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

by Laney Smith

  Ryan pulled up to the address David had given him. The flashy watch on David’s wrist caught the sunlight, reflecting in a way that the bulky time piece was impossible to miss. Once upon a time, Ryan wore the bulky watches, too. Once upon a time, he spent enough to pay a college tuition on one outfit. Once upon a time, he had a new car every six months. Once upon a time, he indulged in all the excess. Then, people flocked to him, constantly wanting to be in the star’s shining light. He saw how quickly it all faded when his light didn’t shine as bright. None of those indulgences comforted him when the “friends” had all found other stars to light their way.

  Ryan looked out his windshield at the massive piece of real estate. It looked beautiful – stately. It looked like a home he would’ve jumped on, a few years previous. Now, even though he would be closer to his parents, his brother, and his nieces, there would never be enough noise to fill the home without Corlay and Nathan. He drew a deep breath and held it before he blew it out his mouth.

  “I guess it’s time to grow up,” he muttered to himself.

  He stepped out of car and smiled, pressing his lips together, as he extended his arm to shake David’s hand. David started in on his sales pitch, telling Ryan all about the property. Ryan folded his arms across his chest, listening to the realtor. As David listed the amenities and benefits of the listing, Ryan only heard a list of things he could live without – excesses that had never made his life any happier. What was the point of a home theater if he would be the only one in it? What would be the fun in a Jacuzzi the size of a small pool if he was the only one who would ever be in it? And, just how much damn space did he really need for a room where he spent six hours a night, sleeping? Twelve-hundred square feet for a master retreat seemed kind of foolish. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the thoughts that popped in his head.

  David nervously shifted, trying to read Ryan’s reaction. “Well, I’m sure you’ve heard enough out of me. Why don’t you come see it for yourself? Shall we?”

  Ryan shook his head. “Nah! I don’t need to see it.”

  “Mister Priest, this home is exquisite, I assure you. It’s exactly what you’ve been looking for. Everything you had on your must have list is in this home. I just know you’re going to fall in love.”

  “I already have, David. And she’s not going to live in a house like this. I hate to do this to you and I understand if you want to push me off on someone else. But, I think we need a clean slate. I’d like to start over.”

  “Start over? What do you mean?” David asked, confused as he threw his thumb over his shoulder. “Not this house, then?”

  “Not at all!” Ryan said as he flashed his dimply grin. “I may be a fool and she may be trying to tell me something entirely different than what I think I’m hearing. Maybe she’s trying to shove me out the door. However, I am a gambling man. Corlay and Nathan are worth every risk I’m about to take.”

  Still, David looked puzzled. “So, you don’t want to do a quick walk through, at least? This home just might change your mind.”

  “Then, that’s the last home I want to look at,” Ryan smiled. “I’m going to need three things from you. I need the cutest cottage home this world has ever seen. I’m going to need . . .” Ryan paused as his eyes locked on David’s in a humbled stare, “a ridiculous vacation home. Someplace nice. Large enough to entertain, but not large enough that we require a transportation service to get us from one side of the house to the other. On a beach, I think,” Ryan said, speculatively. “And, I need a greenhouse - property to accommodate a greenhouse – whatever you can get me so that this woman can have her dream.”

  “Mister Priest, I’m not sure I understand. Cottage?”

  Ryan licked his lips as he absently stared past David, trying to visualize his thoughts. “Four bedrooms isn’t shamefully ridiculous. Let’s aim for four . . . five . . . something like that. It has to be a cottage – it has to feel like a cottage. She wants a cottage. Do you have anything like what she wants?”

  David jerked his head back. “I have no idea. I’m not sure I know . . .”

  Ryan’s eyes met David’s and he grinned. “We’ll find an architect to draw what she wants. We’ve got a big job, my friend. It’s gonna be right. So, if you’re not the one I need, let me know, now.”

  “A four-bedroom cottage? How many bathrooms? A pool? How much off the old list still applies?”

