My poor husband is left standing there, oyster-less. But he’s smiling and laughing good-naturedly.
Grayson hands him an oyster. “Here. You can have one of mine.” Then he picks up another from his ice pile.
They tap their oysters together. “Cheers,” Cas says.
When they lift their respective shells to their lips at the same time, they lock eyes.
Is that…was there…sexual tension?
I look over at Caro. She’s watching them too—her eyes narrowed a little.
Though I’m not sure why I’m surprised. They have been sharing Caroline. We’ve all been really fucking up close and personal with each other. That creates intimacy, intended or not.
Cas is coming over to me.
“Next year, babe,” I tell him. “Good effort.”
“It was an absolutely fucking terrible effort. But I have a new goal. I’m going to practice at home.”
Caroline takes Evelyn over to Grayson, who dries his hands off with a towel before taking Evie with a big smile.
“You seem like you’re in a good mood,” I say. “Enjoying a day off finally? You work so hard for me and Noah. I hope you know how much I appreciate that.”
“I’m happy to. I have the hottest stay-at-home dad in town as my husband.” Cas kisses me. “And what’s not to love about spending a day with family and friends? Plus, I have an adorable baby, and I’m having enormous amounts of casual sex. I’m literally living the dream.”
“Casual?” I ask.
“Well, not with you, obviously. But with Caroline, yes, of course.”
“Cas! Come here—we’re taking a picture of the contestants!” Fiona yells.
“Someone has to stand in last place,” Grayson says.
Cas groans, but he dutifully goes over.
Camille is watching me, her lips pursed.
“What?” I ask, again. “Why is your face so loud today?”
She laughs, but then she mimics zipping her lips shut. “I’m not saying a word.”
“You just said five.”
“James, you always were so cute.”
CHAPTER25
Cas
“I’m goingto need extra attention tonight,” I tell James. “After that public humiliation I just endured.”
He laughs, but he gives me a sympathetic shoulder squeeze. “Your overconfidence is your greatest weakness. But I will give you all the attention you need and deserve.”
“What I need and what I deserve are both the same thing,” I tell him with a smirk. We’re seated in our beach chairs, enjoying the light breeze off of the ocean, the many people at this gathering all talking and laughing and milling around behind us.
I quickly learned when we moved here that when Southerners say “it’s just a few people” and “It’s just thrown together” they are not telling the truth. Or maybe my idea of a few people and theirs is just very different. But I love my adopted hometown and the people here. It’s made my transition from the city to a slow-paced beach town easier. James has always worried that I wouldn’t feel a part of his world, but Honeysuckle Harbor has embraced me as one of their own.
Even after my lack of shucking skills.
