Nobody Does it Better

by Samantha Chase

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  A Look Back at the Bishop Family with

  Also by Samantha Chase

  About Samantha Chase

  Copyright 2021 Samantha Chase

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  All Rights Reserved.

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  No part of this book, with the exception of brief quotations for book reviews or critical articles, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Cover Design: Uplifting Designs/Alyssa Garcia

  Editing: Jillian Rivera Editing

  Praise for Samantha Chase

  “If you can’t get enough of stories that get inside your heart and soul and stay there long after you’ve read the last page, then Samantha Chase is for you!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Melanie Shawn

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  “A fun, flirty, sweet romance filled with romance and character growth and a perfect happily ever after.”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips

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  “Samantha Chase writes my kind of happily ever after!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Nicholas

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  “The openness between the lovers is refreshing, and their interactions are a balanced blend of sweet and spice. The planets may not have aligned, but the elements of this winning romance are definitely in sync.”

  - Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

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  “A true romantic delight, A Sky Full of Stars is one of the top gems of romance this year.”

  - Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK

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  “Great writing, a winsome ensemble, and the perfect blend of heart and sass.”

  - Publishers Weekly

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  “Recommend Chase to fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Well-written and uniquely appealing.”

  - Booklist

  1

  It’s James Bond…

  Peyton Bishop knew she sometimes romanticized things going on around her, but when the perfect man walks into a room wearing a tuxedo and oozing confidence, it’s hard not to think of one of her favorite action heroes.

  She pressed herself back against the wall of her café so she’d be in the shadows while she watched this magnificent man. He was tall with broad shoulders, dark hair and even darker eyes, and Peyton felt her heart flutter when his lips lifted with a small smile as he looked around.

  Like what you see? I know I do.

  He might have been smiling as he looked around Café Magnolia, but Peyton only had eyes for him.

  They’d been at a handful of events at the same time, the two of them, but they’d never been introduced. Well, people had always wanted to introduce her to him, but Peyton always ran away like a scared schoolgirl, nervous giggle and all, because Ryder Ashford was like something off a movie screen. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, and the thought of going anywhere near him intimidated the crap out of her.

  But then again, the same thing happened the first time she met author Mia Kingsley, who was now engaged to Peyton’s cousin Austin. She had declined an introduction multiple times and when she finally caved, Mia was an absolute delight and now the two of them were good friends.

  Somehow she doubted she’d get the same results from being introduced to Ryder.

  Sneaking another glance, she wondered what he was doing here at her little café.

  And dressed in a tuxedo.

  He was no stranger to Magnolia Sound–he’d already purchased several homes, property, and the veterinary clinic that her cousin Garrett now ran. Ryder never came in here before, though. And again, why the tuxedo?

  From where she was standing, Peyton admired his strong jaw and the smile on his face as he took in his surroundings. When she inherited the café several years ago, it was somewhat outdated. Truth be told, it still was. But she was doing the updates a little at a time so she wouldn’t have to shut down for any extended period of time. Basically, she’d updated the menu, bought new tables and chairs, painted the walls, purchased new artwork–all cosmetic fixes. The kitchen was next on her list and fortunately, she would be able to do it all without disrupting business. The new appliances were being delivered this coming weekend and the work to take out the old ones and install the new ones would be done overnight. She was proud of what she’d done here and her customers loved it.

  It was her next endeavor, however, that she was most looking forward to.

  In a matter of days, she would finally be able to put in an offer on a small piece of property she’d been eyeing for a while. Her dream was to build a place of her own–literally from the ground up. For years, Peyton had dreamed of what it would look like, what she wanted on the menu, and already had her sign and logo designed.

  She was nothing if not thorough.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryder chatting with her hostess, Dana. Then she saw Dana turn and point in her direction, and damn if Ryder wasn’t looking directly at her.

  Busted.

  Straightening, Peyton willed her heart rate to calm down. This was so not the way she wanted to meet him. She wasn’t dressed to impress, but…there wasn’t anything she had in her wardrobe that would wow a guy in what could only be described as a custom-made tuxedo. Still, she seriously wished she was dressed in something a little more stylish rather than a pair of navy capris and a white t-shirt. Her hand smoothed up over her sleek ponytail as she sighed. This morning she swore she looked cute. Now? Not so much.

  Straightening, she threw her shoulders back and stepped out from behind the large potted dragon tree with all the confidence she could muster.

  “Oh, here she is now,” Dana said with a smile. “Peyton, this is Mr. Ashford. He was looking to speak to the owner.” She stepped away to seat a party of two, leaving Peyton alone with Ryder.