  “I don’t know, yet,” Ryan offered. “I have to find a way to trick her into telling me what it looks like. I don’t want her to know what we’re doing, just yet. And, I don’t want her to know about the greenhouse stuff. That’s just between you and me. I’m going to need that one, soon. Really soon.”

  “Why not just buy an expansive lot. Then, you can put whatever you want on it? If you’re drawing your home, you’re going to need land for that, anyway. You decide what size property you want, then you could put the greenhouse and the house on the same piece of land.”

  Ryan softly laughed as he shoved his hands down in his pockets. “Yeah! That’s what I’m getting at.”

  “But, the vacation home . . . You want that separate?”

  Ryan cut his eyes at David. “You were on a roll, here. Don’t let me down, now. Yes! Separate. Hence why I called it a vacation home. We will stay in this area. She likes it. She likes Nathan’s school. So, someplace nearby. Property,” Ryan said, nodding. “Vacation? We need a white beach, blue water, palm trees, and privacy.”

  “Well, then,” David said, stretching his neck. “You’re sure you don’t want to steal a peek at this great house? It might be easier,” he offered with a chuckle.

  “I want to make her dreams happen. I’ve had this,” Ryan said as he swished his hand through the air, motioning toward the house. “It never made me as happy as she does. So, my dream is for her to get to have her dream. Let’s do this! Let’s surprise her.”

  David drew his shoulders up to his ears and cautiously asked, “Mister Priest, you’re not sure she wants a home with you? But, you’re sure about doing this?”

  “You know what? My friends call me Risky Ryan,” he grinned. “And, yes! I’m sure.”

  He and David stood in the driveway of this beautiful estate, making a rough list of intentions, locations, ideas, and designs. David leaned over the hood of his car, making notes as Ryan brainstormed everything he could think of – everything he knew Corlay would definitely want. There were a lot of things he wasn’t sure about, just yet. However, he was looking forward to finding ways to wrench the information out of her, without giving away what he was trying to do.

  ~FORTY~

  When Corlay sent Ryan a text, he smiled at his phone. Rather than texting back, he decided he’d just call her. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so happy. He tried to suppress his excitement, though that was proving to be a challenge.

  “Hello?” her soft voice said through the speaker in his ear.

  “Hey, you. How’s everything going?”

  “I was worried something might’ve happened to you. I haven’t heard from you. Did I scare you off?”

  Ryan smiled, softly laughing as his voice took on a comforting warmth. “No, Sweetheart. It just took a lot longer than I planned.”

  “So, you liked that house, then?”

  “Hmm! Ya know, I don’t think it’s gonna work out. I’m helping David narrow down listing options,” he said as he smiled at the realtor. “We’re just finishing up. You gonna be around?”

  “Are you coming back?”

  His soft voice filled her with happiness. “Have to. I miss you.”

  “OK,” she said with a smile in her voice. “Hurry up! Because maybe we miss you, too. And, Ryan? I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For everything earlier . . . for wanting to be one of those trophy girls, but just not being able to hack it,” she shyly confessed. “You’re intimidating.”

  “I’m sorry if what I said made you feel that way. You’re more than you know,” he s
aid with a sigh. “Way more.”

  She softly laughed. “I really want you to think that.”

  His eyes settled on David’s notepad. “Believe me. I think that.”

  An hour later when Ryan pulled up in front of Corlay’s house, he saw his two favorite people, sitting in a chair by the front window. He recalled Nathan talking about Corlay watching him out the window. He stepped out of his car and attempted to look preoccupied, as though he didn’t notice the two bodies in the window. He glanced around the neighborhood, attempting to strike some sort of flattering pose.

  “Mom, what is he doing?”

  Corlay watched Ryan for a second, shaking her head as she answered, “I have no idea. He kind of looks like he’s waiting for a dam to break – or to be rushed by some a charging mob of some sort.”

  Ryan stretched his arms up and dropped them backwards as he faked a yawn. Corlay couldn’t help but giggle, puzzled by Ryan’s behavior. There he was, standing in the middle of the street, acting as though he was posing for some magazine cover. His body looked stiff, unnatural, somehow.

