His Best Bet: Uncensored (Home Run Series Book 1)

by Laney Smith

  “Tell me, Ryan. I’m not letting it go. I want my boys to be friends, again. I want the holidays with all of us, laughing and having fun.”

  “Sorry! Every time I hear his name, I get mad all over again. I’m pretty sure his blood curdles at the mention of my name, too.”

  “He says he wants to work it out, but you don’t.”

  Ryan chuckled. “Yeah! I’m sure that is the story he tells - ever the golden boy.”

  “You’re both the golden boys of my world. I’ve never played favorites, if that’s what this is about.”

  Ryan pressed his lips together. “It’s not about you, Mom. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one. It’s just not a good idea. I have so many things to do today. I need to get going. Do you need anything?”

  “I just need my family to come together, again,” Frannie pouted.

  “Can’t today. Schedule’s already filled,” Ryan teased.

  “If I made you mad, you would write me off?”

  With a stern expression, Ryan shook his head. “I’m not talking about it, anymore.”

  “I’ll get your daddy to take you both out behind the woodshed,” she threatened.

  Ryan chuckled. “Mom, you don’t have a woodshed.”

  “I’m not going to live forever. I want you two to work this out. I’m going to bust both of your butts.”

  “OK, that scares me,” Ryan played. “I love you, but I’m late. I’ll take you and Dad out for dinner. So, rest today. Relax a little.”

  “Oh, that would be wonderful.”

  “Six o’clock?”

  “We’ll be ready,” his mother smiled.

  Ryan was thankful his mother played along with the distraction tactic. He knew she hadn’t missed the game he was playing. She was far too smart to fall for something so simple. He knew the conversation would come around, again. For now, however, he appreciated her surrender.

  As Ryan drove, aimlessly, he relived the memory of the last time he had seen his brother. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched so tightly it ached. He shook his head and cranked the volume on the stereo, trying to drown out the auditory memory of the last words that he and his brother exchanged.

  Ryan looked at the clock. It was nine minutes after seven. It seemed it was too early for the rest of the world. Rather than driving to nowhere, Ryan decided to stop and have breakfast. He walked through the door of a small coffee house. A sweet, chirpy little voice greeted him.

  “Good morning!”

  Ryan nodded as he stepped to the counter. “Hi. I’ll just do some kind of ham sandwich and a small coffee.”

  “Do you want the croissant, the English muffin, or the biscuit?”

  “Let’s do the English muffin.”

  “Eight thirty-seven,” the girl smiled.

  As Ryan waited, the girl tried to engage him in a conversation. She was pleasantly snoopy. He was polite, though her perky personality was annoying. It was too early for anyone to be that chipper.

  Ryan sat in a leather chair by the window, with the sun at his back. He reached for the newspaper to read while he ate. Though he knew it was a bad idea, he turned to the sports section. He recognized a lot of the names, though some were new to him.

  “You know, you oughta take that cap off when you step through the door,” an older, gruff voice said from beside him.

  At first, Ryan ignored the man, watching him out of the corner of his eye.

  “Hey, boy!” the man pushed.

  Ryan looked up at him. “I’m sorry?”

  “Didn’t your pops teach you any manners? You need to take that cap off your head as soon as you walk through a door.”

  Ryan just stared at the man for a moment.

  “Hell, boy! I’m just kiddin’ ya. It don’t make me no never mind. I was just sitting here, realizing I haven’t talked to anyone for a few days. I was just testing my social abilities, you know, just to see if I still had ‘em.”

  Ryan smiled. “I understand that better than you might think. So, what are you up to, other than picking fights?”

  “I’m wondering if you might get that little girl to refill our coffee cups. I’ll trade you a story or two for a full cup of coffee.”

  Ryan folded the paper, stood, and took the older gentleman’s coffee cup.

  “If they think you’re cute, they don’t charge you for refills,” the man smiled a wide grin. “I suspect they’ll think you’re cuter than me.”

  Ryan brushed his hand over his scruffy chin. “They probably can’t see me.”

