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Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Ash

Sunlight cut through the window above our heads. I blinked and shifted, body humming with satisfaction as I woke. I'd slept really good.

I stretched with a happy sigh, and my arm bumped into Sawyer's shoulder. He snorted and shifted away, still fast asleep.

Right. He'd spent the night. My heart quickened. After I'd fucked him. After we'd said we loved each other.

That wasn't a dream, right?

I rolled to my side and pressed up against his back. "You alive?"

He grunted.

I pressed kisses across his upper back, then nuzzled into his neck. "You passed out last night."

"Mm."

I slipped an arm over him, drawing my fingers down his chest. "Was I too much for you to handle?"

I froze with my hand on his stomach. "Or maybe—maybe all the love stuff was?—"

Sawyer rolled over and covered my body with his. He clasped his hands around my wrists, pressing them above my head.

"I can handle anything you throw at me."

His hair was sticking up on one side and plastered flat on the other, and he had a crease running down his right cheek.

But he was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen.

His eyes gleamed as he leaned in to nip at my throat. "As for all the love stuff…"

"Y-yeah?" I asked, voice stuttering as he moved his lips down my chest.

"Let me show you how much."

Then he was slipping beneath the sheets, parting my legs, and putting his mouth to very good use.

"You really do love me," I teased when he resurfaced.

He grinned sheepishly. "I didn't get much chance to show you last night. You spoiled me too good."

I smoothed his hair back from his face and kissed him, tasting the bitter flavor of my pleasure on his tongue. "It's impossible to spoil you too much." I paused. "Plus, you let me fuck you."

He snorted. " Let you. Like I wasn't dying to have you inside me."

I smiled cockily. "Dying, huh?"

To my surprise, he didn't take the bait. He held my gaze. "Yeah, Ash. I needed you."

His honesty was too much. My eyes burned. "I want to be everything you need."

"You are."

I drew him in for a longer kiss, then flipped us over. "My turn to show you."

It took us a while to make it out of bed, but eventually we had to get ready for work. We showered separately, and Sawyer drove us back to the resort. I thought he might drop me off and head home for a few hours. After his late night, he was surely due a break, but he grimaced as we pulled up alongside the dock.

"I should check in with Hudson. He'll need to know about everything he missed. I just wish I had more good news to share."

"You did a great job while he was gone, Sawyer. That accident wasn't your fault."

"I know."

I used a boat hook to snag a rope along the dock, and Sawyer cut the motor. Once we'd secured it at the dock, we started toward the resort.

I expected Sawyer to peel off left toward the Swallow Adventures offices, but instead, he reached for my hand.

"Okay if I come to the kitchen to grab some coffee before I talk to Hudson?"

"Yeah, of course."

He squeezed my hand. "And maybe…I could tell my mom? About us?"

I sucked in a breath. "Really?"

"If you're okay with that," he said in a cautious voice.

I tugged us to a stop and grasped his face. "Sawyer, I am okay with anyone and everyone knowing about us. I…I might have told Rick that you were my boyfriend last night." His eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that without checking. He was just making me so angry, and I spoke without thinking and?—"

Sawyer kissed me. Right there on the dock. In plain sight of the resort. He kissed me softly. Sweetly. So differently from the first time he'd put his mouth on mine.

But just like that day, my heart went haywire. This kiss was just as cataclysmic. Maybe even more. Because Sawyer wasn't kissing me out of frustration or anger—or even confused desire.

He was kissing me with love.

"Call me boyfriend anytime you want." He paused. "But let me tell my mom before we tell anyone else. Or I'll really be in trouble."

"Too late," Brooks said with a chuckle.

We spun to see him and his adorable grandmother out for a morning stroll.

"I'll keep your secret for another minute or two," Brooks said. "I don't know if you can trust Grandma though. So, you better hurry."

Grandma Kitty slapped his arm. "Oh, Brooks, don't tease them!"

He grinned. "But it's so much fun."

"You just like not being in the hot seat for a change," Sawyer said.

"Damn right." He winced. "Sorry, Grandma."

Kitty's eyes twinkled. "You've got nothing on the old gals at Silver Cove Assisted Living. Don't you worry."

