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Kenna grabbed my backside and gave it a playful squeeze. “But what an ass it is, salty.”
I plucked a kiss from her lips and pulled the swimsuit up over her breasts so she’d feel more comfortable. Her eyes were gleaming in the moonlight. “The salt life looks good on you, sunshine.”
She smiled, tightening around me once again and making me groan. “You look good on me.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kenna
A perfect last week of summer passed before tourists started to show up in town. Dec came over every night, spending it in my bed before he quietly snuck out the next morning, only to pick me up an hour later and drive us to the boat club. The renovations on the house were also coming along nicely. Liam came over one afternoon to help me install the new vanity in the downstairs bathroom. Dec placed a new light above the mirror and the tiny room looked brand new.
Saturday was the maiden voyage of the Boozer Cruiser and everything had gone according to plan. Reservations were stacking up for future weekend runs and Irene was already bitching about the increased workload. The gator boys had agreed to not harass the tourists, mostly because I promised them a daily delivery of donuts if they kept up their good behavior.
To celebrate the Boozer Cruiser maiden voyage, Dec drove me all the way to Key West to find a car on Monday. I didn’t end up with a G-wagon or a Ferrari, instead thinking practically about life here in Florida. I bought myself a two-year-old Jeep, royal blue with tires big enough to make the rolltop bar above the door a necessity to get in. I had the sales guy remove the soft top before I drove it home, letting the wind slide through my hair. Dec followed me in his truck, calling me as soon as we got to Sunshine Key.
“Pull over on the causeway. I’ll get a picture of you and your new ride with the ocean in the background.”
I darted a look in my rearview mirror. “My hair is three stories high.”
It was true. I’d finally ditched my flat iron for good, opting for an easier hairstyle in this humidity. I couldn’t keep fighting nature herself, the curls my Irish heritage had given me.
“You’re beautiful,” Dec growled. My insides melted when he used that tone. I pulled over and he got his shot. He also put his hands on my hips and pressed me into the door of my Jeep while he kissed me. It was hard and deep and desperate like it always was between us.
A horn from the road above broke us apart. Dec rested his forehead against mine and grinned. “Why do I always feel like we’re sneaking around like teenagers?”
“Probably because my mom lives with me and your dad is never far away.”
It was true, the two parents were starting to get on our nerves with their constant presence. Then again, we were grown adults. There was no reason to hide our relationship, and yet we’d never broached the subject. I’d tried, several times, but Dec always had an excuse for keeping things hidden. I was afraid if I pressed harder, he’d walk away altogether, and right now, I was enjoying our time together too much to jeopardize it by pushing. Hard conversations would come later.
We went back to my house to work on the kitchen. The hideous Formica countertops were in the large dumpster in the driveway, along with the cabinets, thanks to working all week on the demo. The only items left were the appliances. I’d have to do dishes in the bathroom sink, a true pain in the ass, so I’d stocked up on paper plates and plastic utensils. The new cabinets were already in the garage, so Dec and I brought them inside one by one and got busy installing them.
“Honey, I invited Daniel over for dinner,” Mom said as she breezed into the wreckage known as my kitchen.
Dec got a look on his face that spelled trouble. He’d taken to defending me, even if it took shining a mirror in my mom’s face to highlight her selfishness. Normally I appreciated his support, but today I just wanted peace. I jumped in before he could open his mouth and say something that would start Mom down a path of theatrics.
“Great! How about you go to the store and grab something to grill on the barbecue out back?”
Mom considered it and then smiled. “Sure. I’ll grab some wine too.” I heard her take my keys off the little table by the front door and leave in my new vehicle.
Dec was staring at me.
“What?”
“Why do you let her do that?”
I sighed. I didn’t have the energy to deny his accusation. My mother was an immature menace, and instead of taking the time to tell her why inviting someone over for dinner when I didn’t have a working kitchen was a stupid idea, I caved. I’d been caving my whole life.
“I’ve tried to stand up for myself and it just leads to days of theatrics. Moaning and crying and accusations of hating her. It’s just easier to go along with it.”
Dec put his electric screwdriver down on the cabinet we were trying to install and cupped my face, pulling me close. His broad shoulders seemed to block out the world. “Maybe it’s time she moved out.”
I tried to avert my gaze, but he peered down at me with such serious whiskey-tinted eyes, I had to reply. “I know, but I’m not sure if she’s staying in Sunshine Key. She hasn’t decided.”
One thick eyebrow lifted. “Have you decided?”
“I think so?”
His lips tugged to the side but the smile died before it got started. “Very convincing, Kenna.”
