Chapter Six #3
Edna had a soft spot for Rhett who had stopped one day on the turnpike to help her.
She’d had a flat tire and no cell phone, and no one to come help her.
Out of work and getting by on unemployment, Edna supported three grandchildren left behind when her daughter ran off with a drug addict.
She was returning from yet another unsuccessful employment interview when the tire blew and left her on the side of the turnpike.
Rhett took her and her wounded tire to a repair shop—she didn’t have a spare—got the tire fixed, and drove her back to her car.
During their adventure, Rhett had hired Edna and agreed to pay her more for three days of cleaning than she could get on any other job for a whole week.
He insisted she needed time to spend with those grandkids of hers. That was six years ago.
Edna would be with him until she retired, though Garrett had doubts she would ever retire, and he knew that would be just fine with Rhett.
Garrett called his office to say he wouldn’t be in until after lunch.
His secretary hadn’t asked any questions.
Rhett had forced four assistant VPs on Garrett in recent years, so Garrett had the freedom to wander off on tangents during projects, whenever the mood struck, and leave the daily operations to his assistant VPs. Today turned into a tangent day.
He had called Tammy as soon as he arrived at Rhett’s mansion and asked her to send someone for the plants. She had swiftly volunteered and told him she would bring a driver and meet him at the house at ten. She hadn’t questioned his request. She must have talked to Lily.
Had Tammy been in on this scam? Was it even the scam Rhett had thought? Or had Lily gotten caught up in a series of events not of her own making?
Garrett liked this Lily Foster. He hoped she wasn’t too upset by Rhett’s treatment, but that was a pretty weak possibility.
No woman liked being thrown out of a residence, or anywhere else for that matter, especially by the guy she happened to be dating.
If Lily and Rhett could actually be considered dating, seeing as how they only met a little over a week earlier.
But if Rhett’s recent moods and attitudes were any indication, the two had certainly been a couple for that short while.
Garrett stood on the pool deck and watched Rhett’s pool-service technician haul the palms up from the pool bottom, so he could start the vacuuming process.
Garrett was glad Tammy had agreed to meet him.
He had liked the redhead when he first met her, and now he could sure use her help.
But he needed information first and then some outright scheming.
If Garrett’s instincts were right, Tammy would agree to his plan.
One thing he already knew about Lily Foster—her employees weren’t just loyal, they loved their employer.
That was evident in his first few trips to the nursery and in the answers he got from his questions.
He just hadn’t known at the time who actually owned Bloom & Grow.
The side gate swung open and clicked back into place. A moment later, Tammy stepped onto the terrace trailed by the man Garrett knew as her shipping supervisor from his numerous trips to select plants.
“Hey,” Garrett said and extended a hand.
Tammy shook it and said, “This is Jason Graber, our shipping supervisor. Jason, this is Garrett Tucker, Senior Vice-President of Real Estate Development for BDC.”
Graber begrudgingly took Garrett’s proffered hand and gave it one hard shake. “Your boss had no right to yell at Lily like that,” the man grumbled with a stony stare. “He was rude, and she didn’t deserve that.”
“Agreed,” Garrett answered patiently.
“Jason, why don’t you go inside and round up the interior plants and stage them out here.” Tammy touched his arm briefly, and the man gave Garrett a final glare, then stepped in through the open French doors.
“You’ll have to forgive Jason,” Tammy said, turning to Garrett with her own chilly stare. “Lily’s employees are all protective of her. So am I.”
“Good to know,” he said matter-of-factly, “and it merely backs up my initial impression of Lily Foster.”
Tammy nodded and glanced incredulously around the terrace and pool area. “Oh my gosh! This place looks like a tornado went through here.”
“One did,” Garrett said grimly, “and you and I need to talk.”
She watched the pool service technician haul a Chamaedorea palm from the deep end of the pool. “I doubt those palms will make it after being forced to tread water all night, and I don’t think a credit is in order here, Garrett. At least not for the pool plants.”
“You’ll be paid for all the plants delivered here. If Delia Armstead balks, send the bill to me at BDC. I’ll make sure you’re paid, one way or the other.”
“Then what do we have to talk about?” she asked warily.
“Two people we both care about very much,” he said. “Got time for lunch?”
~ ~ ~ ~
“Come on, Lily, it will be fun,” Tammy pleaded and followed her down the aisle between rows of palms as Lily hand-watered the needier specimens.
“No. I don’t want to. Take Rob.”
“On a date? Are you kidding me?”
Lily ignored her and kept watering.
“You know, that might not be a bad idea,” Tammy agreed suddenly.
Lily turned to see if she was kidding.
“I’m serious, Lily. Rob could be your date. Well not a real date, just an escort kind of a date. You always said you wondered what those black-tie charity affairs in Palm Beach were like, and now we can both find out. Please?”
Lily narrowed her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something?”
Tammy threw her palms out innocently. “How could I be? I’ve never been out with Garrett, but I’m dying to go, and I won’t be nervous if you come along. It was nice of him to try to find four tickets too. Oh please, Lily?”
“There’s the rub. Why did Garrett look for four tickets? He works for Buchanan, and I don’t want to see that man ever again.” She turned her back and shifted to the next needy palm in line.
Lily had referred to him as Buchanan ever since she returned home from her delivery that awful afternoon.
She hadn’t shed the first tear, not even when Tammy and Rob ran down to the cottage to comfort her after Jason blabbed what had happened.
She had merely stared straight ahead in stony silence and refused to look at either of them.
No one was allowed to mention Rhett’s name now.
And Lily hadn’t smiled once since that day.
She who bestowed smiles on everyone she met and saved dozens of radiant smiles each day for her friends and employees, though there was no real distinction between the two.
Lily believed smiles could fix anything.
