Nobody Does it Better

by Samantha Chase

  Even more so because of who they came from and how their awkward encounter had gone two days ago. Still…it was nice to be appreciated.

  It had been a long time since a man sent her flowers, and for just the shortest of moments she pretended they meant something more.

  Something from a satisfied lover rather than a satisfied catering client.

  Ugh…I really miss sex…

  Pushing her silly and wayward thoughts aside, she carefully placed the bouquet and the gorgeous crystal vase it came in on the corner of her desk. Then read the card one last time with a soft sigh before placing it gently within the arrangement. Today was a big day for her and she hoped these flowers were some kind of sign that good things were going to go her way.

  She’d planned everything out meticulously–had been speaking to both the bank and the realtor once a week for the last three months just to make sure no one else was interested. Of course, they always told her that there were inquiries, but they couldn’t divulge who they were from. But Peyton was confident the property was going to be hers.

  “And once it is, I’ll finally be able to prove to everyone that I’m a serious businesswoman,” she murmured.

  The first thing she was going to do was go to her parents and show them how she had sealed the deal and how she was finally making her silly dream a reality all by herself.

  Ha! I’ll show them…

  Yeah, they still didn’t take her career seriously and were constantly encouraging her to settle down and let the café simply be a hobby while her husband took care of her. Ugh…that was so not the life she wanted. Mainly because it was her mother’s life and, from everything Peyton had seen growing up, it didn’t make anyone happy.

  And it certainly didn’t make her mother a nicer person.

  It always bothered her that no one seemed to have faith in her capabilities–like all she was supposed to aspire to was finding a suitable husband and being a soccer mom. Well…she did want both of those things, but she wanted her career too.

  Much to her mother’s chagrin.

  She always felt like she’d been stifled growing up. As the middle child to Georgia and Beau Bishop, she’d been the quiet one, the agreeable one. With a charming older brother who succeeded at everything and an uber-outgoing younger sister who made friends everywhere she went, Peyton had a hard time being seen. And when she finally was, it was with disapproval because she’d finally pushed back. If it weren’t for her great-grandfather, God only knows what she’d be doing now.

  “Certainly not buying my own little piece of Magnolia Sound,” she said as she picked up her folder with all her paperwork in it before grabbing her phone, purse, and keys. Walking out of the office, she called out some last-minute instructions to her staff and promised to be back before the dinner crowd. She didn’t realize her hands were shaking until she was in her car and she dropped her keys.

  Three times.

  Taking a moment to calm herself down, Peyton gave herself a mini pep-talk about all the ways she was prepared for this and how good it was going to feel to finally take the plunge and do it. If anything, she had a long line of relatives who were putting their stamp on the town so it was only fitting that it was now her turn. She wanted to be a part of that little club and honor her great-grandfather’s legacy.

  And with that thought, she pulled out of the parking lot and made the short drive across town to her realtor’s office. Jenna Walsh was a friend of her brother’s and came highly recommended and Peyton was a little intimidated by her take-charge and firm businesslike attitude. She was a fantastic realtor though, who really knew how to make a deal.

  “And she’s going to make one for me today,” she said happily as she drove through town. Every place she passed seemed to be owned by someone she knew and loved and it was such a wonderful feeling to know how the whole town was steeped in history and how so much of it started with her family.

  Five minutes later, she was parked and felt like she could take on the world. She walked across the parking lot with more confidence than she ever remembered having. Inside the office, Peyton took off her sunglasses and smiled at the receptionist.

  “May I help you?”

  “Hi, is Jenna in?”

  “Who may I say is asking?”

  “Peyton Bishop.”

  “One moment please.”

  Peyton took a seat, but she spotted Jenna across the room and gave her a small wave.

  And was a little perplexed why Jenna didn’t smile back.

  It took a solid five minutes for her to walk over, and when she did, she asked if Peyton would follow her to her office. It wasn’t until they were alone with the door was shut and they were both seated that Jenna faced her, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

  “I’m guessing you’re here because you heard the news,” Jenna began.

  “News?”

  Nodding, she explained. “I was planning on calling you and letting you know myself, but things got somewhat hectic and…honestly…” Pausing, she let out a long sigh. “I wasn’t sure what to even say, Peyton. It all happened so fast and I know how much you wanted this…”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” she interrupted, holding up her hand to stop her. “What are you talking about?”

  “The property,” Jenna said sadly, sympathetically. “It sold this morning.”

  “What?!” she cried. “How? How is that possible? Did they just put in an offer? Don’t I get the chance to counter or something?” Her heart was racing like mad, and she seriously felt like she was going to be sick. “I…I don’t understand how this could happen! You and I just talked late last week!”

  “I know and I really am sorry, Peyton. Apparently the buyer went directly to the seller. I’ve never had something like this happen before and I just feel terrible!” She reached across her desk as if to give Peyton some kind of comforting gesture, but it sort of fell short. “When I got the call this morning, you were the first person I thought of. Then we had to handle some paperwork since we technically weren’t the ones to sell the property…”

  She didn’t want to hear anymore. Tears stung her eyes and all she could think about was going home, letting out a primal scream, and then crying. Her dream was over–gone. It was devastating and completely unfair and she couldn’t understand how it happened.