I grinned. "They're a racy bunch, huh?"

Kitty giggled, cheeks coloring. "I couldn't even repeat some of the things they say." She shook her head. "You should have heard them after they saw Brooks and Skylar together. My, my. I had to threaten to reveal all their secrets if they ever put those images in my head again."

Brooks cringed, face going red. Oh, this was good. Brooks was so self-assured that I'd never seen him squirm. Even when I'd run a sunset dinner cruise where Brooks took Skylar on a romantic date, he'd had an aura of confidence about him.

Like he knew he was in the right place with the right man.

Sawyer laughed at Brooks's embarrassment. "Oh, man. I'm dying to know what they said."

"Well," Kitty started.

Brooks hurriedly cut in. "We should finish our walk if we want to have breakfast with Skylar before he gets too busy."

Kitty smiled. "Yes, let's do that. I was talking to Chester yesterday, and he had the funniest story about the Hookers' Hole."

Brooks groaned. "Not Chester again."

"He's a sweet gentleman."

Brooks looked skyward, as if seeking answers out of his grasp. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Kitty chuckled and shook her head. "Young people are so dramatic. If a lady likes a gentleman, and he likes a lady, then it's really quite simple. There's no need for all this hemming and hawing around." She paused. "Or if a gentleman likes a gentleman," she added. "Get on with it, I say. Be happy."

"Good advice, Grandma," Sawyer said, smirking as Brooks shot him a glare. "You have a nice morning."

"You too. Both of you." She patted my arm. "Be happy."

They walked on, and Sawyer squeezed my hand. "Well, you heard the woman. We should be happy."

"Yes, we're only doing what Grandma Kitty advises. She's wise."

"She is," Sawyer said thoughtfully before raising our linked hands to kiss my knuckles. "Come on. Let's tell Mom now before someone else figures it out."

I laughed as he broke into a fast walk toward the staff entrance. "You never know who else we might bump into," he said. "If Mom is the last to know, she'll kill me."

"We can't have that," I agreed with a chuckle. "I just got you."

We made it to the kitchen without running into any nosy friends or neighbors. When we burst into the kitchen, still holding hands and grinning like idiots, Vera took one look at us and said, "About time."

"What?" Sawyer exclaimed, eyes wide.

"You two finally got your heads out of your asses and figured out you're in love."

Sawyer sputtered. "Mom! How did— We didn't even?—"

"Yes," I said calmly. "I love him."

Vera smiled wide and swooped me into a hug. "Welcome back, Ashton. You make sure he treats you right. If he doesn't, you let me know."

" Mom !" Sawyer said indignantly. "Shouldn't you be telling him to treat your son right?"

Vera pulled back with an indulgent smile. "I already know he will."

"I knew you always liked him more than me," Sawyer grumbled.

"If I like him, it's because I've always known he loved you. For a long time, if I'm not mistaken."

My throat tightened. "I didn't know at first. Not…not for sure. Not really."

She nodded, eyes softening. "You both had to grow up. It's okay, Ash. Sometimes timing is everything."

"But you know what I did," I said quietly, shame slithering through my gut. "I messed everything up."

Sawyer slipped his arm over my shoulders. Tugged me closer. "That's in the past. No more of that."

He kissed my cheek.

Vera smiled. "That's right. I think you've more than made amends for that mistake. My son didn't exactly go easy on you for it."

"I deserved it."

She hummed, as if she didn't entirely agree. But all she said was, "Well, I hope you both give each other the love you deserve now. If you want a future together, you'll have to let those old regrets go."

"They're gone," Sawyer said confidently.

I couldn't quite say the same. Sawyer may have forgiven me for blowing up our friendship, but I hadn't quite forgiven myself. I wasn't sure if I ever could.

But I'd use every day I had to make it up to him. To give him the love he deserved, just as Vera said.

The door banged open and Charity strolled in. "What did I miss?"

"Just your boss canoodling with my son," Vera said, tsking. "Not very professional."

Sawyer groaned. " Mom ."

I could tell that she loved needling him. Sawyer turned pink, and it was freaking adorable.

