“If I let go of you,” I said to Sofia, who was straining to break free, “promise not to follow them outside.”
“I want to watch Tank throw him into the pool.”
“I understand. So do I. But this is our business, Sofia. We have work to do. Don’t let Steven’s lapse of sanity interfere with it.” When I felt her relax, I dropped my arms from around her.
My sister turned to face me, looking furious and crestfallen. “He hates me. I don’t know why.”
“He doesn’t hate you,” I said.
“But why —”
“Sofia,” I said, “he’s an asshole. We’ll talk about it later. For now, let’s get to work.”
When I saw Steven two hours later, he was mostly dry. He worked on the finishing touches of the mini golf course, positioning an old-fashioned diver’s helmet so a golf ball could roll up a ramp into the front porthole.
As I approached, he spoke tersely while adjusting the ramp. “Dolce and Gabbana shorts. Dry-clean only. You owe me three hundred bucks.”
“You owe me an apology,” I said. “This is the first time you’ve ever been less than professional during a job.”
“I apologize.”
“You owe an apology to Sofia.”
Steven remained mutinously silent.
“Care to explain what’s going on?” I asked.
“I’ve already explained. Her outfit is inappropriate.”
“Because she looks cute and sexy? It’s not a problem for anyone else. Why does it bother you so much?”
Another stony silence.
“The caterers are here,” I finally said. “The band is arriving at eleven. Val and Sofia have almost finished decorating the indoor areas, and then I’ll have them start on the patio tables.”
“I need Ree-Ann to help with the cabanas.”
“I’ll send her out.” I paused. “One more thing. From now on, I insist that you treat Sofia with respect. Even though I’m technically in charge of hiring and firing, Sofia and I are equal partners. And if she wants you gone, you’re gone. Understood?”
“Understood,” he muttered.
As I headed back to the house, I passed Tank, who was carrying two huge bunches of helium-filled balloons for the dessert arcade. “Thanks for helping me with Steven,” I said.
“You mean tossing him into the pool? No problem. I’ll throw him in again if you want.”
“Thank you,” I said with grim amusement, “but if he steps out of line again, I’ll throw him in myself.”
I returned to the kitchen, where Ree-Ann and the caterers were uncrating sets of plates and glassware for the indoor dining area.
“Where’s Sofia?” I asked.
“She went to say hi to some of the Travises. They just arrived.”
“When you’re done with the plates, Steven needs you to help him with the cabanas.”
“Sure thing.”
I went to the main living room to find the group standing at the row of long windows with Sofia. They looked out at the pool and patio area, exclaiming and talking and laughing. A small dark-haired boy jumped up and down and tugged on the hem of Jack’s shirt. “Daddy, take me outside! I wanna go see! Daddy! Daddy —”
“Hold your horses, son.” Jack ruffled the boy’s hair gently. “They’re not ready for us yet.”
“Avery,” Ella exclaimed as she saw me, “what an amazing job you’ve done. I was just telling Sofia that it looks like Disneyland out there.”
“I’m so glad you’re happy with it.”
“I’m never having a party without the two of you again. Can I keep you on retainer like lawyers?”
“Yes,” Sofia said immediately.
Laughing, I turned my attention to the baby in Ella’s arms. The infant was adorably chubby and pink-cheeked, with big blue eyes and curly blond hair pulled up in a topknot.
“Who is this?” I asked.
“That’s my sister, Mia,” the little boy answered before Ella could reply, “and I’m Luke, and I want to go to the party!”
“It’ll be ready soon,” I promised. “You can be the first one to go outside.”
Deciding that it had fallen to him to make introductions, Luke pointed to the couple nearby. “That’s my aunt Haven. She’s got a big tummy. There’s a baby in there.”
“Luke —” Ella began, but he continued earnestly.
“She eats more than Uncle Hardy, and he could eat a whole dinosaur.”
Ella clapped a hand to her forehead. “Luke —”
“I did once,” Hardy Cates said, lowering to his haunches. He was big and ruggedly built, a good-looking man with the bluest eyes I had ever seen. “Back when I was a boy camping in the Piney Woods. My friends and I were chasing armadillos across a dry river bottom, and we saw a big shape moving through the trees…”
The child listened, enraptured, as Hardy told him a tall tale about a dinosaur being pursued, lassoed, and eventually barbecued.
No doubt the prospect of marrying the only daughter in the Travis family would have deterred more than a few men. But Hardy Cates didn’t seem like the type who was capable of being intimidated. He was a former roughneck who had started his own oil recovery company, going into spent fields to extract leftover reserves that bigger companies had left behind. Ella had described him as hardworking and wily, covering up his outsize ambition with plenty of laid-back charm. Hardy seemed so affable, Ella had said, that people were fooled into thinking they’d gotten to know him, even though they hadn’t. But the Travises all agreed on one thing: Hardy loved Haven intensely, would have died for her. According to Ella, Jack had facetiously claimed he almost felt sorry for the guy, being wrapped around his little sister’s finger like that.