Page 106 of Knockin' Boats
He was jealous Hudson had relied on me. Resentful he wasn’t calling the shots with his seniority. But he was also hurting and needed help. Maybe I’d done my small part to get him back on the right track.
I hoped so. Because I’d fire him if I had to, but helping him would feel a whole lot better.
The sky had deepened to a velvety purple by the time I readied my boat to head home. It was damn near nine p.m. at this point, but I’d eaten before I’d headed to Heath’s, and Ash was at his mom’s birthday party, so there was no reason to hurry home.
It had never bothered me before, but now I was reluctant to drag my ass into my empty bed.
Cash jogged up as I untied the ropes looped around the pylons on the dock.
“Hey, can I catch a ride with you?”
“Sure.” I climbed aboard and gave him a hand up. “You going home or…”
“Yeah, but you can just drop me at the RV park. I’ll walk from there.”
“You sure?” I took a seat at the wheel, and Cash dropped down in the co-captain’s chair at my side. “I can swing by the marina.”
“Nah. I’ll be too tempted to go to The Rusty Hook if you do that. Anything to avoid…”
He trailed off, but I knew what he wasn’t saying. He hated going home when his dad was on a bender. They butted heads, big time.
“When are you going to get out of that situation?” I asked. “It’s not healthy.”
“When it doesn’t mean leaving Katelynn with him.”
“Your sister isn’t alone, you know. She has your mom.”
Cash sent me a desolate look. “I know, but Mom’s got a lot on her plate.”
I winced. “Yeah.”
His mom worked full-time for a cleaning service—and sometimes she picked up extra shifts on nights and weekends. Even with Cash contributing rent, money was tight in the Hicks household.
“A walk will do me good.” His grin stretched tight. “I need to get my head on straight or it’ll be a shitshow when I get home.”
I was pretty sure it would be a shitshow either way, but Cash didn’t need to hear that. I eased out of dock and hooked around a curve of land to angle toward the LandShark RV docks.
After we secured the boat, Cash took off down a walking trail that would lead him inland, and I took a shortcut across the middle of the park.
I spotted a figure sitting in a lounger chair in front of my camper.
Not Shua.
Ash.
My heart quickened along with my pace.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
Ash pushed to his feet and tucked his hands into his pockets. He wasn’t wearing the board shorts and tank I’d gotten used to seeing, but a pair of Dockers and a polo.
I almost forgot how damn preppy he looked sometimes.
“Hey,” he said. “I know it’s late. You up for some company?”
I flicked his collar. “I don’t know, rich boy. You sure you want to slum it around here?”
“What, this?” He tugged the polo over his head, baring his chest. “How about now? Can I pass as backwoods Ozarkian?”
