Catching Coy (Love in Little River Book 3) Read online

  Bellamy glanced around her and lowered her voice. “I’m worried they might make you keep Lyra, you know, for the drama.” She raised her eyebrows.

  He smirked. “There’s still enough drama here, trust me.”

  “Coy Jones, you don’t need me.” She accidentally put her hand on his knee—in a completely friend-like, reassuring way. Then she snatched it back.

  “I…” He pressed his lips together again, which was becoming a very distracting habit of his. “The truth is, I need all the help I can get.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Willa, 28

  Waitress/Singer

  Nashville, Tennessee

  “Way back when Taggart Dubois was just starting, we played the same bar and he told me we would make it. So, coming here to his home, it’s like this is all meant to be, you know?”

  Watching Coy “pick his team,” and letting Lyra and Cam go was so much worse when it wasn’t via a TV screen. Bellamy cringed through the whole thing, especially when Lyra started sobbing as she said her goodbyes to Coy. He wrapped his long arms around her and whispered that she would find her perfect someone and that Coy didn’t deserve to take up her time when it wasn’t right. Lyra sobbed harder. Even Bellamy was on the verge of sobbing a little.

  The next morning, Bellamy cursed Roxy’s remodel for closing off the kitchen. The women were all in the living room, lounging on the couches there while they waited for breakfast, which Bellamy was preparing, and waited for Portia Hampton to show up. The host was on her own over at the Double A cabin. Bellamy propped the kitchen door open as she worked, listening and silently commenting on the women’s evaluations of the day before. Bristol had declared her and Lucy the obvious top two, and Bellamy would’ve killed to see the other women’s reactions to that statement. Especially since she disagreed. Charlotte was in the top, based a lot on how Coy’s expression had softened when he said she was a keeper.

  Security cameras! She grabbed her laptop from the nearby counter, where she’d been watching one of her favorite online chefs that morning while making the biscuits. She logged into the Ranch House’s security site, opening up the living room camera in the main screen, watching the women’s reactions as she finished cooking up breakfast and silently critiquing their guesses about who would get one-on-one game time with Coy and who would have to settle for “Team Dates,” what the show called the group dates.

  “Well, do you agree or disagree?”

  Bellamy jumped at the sound of Coy’s voice. “Good gravy, Coy Jones.”

  His shoulders shook in silent laughter as he rounded the island. “Good gravy?”

  Heat flooded her face at the silly exclamation. “I get that from my mom. Her swear words are all food related.” She lowered her voice. “What are you doing here? This is definitely cheating.” She snapped the laptop shut, then waved a spatula at him before running it around the pan of her fluffy scrambled eggs.

  “I’m supposed to be here,” he said, affronted. He leaned back against the island. “For breakfast with the ladies.”

  “I’ve seen the itinerary. Not until after Portia comes to tell them who gets the dates.” She moved the scrambled eggs off the burner and scooped them into one of her warmers.

  Coy glanced down at his watch. “Portia’s not here yet? She was supposed to come down ten minutes ago.”

  Bellamy rubbed her hands together. “Oooo, behind the scenes secrets. Portia Hampton is high maintenance!”

  Coy took a step closer, looking down at her with contentment written all over his expression. “I love the way you smile, Bells.”

  She whirled away, lest he see the color rushing into her cheeks at the soft way he’d said that. “Stop your flirting. We’ve established I am not competing in this show.” She kept her back to him as she pushed the peppers, onions, and spinach around in the sauté pan. “So, who is getting that coveted one-on-one game?” she asked.

  “Right now, it’s obviously you.”

  “Ha. Ha.” She waved the spatula around again.

  “Lucy.”

  “Of course.” She peeked at him from the corner of her eye.

  He smirked but raised his hands in a surrender. “I felt a connection.”

  “Yes, it was your lips pressed against her lips.” A giggle rose up in Bellamy. It grew when a laugh burst from Coy. A timer beeped on the oven across the room and Coy straightened, grabbing one of the hot pads from the island.