  Holding out her hand, she smiled up at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ashford. I’m Peyton Bishop. How can I help you?”

  His large hand enveloped hers in a gentle clasp, but he wasn’t smiling.

  Not even a little.

  Releasing her hand, Ryder cleared his throat. “Are you the manager?”

  “Um… no,” she replied, confused.

  “I was looking for the owner,” he said slowly, as if she wouldn’t understand.

  “Then you’ve found her,” she stated, her smile feeling a little stiff, and her tone carried just a hint of annoyance.

  “Do your folks own the place and you’re just running it?”

  “Excuse me?” Okay, now she was more than a little annoyed.

  “It’s just…” He looked her up and down–and not in a flattering way. “You don’t quite look old enough to own this place.”

  It didn’t matter how many people said that to her in the past; this time it really bothered her. He said it with just enough condescension to truly rub
her the wrong way.

  “Trust me, Mr. Ashford, I’m the owner and I’m old enough. Is there something I can do for you?” And yeah, her polite tone and smile were gone.

  Not that it mattered. He didn’t look the least bit sheepish or apologetic. “I need a dinner catered tonight and I was told this was the place to go. Austin Coleman recommended you.”

  Normally she loved a recommendation from her family, but right now she didn’t feel like basking in it. “Of course. How many people will be attending?”

  “Four.”

  “Okay. Do you know what you want to order? Have you looked at the menu?” Reaching for one, she held it out for him and was dying to know if they were all going to be in tuxes and evening gowns. It was on the tip of her tongue to suggest he go to the Magnolia Country Club, but figured Austin had to know what he was doing by suggesting the café.

  “This is a very important dinner and I was told you do custom menus,” he replied, ignoring the menu in her hand.

  With a serene smile that she totally wasn’t feeling, she put the menu down. “With advanced notice we do, but considering it’s after three…”

  “It’s still advanced notice,” he interrupted smoothly. “It will need to be delivered promptly at seven and delivered hot. We won’t be reheating.”

  This guy…

  Peyton forced herself to mentally count to ten before speaking. “Mr. Ashford, I appreciate your inquiry, but unfortunately we cannot accommodate your request. If you’d like to order something off the menu, then I’d be more than happy to take your order. As for delivering it, I’m afraid we can’t accommodate that either.”

  And just like that, Ryder’s expression hardened and Peyton was sure that look caused many a person to fall in line. But so far, he’d been condescending and insulting and she wasn’t having any more of it. So she met his gaze and waited for whatever insult was coming next.

  “Miss Bishop,” he began after a moment. “In this day and age, I would think delivery would be an obvious service to offer. Even a small-town café…” He paused to look around with disdain… “should keep up with the current trends. Especially when so many new eateries are coming into the area. Surely you don’t want the competition to put you out of business.”

  Wait… new eateries? What new eateries? And was he threatening her? Seriously?

  Her brother Mason worked for the town and always kept her up to date on any new businesses moving in. So if Mason hadn’t mentioned it, that meant Ryder was either bluffing to get his way or planning to open someplace himself.

  Which made him a major jerk right now.

  “I don’t see that happening,” she told him levelly. And because she was feeling a little extra bold right now, she added, “And I would think if this dinner were so important, you would have made arrangements more than four hours before it begins.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “Touché.”

  “I wish you luck with your dinner, Mr. Ashford. Have a wonderful day!” Feeling rather proud of herself, she turned and made it all of three steps before he called out to her again.

  So close…

  Glancing over her shoulder, she replied, “Yes?”

  He slowly walked over to her and it was hard not to hum with appreciation. Ryder Ashford in a tux was stunning enough, but Ryder Ashford in motion was almost like watching porn.

  Or… so she thought.

  “Surely you could help out a friend of your cousin’s,” he said, his voice low and gruff and damn if she didn’t want to promise him whatever he wanted. “You’ll be paid handsomely for it.” Then he glanced around again. “And from the looks of things, you can use a good infusion of cash.”

  And that was it. Now she was officially done.

  “Thanks, but I’m good,” she said and turned and walked away, her heart hammering hard in her chest the entire time. It wasn’t until she was in her office with the door closed that Peyton finally let herself breathe. Collapsing in her desk chair, she let out a long breath. “What a jerk!”

  Eyeing her phone, she considered calling Austin and telling him just how awful his friend was, but she also considered calling her brother to see if what Ryder just said was true. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure her heart was up for hearing if it was. She already overcame so many obstacles with the café and it finally felt like things were going her way. Why did Mr. Looks-Too-Sexy-in-a-Tuxedo have to come in and ruin that for her?

