He strolled over to the front counter while marveling at the staircase that was unlike anything he’d seen in a typical Southern home. No one was around, so he tapped the little silver bell on the desk. He turned around and leaned against the counter.
So, this is my home for the next five days. Nice. The Coleman House B and B wasn’t as posh as some hotels he’d stayed in, but this was pure Southern charm.
The hall door opened, and a beautiful black sister came out to greet him.
“Hello, thank you for visiting The Coleman House. Are you checking in?” she asked.
“Yes, I have a room reserved for the week.” He blinked, almost forgetting his false name. “Uh, Frank Meeks,” he finally said with a smile.
She tapped his name into the computer. “Yes, Mr. Meeks, we’ve been expecting you. Are you alone?”
“Yes, just me for the week.”
“Well, it says here you’re paying by credit card, so if I can see the card we’ll get you all checked in.”
While Miles fished the card out of his pocket, the young lady kept talking.
“Are you in town for a special occasion or visiting the college, maybe?”
He shook his head and handed her his credit card. “No.”
She looked at the card and then back up at the computer before her brow creased. “I’m sorry, but the name on the card and the name I have here,” she touched her computer screen, “don’t match.”
He leaned on the counter. “Yeah, about that. I had my assistant make the reservation in another name, if you don’t mind, to protect my privacy while I’m here. I’m here to do a little research.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Research? What kind of research?”
Before he could answer, the door opened again and a woman he recognized, but whose name he couldn’t remember, walked out.
“Mr. Parker!” she exclaimed.
Miles straightened and smiled. “Hello. I’m back.”
“Corra, this is Miles Parker, the baseball player in the picture with Rita.” The woman who’d come to Miles’s rescue now held out her hand. “Remember me? I’m Tayler, Rollin’s wife. We took a picture together, too. I’m the one who used to live in Chicago.”
Miles raised his chin and accepted her hand. “Yes, I remember. Tayler, it’s nice to see you again.” The introductions during his first visit had been brief, but he remembered her face.
“You’re checking in?” Tayler asked with wide eyes.
“Frank Meeks is checking in,” Corra corrected, then winked at Tayler.
“Although it’s not always necessary, I sometimes use an assumed name in order to get a little privacy. I want to spend some time learning about Rooted Beginnings and the rest of the farm.”
“Oh, sure, not a problem.” Corra continued signing him in. “My husband used to play football for the University of Kentucky. Maybe you’ve heard of him, Christopher Williams?”
Miles took a step back and chuckled. “Of course I know Chris. He was an upperclassman when I was at UK. That’s right, he’s from around here, isn’t he?”
“Yep, he grew up in Danville,” Corra replied. She handed Miles his credit card back.
“Man, it would be great to see him before I leave.” He put the card back into his pocket.
“He’s out of town right now, but I’m sure I can make that happen as soon as he returns,” Corra said with a smile.
“That would be great.”
Tayler came from behind the counter. “Let me show you to your room. I hope you’ll find it acceptable.”
“Thank you.” He quickly turned back to Corra. “It was a pleasure meeting you, and I look forward to catching up with Chris this week.”
She smiled. “The pleasure was all mine.”
Miles picked up his bag and followed Tayler up the grand staircase.
“You don’t have to worry about your privacy. We’re very good at keeping our guest list from prying eyes.”
“Thank you. I usually don’t do things like this by myself, so I kind of want to enjoy the experience. I can’t believe Rollin and Chris are both affiliated with this B and B.”
“Seems like a reunion for you guys.” Tayler stopped at the first door on the right at the top of the stairs. With a key, she opened the door and walked in. “This suite has a king size bed and looks out onto the gardens out back. It’s cozy, but it has all the modern conveniences.” She opened the bathroom door and turned on the light. “I think you’ll find everything you need in the bathroom.”
He walked into the room and dropped his duffel bag next to the bed. “This is great.” The room was nicely decorated in neutral colors and came with a four-poster bed, a fireplace, and a small desk and chair perfect for his laptop, if he bothered to pull it out this week. He walked over and peeked into the bathroom, happy to see a shower large enough for him.
Tayler stood in the room’s entrance. “Well, there’s herbal tea and cookies in the dining room if you’re interested. Breakfast starts at seven, and the truck leaves at eight. You’ve experienced that before, so you know what to expect.”
He smiled at her, happy with the hospitality and the fact that she didn’t ask him a lot of questions. “That’s the reason I’m here.”
“I bet Kyla will be surprised to see you in the morning. She’s out right now.”
He felt an unexpected warmth at the mention of her name. “I hope I’ll be a good surprise.”
“Oh, I’m sure you will be,” Tayler said with raised brows. “Well, we have an extensive library if you want to kick back and read something or watch a movie. As soon as Rollin returns, I’ll let him know who Frank Meeks really is,” she said with a wink before leaving Miles alone.