  “Should I get them?” he asked, hand on the handle of the oven.

  “Yes, thank you.” She tried not to sigh at the sight of Coy Jones with oven mitts on his hands, not even reaching the top of his hand, pulling biscuits from her oven.

  “Good gravy, Bells. These look like heaven.” He laid the pan on the cooling rack on the island.

  She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help laughing at him. She stopped the second Agnes stepped through the kitchen doorway and pinned Coy with a glare. “What are you doing here?” Agnes asked.

  “I’m supposed to be here. My schedule says Portia is already supposed to have come and gone.” He settled himself on a stool at the island, plucking one of the biscuits from the pan and reaching for the butter dish. Sweet cream, he was at home in Bellamy’s kitchen. And she loved it.

  Agnes growled softly. “I sent Zane a text. This is when I hate the fact that Nico doesn’t allow any of you to have phones. I mean, I get it. But this is maddening that I can’t get a hold of you.”

  “Zane was still sleeping.”

  Agnes rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess … just stay in here then.” She turned to Bellamy. “Is there a vehicle I can borrow to go see what’s going on with Portia?”

  Bellamy pointed to a set of keys hanging up by the kitchen door. “There’s a side-by-side parked right out by the back door. You know how to get over to the cabin?”

  “Yeah, I was there last night.” Agnes grabbed the keys and pulled the kitchen door shut behind her. She had likely meant to keep the women from finding out that Coy was hiding out in the kitchen but closing them off together made Bellamy’s skin prickle with nervous energy.

  “So…” She pulled the veggies from the burner. “What’s the group date going to be?”

  Coy raised an eyebrow. “Thought you said you’d seen every season of The Catch?”

  “Oh, right.” Embarrassment pinched her chest, forcing out a breathy laugh. Of course she knew that the first group date, when the most women were still around, meant everyone playing the current Catch’s sport. “Yeah, a pick-up game of basketball. Going back to the gym, then?”

  He nodded. “You coming to watch?”

  “I have things to do around here. Like my job.” And not flirting anymore with Coy and falling for him.

  “Okay, then what tips do you have for my date with Lucy today?”

  She had the urge to punch Coy Jones in the stomach for asking her how to charm Lucy. Bellamy turned away from her cooking to see his eyes dancing with mischief. Of course, Coy thought they were friends. He didn’t realize his good looks and sweetness and flirting had made her like him so much.

  “Don’t forget to breathe,” she muttered.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Lucy, 23

  Phoenix, Arizona

  Model

  “I was not surprised when Coy chose me for the alone time. Our souls spoke to each other from the first time we talked yesterday, and the attraction was clearly there. It’s so obvious that Coy is falling for me just as hard as I’m falling for him.”

  Coy would fight anyone who tried to tell him that he hadn’t gotten the best location for his season of The Catch. Sure, Kane Wilson had gotten a cute little beach town in Texas, but Coy had gotten Bellamy Hansen, and no amount of dates on the beach would ever make up for that. Especially since she cheated for him and opened back up her laptop to show him the security cameras covering the lobby and kitchen of the Ranch House, allowing him to watch how every girl had reacted to Lucy getting the One-on-One Game.

  “Cheater,” she ha
d whispered to him when he leaned over her laptop, but she hovered right at his shoulder, smelling like biscuits and a flowery-orange scent. How many times had he wished that he could write out Bellamy’s name on the card for the first date? Yesterday had been a good time with the women, but he’d had more fun in the kitchen with Bellamy, hands down. And they hadn’t even made out—even though Coy was dying to kiss her.

  Agnes brought Portia over fifteen minutes later, dropping her off at the front door so the cameras could catch her handing the card over to the women. Lucy had hopped up from the table first, beating Willa, who had started to scoot her chair out. Coy couldn’t help smiling at the way Charlotte reached over for Gillian’s hand as Lucy opened the card.

  Lucy had bounced with excitement over hearing her name. “I knew it,” she gushed. “Things felt so right yesterday.”

