"Oh, shut the fuck up, queer," Tommy told him. "Jesus. How long have you been eye-fucking us, huh? You're one of them."
"No!" A hand slapped down on a table and an older man stood up. "I've got my grandkids with me. This is a family place. If you don't like it, Tommy, then go somewhere else."
"Yeah!" a woman said from somewhere else.
A smile was curling my lips, but I didn't want to push too hard. "Look, let's just agree to disagree."
"Don't work like that, you freak," Tommy said. "Men like you disgust me."
"Yeah, but wouldn't you rather I was busy chasing guys instead of girls?" I lifted a brow. "I mean, let's be honest. Who would pick you over me? I have money, I have fashion sense, and I love to talk about makeup. Think of this as me taking one for the team, Tommy." Then I stepped just a little closer. "And you can punch me all you want. You can plan to have your friends jump us when we leave here. It's all been done before, and I promise it will happen again. Thing is, it still won't make me like men any less. It also won't make you my type. Promise I'm not going to fuck you. Wouldn't be able to get it up."
"Sick!" Tommy hissed, shoving at my shoulder.
I just lifted my hands and rocked with it, using the motion to help me shift around him. Then I raised my voice. "And no, shoving me won't get you an invitation to the lingerie party this week. Now, every woman in Cats Peak is invited, but we want it to be a safe environment." I took another step back towards my table, all too aware of how tense Billy was in his chair. "Thursday, six pm at Southwind. Bras and panties. Maybe even some makeup tips from Violet Dawson, if people are interested." Then I grinned. "And thanks for the chance to tell everyone, Tommy. Tell Simmons I appreciate the marketing help."
"We don't want people like you in this town!" Tommy yelled after me.
"Speak for yourself!" Adam yelled at him. "Back when Southwind was open, work was easy to find out here. Not all of us want to lick Paul Simmons' boots for minimum wage, boy."
Tommy cursed at the man and then turned, storming out of the Grill twice as fast as he'd walked in. I simply reclaimed my chair and looked over at Violet, all too aware of the conversation swelling around us.
"Do we know if that man used to work for Gran?" I asked.
"He paints fences," Emily explained. "Does most of the pipe and cable for the big ranches. I know Southwind always had the fences done, so I'm guessing he did them?"
Luke leaned back and draped his arm over Violet's shoulder. "So, I'm getting the feeling that we're going to paint the front fence line, huh?"
"And the gate," I decided. "I mean, after that jackass drove through it, I'm sure it needs a fresh coat of paint. I'll talk to Deena at the party. We really need to get Luke some business cards made up too, because it's on him to decide who to hire."
Cy chuckled. "I think you just got a promotion, Luke. You're management now."
"And Southwind is only going to get bigger," Cessily reminded us. "You guys just make sure to stick together, because I have a feeling that Tommy's not bluffing."
"No," Billy agreed, "he's not." But his eyes were on Zeke.
The boy nodded, making it clear that he understood the warning too.
Chapter Forty
Iwasn't sure what was sexier: watching Ash get in that idiot's face at the Grill or seeing him fawn over the woman wearing his lingerie. Both, if I was honest. It was the two different sides of him, and combined, they made the man I'd fallen in love with. I found myself smiling at him just a little too much, no longer caring if anyone noticed. For the rest of dinner, I kept touching him. Just little things like his arm or back, but each time Ash looked over, warmth flooded my chest.
But when we got home, the house was chaos. Sissy had to go outside, and Lucy was determined to follow her. I told Luke I'd handle the dogs. Billy wanted to talk to Violet about security for this party. Berto walked Emily and Zeke back down to their place. Darnell went to join the 'strategy meeting,' which had Luke tagging along as well.
The strange thing was that this felt so much like when we were kids, growing up down in the cabins. We'd been packed in close together, but separated just enough to have our own space. Back then it had been cabins. Now it was bedrooms and offices. Things had changed, and yet they'd really stayed the same. All of it was making this wonderful nostalgic feeling, and I liked it. There was just one big difference.
When I made it back to my room that night, Ash was lying face down on the bed with his tablet in his hands. Lucy was asleep on the mattress beside him. Ash wore only his underwear, not caring that the door was open, and he used one foot to scratch the back of his opposite calf. Every so often, he reached over to pet the sleeping dog. My pretty little hellion was completely lost in another design, and he wasn't at all ashamed of it.
I paused at the doorway to lean against the frame and just watch him for a moment. "You know, you used to be ashamed of anything feminine," I finally said.
Ash looked up with a brightness in his eyes. "And then I grew up. I also went to work in fashion, Cy. No matter what I said, they assumed I was gay, so I learned to simply go with it. Then I learned to appreciate it."
"Which part?" I asked.
"Makeup, clothes, designs, and all of it," he assured me, crooking a finger for me to come all the way into the room. "Close that?"
I did, turning the lock before I began to strip off my own clothes. "I'm a little sad I never saw you in makeup. I have a feeling you would've been a hot little twink."
"Definitely not a twink," Ash assured me. "I was more like Zeke. Wasn't my fault I was scrawny, but my attitude was not quiet, delicate, or submissive. Makeup also gave me a very good excuse to spend time with Violet."
