Page 43 of Prayers for the Prickly

“All right, August, you’ve made your point,” Everett said, startling me when he waved a twenty-dollar bill in front of my face.

What the hell?

“Ohh yeah, our bet,” I muttered as I accepted it and slipped it into my pocket.

“Yeah, our bet, which I was tempted to double down on last night,” Ever replied. “Now I’m glad I didn’t.”

“I told you it would be a hit,” I said, pointing a spatula at him. “People love being the first to do anything, especially when it comes to sampling food. That’s major bragging rights right there, especially in a small community, so I knew they’d rush to social media to post and get a timestamp on that shit. That’s creds to some people. Hell, it’s like you and Walt with those damned Pokémon cards when we were kids.”

He nodded at that. “Yeah, okay, I can see the logic. Challenge accepted. Now I need to think of a unique way of setting up my next launch.”

“I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’ve got free time on my hands to do some brainstorming,” he said. “You, on the other hand, will not have to worry about free time once your mate’s ship comes in. Do you know when they are planning to dock?”

“They’re back already,” I explained. “You just missed him. He stopped by on the way to his shop and promised to pick up supper so I could head straight home when I got done here.”

I almost told him about the other message my mate had for me this morning, the one he’d sent by text message while he’d been waiting for the crowd in my shop to thin out. The moment I read it I knew exactly why we hadn’t had that conversation while I was sitting on his lap. Like the discussion we needed to have about what had taken place in Everett’s shop, it wasn’t one we could have in a public space, not with the amount of time we didn’t have to devote to it.

“Nice. It’s cool that he came to see you even when he knew you wouldn’t have any time to spend together.”

“He even waited almost an hour until I could give him the bit of time I could spare,” I told him. “He didn’t try to press me about what happened, either, though he already knows a little bit of it. He just asked what I was in the mood for, now I get to go home to a seafood feast.”

“Lucky.”

“He doesn’t have to try to be thoughtful, he just is, and I love it,” I admitted. “I don’t feel guilty about the hours I work. I don’t feel rushed or like I’m disappointing him by not being home because he just comes here and hangs out like that chair is just as comfortable as the easy chairs in the den. It’s not. I need to get thicker cushions for them ‘cause my tush hurts after about thirty minutes the rare times I get to sit that long.”

“Like I said. Lucky.”

“Have you spoken to Olly since, well, you know?”

“There’s nothing we have to say to one another right now,” he declared. “Not until he’s willing to stand up to her where everyone can hear him tell her to back the fuck off.”

“He’s got to be ready to do that without anyone pushing him.”

“And until he is, there is nothing more to say.”

My brother’s voice, firm and filled with fury, was a rare one to hear from him. He wouldn’t be moved from that position, so I hoped Olly stepped up to the plate soon before they both wound up miserable.

Chapter 17

Gregor

As soon as I heard August coming up the stairs, I started removing the thick foil coverings on the containers that contained our feast. Places were already set, dipping sauces in a trio of shallow dishes alongside our plates. Napkins and wet wipes rested in the middle of the table, since the boiled shrimp would need to be peeled. I hadn’t forgotten anything.

I cracked the bottles of cider open as he dropped into his chair, serving spoons already in the containers so he could get started.

“This looks amazing,” he moaned as he spooned fried scallops onto his plate.

“I’m glad you approve.”

I passed him a cider and sat across from him with mine, waiting for him to finish filling his plate before I dove in.

“I got an appointment,” August said as he deposited a heaping scoopful of boiled potatoes and corn on the cob on his plate. “I wanted to tell you that before we started talking about the other thing.”

I passed him my phone so he could enter the date and time, while I munched on one of the shrimp. There were crab cakes, too, and melted butter I’d kept piping hot.

I drizzled butter on one and added a smear of spicy tartar sauce before digging in.

---