Page 3 of Knockin' Boats
Swallow’s Nest was due to open next week—so hopefully we’d be running cruises that started and ended there soon—but until then we had to pick up and drop off tourists, especially the boozy ones, at various locales around the lake.
The business professionals tumbled out after I’d tied the boat in place, looking a little worse for wear after a night of drinking.
“When did I get old?” Sandra, a forty-something woman, asked me as she staggered from the boat to the deck, a deathly tight grip on my arm to maintain her balance.
“Old? You don’t look a day over twenty.”
She belted out a throaty laugh. “All right, darlin.’ Now, you get a tip.”
She dug into her large purse and extracted a twenty.
“Thanks,” I said, always feeling a little awkward about this portion of the business.
Tips weren’t expected, necessarily, but when someone offered, we took them.
Next, I helped Carlos, a slender man with the kind of sculpted eyebrows that made me suspect he might get along with some of my queer friends. Not that I had the gaydar to tell for sure.
“Mm, that other boater was a realdreamboat, huh?” he teased as I helped him onto the deck.
Okay, my gaydar wasn’t so bad that I wouldn’t recognize that tone.
“More like a pain in my ass,” I grumbled.
His tone turned flirty. “Aw, don’t worry, you’re awfully cute too.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I said shortly, scowling at the thought of the kiss Ash exchanged with that woman, annoyed all over again.
Carlos tensed, the playful smile slipping from his face. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It was just a joke. I didn’t mean?—”
He tried to step away from me too quickly and stumbled on the dock.
“Whoa, it’s okay,” I said quickly, grasping his arm to steady him. “You’re safe with me.”
His eyes were wide and wary.
Shit. Sometimes I forgot the world was a crappy place outside of my little social bubble. Especially in the Ozarks, which was still conservative country.
“Carlos, are you okay?” one of the other women called from the boat.
He drew a breath and steadied himself. “Fine!” he called. “Just clumsy! You know me.”
She laughed.
Seeing his fear, then the instinct to hide it, made my gut twist uncomfortably.
“Sorry. I’m a grumpy ass tonight, but it’s not about you. Ash annoyed me.”
“Okay,” he said.
“Seriously, man. Call me cute anytime you like.” I summoned up my best smile, and I was sure it was shit, but Carlos chuckled, some of the tension flowing from him.
“Well, if you want to make Ash jealous…”
“No, no.” I laughed. “He’s a douche, that’s all. I’m straight.”
“Okay.” He flashed me a small smile. “Well, it’s good to see that there’s a few open-minded straights even in a backwoods place like this.”
“You’d be surprised,” I said with a chuckle. “Where did you travel from?”
