  Along the way, Harmony enjoyed the spectacular view of San Francisco, from its incredibly bustling freeway system to the gorgeous bridges and stunning skyline. As they went over the Bay Bridge, she wished they could stop in the middle so she could snap some pictures. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

  “I hope we have some time to tour the city while we’re here,” she said.

  Barrett looked over at her and smiled. “Sure. It’s a great city. Incredible architecture and history. Amazing food. We’ll get out and wander around.”

  She looked forward to that. Before she left town she’d made a list of places she wanted to see, like Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, Haight-Ashbury, Coit Tower. She also wanted to ride on a cable car, drive down the world’s crookedest street, see Golden Gate Park, Alcatraz . . .

  Okay, so she had a long list and maybe they wouldn’t be able to hit everything in a short weekend.

  They pulled onto a street filled with beautiful, quaint houses. Barrett pulled into the driveway and Harmony gasped.

  “This is it?” she asked.

  Barrett turned off the engine. “This is it.”

  She got out and walked around the front of the most adorable Craftsman house.

  “I hadn’t expected Flynn to have a house, let alone one like this.”

  The front yard was charming, with a nice grassy area, beautiful landscaping and an adorable front porch. She walked up the steps to see two chairs and a table on the porch. The front door was painted a dark blue, the rest of the house a lighter shade of blue with pale trim. White shutters framed the picture window.

  Barrett joined her. “Yeah, he liked the old place and had it remodeled, inside and out, about a year and a half ago.”

  “I can’t wait to see inside.” The interior designer in her vibrated with excitement.

  Barrett rang the bell. A few seconds later, the door opened and Flynn was there.

  She’d met all the Cassidy brothers because they’d all come to visit Barrett in Tampa over the years.

  Flynn was definite eye candy. Tall and imposing like all the Cassidys, Flynn was built like a solid wall of muscle and had amazing arm tattoos.

  So. Sexy.

  He smiled at Harmony and brought her in for a hug. She had to admit, she liked all of Barrett’s brothers. Besides being incredibly hot, they were all really nice guys. But her attraction had always been to Barrett.

  “Barrett told me he was dragging you along,” Flynn said. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too. Thanks for letting me come.”

  “Hey, I’m always happy to see you.” Flynn moved away from Harmony and hugged his brother. “Good trip?”

  “Long damn flight.”

  Flynn stood aside so they could walk in. “Tell me about it. Why do you have to live so far away?”

  “Why do you?” Barrett asked, as they stepped in.

  While the two brothers argued, Harmony took in the amazing original wood floors, the open, expansive living area and the charming features of the home. It had built-in shelving on either side of the brick fireplace, and wood beams on the ceiling.

  “Feel free to look around,” Flynn said.

  “Thanks.” She moved into the kitchen, which had been completely renovated and now had black and white cabinets and a beautiful gray stone countertop. And awe-inspiring appliances that would make any chef green with envy.

  She wandered into the butler’s pantry, marveling at the original woodwork. Some of the features had been refinished and kept as is, while others had been modernized.

  Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

  “But training camp should be solid. Looking forward to seeing what the rookies have got,” Flynn said, as he and Barrett wandered into the kitchen.

  He looked over at her and smiled. “The verdict?”

  “It’s perfect. You’ve kept enough of the original style that you haven’t lost the charm of the old house, yet you’ve modernized it and decorated it beautifully.”

  “I don’t take any credit for that. I had a good designer. But there were a few things I wanted kept as is. Fortunately, the previous owners had the place carpeted, so the original wood floors were in great shape. All we had to do was refinish them.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “Yeah. But the kitchen was old and outdated, so it had to go.”

  “Understandable, especially if you like to cook.”

  Flynn grinned. “I do like to cook.”

  They wandered upstairs. The house had three bedrooms upstairs, as well as two bathrooms. There was also an office with a balcony.

  “It’s wonderful, Flynn,” she said, as he led her back down the stairs. “You’ve managed to keep the original beauty of the home, but you’ve modernized the areas that needed it.”

  “Thanks. I like the place a lot. Come on, I’ll take you across the yard to the guesthouse.”

  They walked out onto the back deck. He had a nice deck with a grill and plenty of seating, a fire pit in a separate gravel area, and a tiled path that led to what used to be a garage but was now a beautiful guest cottage with a small living area, bedroom and bath.

  “No kitchen in here, but there’s a mini fridge and drinks are stocked.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  Barrett came into the cottage with their bags.

  “Staying together?” Flynn asked with a raised brow.

  “We are.” Barrett brushed past him without another word to set their bags down in the bedroom.

  She and Barrett hadn’t discussed the sleeping arrangements for the trip. She wasn’t sure how much of what was going on with them he wanted his brother to know about. She supposed that question had been answered, and she was glad it would be in this cottage, and not a room next door to Flynn.

  Flynn turned to her. “So when did you and Barrett become a thing?”

  “Mind your own business, Flynn,” Barrett said. “How about a beer?”

  “Sure.”

  She was glad Barrett had jumped in on that conversation, because she had no idea how she would have answered.