  As it turned out, there was no charge for refills on coffee, for anyone, cute or otherwise. Ryan found the man’s ploy amusing. It didn’t put him out to get the guy’s cup refilled. There was no point in calling the man out on his game. Instead, he decided to play along and give the guy a hard time.

  “Here’s your coffee,” he said as he set the cup in front of the man. “They charged me triple. We may be better off if you go for the next fill up.”

  The older man threw his head back and let out a boisterous, hearty laugh. “If they’re charging you triple, we might better call it off after this cup, huh?”

  Ryan nodded. “I’ll probably be amped up enough after this cup, anyway.”

  Ryan returned to his chair and tossed the paper back on the table in front of him. He could tell the man was going to be looking for some conversation. He didn’t see the need to read about his old friends, anyway. It was just another reminder of where he felt he should be. Ryan looked over at the old timer.

  “So, what’re you up to, today?”

  “I don’t reckon I’ll be doing much more than drinking coffee, if I can find some poor sap to keep running to the counter for me. I’m getting too old. It takes me twenty minutes to stand up. By then, I have to run to the restroom. That coffee goes right through me. What you got cookin’?”

  “I’m not real sure, yet.”

  The older gentleman looked at Ryan. “Don’t you have to be at work?”

  “No, sir. I’m retired.”

  “Retired? You still got a lot of miles left on ya. What’re you doin’ sitting it out, already?”

  “I’m trying to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing.”

  “Well, what’re you good at?”

  Ryan smiled. “Taking up space, I guess.”

  “You know, my daughter is getting ready to hire somebody, if you’re looking for a job,” the older guy offered.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m focused on buying a house, right now.”

  “Oh, boy, is it your lucky day! My daughter sells houses. I could call her and tell her to shimmy on over here, unless you’re in a hurry.”

  Ryan chuckled. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but I’ve been working with someone.”

  The man silently nodded as he stared at the floor for a second. “It’s not Ginger Reise, is it?”

  Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. “No, sir.”

  “Good! That woman is crooked. She’ll rob you blind. If you want a good realtor, you need Scotland Shelby. She’s as good as you’re going to get.”

  So much for that sigh of relief. Ryan’s eyes shifted, catching the older man’s gaze, as he shifted in his chair. Ryan leaned forward in his chair resting his elbows on his knees.

  “That’s your daughter, huh?”

  “Is that your girl?”

  Ryan cleared his throat. “Well, she’s been trying to show me my future home. It just hasn’t happened, yet.”

  “She’s busy. It’s hard to nail her down.”

  Ryan chuckled as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “Uh, yeah. I can imagine.”

  “She’s quick as a whip, though. She’s one of those motivated women. Always has been. She sells a lot of houses. So, you’re in good hands.”

  Ryan nodded his head, trying to figure out if this was some kind of joke; maybe a hidden camera prank or something. Like some omniscient wizard with laser vision, the older gentleman seemed to be stari
ng right into Ryan’s soul. Ryan dragged his hand over his lips attempting to wipe the smirk away.

  “If you could do any job, what would you do?” Ryan asked, shifting the focus.

  The man thought for a second as he stared out the window. “I’d deliver packages, maybe. All the shopping these girls do on the computer, these days, they would always be happy to see me. There’s nothing better than a pretty girl that’s happy to see you.”

  “You better stay away from those girls. They’re trouble,” Ryan joked. “Nothing but trouble.”

  Before he could finish his statement, his phone rang from his pocket. The man muttered something as Ryan fished his phone out of his pocket to accept the call. He excused himself, answering his phone.

  “I am not taking no for an answer. You have to come see this house. You’re going to be so happy with me that you just might want to throw me down on this floor, too,” Scottie beamed.

  “Nope! My head isn’t there at the moment,” Ryan chuckled.

  “Can you come meet me, or are you busy?”

  “Uh, I’m just . . . drinking coffee . . . visiting with your dad.”

