“I think he likes you. You should get a dog to keep him company.”
“No,” Rhett said flatly.
Hope grinned up at him. “Oh I don’t know. A golden retriever or a boxer could be great company when you’re on the road.”
Rhett frowned, completely missing her teasing. “I suppose if it makes you happy.”
Hope tried really hard not to laugh. “I’ll keep that under consideration.” She gave Roscoe one last pat and stood up. “Is he coming with us?”
“Oh yes. Roscoe is an excellent runner. Aren’t you Roscoe?”
The dog made a huffing noise that sounded like the German shepherd equivalent of a Rhett Ryan Rumble.
We were participating in a buddy-run-for-charity event. Most of the Bay’s top athletes were paired up with each charity’s chosen volunteer. We ran the five kilometers, did lots of photo ops, got lots of donations and publicity for the organizations. It was one long morning out of our lives to do some good in our community.
“Do you know who you’re running with?” Rhett asked.
“A woman named Jennifer. She makes sure every classroom in the area has enough books. She’s pretty awesome. Next year she wants to expand reading programs and tutoring. You?”
Hope was running for a youth sports league and Rhett for a mental health awareness organization. We were just about to be matched up with our volunteers when some of my cousin’s teammates came up to us. I knew and liked Erik Cassidy. He was a really nice guy. His best friend Wes could be a handful, but overall he was pretty harmless. Seth Butler on the other hand? Trouble. I didn’t need to know his reputation (which was terrible) to know the guy was bad news. He had that overconfident swagger of someone who weaseled his way into getting whatever he wanted.
Didn’t help that he was gifted by God with a magic swing. He waltzed into a baseball career and a giant contract. People worshiped at his feet.
But not me. I wanted nothing to do with the bastard. Although it was brilliant fun making a fool of him at the teams’ combined workout a couple of weeks ago. I ran circles around the prima donna while he huffed and puffed.
“Can you handle five kilometers?” I jabbed with my words. “You didn’t seem up for it last I saw you.”
“Oh I’m up for it,” the handsome bastard grinned at me. So many panties dropped for that smile.
But not mine. Not ever. “Just remember to pace yourself. Isn’t that right, Roscoe?” My dog sniffed the air.
Seth reached his hand out and let Roscoe smell it. The damn dog pressed into Seth’s hand asking for pets. I glared at the traitor. Seth scratched an ear. “I haven’t been at my best in a long time, Ryan. Took getting my ass kicked by you to shake me up. Thank you for that.”
Thank. You. The bastard was thanking me? “I’m happy to kick your ass any time, Butler. Would you like Roscoe and I to run circles around you today?”
He gave the dog an under-the-chin scratch. “Today is about charity and I’d rather focus on that. But tomorrow? I’m free.”
His voice dropped when he said that. Was…was he asking me out? “Team leaves for Los Angeles in the morning. Unfortunately my ass-kicking offer is good today only.”
“Guess I’ll just have to settle for getting it kicked at the next combined workout then.”
I swear he meant it too. He sounded like he was genuinely looking forward to it. I had to remind myself that this was the same man who dated Portia and Denise at the same time, and then cheated with Lavender Long. He was a walking sexually transmitted disease, plus a selfish jerk.
But then the selfish jerk got down on the ground to greet the young boy he’d be running with. They whispered secrets to each other and played with Roscoe before lining up for the run. Halfway through he put the boy up on his shoulders and jogged the rest of the way. Afterward he signed everything the boy brought him and took silly pictures. And it was all genuine. You couldn’t fake that level of attention and care.
Who the hell was Seth Butler? The jerk or the kind man who spent the morning focused solely on a kid?
Rhett came up beside me. “Having a barbeque at my place Sunday after the game.”
“Is that an invitation, cousin?”
“Didn’t it sound like one?”
Seth pretended to pass out and let the little boy revive him. Something inside me twisted. “Who will be there?”
“Me. Hope. Whichever of these fucks shows up. Bring your friends if you want. I don’t care.”
I didn’t like mysteries. People were good or bad. They were nice or mean. Seth Butler was bad and he was mean. But now I was very confused because he also seemed to be nice. My brain couldn’t handle the mismatched traits. “Yeah, I’ll come. You can count on at least three more.”
Rhett grunted, then nodded towards Seth. “He’s a confusing fuck. Always has been. But Cap says he didn’t used to be such a prick in college. I thought he was lying until today. Maybe he’s not such an asshole underneath all his layers of shit. Maybe.”
“I don’t know. Jerks are jerks in my experience.”
Rhett grunted and nodded, then made his way back to Hope while I continued to study the mystery in front of me. Who was Seth Butler really?
And more importantly…why the hell did I want to find out?
