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I sagged with relief. “That sounds so good. I have a lot to tell you when I get out.”
He smiled. “Me too.”
I half-heartedly dried my scalp with the hair dryer Liem and I co-owned and added a handful of leave-in conditioner to the bottom half of my hair, letting it air dry and recover from a day of being in Liem’s tight braids. I added some moisturizer to my face and examined my reflection in the mirror.
My gray eyes were bright despite their tiredness, and my freckles seemed to glisten, the cream not having absorbed into my skin yet. I debated stalling my exit from the small bathroom but didn’t want Vinh to wonder about what I was doing in here. I needed a few more months, or maybe years, before I could handle him suspecting that I used the bathroom.
During my shower, my mind had wandered to things, so I’d shaved and moisturized every inch of my skin. Just in case.
I followed his lead and dressed casually in a pair of athletic shorts and a Dragonfly Inn racerback tank top I’d treated myself to from a Gilmore Girls fan shop and stepped out of the bathroom, the steam following me.
The kitchen was spotless—Vinh obviously cleaned as he cooked—and the smell of roasted tomatoes and garlic filled the space. “That smells really good,” I commented.
He smiled over his shoulder. “I’m glad. Hopefully it’ll taste good too. If not, the dessert will save the day. Booth or deck?” he asked, a plate in each hand.
“Booth. Let’s save the deck for the mystery dessert.” I sat at the booth, and he joined me, placing a steaming sandwich in front of me.
“A caprese panini. Kind of. The tomatoes are roasted, and there’s cheese and spinach in there too, along with some basil mayo.”
My stomach rumbled loudly, but he had the decency to not draw attention to it as we both dug in, eating in companionable silence for several minutes.
I wiped my face, hoping I got all the tomato splashage, when Vinh broke the silence.
“I sold my condo.”
I jerked my head up to meet his gaze, napkin frozen against my face.
“My aunt and uncle bought it from me. They fell in love with it and didn’t want to look for anywhere else.” His gaze was intense on mine, the words sending a shiver up my spine.
I dropped my hands and the napkin along with it to my lap. “I asked Liem to be my roommate today. We’re going to look at apartments or maybe even rental houses soon.”
Vinh considered me. “You know you’re more than welcome to stay here.”
I smiled. “I do know that.”
He studied me for a minute longer, his expression unreadable. “Can I go when you start touring options?”
“I was hoping you would.”
He nodded. “Good. That sounds great, Bree.” He stood up, taking my hand to pull me out of the booth and into his body. “As long as I get to see you, I’m happy.”
“Liem seemed to think you’d react differently.”
He brought a hand to my face and traced my lips with his thumb. “I can admit that my first instinct was to find a way to keep you here, but I don’t even know for sure how long I’ll be able to stay on this boat. All I ask is that if Paul shows back up and needs it back, or a storm blows in, you guys make room for me at your new place so I can avoid the couch of doom at Mom and Dad’s.” He paused, thinking. “Though I guess Liem’s room would be open.”
His gaze was warm, and my heart squeezed for probably the thousandth time at the possibility of finally having a home of my own, somewhere where I could even offer shelter to others. I imagined mine and Liem’s tastes in decor mingling, having Jeanne over for dinner, getting a pull-out couch for Cody to crash on whenever he was back in town.
Vinh in my bed.
I needed to make room for the vision to grow. To thrive.
“You’ll always be welcome,” I assured him, smiling at the relief he tried to hide.
He kissed me softly and then grabbed a box of donuts from the counter and pulled us onto the deck. He set the box on the table and opened the top, the scent of fried dough and sugar hitting me straight in the face. I inhaled deeply, and my mouth watered as Vinh sat down and pulled me onto his lap.
I settled against his chest and smiled up at him before taking in our surroundings. The rows of casino lights and marquees were reflected on the water of the Gulf as they blotted out the stars.
His arms squeezed around me. “Pick us out a donut and tell me about your week.”