  “You must be at Carney’s Coffee House. Is he drinking decaf? Wait! Why are you hanging out with my dad?”

  “It just kind of happened.”

  Scottie laughed. “Must be a sign, player.”

  “Yeah!” Ryan scoffed. “You might be right about that.”

  “No! It’s not a bad sign. So, you didn’t answer me. Is he drinking decaf?”

  Ryan looked up at his older companion. “I couldn’t tell ya. I didn’t fill his cup.”

  “Tell her to mind her own damn business,” the older man barked. “Her and her mother just can’t quit nagging.”

  The man continued his tirade as Ryan turned his attention back to the call.

  “So, you said you’ve got a house for me to see?”

  “It’s on Diamond Drive. What are the odds? You’re going to love this house. It’s perfect for you, and you could live on Diamond Drive.”

  “Hey, great. When?”

  “Drag my daddy out of there and come meet me.”

  “With your dad?”

  Scottie giggled through the phone. “I’d really rather you didn’t bring him. You’re about to be really excited about this house.”

  “So, now, then?”

  “Do you need more time with my dad?”

  Ryan chuckled. “Probably not. I think I’m good.”

  “Then, come meet me.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Ryan ended the call and dismissed himself. Though Scottie asked him to take her dad out of the coffee shop, Ryan didn’t see it as his place to tell anyone what to do, least of all this nice gentleman. Before he left, Ryan made sure the man had a cup filled with decaffeinated coffee, though he managed to avoid sharing that detail with the older man.

  Ryan put the address in his GPS and away he went. When he pulled up in front of the house, the property was definitely larger than the previous house. The home looked newer. Ryan just wasn’t seeing anything that made him feel like he was “home.”

  Scottie stood in the opened doorway of the home. She motioned her hands as though she were pulling some invisible rope, drawing Ryan closer to her. As he got closer, he noticed the realtor’s mid-length, pastel purple, tulle on satin sundress fit her tiny frame perfectly. It seemed iridescent against her tanned skin. She wore a proud, tempting grin as her eyes conveyed everything Ryan already knew she wanted from him.

  He gently brushed his finger over her nose and winked as he passed her to enter the house. “You better get that look out of your eyes,” he flirted.

  “You put that look there.”

  “Yeah? That’s the kind of thing that will get you in trouble,” he half-heartedly said as he glanced beyond the foyer, peeking into the house. “These nice people still live here? It’s furnished.”

  “I have carpet burns on my hip,” she flirted. “We needed furniture, this time.”

  Ryan tilted his head as he flashed her a sarcastic glare. “You will never sell my house. I’m just putting that out there, right now.”

  “What do you think of this place? Want me to show you a benefit to this house?”

  “I’ve seen enough,” he answered, held his arms out to the side and sighed. “Just do what you brought me here to do.”

  “Am I inconveniencing you?” she asked as she sashayed her body closer to his.

  Ryan smiled at her and shook his head. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “You’re sexy,” she said as she raked her fingers over his chest. “I don’t know what it is about you. I can’t quit thinking about yesterday.”

  She nudged him backwards toward the wall, pinning her body against his as her mouth played for his lips. Within a few minutes, the two were lip locked and their hands were all over each other. Ryan couldn’t deny the potent chemistry between them. Her aggressive nature could be overbearing, but when she was taking what she wanted from him, he had no complaints.

  He hiked the skirt of her dress up to her hips and gripped her butt cheeks in his firm hands, pulling her body closer to his. As he started to grind against her, his phone rang from his pocket. His eyes opened and he broke the kiss. Scottie leaned against his pocket, playfully trying to keep him from getting his phone.

  “Let it ring. This is just getting good.”

  He smiled and drew a deep breath trying to catch up before he slid his finger over the screen to answer the call. As he held the phone to his head, Scottie’s mouth slowly trailed kisses up and down his neck. Ryan pulled her closer as he spoke into his phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Ryan, it’s me, Nathan.”

  “Mmhmm?” Ryan hummed, trying to ignore the hand massaging his crotch.