And hers had all vanished in exchange for the stony expression there now—like dark, heavy storm clouds moving in to obliterate any possible ray of sunshine.
Tammy chose her words with care. “I don’t know if Buchanan will be there or not, and why should he come when he finds out Garrett is bringing me?”
She got only shrugged shoulders for an answer.
“This charity gala and auction will be fun, and you deserve to go. So what if Buchanan shows? He should hide from you, not the other way around. He was the one who was rude and didn’t let you explain.”
“I’m not hiding!” Lily said indignantly.
“You are if you won’t go with me because he might be there.”
Lily turned, and they locked gazes. Tammy could see the anger simmering in her friend’s eyes right alongside the pain that had dulled their usual brightness.
“What if Rob won’t go?” Lily asked softly.
“He’ll go,” Tammy assured her.
“Where will I go?” Rob asked, squeezing between heavy sable palms from the next aisle over.
“To the black-tie charity gala with Lily this Saturday night?” Tammy prodded hopefully.
Rob smiled at Lily. “I have a tux in my closet.”
~ ~ ~ ~
With a wink and a nod, Garrett strode right past Rhett’s secretary, Marcy James, and into Rhett’s office without slowing his step. He called from downstairs to be sure Rhett was alone rather than storm the gates unannounced. This visit would require some finesse.
Rhett stood at the battery of windows forming the back wall of his office and stared out over Palm Beach Island.
He had acquired this exclusive address at the business end of famed Worth Avenue for the prestige rather than the spotlight.
Everything the man did in life was carefully planned and calculated like a formal risk assessment.
Everything except Lily.
Garrett had never once wondered why Rhett, who could afford to live anywhere he wanted, chose to live forty minutes away on Jupiter Island rather than in one of the nearby Palm Beach mansions.
He already knew the answer. Rhett liked his privacy, away from the glare of the social circle, and liked being tucked away at the far end of Jupiter Island by that state park.
Garrett suspected Rhett had subconsciously focused on quiet, unassuming Lily Foster for the same reason.
“Are you going to say something or just stare at me?” Rhett asked without turning.
“I got the plants out and the pool cleaned up. Thought you’d want to know.”
“Good. Thanks. I owe you.”
“No, you don’t,” Garrett said, feeling a stab of guilt over what he was about to do. “That’s what friends are for.”
“Still, my behavior last night was inexcus—”
“Forget it!” he interrupted. “I just called the girl, and she met me over there and picked up the plants.”
Rhett stiffened at the window. “She met you at my house?”
Garrett winced at the menace in his tone but cheerfully pressed forward. “Yeah, we loaded everything up while the pool tech was there. He helped me with a couple of the bigger palms. House looks good as new.”
“And the girl?” If anything, Rhett’s tone grew even more ominous.
“Gladly took the plants back. I was happy to get a chance to talk with her for a while. I hope you don’t mind, but I asked her to the black-tie charity gala and auction at Palm Isles next Saturday night.”
Rhett whipped around so fast Garrett almost took a step back, but he had steeled himself for a volatile response, and he had no fear of Rhett Buchanan.
The two had been best friends for over fifteen years.
Each was an only child, so their closeness had evolved to a relationship of brothers over the years, which was why Garrett felt so comfortable poking his nose into Rhett’s private life.
Rhett’s eyes glittered dangerously. “You asked Lily out?” he roared.
Bingo.
Garrett had guessed right. Rhett looked ready to kill him, madder than Garrett had seen him in over fifteen years. Rhett hadn’t forgotten Lily Foster or given her up. He was still madly in love with her as evidenced by his insanely jealous display at the moment.
Garrett kept his expression skillfully blank for a brief moment. “Lily? Oh hell no,” he protested innocently. “I asked Tammy to go with me.”
Rhett glared and waited.
“Tammy is the sales manager, the redhead? I’ve seen her several times over at Bloom & Grow when I selected plant lists, and I thought she was hot. Your cleanup this morning gave me the chance to ask her out. If that bothers you, I can call and cancel.”
Rhett continued his intense stare, the one Garrett hated, the one where he seemed to peer into your soul. Garrett fought to keep what he hoped looked like an innocent expression.
“What do I care if you take her out,” Rhett growled finally and turned back to the window.
“I didn’t think you would,” he muttered casually. “Are you going? To the charity gala I mean.”
Rhett spun back around. “Why?”
Garrett shrugged. “Just curious. If you are, I can keep Tammy away from you if you like. You know, if she reminds you of Lily or something.”
Something flashed in Rhett’s eye. “Careful, Garrett,” he warned ominously.
Garrett threw his palms up. “Just asking.”
He had crossed the line, exactly as he intended, and now he needed to back off to let his well-stirred pot simmer.
“Do whatever you want,” Rhett sniped.
Garrett turned and headed for the door. He paused, his hand on the knob.
“I’ve ordered another shipment of those weeping orchids and rare gray palms and a handful of pygmy date palms for that revamped office complex we’re flipping in Del Ray Beach.
The plants will sell the place in a week.
” He slipped through the door without waiting for a response.
Rhett glared at Garrett’s retreating form and clenched his jaw in anger.
More Bloom & Grow palms meant another inspection.
He’d never wanted to slug Garrett before, but he did right at that moment.
His fingers balled into a fist of their own accord.
How dare Garrett force him to go back there for another inspection?
Because he loved his damned specialty trees, that’s why.
And he thought Rhett was tough enough to man up and get the job done.
Damn it, he was tough enough. He would show the lying little gold-digger she didn’t mean a thing to him. He would go in and inspect the trees without a backward glance.
An image of Lily formed in his imagination, her enormous blue eyes and silky blond hair. If she didn’t mean a thing, then why did his stomach muscles tighten at the mere image in his mind?
He stared at the closing door.
What the hell was Garrett up to?