  “But considering he’s building a resort on the north end of town,” Jenna was saying, completely oblivious to Peyton’s turmoil, “I’m guessing he wants to invest in as much of the town as he can.”

  “Wait…Ryder Ashford bought my property?” she asked in disbelief.

  “I’m not really at liberty to say…”

  “Technically, you already did!” she reminded her. Even without naming him directly, she said enough for Peyton to figure it out. “Why would he need the one little piece of property that I’ve been eyeing for well over a year? And why go directly to the seller without coming to you? It doesn’t make sense! It’s dishonest! Unethical! Is there any way to stop the sale?”

  “Peyton, I know you’re upset, but…I’m surprised no one bought the land sooner. You know we talked about this a year ago when you first came and talked to me.”

  It was true. Jenna had told her not to get her hopes up because it was a very real possibility the property would be sold before she was ready to buy.

  She just didn’t think it would happen on the same day she was ready to hand over a check.

  Or that she’d lose it to Ryder.

  With a nervous smile, Jenna said, “In some ways, you could say he’s a little like your great-grandfather! He’s really investing in the town!”

  That was it. It was more than she could bear. And as she jumped to her feet, Peyton didn’t care how crazy she sounded. “Ryder Ashford is nothing like my great-grandfather! Nothing! Ezekiel Coleman never would have sneaked around to make a deal!”

  “Peyton, I…”

  “I need to go,” she murmured, scooping up her folder and purse. “I just…” She was ou
t of Jenna’s office and out the main door without looking back. Jenna called out to her but Peyton was too distraught to respond. Out in her car, she tossed her things onto the floor and was out of the parking lot without even paying attention to her surroundings. It was a miracle she didn’t hit anything.

  As she drove across town, all she knew was that she was going to go home and scream and cry and potentially break things. It was so unfair and really, what she wanted to do was confront Ryder and demand that he back out of the deal.

  After she yelled at him for destroying her dream.

  That’s when an idea came to her.

  Peyton had no idea where the man worked or how to find him on her own, but her cousin would.

  Her tires screeched as she made a hasty U-turn, but she didn’t care. Now that she had a destination and a possible chance to vent all of her frustrations, it didn’t matter how she got there. Hopefully Austin would be in the office and not on a job site, but she'd deal with that when she actually got to the office.

  Ten minutes later, she smiled when she spotted his truck.

  Storming through the doors, she spotted him sitting at his desk and walked directly toward him. He saw her coming and smiled. As she got closer, he must have noticed how furious she looked and instantly sobered. Austin stood and walked to his door and closed it as soon as Peyton was inside.

  “Hey,” he said softly, calmly. “This is a surprise. Everything okay?”

  “No, Austin, everything is most definitely not okay,” she snapped.

  “Um…”

  Throwing her purse on the nearest chair, she rounded on him. “Do you know what today was supposed to be?”

  He took a nervous step back. “Uh, no…”

  “Today was supposed to be the day that I finally bought the property over near Main and Channel! And do you know what happened when I went to Jenna Walsh’s office?” she asked, but didn’t wait for him to answer. “I was told the property sold this morning. This morning, Austin! And do you know who bought it?”

  Silently, he shook his head.

  “Your friend Ryder Ashford! I lost my damn dream because of your stupid, egotistical, condescending friend, Mr. Moneybags! Do you have any idea how I feel right now?”

  “I’m kind of getting an idea…” he murmured as he went to sit behind his desk.

  Slamming her fist down on the desk, she leaned in close. “I have been working on plans for that property for a year, Austin! A year! And you knew that! How could you let him swoop in and steal it out from under me?”

  Eyes wide, he stared up at her. “How could I?” he repeated. “Peyton, believe it or not, Ryder doesn’t discuss his business with me or what he plans to buy and where. I mean, we talk about stuff but he doesn’t consult me first.” With a sympathetic smile, he motioned for her to sit. “I know you’re disappointed and I am so sorry that this happened, but…maybe this just wasn’t meant to be.”

  She was going to strangle him.

  “Now…hear me out,” he quickly said, obviously sensing her murderous intent. “There are plenty of buildings around town that need to be rehabbed that we can make work. You pick the building and I’ll do all the planning for it to your specifications. I promise.”

  With a weary sigh, she shook her head. “You don’t get it. That property was important to me. It had everything I wanted–the location, the mature trees, just…everything. In my mind, when I envisioned my restaurant, that’s where it was. None of the vacant buildings around town have that kind of landscape potential, and the renovations we’d have to do to make it exactly what I want are just too much.” Tears threatened to fall again. “Are you sure you can’t talk to Ryder about this? Maybe convince him to find some other piece of property…?”

  “Pey, it’s not my place to tell him how to run his business. We haven’t spoken recently and it’s not like he would look to me for business advice.”

  There was a knock on the door and before Austin could say anything it swung open and in walked Peyton’s worst nightmare.

  He didn’t spot her–he was focused on Austin. “Hey, sorry to show up unannounced but I just sealed the deal on a sweet little piece of property and you know you’re my go-to guy for advice on the town and what it needs,” Ryder said as he reached out and shook Austin’s hand.