He sat down to test out the bed. It was nice and comfortable. The size of the room reminded him of his bedroom growing up, only he didn’t have his own bathroom. He took off his shoes and fell back across the bed to stare up at the ceiling. Why had he decided to take a week out of his busy life to stay in this small-town B and B picking organic vegetables? He was interested in Kyla’s pitch from a business perspective, but did he really need to get his hands dirty?
If he was being honest with himself, maybe Glenda was right and there was more to his visit than research.
Chapter 6
On Monday morning, Kyla climbed out of bed in a great mood, hurried through her usual routine of showering and then throwing on her uniform.
Breakfast at The Coleman House was the busiest time of the day. The usual smell of bread baking and tea simmering made Kyla’s stomach grumble. She greeted her family before grabbing a muffin off a platter on the kitchen table. This morning she was hungrier than usual.
Tayler popped into the kitchen from the dining room, balancing two empty plates in one hand and a pitcher of orange juice in the other.
“You!”
Kyla jumped.
“What time did you come in last night?” Tayler demanded, as she deposited the plates in the sink and the pitcher on the kitchen counter.
“I don’t know. Not too late, why?” Kyla took a bite of her muffin. Tayler’s tone surprised her. They hadn’t insisted she come in at any particular time since she’d moved in. Was she in trouble?
Tayler crossed her arms. “Because we waited up for you, that’s why.”
Stumped, Kyla glanced around the room. They’d never waited up for her before. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
Rita walked in from the back hall, clearing her throat and looking in Tayler’s direction. Something was going on.
“No, everything’s okay. Rollin just wanted to talk to you, but it can wait until around lunch,” Tayler answered, after she glanced over at Rita.
Kyla glanced from Tayler to Rita, who had started humming as she loaded the dishwasher. “Okay, I’ll look for him.”
“Well, breakfast is
over and the guests are waiting on the front porch, so you’d better get going,” Tayler said, walking over to help Rita clean the kitchen.
“Okay.” Kyla decided to play along. Tayler had never rushed her out of the house before. She left the kitchen and grabbed the clipboard from the hall with the names of all the guests for today. She walked out the back door shaking her head. Those ladies are up to something.
Kevin had the truck parked in its usual spot and was currently sweeping the bed with a broom.
“What we got this morning?” he asked as Kyla approached.
She read through the list then tossed the clipboard into the passenger’s seat.
Kevin secured the broom under the seats and jumped down from the truck bed as she climbed up, taking her seat on the bench below the rear window.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” he said before climbing into the truck and starting it up.
They drove to the front of the house to pick up the guests, and Kyla jumped down the minute Kevin stopped. She lowered the back step to help an elderly couple who’d been with them a week now.
Kyla was on autopilot—until the front door opened and an unexpected guest walked out.
Every muscle in her body stiffened as Miles Parker stepped out the front door ahead of Rollin. They shook hands before Rollin walked off and Miles strolled toward the truck. Kyla took a long, deep breath to slow her racing heartbeat and regain control of her senses. What was he doing here? Now she understood the strangeness in the kitchen earlier.
Dressed in brown cargo shorts, a navy blue polo shirt and a pair of hiking boots, he looked ready to go to work. She quickly walked back over to the passenger door, opened it and reached inside for the clipboard.
“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked.
She read through the list thoroughly, not finding Miles’s name. “I’m not sure. This guy’s not on the list.” When she turned back around, Miles stood at the foot of the truck, speaking with one of the guests.
Kyla joined them. “Excuse me—”
“Good morning, Kyla,” Miles said with a big smile.
“Morning. Unless I’m missing something—”
“Frank Meeks,” he interrupted her again.
“What?” she asked.
“That’s the name I registered under. I’m Frank Meeks—” he lowered his voice “—this week, anyway.”
Kyla cautiously glanced back down at the clipboard. Frank Meeks was on the list. He’d checked in yesterday.
She took a deep breath and studied Miles as he casually rested his elbow against the side of the truck, still smiling. “Would you like to be addressed as Frank?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, Miles is fine. I’m so used to staying in large hotels where the guests list gets out and all sorts of strange people start hanging around. I was trying to protect myself from that, but now that I’m here, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”
She tossed the clipboard back into the truck and closed the door. “Well, welcome back. If you’ll have a seat in the truck, we’ll get started.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Miles turned around and joined the rest of the group in the truck.
Kyla looked inside at Kevin sitting behind the wheel. He had a big grin on his face as he mouthed the word Wow. She shook her head, unable to believe what was happening this morning. Why had Miles Parker come back to the B and B as a paying guest? It meant he’d slept there last night and would be sticking around all week, according to him.
She composed herself and joined the group in the back of the truck. Once she welcomed everybody and recited the usual truck rules, she tapped on the window, letting Kevin know they were ready to go.
As the truck traveled down the road, Kyla went into education mode, discussing the choice of crops they would see today, and then entertained questions. Occasionally, she glanced in Miles’s direction, noticing how comfortable he seemed on a bench too narrow for his ass. He didn’t ask any questions; he only crossed his arms and observed. The group seemed oblivious as to his celebrity status.