  He turned his attention away from Lucy though, studying the reactions of the other girls. Willa flat out glared at Lucy, her mouth in a flabbergasted ‘o.’ Gillian’s eyes had narrowed, and she pinched her lips, but a moment later she forced a smile. Charlotte grinned and congratulated Lucy. Stella, like the night before, sat quietly, her expression looking more like curiosity than anything else. Coy had kept her because he felt like he had things to figure out with her. He couldn’t discern any reaction from Bristol, though he might have missed it while watching the others. She had struck him as schooled and careful anyway.

  “You’re up, Catch,” Bellamy nudged him.

  He stood from the stool he’d sat on at the island. “Wish me luck?”

  Bellamy quirked an eyebrow, but not before he caught her jaw tensing. “Good luck.” She shrugged, grabbing a pitcher of water to take out to the table.

  “You don’t like Lucy,” he guessed. He hoped she was jealous. He shouldn’t, but he did. He should give this his best shot, but he couldn’t pull his thoughts away from Bellamy.

  “It doesn’t matter who I like or dislike. You’re the one looking for love, Coy Jones.” She shrugged and left the kitchen, leaving the door open behind her. It did matter to him who she disliked. Just a couple days in and he trusted her instincts on this. Having her admit that she’d seen every season only served for him to trust her more. She had honed her skills here.

  But was there a chance Bellamy was as attracted to him as he was to her? He’d caught her blushes, her breathless responses, but it could just be that he was a famous basketball player. And if she was attracted to him, then could he still trust her evaluations of the other women? Maybe not, but he still wanted her opinion.

  He joined the women out in the dining room, and like with the date invitation, Lucy beat the rest of the woman to him, enveloping him in a hug and making a point to pull his head down toward hers for a quick peck. It would be lying to say that he didn’t like the feel of her lips, which were full and soft. Her arms snaked around his neck as she held him close until someone else spoke up from behind her.

  “You get him all day, Lucy.” Bristol. A glance up showed her smiling, though it didn’t reach her eyes, and waiting behind Lucy. “Step aside.” She grinned and laughed to soften the direction, but Coy had no doubt she meant to be obeyed.

  Lucy grinned up at him and moved aside, allowing Bristol to step into his embrace, followed by Willa, Stella, Charlotte, and Gillian.

  “Best for last,” Gillian whispered, lingering over their hug. He had to reach down for her, something that surprised him after hearing she played for UCONN, but she had been a point guard. He ended up lifting her slightly off her feet, and she laughed softly against his cheeks.

  “This smells amazing,” Coy announced, taking a place at the middle of the long table. Bellamy glanced up at him before she disappeared down the hall, smirking as the women jockeyed to get a seat near him. Willa took Bristol’s tactic of declaring that Lucy had to step aside for the others, taking one seat next to him. Gillian claimed the other, leaving the rest to scatter around the table.

  He laughed and joked with the women as they finished breakfast. It didn’t go unnoticed by him that Bellamy didn’t make another appearance, and he had to check himself multiple times to keep from glancing toward the kitchen to look for her.

  He headed for the back door after the meal, intending to glance in and say goodbye to Bellamy before he left the women to get ready for the day, specifically Lucy, who he’d be picking up in half an hour for their date. But the kitchen was empty. Scowling, Coy glanced back to the dining room, wondering how Bellamy had slipped out without him noticing, unless she’d used the back door. He strode through the mudroom and out to the back porch, but Bellamy was nowhere along it, not even nestled among the outdoor sofas and chairs at the far end.

  He quelled the disappointment that dropped into his stomach. He had to get his head in the game—and today that meant Lucy got all the attention.

  Gillian, 29

  Salt Lake City, Utah

  CEO, Girls Play

  “Of course I’m disappointed that I didn’t get alone time with Coy, but I’m not worried. We’re playing basketball tomorrow, which I’m pretty good at. We have something big in common, and that’s a good foundation for our relationship.”

  The confused expression on Lucy’s face—nose scrunched up and eyebrows pinched—was pretty darn cute as she stared at the horse in front of her. “How am I supposed to get in the saddle?”