  “Um, Ryder, this really isn’t a good time…”

  “I know, I know, I should have called first, but things sort of snowballed and I have a ton of ideas but wanted to run them by you first. I trust you to advise me on what I need to be doing here in Magnolia.”

  She was going to murder them both, she thought.

  Austin nervously glanced her way and that’s when Ryder noticed her. He smiled as he held out his hand to her. “Peyton Bishop! What a nice surprise. Did you get my flowers this morning?”

  Slowly, she got to her feet. Austin said her name softly–warning her–but she’d deal with him later. Right now, there was only one enemy she could deal with, and that was Ryder.

  “Do you know what you can do with your flowers?” she said menacingly. “You can take them and shove them right up your ass!”

  To his credit, Ryder’s initial reaction was a raised eyebrow.

  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she went on, thankful to be able to unload directly on him now. “You just swooped into our town and you’re trying to change everything! You think you can just go wherever you want and throw your money around to get what you want. Well…newsflash, buddy! We don’t want you changing things! Magnolia Sound was doing just fine before you came along!”

  Ryder glanced briefly at Austin before giving her his full attention. “I’m afraid you have me at a bit of a disadvantage, sweetheart,” he began calmly. “What is it exactly that has you all riled up?”

  “Oh, no…” Austin mumbled.

  “Did you seriously just call me sweetheart?” she asked through clenched teeth.

  “Um…”

  “You really shouldn’t have done that,” Austin said quietly, shaking his head.

  Peyton stepped in close and had to look up because he was that much taller than her before poking him in the chest. “Do you even care who you step on to get what you want? Have you ever once considered that someone other than you has dreams?”

  “Peyton,” he interrupted. “What is this…?”

  “That property you bought this morning was supposed to be mine!” she shouted. “I’ve had plans for it for over a year and today was the day I was finally able to go in and give Jenna a check!” Stepping away from him, she looked at him with disgust. “That was supposed to be the site of my own restaurant! Not one that I inherited, not one that I helped rehab, but one of my very own. And now, thanks to you, that’s all gone!”

  Crossing his arms over his massive chest, he studied her for a minute and didn’t look the least bit put out by her little outburst. “I’d apologize, but I didn’t do anything wrong, Peyton. Granted, I had no idea you were interested in the land, but even if I did, it wouldn’t have changed anything. It’s business, not personal.”

  Her mouth was moving–she knew it was–but she couldn’t seem to make herself say anything.

  “There are plenty of buildings for lease around town. Maybe you can take on one of them and use it for whatever it was you were going to do with the property.”

  “I don’t want a building for lease! I wanted the property so I could build exactly what I wanted! Someplace that had my stamp on it from the ground up!”

  “Maybe there’s someplace down the coast–maybe in Laurel Bay–somewhere that’s better suited to your needs?”

  She saw red and was about to lay into him again when he held up a hand to her.

  “How about we go somewhere and talk? I’d love to hire you as a consultant for the restaurants I’m planning.”

  Beside them, Austin groaned.

  Loudly.

  So many responses were on the tip of her tongue, but she was too much of a lady to say any of them out loud
. Instead, she picked up her purse, squared her shoulders, and faced him. “You can take your flowers, your property, and your job offer and go straight to hell, Ryder Ashford.” Stepping around him, she strode to the door. She glanced over her shoulder one last time and figured, what the hell before adding, “And you can go frack yourself.”

  “I can go frack myself?” Ryder asked once she was gone. He looked over at Austin in confusion. “What the hell was that all about?”

  Sighing wearily, Austin scrubbed a hand over his face as he sat back down. “Anyone ever tell you you have lousy timing?”

  That made him laugh. “Never. If anything, I’ve been told my timing is perfect. I know when to buy, sell, invest…you name it.” He sat down and shook his head. “You have to know I had no idea your cousin was interested in the property.”

  Austin met his gaze. “Not that it would have mattered, right?”

  He groaned. “Austin, come on. You know what I was saying.”

  All his friend did was hold up his hands in surrender.

  It took a lot to surprise Ryder and somehow Peyton Bishop managed to do that twice in one week. Raking a hand through his hair, he let out a long breath. “Okay, do I need to do something about this situation with your cousin? Should I order a month’s worth of food from the café? Send her some kind of gourmet chocolate? Jewelry? There’s got to be something she likes since flowers clearly aren’t her thing.”

  Shaking his head, Austin let out a low laugh. “Would you consider backing out of the deal on the property?”

  “No.”

  “Then there’s nothing you can do. Trust me.” He paused before adding, “It’s just a crappy situation.”

  “Well, she’s young, she’ll get over it,” he murmured.

  And hoped he was right.

  He’d meant what he said to her–it was only business–but the look of utter devastation on her face was going to haunt him for a while. Ryder wasn’t stupid. In order for him to win a deal usually meant someone had to lose. He’d just never been there to see the look on their faces when it happened. Maybe he was getting old–something he was feeling a lot more these last few days–or maybe he was getting soft, but the thought of hurting someone like that didn’t sit right with him.