Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Ash

"Hey, y'all!" I powered Master Bites toward a ski boat holding a small group out for a day of fun on the lake. "If you get hungry later, I'm serving on the lake!"

They all squinted in my direction. The sun was bright, and even this early, I could tell it was going to be a Goldilocks day. One of those rare times when it wasn't too cold, wasn't too warm, but was just right.

"Serving what?" a sporty-looking guy in board shorts called.

"Serving food so you don't have to haul your ass back to the dock!"

They all laughed and promised to check it out. Would they? I didn't know. But I figured on this first day, I should tell people I existed if I wanted to get any business.

I drove on, making a circuit of the Swallow Cove area. I didn't want to go too far afield or the boaters weren't likely to make the trek over, but I hit the marina and some of the more popular areas for water sports and fishing.

"I'll be serving food on the lake today!" I called to a group kicked back and looking as if they had no plans other than cruising and working their way through a cooler of beer. "When you get the munchies, come find me down on the south end by the resort!"

"Master Bites ," I heard one of the guys say with a laugh. "Nice."

The woman at his side lifted her sunglasses as she looked me over. "I'd take a bite out of him."

I turned on the charm I'd used so many times on the DreamBoat tours and beamed them a megawatt smile. If my pretty face got a few more customers, then I was happy to use it to my advantage.

"You can sure try, darlin'. But you might enjoy my food more."

She laughed. "I'll have to sample both."

Yeah, that wasn't happening. I might flirt for business, but that was as far as it was going. I drove on before shit got awkward. Now that I wasn't with DreamBoats, I wasn't going to shake my ass for good reviews.

I spent an hour making the rounds—and thankfully everyone else was friendly but chill—before anchoring in a spot a few hundred feet from the resort. There wasn't a lot of traffic here, but it was visible from several angles.

I could see the resort docks and lake access called Weekend Hookers' Fishing Hole—I'd have to get the story behind why Skylar had named it that—as well as the RV park with its boat ramp. A catamaran houseboat bobbed off to the east, and I could just make out the name on the side of it: Over 8 Inches.

There were a few other areas of the lake I wanted to test out this summer, but for this first day, I'd decided to set up shop within view of the resort. The more I emphasized our connection, the better for both of us.

My phone buzzed just as I ducked into the kitchen to get to work.

Mel:

Good luck today! You'll kill it out there.

Ash:

Hopefully my food doesn't kill them!

Mel:

Nah, you're a rockstar. You got this!

I smiled down at the phone, heart skipping with excitement. This was it. My dream. At least, the start of it.

You made it, Ash. Now, it's time to make it happen.

I washed my hands, pulled on my plastic food prep gloves, and cranked up the grill and the fryer—so the oil would be nice and hot for serving. I'd test out both with a couple of menu items to make sure they cooked how I wanted.

As a bonus, I'd get to eat them. I was already starving.

But first, I piled the mangos I needed for a fresh salsa onto my small workspace. I'd prepped a lot of the other foods in the resort kitchen the day before, then spent this morning hauling everything out to the boat.

But I'd quickly learned I'd overestimated my refrigeration and storage space. I'd had to fill two coolers with ice to accommodate the beverages and fruit popsicles, and I had two boxes of dry ingredients sitting on the floor because I didn't have anywhere to put them.

This was not like working in my parents' expansive kitchen.

While I sliced mangos, a bead of sweat formed on the back of my neck and trickled down my spine.

Damn .

It had taken no more than ten minutes for the boat to get hot as fuck. The kitchen had to be enclosed for sanitation, and I hadn't thought to bring a fan.

And if the heat was bad today, it was going to be brutal as the summer heated up.

I grabbed a chunk of ice and tossed it down the back of my shirt. If that didn't help, I might have to jump in the lake between customers.

Assuming there were any customers.

Ten minutes later, the toot-toot of a little boat horn came from outside.

"Hey!" someone called. "How do we do this?"

Yes. I got a customer!

I whipped open the serving window, grateful for the gust of fresh air. "Hey, y'all. Just tell me what you want off the menu."

"We just use the QR code on the side of the boat?"

"Yep! Or, I've got—oh, shoot. Knew I forgot something. Hold that thought!"

I took off for the stern and grabbed the posterboard menu I'd painstakingly written out this morning.

There wasn't a super easy way to put out a menu—especially one changing frequently—but I'd figured out a way to attach it to the back of the enclosed cabin for anyone who might not have a phone with them.

I got it up, then returned to the window. "Sorry about that! What can I get you?"

I got three orders for tacos, which was a little disappointing because it only required a little reheating and assembly, but I'd intentionally kept the menu simpler until I got used to the kitchen.

I layered chicken, then chipotle sauce, then the slaw and fresh mango salsa. I bagged up their food and handed it out through the window.

"Enjoy!" I said. "And please tell your friends."

"We will! This is such an awesome idea."

I grinned. "We have changing specials every week. Make sure you check back."

I went out to the stern as they sped off, lounging on the back of the boat where I could enjoy the fresh breeze. There wasn't another boat in sight. It was likely to be a slow day considering most folks didn't even know my food boat existed yet.

Still, it'd be a shame to waste the mango salsa, since it wouldn't keep another day. Maybe Vera could put it to use in the dinner service at the restaurant. We'd have to discuss that option because?—

Whoa. Hold that thought.

A Swallow Adventures cruiser headed my way, and it was packed with people. My gut clenched and butterflies took off as I strained to see who was at the helm.

The driver of the boat finally raised his head and?—

Not Sawyer.

