Page 96 of Beached Wedding

“Actually, staying here is Plan Z. I’m the dumdum who offered to make dinner at the villa tonight. Mom didn’t have anything planned because we were supposed to be eating the catered wedding dinner tonight. I would suggest taking them out, but we’re a lot of mouths and we have to start thinking about our finances. Plus, given the possiblevolumeof tonight’s discussion, the privacy of the villa is the better venue.”

“You really think it’ll get heated?” Thiswouldbe tricky. I couldn’t stand by for anyone abusing Ash, not even people who loved her as much as I did.

“I think we have one chance to win them over. This is not a drill, soldier.” She was joking, but genuine apprehension lurked behind her brave smile.

“I’ll cook ribs on the barbecue,” I stated. “With garlic potatoes and a salad. I will not let you down.”

I meant it, too.

ASHLEY

We returned from the grocery store as my family was unloading from Oliver’s van and followed them from the parking lot to the villa.

“You’re joining us for dinner, Fox?” Mom asked in more of an askance question than invitation, tone loaded with reserved judgment.

“Thanks, Whit.” I sent my sister a flat smile since she had clearly been gossiping about us. “Fox is cooking, Mom. Izzy’s coming, too. I’ll text her, tell her we’re back and she should come over whenever she’s ready.”

“Fun,” Whit said, sending an amused glance at Fox.

I pointed a warning finger at her while Fox emptied the groceries onto the counter and said to Oliver, “Ash said I could bum a beer for the barbecue sauce.”

“Waste of cheap beer, if you ask me,” Oliver chided, but handed a can to him before he began pouring wine. “Ashley?”

“Later, maybe. Thanks.” I needed a clear head.

Oliver handed a glass to Mom who promptly set it aside. He poured another for Whitney.

“Mom, I’ve got this,” I said as Mom tried to unpack the cardboard box they’d used as a picnic basket on their outingtoday. “This kitchen is too small for all of us in here. Sit.” I nodded at the stools on the far side of the breakfast bar. “Enjoy your wine. I need to talk to you about something.”

Mom hesitated, then moved onto the stool across from where Fox was setting out a cutting board. I moved her wine so she could reach it and called Whitney back from heading outside to the patio with her own glass.

I glanced to where Fliss was setting up a video game with Ryan on the sofa. “I want you all to know that I’ve made a decision.”

While Fox and I had meandered grocery aisles, he had coached me not to sugar-coat it.If you don’t sound sure, people think there’s room to change your mind. It was probably the best advice I’d ever received and the hardest to apply, but I was doing it.

“I’m going to Australia with Fox.” Bam. No argument. There it was.

A resounded silence, then Fliss asked, “For how long?”

“For... I don’t know.” So much for sounding sure.

Fox paused in digging through a drawer and came to stand beside me. His warm hand settled in my lower back.

“Australia is where we’re going to start.” He sounded very sure. “Wherever we wind up, it will be together.”

Another silence. Then Whitney said, “So you’re not going with him as a roommate.”

“We’re a couple. Yes.” I slid my arm around Fox’s back, tucking myself against his solid, but relaxed frame. How was he this confident? Didn’t he realize we were starting a fight we would have to finish? Why didn’t he hate this as much as I did?

“So you’re going withthis guyinstead of the other one,” Whitney waved a dismissing hand at Fox. “She’s using you to get back at Shane. You know that, right?”

“Whitney.” I curled my fist into the fabric of Fox’s T-shirt.

His hand slid to dig reassuringly into my waist. “Ash isn’t like that. You know that as well as I do.”

“Oh? You think you know her as well as I do? I beg to differ, cowboy.” Whit was really working herself up, pointing aggressively at Fox, then at me. “You’re taking advantage of her and no.Youare coming home with us.”

“Oof. I think you missed the ‘young lady’ tag on that. No, Whit. If I want to go to Australia, I will go to Australia. I was going anyway. Why are you upset?”

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