Bossing the Billionaire: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ryder's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Read Free Page A

plaguing
the dairy industry Blake was back with a salad and the sandwich that smelled so
good it made Ryder’s stomach growl.
    She smiled. “I could tell you were hungry. It’s all yours. Chow
down.” She laid the plate on the table then handed him his silverware rapped in
a white cloth napkin.
    He glanced across at his table companions. “May I order something
for you gentlemen?” He hoped they’d say yes. It was going to feel weird, chomping
on his sandwich while they just sat there and watched.
    “We already ate,” the small man said.
    “But I’m all out of beer,” the big one said. “I could do with
another one, for the road.”
    Somebody behind Ryder cleared his throat, a not-too-subtle hint that
a drink would be welcome at that table, too.
    Ryder grinned. It seemed they were all too eager to take advantage
of a generous offer and he didn’t mind at all. “Drinks on the house,” he said,
loud enough for Blake to hear. “It’s on me.
    She heard all right. Before he’d taken his second bite she’d come
from behind the counter, a tray of drinks in hand. She obviously knew what each
of her patrons drank because she didn’t ask a single one for his order. She
just served.
    “And what about you, Ryder?” she asked, pausing at his table. “What
are you having?”
    “I’ll just take some cranberry juice,” he said, “if you have any.”
    “Sure do.” And then, as if this was the sort of thing you did in a
place like this, she gave a man at a neighboring table a quick cuff to the back
of the head. “Stop snickering and drink your beer.”
    Ryder almost snorted in laughter but his mouth was full. Obviously,
Blake Beaumont was not one to trifle with.
    A half hour passed and then an hour and by that time most of the men
had left, leaving only the two at Ryder’s table. The darkness of night was now
properly settled on the land and he could feel the exhaustion creeping up on
him. Time to get going.
    He lifted a hand to catch Blake’s attention. “Could I have the bill,
please?”
    She tore her eyes away from the small T.V set in the corner of the
room. She’d been absorbed in the T.V news for the past half hour but she picked
up a piece of paper from the counter and walked over. “Here you go,” she said,
depositing the bill on the table in front of him. “You racked up a pretty hefty
bill, buying all those rounds of drinks. You’d better be good for it.”
    “Don’t worry,” he said, grinning up at her. “I am.” Little did she
know he could buy all the drinks she could ever serve. Heck, he could buy the
whole town, and more. Still smiling, Ryder reached around to dig his wallet out
of his back pocket.
    His hand slid in and came back out…empty. “Sorry.” He gave her an
embarrassed grin and dug into the other back pocket. Nothing. He frowned.
“Weird.” As he muttered the word he shoved a hand into the front pocket on the
left then the one on the right. His frown deepening, he patted the pocket of
the denim jacket he was wearing. Still nothing.
    Ryder cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. It looks like I left my wallet
in the truck. I’ll have to go get it.”
    Before he’d gotten all the words out Blake’s smile had disappeared
and in its place was a glare that said she was not amused. “Do you really think
I’m going to fall for that? You’re trying to pull a fast one on me, aren’t
you?”
    Ryder shook his head. “No, I’m not. I swear. My wallet must have
fallen out in the truck. I’ll just go get it and come right back.”
    Blake gave him a look of suspicion and then she looked at the big
man sitting at Ryder’s table. “Go with him, Ted. Make sure he doesn’t try to
take off.”
    “You got it.” Ted was grinning as he got up then he cracked the
knuckles on his beefy hands. “Come on, buster. Let’s go see if you can put your
money where your mouth is.”
    Ryder shrugged. “I’ve got no problem with that.” He got up and
walked in front of Ted, out the door and