Page 62 of Dining for Love

I snort. “Kind of.”

She sighs. “Then regale me, woman.”

“He’s an incredible cook.” I give her the details as she drives, keeping the really saucy bits to myself.

Matty’s waiting on us at our designated meet-up spot, and as we approach, he does the same move he always does, crooking his arms for both of us to thread ours through. “Ah, the Dash sisters on each arm. How lucky am I?”

“Very,” I say.

“Incredibly,” Goldie echoes, her voice a bit breathier than it was a few minutes ago.

We turn the corner onto the main stretch of the art walk, and Goldie spies the coffee stand up ahead. “I’m in desperate need of an iced coffee. Anyone else want one?”

I shake my head, and she takes off.

“So, how are things?” Matty asks once she’s out of earshot.

I lean into him. “So good. But also, so bad.”

“Ah, the ol’ ‘he’s only here for a little while but maybe he’ll stay but maybe he won’t but maybe you should follow him but you’re a strong, independent woman and what would everyone think if you did that’thing?”

I stare at him. “Who are you, and where did Matty go?”

He laughs and shrugs. “I read too many romances. What can I say?”

“Fair enough. But honestly? That’s…kind of it.”

He wraps his arm around me, pulling me in tight. “It’ll be okay, Wills.Listen your heart.”

I snort. “Yeah, well, my heart is telling me it just wants more of that D.”

Matty stops dead in his tracks, pulling me around to face him so I can’t miss his shocked expression. “Did you just make an actual reference to sex?”

I cover my own mouth, just as shocked that I said it. “Um, yeah?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not sure how I feel about this. But also, is it okay if I ask that you never do that again? I may be your best friend, but I’m also a guy, and it turns out that I am not okay with hearing that you want some ‘D’.” He throws air quotes.

I nod. “I blame Goldie.”

“Blame me for what?” she asks, returning with an iced latte for herself and a black coffee for Matty.

He takes it. “How’d you know I really wanted one?”

She eyes him. “I pay attention, Matty. It’s not hard. What am I being blamed for?”

“Her suddenly dirty mouth.”

“And here I was giving her crap for not being dirtyenough,” Goldie jokes as we continue down the street.

Vendors are set up like always, the art beautiful in the slowly setting sun. A breeze floats from the ocean, tinging everything with a salty air, and I inhale happily. I may be confused, but at least I have my sister and best friend in the most amazing town I could hope for.

Someone yells my name. “I was hoping I’d see you all,” Agatha says. “Matty, do you still do house calls? My daughter Jessica’s dog is having some trouble getting used to the baby and I’m sure you’d have some good insight.”

Jessica herself comes up behind her mother, pushing a stroller. Plenty of oohs and ahhs abound, until Goldie is pulling the baby out and holding her against her chest, cooing and bouncing like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

My neck tingles, and sure enough, Reid and Ox are headingour way. We widen the circle and Reid’s hand comes to rest on my lower back. He leans down to whisper in my ear. “Hey, you.”

I smile up at him, goosebumps tingling in the wake of his touch. “Hi.”

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