  “I need your help,” the boy spouted.

  Scottie stepped back, teasing Ryan, lowering and raising the spaghetti straps on her shoulders. Ryan’s eyebrows raised as he looked her up and down before he smiled nodding his head.

  “What do you need, buddy?” Ryan impatiently asked.

  Scottie pushed her dress off her body and stepped closer to Ryan, again, kissing his neck and tugging at his shirt.

  “These boys are giving me a little trouble.”

  “Stay away from them,” Ryan urged, as his fingers tangled in Scottie’s hair.

  Her lips pressed to his, biting his lower lip as his hand roved over her back and her ass.

  “They won’t go away. They took my bat.”

  Ryan’s hand stopped moving as he tuned in to the conversation coming through his phone. “What do you mean, they took your bat? They’re at your house?”

  Scottie kept kissing his neck and groping his anatomy.

  “There are seven of them. They won’t go away and they won’t give my bat back.”

  “Who are they?”

  “I don’t know. Some big kids. They keep ringing the doorbell.”

  “Where’s your mom?”

  “She’s at work.”

  Ryan pulled away from Scottie and pushed her hand away from his crotch. “Give me a few minutes, OK? I’ll be there in just a few minutes.”

  “Uh, where are you going?” Scottie asked with a look of disbelief.

  Ryan shrugged. “I’m sorry. This kid is always by himself. I don’t know what the deal is with his mother. But, he needs help. So, I’m going to go help him.”

  “Right now?” Scottie demanded.

  Ryan bobbed his head. “Yep! Sorry.”

  “You’re not serious? I’m naked. I’m ready to go.”

  “Well, then go,” Ryan winked and turned for the door.

  “No, Ryan. I meant I’m ready for you.”

  Ryan tilted his head with a look of disgust on his face. “This seven-year old kid is in trouble and you want him to wait until you get off?”

  “Well, then, you just better get me off quick,” she flirted.

  Ryan squinted his eyes. “Oo! Wrong answer.”

/>   He turned and went out the door, pulling it shut behind him. He got in his car and backed out of the driveway, speeding away to go help Nathan. As he drove, his phone interrupted the song coming through his speakers. He answered the call.

  “This is getting old,” Scottie blasted through his speakers.

  Ryan sarcastically laughed. “Getting old? In twenty-four hours, it’s already gotten old? It’s only going to get worse, from here.”

  “You blew me off last night. Now, this.”

  “This kid has no one else. He needs somebody he can count on. I’m not doing anything. Why can’t it be me?’

  “You’re not doing anything?” she barked.

  “This is a bad idea. You and me? It’s just a bad idea. Your bossy, demanding bitch attitude is hotter than hell when it comes to sex. But, other than that, it gets on my nerves.”

  “So, you expect me to change who I am to appease you?”

  “No. That’s why I’m saying this is a bad idea.”

  Scottie scoffed. “What is wrong with you? No man in the world would’ve walked off like you just did.”

  “Well, then quit being pissed off at me and go find one that won’t put you through the trauma. If you don’t get what I’m doing, I’m not going to be able to explain it to you. If you want to sell me a house, call me. Otherwise, just don’t.”

  “Actually, maybe you need to find someone else to sell you a house.”

  Ryan nodded. “Even better. Bye.”

  He pressed the button to end the call. His music returned after the call ended. Within a few seconds, there was another interruption. This time, Ryan didn’t answer.

  Ryan extended his arm, draping his hand over the steering wheel as he stared out the window. “She’s playing the game,” he muttered to himself. “I’m not playing the stupid, fucking game.”

  ~TEN~

  A little better than ten minutes later, Ryan pulled up to the curb in front of Nathan’s house. He was just in time to see four boys running around the side of the house from the backyard as though they were on a mission. All four of the kids were crouched down, running low as though they were trying to duck below the windows. Ryan jumped out of his car, noticing one of the boys carrying Nathan’s bat.

  “Hey! What’re you guys doing?” he barked.