  Ownership should have been a no-brainer. Café Magnolia was already wildly successful when she inherited it. All she had to do was keep doing what the staff was already doing and she’d be fine. But when you’re young and things are handed to you, the critics seemed to take great joy in waiting for you to fail. It didn’t matter that her great-grandfather was from the founding family of Magnolia Sound and it didn’t matter that her parents were very prominent in the community.

  If anything, that one seemed to work against her.

  But she persevered and practically killed herself trying to prove to everyone that she was smart enough and more than competent enough not only to continue the café’s success, but to succeed with other places as well. Two years ago, she stepped in and helped her brother make a success of the pub he’d inherited from their great-grandfather. After a traumatic fire, she helped redesign the space and then reworked the menu and trained the staff of The Mystic Magnolia. Now it was one of the most successful eateries in town. Peyton took great pride in knowing she helped make that happen.

  Damn Ryder Ashford for getting in her head like this.

  It had been a long time since she’d second-guessed herself and it was an awful feeling.

  “Call Austin or call Mason? Call Austin or call Mason?” she murmured as she slowly spun herself around in her chair. A soft knock on the door had her pausing and straightening. “Come in!”

  Dana popped her head inside with a nervous smile. “Um… Mr. Ashford placed a rather large order and asked if anyone would be able to deliver it.” She hesitated a moment before stepping fully into the office. “Landon offered to do it, but I thought I should check with you and see if it was okay for him to do that.”

  Peyton took a moment to think on it. “What did he order?”

  “Um…”

  “Did he order from the menu?”

  She nodded. “He ordered a couple of pints of the She-crab soup, four of the Southern loaded sweet potatoes, two orders of the Peach-Chipotle Baby Back Ribs, two orders of the shrimp and cheddar grits, two of the baked catfish specials, two orders of crab cakes, um… an order of the seaside egg rolls, a whole sweet tea cake, a whole pecan pie… and… some cornbread and biscuits.”

  Nodding, Peyton was mildly impressed. He caved and ordered. If he simply did that while they were talking, she wouldn’t be sitting here thinking negative things about him.

  And herself.

  Still, she had to wonder what kind of dinner party consisted of grits and tuxes…

  “So?” Dana asked, interrupting her thoughts. “Is that all okay with you? Mr. Ashford was insistent that Landon get your approval.”

  She fought hard to hide her smile. “As long as Landon knows he’s off the clock…”

  “Oh, yeah. He does. His shift ends at seven and that’s what he told Mr. Ashford.” She paused and stepped in a little closer to Peyton as she whispered, “And he’s paying him fifty bucks to deliver it!”

  It seemed Ryder was the kind of person who believed throwing cash at people was the way to get what he wanted rather than simply following the rules. Still, Peyton knew that Landon and his wife had a new baby, so the extra money would probably come in handy. “Tell them both I’m more than fine with it and be sure to thank Mr. Ashford for his business.”

  “Thanks, Peyton,” Dana said with a smile as she walked out of the office.

  Once the door was closed, Peyton leaned back in her chair and sighed. It boggled her mind how some people simply had to be difficult. Would it have killed the man to simply accept the
way she did business graciously? Did he have to use veiled threats and intimidation? Is that how he ran his businesses?

  “Probably,” she murmured before straightening and dealing with some paperwork she’d been putting off.

  She was tired–exhausted, really. And now she was cranky, too. It seemed like her life was consumed with the café, consulting with The Mystic Magnolia, and her plans for the new place. There was very little time left over for… well… a life. It had been a long time since she’d gone out with friends or seen anyone socially except for her family. She missed going to lunch with her sister and her cousin Mallory and going for pedicures and catching up on all the town gossip. It had been a couple of months since she’d done any of that, and even longer since she’d gone out on a date.

  Groaning, she forced herself to acknowledge what she really missed.

  Sex.

  Yeah, and thanks to Ryder looking like sex on a stick in his tux, that’s what she had on the brain right now.

  Hot, sweaty, sex.

  Damn him.

  “Bills,” she blurted out as she booted up her computer. “Pay some bills. There is nothing even remotely sexy about that.” And sure enough, an hour later all thoughts of Ryder were pushed aside as she paid the last invoice and pulled up her plans for her new venture. Pretty soon, she’d have a little piece of Magnolia Sound for herself and no one could say she hadn’t earned it.

  “This is… quite a variety of dishes, Ry. Nice of you to put in the effort.”

  Stepping out of his bedroom and into the living room, Ryder glared at the snarky remark from his brother. “Well, maybe if they had given me more than a few hours’ notice, I could have gone a little more gourmet.”