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Colt’s jaw clenched, and I saw the battle raging behind his eyes.
“Fine,” he bit out and stalked off.
Ryder gave me a wry smile. “He just has some growing up to do.”
“I know.” I sighed. “Sorry to saddle you with him. I couldn’t trust Colt and Logan to go out on their own.”
“Yeah, I understand.” Ryder shrugged. “Truth be told, I don’t mind it. I meant what I said to Colt. You have to take the work as it comes and embrace it. Otherwise, you’ll be miserable.”
I nodded. “That’s a good outlook. We’re lucky to have you.”
He grinned. “I know that too.”
By the time I got to the Michaels place, I’d simmered down, which was good because Cynthia Michaels was not the type of woman to tolerate a hothead. She met me in front of the house to shake hands, her manicured nails a sharp contrast to my short, blunt ones. At least they weren’t dirty—yet.
“I’ve mapped out a design I think you’ll really like, Mayor.”
“Oh, please call me Cynthia,” she said with a little laugh. “I’m only mayor for a couple more months. Soon, the baton will pass to someone else on the council.”
Granville was small enough we didn’t elect the mayor. Instead, the City Council appointed one of their own to the role, and it was mostly ceremonial.
“Doug Lattimer?” I guessed.
“Let’s hope, because I don’t think any of us can handle LeRoy Smalls taking that role.”
I chuckled. “He’d keep things interesting.”
“No doubt about that,” she said with a smile. “Now, before we get started, Beckett, I have to ask. What was all that chatter about you and Wes getting married in Vegas. I thought you two were brothers?”
Shit. Dad was right. I’d never once considered having to answer to a potential client for my behavior outside of the job.
“We’re actually stepbrothers, not blood-related,” I said, downplaying our connection. “To be honest, uh, we just got a little drunk and stupid while on vacation. We thought pranking our friends would be funny.” I chuckled awkwardly. “In hindsight, it wasn’t the best choice.”
Or a good one at all…
“Well, it’s certainly entertained the town’s gossip circles,” she said, as if she weren’t in that loop despite having heard all about it.
“I assure you, Mayor Michaels, that Potter Landscaping is nothing but professional on the job.” I lifted the tablet. “If I may show you the landscape design, I think you’ll like the way I’ve incorporated native plants, especially drought-resistant and hardy varieties to withstand Nebraska weather, while also giving you vibrant colors and scents for your yard.”
The mayor stepped closer to peer at the screen as I pulled up my designs.
“I noticed you had a hummingbird feeder, so I included trumpet honeysuckle,” I said, pointing to the image on the screen. “They love it, and it loves the sun, so win-win. I also thought we could put in a birdbath or a misting fountain here, which will draw more of them to the yard.”
“You’ve done your homework,” she said, a note of approval in her voice.
“I have,” I said. “I’ve taken the amount of sunlight, shade, and wind into consideration while choosing plants that will thrive best. That was one of the mistakes your last landscapers made. The delphiniums on the west side of your house are beautiful, and they can thrive in the Midwest climate, but they’re getting too much shade right now.”
“Well, this all looks beautiful,” Mayor Michaels said as I wrapped up the presentation. “I’m impressed.”
“Thank you, Mayor.”
“Please call me Cynthia.”
“Thank you, Cynthia. I’ll give you some time to think about what you want to do.” I fished a business card out of my wallet and handed it to her. “Call Wes, and he’ll handle the details if you want to get on the schedule.”
“Not you?” she asked.
I smiled sheepishly. “You can call me if you want, but Wes has a way of reassuring clients they’re in good hands.”