  “He’s not alright. Maybe he pulled a muscle,” Nathan offered.

  “Maybe,” she said with a hint of question. “Let’s go get him.”

  Nathan ran for the door, bolting out and sprinting across the lawn to the street. Corlay followed behind him, watching as Ryan growled as he scooped Nathan up.

  “Were you pretending you were playing baseball or something?” Nathan asked.

  “No,” Ryan incredulously responded. “When?”

  “Right now, silly. You’re standing in the street. You’re acting really weird. Like Mister Yarbrey weird.”

  “Oh! I didn’t know you could see me,” Ryan lied. “You saw me?”

  “What are you doing?” Corlay asked as her lips pressed to Ryan’s.

  He put Nathan down, directing him to get out of the street. Then, he looped his arm around Corlay’s neck as they started walking. He hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head.

  “I was trying to drive you crazy,” he softly confessed.

  Corlay couldn’t hold back the laugh that erupted as she patted his stomach. “You don’t have to try. Actually, it works a lot better for you when you don’t.”

  “That wasn’t hot?” he asked, feigning hurt feelings. “What about this?”

  He stopped and started flexing his muscles. He proudly smiled at her, arching his eyebrows.

  “Yeah? Huh? Don’t try to hide it. You want this,” he teased.

  Corlay looped her arms around him, laughing at his antics. “You’re in a good mood.”

  He looked down at her, smiling. “I am. I’m happy. I’m here with my two favorite people. They came to drag my conceited ass out of the street before I got ran down. Life is pretty good. What about you? Did you find a business location?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did look at a few options.”

  “Good,” he said less convincingly than he had intended.

  “I’m sorry for everything I said.”

  Ryan pursed his lips and shook his head. “Don’t be. You were right. This needs to be your success. I get it. It’s your dream. I just wanted to help make your dream a reality. I didn’t mean to intrude. I wanted to be part of it. I realize, now, that I can be. I just have to be a spectator, this time. I have to watch you make this happen.”

  “I just don’t ever want you to think that I’m using you. I don’t want you to feel like I’m taking advantage or manipulating you. I love you because you’re a good man. I love seeing the way you are with Nathan. I love fighting with you. I really like making up,” she smiled. “I like that I trust you. I’m terrified that I do that so easily. But, I do. I don’t feel like I’m at rest until I’m with you. I don’t feel happy when you’re gone. I don’t get weak in the knees about anything like I do with the sound of your voice. I like the butterflies you cause. I like how funny you are – the way you smell – your bedroom eyes and the way they’re undressing me right this second,” she laughed. “I love so many things about you and I don’t want that to get lost in the fact that you have money. I’m trying very hard to refrain from doing anything that might be misconstrued. I’m not a gold-digger. Those women before me may have been prettier and they might’ve looked good, standing beside you. But, I’m not looking for you to pay for my upkeep, like they were, either.”

  Ryan drew a deep breath and blew it out of his mouth as he looked down at her. “Hoh-K, then!” He pinched his shirt and brought it to his nose, taking a whiff. “I don’t smell. Smells like laundry soap.”

  Corlay rolled her eyes, dropping her shoulders. “You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I do,” he offered as he hugged her, again. “I know exactly what you mean.”

  ~FORTY-ONE~

  For the next few weeks, Corlay researched greenhouses, start-up, business plans and models. She researched properties and how to approach investors. Ryan guided her toward a couple of investor sites on the internet. He acted disinterested as she built her online profile. She found the process tedious and annoying. Anytime she grumbled, Ryan offered to help her by investing, himself. He knew she was too stubborn to back off of her stance. However, he also knew that stubborn streak was what would get her through the process so he could have access to her investor request. Every now and then, as Corlay sat beside Ryan on the couch, entering her information, Ryan would stretch or do something to secretly read over her shoulder. Sly as he called himself being, it only took a brief moment before Corlay caught him.