  They weren’t really a “thing.” They weren’t anything, actually, other than two people who knew each other and were having sex.

  They defied a relational descriptive. They weren’t dating, they weren’t a couple and she absolutely would not define herself as Barrett’s booty call. It was nothing like that.

  It was . . . well, she had no idea what it was. And now, thanks to Barrett, she wouldn’t have to label it.

  She followed them back into the house.

  “What would you like to drink, Harmony?” Flynn asked. “I have wine, beer, or I can make you something harder.”

  “Actually, it’s a little early for alcohol for me.”

  “Never too early for alcohol,” Barrett said, shooting a grin to his brother, who grinned back.

  “I also have iced tea,” Flynn said.

  “That works.”

  He poured her a glass of iced tea, including slicing a lemon for her, which Harmony said wasn’t necessary. Flynn ignored her and they took a seat at the table.

  “Where’s Tess?” Barrett asked.

  Flynn shook his head. “We broke up.”

  “Oh, sorry man,” Barrett said. “I thought things were going well between you two.”

  Flynn shrugged. “So did I.”

  Harmony wasn’t going to ask. “I’m sorry, too.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I recently broke up with someone, too. It sucks.”

  “Oh, so Barrett is your rebound, huh?” Flynn asked with a smirk.

  “Hey. Fuck off. I am not.”

  Flynn leaned back and took a long swallow of beer.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Really, he’s not,” Harmony said. “And you might be deflecting to get off the topic of your own breakup?”

  “Ohhh, she burned you, Br
other.” Barrett slid a sly grin in Harmony’s direction.

  Flynn narrowed his gaze at Harmony. “Fine. Topics of relationships are off the table for now.”

  “Agreed. How’s the restaurant coming along?” Barrett asked.

  “Finalized the purchase of the property, gutted it, and they’re already starting construction on the place.”

  “Have you come up with a name for your new restaurant?” Harmony asked.

  “Yeah. Ninety-Two.”

  Barrett’s lips ticked up. “Your jersey number?”

  “Yup. It was my college jersey number and my pro number. So far it’s been lucky for me. And this way the restaurant doesn’t have my name on it.”

  Harmony took a sip of tea, then set her glass on the table. “Why don’t you want your restaurant to bear your name?”

  Flynn shrugged. “First, I don’t have that big an ego. Second, I think it’s better to be subtle. The food should speak for itself. I want people to come in because they like the food and the ambiance, not because they think I might be in there—which frankly, I probably won’t be. My goal is to let the talented people run the place.”

  “But you’ll have some say-so on who runs the place, such as chefs and management, right?” Harmony asked.

  “Yes. I’ve already hired someone to manage the place, but he and I will work together on the rest of the hires. I’m no world-class chef, but I know food and I know what I want as far as people cooking for me.”

  “So you have some ideas on chefs?”

  “I have a few ideas.”

  “In other words, you plan to steal from your competition?” Harmony asked.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “But you implied it.”

  “Maybe.” He gave her a devilish smile and put the bottle of beer to his lips, tilted it back and finished it off.

  “Now I’m very curious. And I’d love to see your restaurant.”

  “It’s mainly just a shell right now. But we’ll do a drive-by. And I’m interviewing for a head chef this afternoon.”

  “We can take two cars,” Barrett said. “I told Harmony we could take in some sights.”

  “Perfect. If you want to change or get ready or something, we can leave in about thirty minutes.”

  “I’m good with what I’m wearing,” Barrett said.

  Harmony had worn leggings on the plane, and she definitely wanted to freshen up and change clothes. “I’ll go get ready.”

  “I’m going to sit here and finish this beer,” Barrett said.

  She smiled. “You do that.”

  She went over to the guesthouse, took a few minutes to unpack, then washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair and redid her makeup. She decided on a pair of black capris, a long-sleeved blouse, and slid into a pair of wedges. She also grabbed her sweater, which seemed a little ridiculous for July, but she’d already been warned about San Francisco’s weather, which could be cool in the summer months.

  After sliding on a bracelet and applying lip gloss, she made her way back to the main house, marveling at all the gorgeous greenery in Flynn’s yard. It wasn’t a huge yard, but whoever had done the landscaping had done a great job. There were a couple of trees to provide shade, some medium-sized bushes along the fence perimeter, and several flowering plants to give off color. Nothing major, but just enough to make it look homey and comfortable without being cluttered. And the fire pit was a perfect touch.

  She went inside and only Flynn was in the kitchen.

  “Where’s Barrett?”

  “He went to take a leak.”

  “Okay.”

  “Are you hungry?” Flynn asked.

  “A little.”

  “I know this great place. You’re going to love the food here.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Barrett showed up and slid his arm around her waist. “Hungry?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes. But not starving, so you can relax about the food thing. I’m not about to faint or anything.”

  He smiled down at her. “Noted. But I’m hungry, so let’s go eat.”

  They piled in their cars and drove to what Barrett told her was Hayes Valley, where Flynn had bought his restaurant. It was a charming—no—gorgeous section of San Francisco, filled with Victorian homes, but also had a vibrant fresh vibe about it. She couldn’t wait to explore.