"Oh, well I've known that for ages," Charity said. "These two have ridiculous heart eyes for each other." Her lips quirked. "Among other things. The popsicle innuendo was a little OTT, but?—"

Vera whirled away hastily, apparently not interested in listening to stories about our actual canoodling. "All right, everyone, we've got work to do. Enough gossip about my boys."

Her boys. Because I was one of them again. My chest grew tight, and Sawyer squeezed my hand, smiling over at me. "Welcome to the family. I think you're going to be her favorite."

I grinned. "Well, don't worry, you'll always be my favorite."

Sawyer smiled at me, so open and happy, eyes so soft, that I could live in this moment forever.

Which is when an oven mitt hit me in the head.

"Come on, boss. We've got work to do!"

I sighed. "Duty calls."

"Mm-hmm. You hate it so much," Sawyer teased.

"Right now I do." I leaned in for one last quick kiss, then turned to Charity with narrowed eyes. "Since you're enjoying calling me boss, you can cut all the onions today."

"But, Ash, they make me cry."

"I know," I said with an evil chuckle.

Sawyer made a beeline for the coffeepot in the corner that fueled the kitchen staff at all hours and filled a to-go cup, then blew me a kiss on his way out the door.

"You see where his mother ranks? Not even a goodbye." Vera sniffed as if she was hurt, but it was all for show.

I rolled out my knives, pulled on plastic gloves, and got my prep station ready for another day on the food boat.

"You were the first person he wanted to tell about us," I said. "I'd say you rank pretty high in his life."

Vera chuckled. "I suppose that counts for something." She cast me a glare. "Even if it did take you two far too long to tell me you were involved."

I winced. "But we only became official last night."

"Hmm. Town gossip says otherwise."

"What?"

"Heard you were awfully cozy at Tastes Like Grandma's the other day." She clucked and went back to her menu planning, bending to say something to her sous chef, but she shot me a cheeky grin, so I figured she was just needling me now.

My chest warmed. I could get used to her good-natured teasing if it meant I was part of the family again.

Charity emerged from the pantry, her phone in her hand. "Ash, did you see this?"

"You're supposed to be getting onions. Don't think you can distract me from your punish— what the fuck? "

Charity shoved the phone in front of my face. The screen was open to Google reviews for Master Bites, and there were six new reviews.

All 1 star. All anonymous.

All variations of the same statement:

Terrible service. Food made me sick.

It looked so good, but it wasn't clean at all.

Never going back after hours on the toilet.

Serving food on a lake? Not a good idea!

This place needs to be shut down.

Owner was rude and ungrateful.

" Ungrateful," I mumbled. "That doesn't even—" I sucked in a breath. "He didn't. That motherfucker."

"Ash?" Charity asked, eyes worried. "What's going on? Someone is obviously review bombing us."

"Not us," I said grimly. "Me. He's review bombing me." I met her gaze. "It's my stepdad."

Her eyes went wide. " What? Why would he do such a terrible thing?"

"Because he's a terrible human being," I said, bile rising in my throat. "If he can't control me, then he wants to ruin me. Or at least twist my arm enough I'll give in to him."

"You're not going to, right?"

"No." I glared at the phone screen. "If it's war he wants, then it's war he'll get."

Vera joined us. "What's going on?"

I reluctantly tilted the screen toward her. "It's my stepdad. I'm sure of it. We got into it last night. I'm so sorry. I know this reflects on the resort too."

She pursed her lips as she read over the reviews. "We can report these reviews and get them taken down. They're anonymous and all posted within an hour. It's obviously abuse."

"Maybe. But that will take time, and while they're up, they're doing damage."

She nodded. "Then I best get cracking on reporting them."

I nodded. "I've got to go talk to Sawyer. Warn him. This concerns him too."

"Okay," she said. "You go. We'll take care of your prep, right, Charity?"

"Yes, of course. Do what you need to do."

"Thanks." I reached the door and whirled back. "Don't forget to prep those onions."

"You're cruel," she joked, but none of her usual lightness infused her tone.

"Not yet," I said grimly, "but Rick is about to fuck around and find out."

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