  “Ryan! Stop!” she spouted.

  “What?”

  “I know what you’re doing.”

  “What am I doing, then?”

  “Are you on this page?” she demanded.

  “No,” he incredulously scoffed.

  Corlay submitted her completed profile. “I’m going to search for your name in the investor list.”

  He folded his hands behind his head, leaning back as he exhaled, staring at the ceiling. “Go ahead,” he muttered.

  “Anything you want to tell me before I look?”

  “Um . . . no. My name won’t show up on your little list. Even if my name was in that investor list, if I wanted to, I could look you up by your name. So, what difference does it make if I look, just to see if I can offer any insight? Maybe I just want to help. You’re limiting what I can do. So, I want to support your dream. Is that a bad thing?”

  She gave him a skeptical side-eye as she started typing. “R-y-a-n P-r-i-e-s-t.”

  He fought the grin flirting at the edges of his mouth. He rolled his eyes, leaning his head back, covering his face with his hands. He let out a throaty, frustrated groan.

  “What does it say?” Ryan muttered as he continued to stare at the ceiling. “You didn’t find my name, did you?”

  “No,” she sheepishly admitted. “But, I’m going to keep looking and if I do find your name, I’m taking my profile down.”

  “Is this really that big of a deal to you?”

  “Yes. I don’t want to be tied to you, financially. I don’t want money to be part of our relationship. I don’t want you to have the ability to decide I’m not what you want and end my entire plan.”

  Ryan stood up as though he had been shot out of a cannon. He turned to look at her, clutching his chest. There was an obvious look of disappointment on his face.

  “Do you really think I would do that? Look, I understand that maybe you haven’t had a lot of reason to believe in people over your lifetime. But, if you were to allow me to help you, regardless of what our status may be, I would never burn you on that deal.”

  Before she could speak, the computer chimed. There was an incoming message. She smiled as she looked at the computer screen.

  “What was that?” Ryan nervously asked.

  “Probably just a welcome message.”

  He sat down beside her, again. She studied his face as he strained to look at the screen. He sighed as he cut his eyes at her.

  “I’m c
urious, OK?”

  “Look at you,” she taunted. “You can’t stand it, can you?”

  “That was pretty quick,” he shrugged. “I just want to – “

  Corlay put her finger over his mouth, interrupting him. “I’m teasing you. I’m nervous, too. So, I’m kind of glad you’re here. I’m scared I’d jump on the first offer and that might not be the best idea. I am in a little foreign territory, here.”

  “Let’s see it.”

  Corlay opened the message. There on the screen was a sketched company logo with a nice floral arbor in front of a cottage surrounded by a flower garden. Above the arbor was the company name. She read it aloud.

  “Lady Luck Investments.” She covered her mouth with her hand, fanning her face with her other hand while fighting back tears.

  Ryan smirked to himself, batting his eyes. He hadn’t picked the name. He had partnered with an investment management firm. He told the consultant the story behind what he wanted to do. He would not have picked such a transparent name. He was sure sooner or later, Corlay would put two and two together. For now, however, things were working quite nicely.

  Corlay read the message. She clicked on the attachment – the contract for the offer. Ryan cheered her on, celebrating her happy moment. He couldn’t help but find humor in how well his little plan worked. The timing was perfect! He even considered upping what he was paying that consultant. She was really on the ball, watching for Corlay’s name. It only took two days for him to learn that the consultant had picked the perfect name for his business – though it wasn’t “Lady Luck Investments.” The joke was on Ryan. The funniest part of it all was that he couldn’t tell Corlay.

  After weeks of negotiations, Ryan’s consultant finally convinced Lady Luck Investments to sell the contract with Corlay to “Garden Cottage Investments.” By that point, Corlay didn’t seem to notice the irony in the name. She was more concerned about whether there was an investor, at all. She had found the perfect situation for her dream and she would’ve been shattered had the investor backed out. As long as she knew there was an investor, Ryan could’ve put his own name on the deal and she probably wouldn’t have noticed.