That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1)(45)

The way his T-shirt rides against his strong pecs, wrapping around his thick biceps, tapering at his waist, not to mention the way his jeans hug him in all the right places—it’s hard to look away.

When he reaches us, his eyes quickly rake over me before he sticks his hands in his pockets. “Glad you could make it.”

“Sure, anytime.” I take a bite of my scone while everyone is silent, intently watching our interaction. It’s rather uncomfortable, but thankfully Griffin steers the conversation to more comfortable topics.

“Okay, the picnic tables should be dry soon. Let’s start on the landscaping and then move on to the tables. It doesn’t seem like we’ll have a lot to do because this little section has been pretty well maintained.”

“I’ll take credit for that.” Jake cutely raises his hand. “My staff is really good at wiping down the tables every night and keeping things as clean as possible.”

“They do a great job,” Griffin says, adding, “But that truck, dude, we need to shine it up.”

“I’m on it, don’t worry.”

I glance over at the food truck, and from what I can see, it looks fine, but then again, I’m pretty sure the people of Port Snow have higher standards.

“Before we get started, has everyone met Ren?”

“We have.” Rylee leans over and puts an arm around me. “And we’re snagging her for flower planting and replacement while you boys pick weeds.”

“No way. Last time you worked on the flowers, you left us to doing all the weeding,” Brig complains.

“Then you should have called it first if you were going to be upset about it,” Rylee counters and loops her arm through mine. “Come on, Ren, we’ll show these boys what real work is all about.”

As she walks me toward a pickup truck with a bed full of flower trays, I look over my shoulder to find Griffin watching me. He gives me a smile and then turns toward the guys, motioning for them to join him on the cobbled ground, where they start meticulously pulling small weeds from between the cracks.

Flower beds seem so much more appealing right about now, even though it’s not working with Griffin.

I finish up my scone, licking the last delicious crumbs from my fingers while Rylee gives me the lay of the land.

“Okay, this isn’t an easy job, but it’s better than being on our hands and knees the first half of the morning. Jake has five flower beds around the area. We’re just going to replace some of the dead flowers and spruce them up, make them real showstoppers.”

“I love that. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

“Have you ever planted a flower before?” Ruth asks.

“I used to help my mom every spring in the garden. I’m so your girl for this project.”

“Really?” Ruth gets excited. “This is great. We’ve had a few people come to help, and Rylee has scared them away. She’s too intense when it comes to the flower beds.”

Rylee scoffs. “They have to be done a certain way, or they look like crap. That’s not my fault; that’s just holding people to higher standards.”

“Well, don’t worry. You’re not going to offend me. So please tell me if I’m doing something you don’t like.”

Ruth holds out a pair of gardening gloves, the palms and fingers dipped in a pink wax. “Don’t worry; she’s never been one to keep her mouth shut when it comes to the flower beds.”

“They’re a vital part of making the town pretty. Sorry I want to make sure they’re perfect at all times.”

“I get it; my mom was the same way. Tell me what to do, and I’ll get started.”

“Why don’t you start assessing the flowers and taking out the ones that need to be replaced? Rylee and I can bring you replacements based off what you take out.”

“That works great.”

I slip on my gloves and snag a shovel from the garden bucket. The first flower bed is very close to the truck, so Rylee and I can still chat as we get to work.

“Are you second-guessing joining this little committee?”

I chuckle and start digging out an old purple iris that’s wilted. “How about I tell you tomorrow?”

“I like that,” Ruth says. “Get the full experience before jumping to conclusions. That’s a true teacher right there.”

“Why did you guys join?”

“We’ve both been a part of the committee for a long time. My dad was a part of it,” Ruth says. “With Griffin’s parents, actually, and he always took great pride in making the town beautiful, so I wanted to do something to honor him. It also gives me some time away from the coffee beans, which is always a plus.”

“Ruth dragged me along with her,” Rylee jokingly says. “And I kind of got attached to it, heading up all the flower beds in town. I roped Beck into it. He absolutely adores the town, though, and wants to make sure it stays in pristine condition. He’s actually from Los Angeles like you.”

“Oh, really? What brought him out here?”

“Me.” Rylee’s smile couldn’t be any bigger as she sets trays of flowers by the bed I’m working on.

“That sounds romantic. Care to share?”

“They met at a wedding they were both crashing in Key West,” Ruth chimes in. “She tried to move on, and he wouldn’t let her. Let’s just say he was smitten right away. And our friends Victoria and Zoey wouldn’t let her leave the island without spending some quality time with him.”