The truck pulled to its first stop, the vegetable garden. Everyone was given a basket and was instructed where to start. Miles hung back after the rest of the group strolled away.
“Mr. Parker, did you have a question?” she asked.
“I did, actually. If it’s not too much to ask, I’d like to shadow you for the week. If I won’t be getting in the way, that is.”
She swallowed hard. “Uh, well... I, uh—” She glanced into the truck at Kevin, who had his cell phone glued to his ear, yammering away, before turning back to Miles. “I suppose it won’t be a problem. I don’t do anything too exciting,” she said with a wrinkle of her nose.
“You said if you had more time, you’d tell me how organic food could feed the masses. I’m interested in learning how.”
Kyla hadn’t expected this from a GMO man. Could he be having second thoughts about the damage his company did to the world? Maybe her presentation had had a life-altering effect on him. Then again, maybe not, but she was about to do her best to convert him in a week’s time.
“I’m glad to hear that, Mr. Parker. And what better way to learn why sustainable farming is so beneficial than the hands-on approach? Which means I’m going to work your butt off.” She knew she had a grin the size of the Grand Canyon on her face, but she couldn’t help it. “And I hope lectures don’t bore you, because during the summer I do a lot of that.”
Miles laughed. “No, I’m sure I won’t be bored at all. I’m here to learn, so work me in any way you see fit. Frankly, I’m looking forward to it.”
Miles quirked a brow and smiled at Kyla, causing a quiver in her stomach. He reached out his hand, and like a robot, she gripped it in a firm handshake.
“By the way,” he said. “You don’t have to keep addressing me like I’m some older man. Just Miles, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay then, Miles.”
Kyla stood there as Miles, with his muscular legs and arms, walked toward the rows of vegetables holding a small bushel basket and looking out of place. What had just happened? Did I really agree to let Miles Parker, the playboy of professional baseball, follow me around for a whole week?
“So, how goes it?” Kevin asked when he popped up next to her.
Her head whipped around so fast she made herself lightheaded. “Do you have to talk on the phone all the time?” she asked through clenched teeth. “I needed you out here and you were on the phone again.”
Eyes wide, Kevin shrugged. “What did I miss?”
“That guy is going to be here all freakin’ week. He wants to shadow me, for Christ’s sake.”
“For real?”
“Yes, and he makes me nervous.”
“Why? Aside from the fact that he’s rich and famous.”
Kyla crossed her arms. “That doesn’t impress me. It’s the hovering I’m not sure I’m going to like.”
“Or maybe it’s that celebrity athlete charm that has you nervous. Afraid you’ll fall under his spell?” Laughing, Kevin flexed his fingers in Kyla’s face.
She smacked at Kevin’s hands until he stopped.
After Miles’s first visit, Kyla had Googled him. There was no denying his wealth and fame, which she already knew. And there were a slew of women who’d attached themselves to him over the years. But she hadn’t seen any recent articles about him and any woman. All the recent search results were about Parker Edmunds or his philanthropic endeavors.
“The only thing his charm is going to get him this week are blisters. He wants to shadow me and I can use another pair of hands. I hope Mr. Baseball brought his A game, because he’s going to need it.”
* * *
After the morning truck ride and after she’d deposited all the food in the kitchen, Kyla moved on to the next chore. She walked out the back door and followed the
path past the gift shop, waving to Corra as she opened it up. At the end of the path, the doors were open on a small barn where the interns were busy inside setting up for the day.
Kyla loved the cute little barn that Rollin had built for Tayler after their wedding. Since the U-pick store was all her idea, he did everything he could to support it. Above the door, Kevin had hung a sign that read, Coleman Farm, A Labor of Love.
The minute Kyla walked into the barn, Ben came running over.
“Hey, Kyla, is it true that Miles Parker is back?” Ben’s eyes widened with excitement.
She nodded. “Yes, he’s here. And now you can get your autograph.”
“I heard he’s staying all week! He must have been impressed with your workshop, huh?”
Kyla laughed. “I doubt that. If anything, he didn’t see enough in half a day. Which is why he’s back, to learn more.” She tried to walk around and check the inventory, but Ben followed her every step and kept asking about Miles.
“I guess you guys have a lot in common, since he has a food company, too?” Ben asked.
“We don’t have anything in common,” she said. Then she noticed Ben looking over her shoulder and smiling, so she slowly followed his gaze.
“But we do have something in common,” Miles said from behind her. “My company wants to feed the world, just as you do.”
“Hi, Mr. Parker, I’m Ben.” Ben wasted no time shoving his hand at Miles. “Remember me from the workshop a couple of weeks ago?”
“Hello, Ben. Yes, I do remember you. How’s it going, man?”
Ben grinned so big, Kyla bet his face hurt.
“I’m hanging in there. If you don’t mind, can I get your autograph before you leave?”
“Sure, not a problem. Just keep it to yourself for about a week if you don’t mind.”
“Okay, sure not a problem. Well, I’d better go help Sean finish setting up.”
Something About You Page 5