Page 19 of Just One Chance
“And I’m just supposed to . . .” David felt panic rising in his throat and he swallowed it down. The panic, not the oyster. He still wasn’t sure he’d be able to managethat.
“Slurp it down,” Avery said. “Except, wait.” She picked up a little tiny fork off the tray. “It’s easier if you loosen it from the shell first. That way, it falls right into your mouth.” She stuck the fork under the oyster, wiggling it gently until the mass slid forward just slightly.
David held the oyster in his hand but made no move to lift it to his mouth.
“Come on!” Avery said, bouncing on her toes. “Shake it a little, then take it all in at once.”
He held the oyster to his lips but hesitated. “I don’t know if I can do it,” he said, legit fear in his voice.
Avery laughed. “Come on!” she said again. “Trust the flavor explosion. Ipromiseyou’ll love it.”
Gathering his nerves, he tilted the oyster into his mouth and slurped.
It actuallydidfeel like a flavor explosion in his mouth. The salt of the oyster and the bite of the cocktail sauce and the smooth nutty flavor of the olive oil combined into something that actually tasted...good. He chewed and swallowed, then met Avery’s gaze, his eyes wide. “That was amazing.”
She held her hands up in victory. “See? I told you!”
“I mean, the texture is a little weird. But it’s totally worth it.”
“You get used to the texture,” Avery said. “Some people eat them with crackers so they have something to crunch, but I think the crackers dilute the flavor. This is the best way.”
“I trust you,” David said, surprised by how much he actually meant what he said. “Can I have another one?”
They stood on the back porch, laughing and talking as they shucked the rest of the oysters, then they took them inside where the conversation continued as they ate, right down to the very last oyster.
“The last one is yours,” Avery said. “You’re the guest.”
David shook his head. “But you’re the chef. You deserve it.”
“I’m pretty sure God was the chef of these. I can’t take the credit.”
David dressed the oyster, then handed it to her. “You at least get the credit for convincing me to try them. I’m officially converted.”
Avery grinned, then ate the last oyster, dropping the shell back onto the plate. “Get a little sun on those shoulders and we might make you a South Carolina boy yet.”
“I think I need to make it through my first hurricane before I can take that title,” David said with a roll of his eyes. “Get over my need to board up the windows when the first cloud blows in.”
Avery laughed and adrenaline surged through David’s veins. Knowing he’d caused that sound was the best kind of natural high.
“But you were so cute trying to board up your windows.”
“Very funny,” David said. Something crackled in the air between them. At least, David felt like something did, though he was far from an expert. But there was something about the way Avery looked at him, about the awareness in her gaze, that made him wonder. Did she sense it too? As far as he was concerned, everything about Avery felt both incredible and impossible all at the same time. He was afraid to look away, mostly because he couldn’t believe she was there, withhim,in the first place.
An image of Tucker, his arms wrapped around Avery, flashed through his mind.
StupidTucker.
David pushed himself up from the table with enough force that his chair tipped backward, clattering to the kitchen floor.
Avery looked at him in surprise. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat, trying to cover his discomfort. Stupid Tucker? No. Stupid ego—his ego—was likely more appropriate. He ran a hand across his jaw. “Want to go for a walk?”
Avery raised her eyebrows. “There’s more food. I baked some halibut. And then there’s dessert.”
“Oh, right. Of course there is. Sorry.” He moved to sit back down, but Avery stilled him with a hand on his arm.
“Let’s take a walk first,” she said. “You look like you could use some air. And the food will keep.”