  They found a place to park and got out.

  “This looks like a fabulous area,” Harmony said.

  Flynn nodded. “I looked at a lot of places. I ate at a lot of places, talked to quite a few people who lived in those areas. This one was just it for me. Plus it’s close to where I live. It has an old-city charm to it, yet modern and fresh. It just felt . . . right.”

  She could tell Flynn loved this area. Who wouldn’t, with its tree-lined sidewalks and people milling about, wandering up and down the street and stopping in the shops. She was kind of envious of Flynn being able to live in such a beautiful city.

  He took them into a restaurant called The Grove, very atmospheric with a woodsy décor. They were seated and presented with the menu.

  Harmony perused it, her stomach grumbling.

  “Well,” she said, as she laid the menu down, “I want everything.”

  Flynn laughed. “I’ve had just about everything on the menu. Trust me, it’s all good.”

  Since they served breakfast all day, and it was her favorite meal, she settled for the salmon omelet. Barrett decided on a turkey club and Flynn the tuna melt. They ordered drinks, which their waitress brought over right away.

  “Tell me about the chef you’re interviewing today,” Barrett asked.

  “She’s from Oregon,” Flynn said. “Comes highly recommended by the manager I hired. She’s looking for a fresh start. Recently divorced and has no attachments in the state she lives in, so she’s free to move. Her credentials are really damn good, and if she’s as good as my new manager, Ken, says she is, then I think she might fit what I’m looking for.”

  “You gonna make her cook for you?” Barrett asked.

  “I dunno.”

  “You should. I would.”

  “I don’t know if that’s necessary.”

  Barrett shrugged. “Why not? No better way to find out if someone is as good as they say they are on paper than to put them to the test. You should invite her to the house for dinner. Have her prepare a meal for us. I mean for you.”

  Harmony laughed. “Nothing like putting pressure on someone, Barrett.”

  “It’s not a horrible idea,” Flynn said. “I’ll talk to her this afternoon. If I feel like she could work out, I might suggest dinner.”

  “If that happens, be sure to text your brother,” Harmony said. “I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

  “Plus, we like food,” Barrett said.

  Flynn smirked. “Yeah, yeah.”

  The subject shifted from Flynn’s restaurant to football, so Harmony sipped the tea she’d ordered and listened in as Barrett and Flynn argued various defensive strategies until their food arrived.

  She not only ogled her plate, but Barrett’s and Flynn’s as well. “Wow.”

  “I told you how great it was, didn’t I?” Flynn said.

  Harmony dug into her salmon omelet, savoring every bite of goodness. “This is amazing. In fact, it’s so good, I want to eat it twice.”

  All Barrett did was grunt, which she assumed meant he agreed. They all ate and made very little conversation, and when they were finished, she told Flynn he’d taken them to the best restaurant ever.

  “At least until mine opens,” he said with a grin.

  “True. I hope to come back and have dinner at your restaurant when it opens.”

  “You have an invitation for opening night. Have Barrett bring you.”

  She shifted her glance to Barrett, figuring he’d be uncomfortable with that. But he only leveled a knowing smile at her.

  Hmm.

  After lunch they walked a short way to the restaurant. It was just a shell
right now, but Harmony loved the location.

  “It’s perfect, Flynn,” she said. “I can see why you chose this area.”

  He smiled. “Thanks. It’ll be even better when there’s something inside.”

  “That’ll happen soon enough,” Barrett said.

  Flynn took them on a tour of the inside of the restaurant, then they parted ways and Flynn took off to run some errands before his meeting, leaving her and Barrett alone.

  “What do you want to do first?” Barrett asked.

  “I have no idea. I’ve never been here, so I’m going to rely on you to be tour guide for me.”

  “Okay. Let’s roll on out of here.”

  Harmony couldn’t wait to see everything—or as much of everything—that San Francisco had to offer.

  Twenty-Two

  After running some errands, Flynn came back to the restaurant and met with his new manager, Ken, prior to the interview with the proposed chef. And since Ken had a lot of years of restaurant management experience, they discussed some inventory items and went back and forth on the layout. Since the place was gutted right now and no walls were up, he had some time to decide on placement before he met with the architect and contractors.

  Right now they had a folding table and four chairs situated in the middle of the concrete floor. All he had was a vision.

  “The windows out front afford a lot of light,” Ken said, “which will be great for your daytime crowd. You’ll have to decide what kind of ambience you want for evenings.”

  “Cozy. Inviting. And we have the space out back that will provide ample seating. I’d like to do garden seating. Since we’re on the corner, I think that’ll attract people walking by.”

  Ken nodded. “Agree, and it’s a good idea. Our weather permits almost year-long outside eating, and if you put heat lamps out there during cooler weather, the diehards won’t mind eating out there at all.”

  “That’s a great suggestion.” He plugged that into the notes feature on his tablet so he wouldn’t forget.

  “When’s the meeting with the architect?” Ken asked.

  “Monday.”

  “I think you have a good idea of what you want. And he’s done the walk-through with you, right?”