  Coy pointed to the mounting block one of the Arrow C ranch hands had set out. “Use that and put your feet in the stirrups to hoist yourself. Casey here will make sure the horse stays still for you.” Coy pointed to the ranch hand standing at the horse’s head.

  Lucy stepped onto the mounting block and put her hands on the saddle but turned to Coy and tilted her head. “I’m still going to need help.”

  He chuckled and stepped forward, putting his hands on her waist to help lift her into the saddle. She pulled on the saddle horn, steading herself as she swung a leg over and then situated herself.

  At six-seven, Coy was tall enough for her to lean over and put her hand against his cheek, guiding him closer for a kiss. He leaned up into the kiss, resting his hands on her legs as he took a step nearer.

  But it didn’t help the electric moment that as soon as he pulled away, he caught sight of the cameras. He forced himself not to look over at them. Agnes had drilled that into him non-stop. Make things look natural. Ignore the cameras.

  “You riding with me?” Lucy asked, patting the back of the saddle.

  Coy laughed. “Not sure there’s room, ma’am,” he said. Lucy gave a quick pout but grinned back a moment later. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun on top of her head today, a good choice given the wind that kept gusting up around them. It also displayed her delicate, model features to their advantage—sharp cheekbones, wide blue eyes, and of course the full, heart-shaped lips.

  He stepped aside and Casey led Lacy’s horse forward. Another ranch hand came forward with Coy’s. Coy put his hands on the saddle horn and back of the saddle, then lifted one leg into the stirrup. Thought it had been years since he’d ridden a horse, he slipped into the saddle smoothly, as though it had been yesterday.

  Lucy wolf-whistled, and Coy looked up to catch her turned and watching over her shoulder. “I’m good,” he murmured to the ranch hand helping him, nudging the horse forward after Lucy. When he came alongside her, she reached out a hand across the space. She had the reins clutched in a bundle in the other hand. It hardly mattered, since Casey led her horse. Coy bit back a smile and adjusted his own reins, reaching over to take her hand. No matter the slow pace, this is what the cameras wanted—romantic horse rides over barren Wyoming landscape. At least the mountains jutted up in the distance. One of his dates included a hike on those mountains and a picnic lunch. He found his mind wandering to thoughts of hiking hand in hand down a forested trail with Bellamy. She probably had hiked her fair share of these trails, and they wouldn’t need crewmen or ranch hands to guide them.

  He shook the thoughts from his head. Lucy.
Lucy got his attention today. He wouldn’t be a jerk just because he’d found the girl of his dreams a little too soon. Or maybe it was a little too late, considering that if he’d met Bellamy earlier, he never would have agreed to this.

  “So, you’re a natural at this,” Lucy commented, squeezing his fingers.

  “I’ve ridden a time or two. I have friends who have a farm back in South Carolina, and I hung out there a lot growing up.” The answer to his question was obvious, but he asked anyway. “Have you ever ridden?”

  She laughed softly. “First time, surprise, surprise.”

  They chatted back and forth on the short ride, nothing momentous, just small talk about Wyoming, his life in Denver, and her modeling jobs.

  Their ride ended at a cozy loveseat set on a wooden platform in the middle of a field of sagebrush. The set designers had piled the couch with pillows, and a big basket stuffed full of snacks sat on the rug in front of it. He slid off of his own horse, then helped Lucy, keeping his hands at her waist, even as Casey led the horses away.

  Lucy stared up at him, arms wrapped around his neck, and leaning into him. “This is crazy, you know? How right this feels between us?” She didn’t wait for an answer, instead standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. He didn’t deny that the pull was magnetic with her, his reactions automatic. He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her up toward him. She was taller, taller than Gillian, so maybe five-nine or -ten. It was still a several inch difference, but it felt right. So she was correct about that. Physically, they fit.

  Eventually they walked over to the couch, hand in hand. Lucy snuggled next to him and he dove into the questions to get to know her, to sort out the connection he’d felt to Lucy from the first moment they’d met.