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Now that we’re finished eating, I pack up the empty plates and used napkins and close the basket.
“I guess that was a really long-winded way to answer your question. I don’t have any ill will toward my parents, but they’re still stuck in that same rut of poverty, and I just can’t do it. I can’t live like that, and I can’t watch them do it either because they spend money poorly and make bad life choices.”
“Do they ask you for money? Now that you’re an adult?”
“They used to. When I first moved out of the house, they thought I’d continue paying the bills that I paid when I lived with them. But I couldn’t because I had my own bills to pay. I had to set some hard boundaries and splurged on some therapy to help me out in that area.”
“I don’t think that was a splurge. I think it was a necessity.”
I nod in agreement. “You’re right. We love each other, and I’m always happy when I run into them, but we don’t seek each other out like other families do. I think it makes them uncomfortable.”
“And that’s why you need the stability.”
“That’s why.”
Zeke reaches out and takes my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. “Thanks for sharing all of that with me.”
“Ready to run for the hills?”
“Not even close.” He leans in and kisses me softly. “I have a request. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’d like to invite you out on a date.”
“We’re on a date.”
“A different date,” he says with a grin. “There’s a gala happening for the Huckleberry Bay Chamber of Commerce, and because I’m a business owner, I’m supposed to go. I wasn’t going to, but now that I have a hot date, it might be fun.”
I know that gala. The city has been putting it on for as long as I can remember, and I never thought in a million years I’d be asked to go.
“When is it?”
“Next weekend.”
I feel my eyes go wide.
“If you don’t want to go—”
“No, it’s not that. I just don’t have anything to wear. But Montana might have something she can loan me. She’s gone before.”
“Is that a yes?”
I smile over at him. “You sure you want to be seen with me in public since all we’ve done before is fight in front of everyone?”
“It’ll just be proof of my charming ways that I got you to come around.”
The laugh that spills out of me is loud and full of humor. “Right. That’s it for sure. What the hell, I’ll go with you.”
“Good. Now, let’s take a walk on this beach.”
“Let’s go.”
* * * *
“I need your help.”
Montana looks up from the ice cream counter where she’s taking notes on a pad, and her eyes widen.
“Are you okay? Are you running from the law?”
That makes me stop short. “Jesus, no.”
“Just making sure I don’t have to drive the getaway car or something. Okay, what’s up?”
“You know the chamber of commerce gala next week?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m going.”
Now, she just blinks at me in surprise. “With whom? I asked you to go as my date and you turned me down.”
“Don’t get whiny. Zeke asked me.”
More blinking.
“I thought you hated Zeke and the ground he walks on.”
“Well.” I cringe and move from one foot to the other. “I did. But we’ve started sleeping together and—”
“WHAT?” Montana flails her arms in the air, stopping me. “Hold up, Cherry Pomegranate Dubois.”
“I hate my middle name.”
“Back that shit right up, right now. You know what? Hold on.”
Montana stomps to the front door and locks it, flipping the open sign to closed, then marches back over to me, takes my hand, and drags me to a nearby table, forcing me into a chair.
“I’ve been your best friend since the third grade.”
“True.”
“And now you’re fucking a hot mechanic, and you didn’t think that was information you should share with your life-long bestie?”
“Don’t be mad.” I sigh and sit back in the chair. “It happened really, really fast.”
“Uh, yeah. Because at the Halloween party, you hated each other.”
My lips twitch. “It all started later that night, actually.”
Montana listens intently as I run through everything from the first cold shower to earlier on the beach. When I’ve finished, she simply stares at me.
“Say something.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
I roll my eyes at her. “Stop it. I’m just having some fun with him, that’s all. And I have to take a shower and wash my clothes somewhere. He was nice enough to offer to help me.”
“Uh-huh. I mean, you could put up with some bad sex in exchange for hot water privileges.”
“Ew. We’re not trading services, Monty. Gross.”
“You like him.” She stabs a finger in my direction. “Admit it.”
“I like him.” I sigh and scrub my hands over my face. “Like, really like him, and that shocks me more than anybody else. Also? He’s started turning his music off early, and he doesn’t park like an asshole anymore. It’s like he’s trying to stay on my good side.”
