The Mix-Up (Southern Hearts Club #3) - Melanie Munton Page 0,42
our descent into Charleston, and he’s on it for the entire drive back to the office. As much as I want to turn the tables in the elevator and push that emergency stop button on him, I know he’s only got a few minutes before his next meeting.
As I follow him into the office and past reception, I get stopped by Woods, one of our graphic artists that we recently recruited from SCAD—Savannah College of Art and Design. While answering his questions about the layout for a promo we’re running in the next edition of Charleston Living, a southern lifestyle magazine, I hear Ryder’s booming voice come from the direction of my cubicle.
“Excuse me, can I help you?”
Oh, geez. What now?
Promising Woods I’ll catch up with him in a bit, I scurry across the office. I can’t imagine what could possibly be upsetting the man now, but I’m sure that whatever it is, I’m likely the cause of it.
When my cubicle comes into view, I stop short.
Ross is sat at my desk chair, looking up at Ryder with a bemused, if not slightly annoyed, expression. Ryder’s form is imposing as it towers above my brother. Being a former Navy man, Ross is certainly no slouch. But that doesn’t mean I want the two of them coming to blows right here in the freaking office. After witnessing Ryder punch his own brother in the face, there’s no telling what he’ll do the next time something sets him off.
“I’m looking for Gretchen Castellanos,” Ross calmly tells him, with a tinge of innocence.
“And who are you?” Ryder bites out.
“Someone who’s looking for her.”
It sounds like Ryder chokes back a growl. “Ms. Castellanos is busy.”
When Ross glances around the room, his gaze catches on me. “Apparently, not too busy.”
Deciding I need to end this before Ryder starts acting more territorial than is appropriate for a boss, I approach them. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Had a training session that got out early,” Ross answers, pushing to his feet. “Thought I’d see if you were free for lunch. And I realized I’ve never seen where you work.” Under his breath, he adds, “Though I’m starting to understand why.”
Stifling my chuckle, I turn to face my boss, who looks like he’s about to bodycheck Ross through my cubicle wall. “Ross, this is my boss Ryder Colson. Mr. Colson, this is my brother Ross.”
After both men are introduced, they have remarkably different reactions. Ryder’s shoulders noticeably relax, and the frown lines around his eyes and mouth smooth out. Ross, however, rises to his full height and scowls.
I recognize that move.
And I cringe.
He’s going all I was an officer in the Navy and know about twenty different ways to kill you with that pencil on my sister’s desk on the man I’ve complained to him about countless times. Ross has heard me call Ryder every name in the book. Once, I referred to him as a “callous overlord who wouldn’t know a compliment if it came up and sucked on his schlong like a two-dollar whore.”
That was Fourth of July and I was stone cold hammered. Don’t judge.
For the first time, guilt gnaws at me for all my Ryder-bashing to my always-ready-to-throw-down-for-his-little-sister brother.
“Brother,” Ryder reiterates. Visibly shaking himself, he holds out his hand and switches to Charming Ryder right before my eyes. “Sorry about the confusion. I thought you were someone else. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Ross studies him with a shrewd eye as he shakes his hand, reminding me so much of our father it’s frightening. “Yeah, likewise. Heard a lot about you.”
I grimace. Thanks, bro.
Ryder isn’t stupid, despite my frequent testimony to the contrary. If I’ve talked about him to my family over the past eleven months, he knows it couldn’t have been pleasant. After all, it’s only been a few weeks since things really started to change between us.
His face falls a little as his eyes dart to mine knowingly. “Well, I hope it wasn’t all bad. Suffice to say that your sister here is one of the most passionate people who’s ever worked for me. Our debates can get rather heated.”
My eyes widen. He just complimented me and admitted to something deeper in the same breath. Even if Ross doesn’t pick up on the “passionate” part, I know what Ryder means by that.
Ross barks out a laugh. “That’s generally how we describe her in our family. Though we usually replace the word ‘passionate’ with ‘stubborn and pig-headed.’”