Page 36 of Knockin' Boats
The idea of Ash kissing me because hewantedme? No. It was impossible. Why would he? Even if he was into guys and I didn’t know it…we weren’t…
Ugh, I was so tired of thinking about it.
My cell phone rang, and I grabbed it, happy for a distraction. My brother’s name came up on the display.
“Hey, Mason,” I answered. “What’s up?”
“Just calling to check in with my favorite little brother.”
“I’m your only little brother, and I’m not so little anymore.”
“Eh, you’ll always be a little pest to me.”
I propped the phone between my shoulder and neck so I could grab an energy drink from the fridge and take a gulp. I liked coffee okay, but I didn’t want to mess with brewing a pot.
“Thanks, man. I’m touched.”
He chuckled. “So, how are things? Is Mom liking the new job?”
“Yeah, she’s in her element bossing everyone around that kitchen.
He laughed. “It must be like old times, huh?”
I sucked in a breath. Was it like old times? Yeah. I hadn’t seen Mom this happy since the grand opening of The Sage Kitchen, our family restaurant. But it alsowasn’tlike old times. How could it be, when Dad had taken off and never looked back? When Mason wasn’t there to reassure me when things got tough, but was now busy living his own life up in some bizarre Christmas town?
“Yeah.” My voice came out flat. “Something like that.”
He sighed. “Damn, sorry. I didn’t mean like?—”
“I know.” I cut him off because I didn’t want to go down that road. “Listen, I’ve got to get to work soon.”
“I guess it’s that time of year again,” he said. “Is that boating job boring you to tears yet?”
“I’m not bored.”
“Really? That wasn’t the vibe I got the last time I visited.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I liked the job fine. It paid the bills. It helped me pay for my lake toys. Hudson was a good boss, and my friends were close by. That was enough, wasn’t it?
I set the phone on my side table and hit the Speaker button so I could finish dressing for work. I had one more interview scheduled today before I went on an afternoon tour. No booze cruises, thank fuck.
“The job is fine,” I insisted.
“Fine,” he said. “Is fine all you want out of life?”
Annoyance flared. “Not everyone finds their passion in a job, Mase. I know your career has become your whole life, but that doesn’t mean I have to live that way.”
“I didn’t say you did,” he said. “Also, thanks a lot for saying I have no life outside of work.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s a little too true,” he said, tone rueful. “But you’re still important to me. You and Mom. You’re my family.”
“I know. I didn’t mean it that way.”
Mason got into nonprofit work, and he really did love it. I envied that a little. I certainly didn’t blame him for building his own life. Did it suck that it took him farther and farther away as he worked in Branson, then St. Louis, and then Christmas Falls? Sure. But he came back for the winter holidays, as well as a weekend in the fall to catch my birthday.
He was a good brother.
