Page 31 of Bait and Switch
“I wish my mom was here to meet you,” I said, my voice trembling slightly at the end as we turned onto US-1. I had no doubt she would have seen Jasmine as a woman deserving of my heart, and I choked up at the thought.
Jasmine seemed to sense my pain and reached across to pat my knee. “Aww. I do too, babe. I know you miss her a lot.”
“Tons.” I laced my fingers through hers. “But I’m better now. We all are.” Trevor’s wedding a few months back was the first gathering that wasn’t heavy with the shadow of grief, nearly a year after we lost her. We were better, but I still couldn’t talk about losing Mom without choking up, so I shifted gears. “So, the issue with the smugglers… only Reef and Spence know.”
“You don’t have to worry about me bringing it up. I’ve gotten good at pretending it never happened,” Jasmine said casually, but her body language was anything but relaxed. She sat up straight in her seat, her nails picking at the hem of her dress, a dead giveaway.
“Also, I should tell you that Ava is bringing her friend Ted. She calls him her gay boyfriend. They’ve been besties since high school.”
“Okay, so he’s not her boyfriend. Got it.”
My gaze flitted to the rearview mirror where I saw a black Chrysler 300 passing a car in the median behind me. Lifting my foot off the gas pedal to let them pass us too, I was ready to grumble about the Miami drivers. But the 300 slowed down to fall in behind us. A chill ran up my spine. Sweat prickled my palms against the steering wheel. Was that the same car Isaw yesterday when I left the marina? I sped up to create space between us, looking up into the mirror as I answered Jasmine. “Yeah, no, they’re just friends.”
“And Trevor is the brother who just got married? What’s his wife’s name again?”
“Corinne. She’s a marine biologist. They’re expecting a baby in a couple of months, so she’s a bit larger than usual right now,” I chuckled as I checked the mirror again. The 300 was keeping a safe distance that made it difficult to see the occupants.
“Yeah, that happens,” she giggled.
“So there’s Trevor and Coulter, who are younger,” she said with a pensive squint. “And Spence, who is older.”
“Correct. And remember, Trevor’s nickname is Trouble,” I said, tickling her thigh. How seriously she was taking the prep for meeting my family was adorable.
“Because Coulter couldn’t say his name when he was born. I remember.”
“Don’t worry, babe. There won’t be a test. It’s going to be fine. Everyone is going to love you.”
“Thank you. That’s sweet.”
“How could they not?”
I watched the 300 pass us as we turned into the marina, but the lone driver—who didn’t resemble either of the guys who’d tied us up—stared straight ahead. I was just being paranoid. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched as I pulled into our lot.
Trevor was walking toward us before we were out of the Jeep. “Jasmine, this is my baby brother, Trevor, aka Trouble.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Trevor Slash Trouble.”
Corinne’s face lit in a smile as she strolled over behind Trevor.
Jasmine grinned at her baby bump. “And you must be Corinne. Congratulations.”
“You can’t miss me coming,” she said with a giggle, cupping one hand under her round belly and reaching for Jasmine with the other. “And you must be Jasmine. I’ve heard all about you.”
Jasmine smiled, shaking her hand. “Only the good parts are true.”
“We’ve only heard the good parts so far,” Corinne said, returning the smile. “I love that you’re an artist.”
I knew I’d just earned extra points for telling them about her when Jasmine glanced at me with a grin before she answered. “When I’m not bartending to pay bills…” she laughed. “But that beats full-time starving artist, I suppose.”
Trouble chimed in. “That painting that Kai bought—the one of the lighthouse—it’s really good.”
“We got married at that lighthouse a few months ago,” Corinne said, slipping her arm around his waist.
“Yes, I heard.” Jasmine lifted her hand to her chest, clearly touched by the romantic notion. Then, like an idea lightbulb, her face lit up and she turned to me with a grin. “Maybe you should give the painting to them.”
I hadn’t told her that I’d actually bought it with them in mind. “I kinda already did.”
“Oh good,” she said, looking amused.
