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“Bree?” Vinh asked softly, eyes fixed on me as he took the towel from his shoulder and wiped his hands. “What’s wrong? Is it your grandma?” He stepped in front of me and tapped my elbow softly. “Tell me.”
“No. Umm… no. Yeah, I’m okay, and I think she will be too. It was just a long night.” I glanced at Liem, who was leaning against the deck’s doorway, his lips pressed together as if he was trying his best not to pipe in.
Or laugh.
I narrowed my eyes at him slightly before smoothing my expression and turning back to Vinh. “I ran into this one”—I inclined my head toward Liem—“when I stopped at Caffeina on my way out. He mentioned breakfast on a boat and picked me up like a stray. I hope that’s okay?”
Vinh gave me a quick once-over—the opposite of the inappropriate ogling of him I’d partaken in just moments ago—and smiled. “It’s more than okay, Bree. I hope you like eggs Benedict that is barely eggs Benedict.” He turned to his brother, his smile dimming as he inspected him. “Why are you flushed?”
To Vinh’s credit, he made no comment about the Fortuna-branded ladies golf visor his brother was wearing.
“Malachi,” Liem answered.
I dragged my gaze from Vinh’s lips and narrowed it again on Liem. He was flushed. “Is someone here bothering you? Is that why you pointed out the boat and told me to go ahead?” My hackles were instantly raised at the idea.
Liem straightened, eyes going wide. “Oh no, it’s not like that. I’m just a little… banned. From certain places. At certain times. Like the morning. And near fishing boats.”
“I’m—” I pressed my lips together and didn’t even attempt to fill in those blanks myself. “I’m going to need more than that.”
“Pffff,” Vinh sighed, bracing his hands on the kitchen countertop, his forearms flexing. “Long story short, Liem tried to release someone’s hauls back into the Gulf. He is not welcome—” He gestured vaguely toward the nearest docks, where I knew a bunch of local restaurants sourced their seafood. “—at those particular docks anymore. Malachi is the one who caught him.”
I nodded in nearly slow motion. “Oh.”
Vinh nodded along as if communicating that he too had no more words for it.
“That’s why I stayed back. I had to do a little hidey-loo.”
A lull in conversation followed that statement, and I used that time to check out more of the boat.
Until my gaze snagged on the egg splattered on the floor and raw embarrassment filled my veins. “Oh crap! Let me clean that up. I’m so sorry about that.” I scrambled for the roll of paper towels on the countertop.
“Nope. No.” Vinh stepped into my path with his hands raised in front of him, bringing me to a halt. “I’ve got it covered. Go sit on the deck with Liem, and I’ll be out with our plates in just a minute.”
“You’re sure?” I asked his big, beautiful hands, following their movement as he brought them behind his back to undo his apron.
“More than,” he responded before pulling the apron’s neck strap over his head.
Apparently, the only thing more enticing than Vinh wearing an apron was Vinh removing his apron. I tore my eyes away and swallowed roughly, and in an attempt to avoid yet another embarrassment, escorted myself to the front deck.
Liem moved aside as I barreled past, his mouth firmly shut as if he was doing all he could to not laugh at me, a barely audible huff of air exiting his nostrils as he followed me out.
I did not appreciate it.
“Not a word,” I hissed at him as I picked up my nearly forgotten latte. I took a seat in a weathered patio chair and tipped my head back, lifting my face to the beautiful October sky.
“Whatever you’re doing, it isn’t working.”
“Is that a catchy tagline for my life? If so, you’ve maybe nailed it.”
Liem’s chair creaked as he leaned forward. I squinted at him and his cheeky smile as he whispered conspiratorially, “I meant whatever you’re doing to try to get the color of your face back to normal.”
I closed my eyes again and turned away with a huff. “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.”
It didn’t make sense, but it’s the best comeback my sleep-deprived brain could muster.
“I’d say something about you is we–”
I shot up and pushed his shoulder before he could finish that statement. “Vulgar. Remind me to never, ever be caught in the same room as you and Cody.”