I exhaled, the fluttering nerves in my stomach settling. But with them was a sinking sensation.

I hadn't seen Sawyer since the kiss. Probably a good thing. He probably hated me even more. But…I wanted to see him.

Just to air out the bad juju, as Mel would say. Not because I missed him, or because I wanted to kiss him again. There was just this gray cloud hanging over me—and it would continue to hang there—until I saw him again.

He could yell at me. Punch me. Anything would be better than the fear that he'd never look my way again.

"Hey, Ash," Hudson called. "You got enough food for this hangry mob?"

I pushed aside my worries about Sawyer for another time and grinned down at the ten people crammed into Hudson's boat tour.

"Family reunion?" I guessed, taking note of older adults, teenagers, and young kids.

"Yep!" a silver-haired woman called. "We all managed to get together for the first time in two years."

"Well, not to worry, I've got more than enough food—and I promise it'll be better than Great-Aunt Agnes's ambrosia salad!"

There was a titter of laughter followed by a little voice that said, "Do we have an Aunt Agnes?"

At the same time, one of the teens said, "Ugh, I hate that weird stuff!"

"Not to worry. It's not on the menu." I pointed toward the menu on the stern of the boat. "Just let me know when you've decided what you want."

I didn't know what they'd want, but with a group so large, I decided to hedge my bets. I hurried inside and threw a batch of sweet potato fries into one fryer basket and lobster-and-mac bites into the other.

The next twenty minutes passed in a blur. Hudson placed their order via the app, which was my only saving grace because I could refer back to it and ensure I wasn't forgetting anything.

I grilled shrimp for the seafood tacos, crab patties for the sliders, and used up all the mango salsa I'd prepped in one go. It was daunting, juggling so many orders at once, and my sympathy went out to all the short-order cooks.

The rest of the day was slower, and I was more than okay with it. Better to take the small win than be totally overwhelmed with business right out of the gate.

I ate lunch and took a dip in the lake, then served a couple of smaller groups in the late afternoon before returning to the resort at dusk.

I scanned the docks for Sawyer, but there was still no sign of him. I reminded myself that was a good thing.

Hudson came over to help me tie up the boat.

"Good first day?"

"Yeah." I tossed the rope to him so he could tie the boat in place. "A little slow, but no food disasters. I even managed to use the fresh ingredients that won't keep."

"Sounds about as good as you can get on a first day."

I nodded. "I've got a ton of stuff to haul to Vera's kitchen though."

"I'll help you."

"No Sawyer today?" The words were out before I could stop them. I scanned the Swallow Adventures cruisers, as if he'd suddenly pop out of one.

"He just left on a sunset cruise."

"Oh." I nodded, eyes still on the docks. "That's…"

Wait a second. The yacht was gone.

"Ash?" Hudson prompted. "You okay?"

"Where's my boat? I left it here this morning."

He winced. "Your stepdad came by to collect it. He said you knew. I figured he'd come back for you later."

Son of a bitch. I should have known Rick wouldn't let me get away with taking the boat all day twice in a row. When was he going to leave town already?

I dug into my pocket for my phone, and sure enough, there was a text message.

Rick:

Took MY boat back. What the hell are you thinking, taking it all day?

Rick:

Find your own way home.

"Fuck," I muttered.

"Everything okay?" Hudson asked, brow creased.

I grimaced. "Eh, well, Rick is pissed I took the boat, but if I hustle, I can grab a taxi."

"I'll give you a ride home," Hudson said.

"But you usually leave by now."

"I'll call Fisher. He'll understand."

Hudson helped me haul everything to the kitchen for safekeeping overnight. The refrigeration ran off the boat's battery power, so I didn't want to chance using it when the boat wasn't running.

Then we headed over to Hudson's boat.

Rick had throttled my high from a successful day, and now my head throbbed with a stress headache.

And the more I thought about dealing with Rick when he was in a confrontational mood, the worse it got.

"Ash, you don't look so good," Hudson said.

"It's just been a long day." I tried to ignore the throb behind my eyes. "I really need to find a place over in Swallow Cove."

"If you've got transportation problems, that's definitely a good idea."

"Sorry about this again. I had no idea Rick was going to pull this crap or I'd have made better arrangements from the start. He's not happy I quit the DreamBoats, so…"

"You're living with him?"

"Just for now," I said quickly.

Hudson tugged at his beard. "Hmm."

We reached the dock and I directed him toward my house. Had it really just been twenty-four hours since I'd kissed Sawyer by this dock? It felt more like a month. Or maybe a year.

"Listen, Ash," Hudson said. "You may not be interested, but I've got a houseboat."

"Yeah?" I asked, trying not to get my hopes up.

"It's just sitting empty. I was thinking of renting it. Hadn't gotten around to it. If you wanted?—"

"Fuck yes."

He chuckled. "You haven't even heard the terms."

"I don't care what they are," I said. "Even if it's just for a few days until I can find a different place…"

"Sure. Stay as long as you like. I can take you over tonight, or if you want to think about it more?—"

"No," I said quickly. "Now is good."

If I could avoid Rick's bullshit and get my own place closer to work, there was nothing to think about.

I sent a text to Mel as I packed a few bags to take with me.

Ash:

Found a houseboat. I'm moving out.

Mel:

About damn time. Need help moving?

Ash:

Just grabbing a few things for now. I'll need some help to get the rest later.

Mel:

Just let me know when.

I was leaving my family home, leaving my town , to stay by myself in the middle of the lake—but knowing Mel would always have my back, that she'd be there when I needed support, no questions asked, made it an easier step to take.