Page 13 of Knockin' Boats
“Goat cheese? Wow, this is swanky,” Brooks’s grandma said with a chuckle.
“It’s so delicious you’ll be addicted in no time,” Cash warned. “Vera threatened to castrate me if I snuck into the kitchen to steal any more before everyone arrived.”
Skylar laughed. “We’re so lucky to have Vera.” He raised his glass of wine. “And Grandma. We’re so happy to have you officially here as part of the Swallow’s Nest family.”
The toasts continued, as did the food, but I hardly noticed. My gaze kept flitting to Ash. At my table. Withmyfriends. Eating my mother’s amazing food, which I couldn’t even properly enjoy now that he’d invaded my space.
“It’s good to see you,” he said. “Off the water, I mean.”
“I’d think you’d find all this boring. There’s no drunken sorority girls to make out with.”
“She wasn’t a sorority girl.” He sounded appalled. “She was at least as old as your girlfriend.”
Ash glanced at Poppy beside me, clearing assuming we were dating. Not even close. Poppy was aro ace, and she didn’t date anyone.
“Sorry, Dixon, but I don’t have a girlfriend here for you to steal. Poppy’s just a friend.”
Ash scoffed. “I didn’tstealMel. You were broken up.”
“Semantics,” I muttered.
“Facts.” His smile turned cocky. “I can’t help it that I’m the better man.”
“Wow. That ego isn’t getting any smaller, is it?”
“If you got it, flaunt it.”
“I’d love to flaunt my foot right up your?—”
“Okay!” Poppy interjected. “How about that goat cheese appetizer, huh? So good.”
“Almost as good as the show these two are putting on,” Cash said. “I can’t decide if I want them to punch each other or make out over the table.”
I turned disbelieving eyes on Cash. “Do you see sex everywhere you go?”
“It’s a gift,” he said with a shit-eating grin. “In fact, I have some ideas for how you guys can?—"
“No, thanks,” I said quickly, knowing all too well the way his mind worked.
“You’re no fun.”
“Let’s all just eat,” Poppy suggested. “Quietly.”
I shoved a bite of marsala chicken into my mouth to avoid saying anything else. Ash also fell silent as he finished his meal, though his eyes spoke volumes. Mainly about how he’d like to throttle me.
Well, the feeling was mutual.
As we moved on to dessert, Ash turned his attention to Skylar and Brooks. “This dinner has been so wonderful. I’d love to go tell Mrs. West how much I enjoyed it.”
“Of course,” Sky said. “I invited her to join us, but she said she was happier in the kitchen.”
Ash smiled. “I understand that feeling.”
He did? Since when was Ash interested in kitchens? He ran boats, like me. He partied with tourists. Sure, he was about to launch a food boat, but I figured it was just a new business fad.
He stood. “Do you mind if I pop into the kitchen to say hi?”
“Go ahead,” Skylar said. “We’re nearly finished here.”
