Page 47 of Knockin' Boats
Despite the mess of the kitchen, everything was precisely where Ash said, and I got to work.
Behind me, he muttered, “Okay, no souffles. No fryer baskets until I can clean them. So…”
“Turn some of this slaw topping into coleslaw or something,” I said. “There’s no time for cooking.”
Ash blinked. “Yeah, not a bad idea.”
He turned and started whisking mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and a few spices together, then dumped some slaw into it with a quick stir.
“I could make it a lot better with more time?—”
I grabbed the fork he’d used to stir it together and tasted it. “Mm. Damn. If it got any better, I’d worry for my mom’s job.”
Ash looked shocked, and I quickly turned away. “Not that she’deverbe in a mess like this one.”
“No kidding,” he grumbled.
We finished the order together—me mostly playing gopher while Ash improvised on his menu. When it was finished, Ash shoved the bag out of the order window. “Here you go.”
“Finally,” the guy said as he took it. “Dude, your stepdad was right. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
“Yeah, thanks,” he said flatly.
The next boat was ours. Gray slowly eased up in front of the order window. Beside me, Ash was vibrating with tension. His face was still red from his embarrassing encounter, and his jaw looked tight enough to crack a tooth.
I gently nudged him aside and leaned out the window. “Hey, y’all. Thanks for your patience.”
The two couples beamed up at me. “It’s a beautiful day out. There’s no rush to get anywhere.”
“What would you like? Keep in mind, we’re out of fried food, so it’ll have to be something grilled or fresh.”
Paul nodded. “I think those jerk chicken tacos look good.”
“Ooh, and I want the bacon-wrapped scallops. That sounds amazing!”
They happily placed an order that didn’t require any frying. When I turned from the window, Ash was already pulling ingredients from the refrigerator.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yep.” He placed four scallops and two slices of bacon on the grill. “I can take it from here.”
“Maybe all this is too much for?—”
“Don’t say it,” he warned sharply. “It’s not too much for me.”
“I was going to say, too much for just one person.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “In fact, why don’t you show yourself out? I’ve got a handle on this. You don’t have to worry about me embarrassing your mom.”
I opened my mouth to apologize. It had been thoughtless to say that when Ash was under so much pressure. I might not like the guy, he might have broken my trust when we were teens, riled me up more times than I could count, and confused the fuck out of me with that kiss, but he was working a lot harder than I expected.
Kind of ironic that his stepdad’s attempt to send him business had overwhelmed him. What happened once the season was in full swing?
Ash might not think he needed help, but he obviously did.
And what kind of resort employee would I be if I didn’t tell Skylar that Ash needed an assistant if they didn’t want Master Bites to sink before it could swim?
CHAPTER 12
