His voice trailed off as they all looked at him amused, shocked and with trepidation at the prospect of Jim’s reaction.
“Dean, he’s not my dad, he’s my boyfriend,” explained Tasha, feeling embarrassed for Dean, Jim and herself.
“When you said you were here with friends and family and Lizzie referred to Daddy I thought she meant your dad, both of you.” His discomfort was obvious to everyone now.
“Sorry if I misled you.” Tasha hadn’t misled him about Jim, but her flirting that was only ever intended to be light-hearted and innocent may have.
“No, I’m sorry, I assumed,” said Dean. “But you can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“Not at all,” agreed Bobby.
“Good luck with the swimming,” he said to Alexa. “Bye folks,” he added as he left them alone.
Bobby roared with laughter once Dean was out of earshot and sight. “Jimbo, I may technically be the older brother, but I obviously don’t look it.”
“Shut up, Bobby.” Abby sensed that this whole situation could blow up in Tasha’s face and her husband’s amusement and taunting words could be the final straw for Jim.
“God, Tasha, you really are irresistible, aren’t you?” Philip smirked as Juan gave him a dig with his elbow. “What?” protested Philip. “No matter where Tasha goes there is a queue of horny men virtually drooling over her.” Philip laughed at himself then added, “Yet for some reason she chooses the old man. It must be true love because Dean was seriously gorgeous and that bulge in his shorts.”
“Philip!” shouted Jim. It seemed that it was his son’s, rather than his brother’s words that were the final straw. “That is enough. You are embarrassing everyone, especially Tasha and that is not appropriate language in front of Alexa.”
“Sorry,” whispered Philip.
“Tasha, sit down and eat your ice cream,” said Jim.
She complied, but had a strong urge to run and hide. Her appetite for ice cream had disappeared the second Jim had reappeared with it. As if sensing her unease, Jim sat next to her and put an arm around her waist.
“I would have accepted his number,” said Lizzie as if thinking aloud.
“So would I,” agreed Abby with a cheeky and very dirty grin making them all laugh. “That poor, beautiful, perfectly formed young man,” she sighed.
“Can we just move on, please?” asked Tasha, desperate for this all to be forgotten, not that she was under any illusion this would ever be forgotten.
“Of course we can,” agreed Bobby. “I am amazed that my brother took that so well.”
Tasha was too, although this would all undoubtedly be her fault, a situation made of her inappropriateness, of that there was no doubt. She may be the only one who found out just how well he had or hadn’t taken it, but not here and not now.
Chapter 6
They all went back up onto the pier after Tasha had put her shorts back on but threw her t-shirt into her bag where she noticed her phone had messages. Alexa was on the carousel with Lizzie, Juan and Philip while Bobby and Abby went into a nearby shop.
“Do you want a drink or anything?” asked Jim.
She shook her head. “Some candy floss would be nice though.”
“Candy floss?” He looked confused by her words.
Tasha looked around and noticed a child with some that she pointed at. “There.”
“Cotton candy. I get ya now, baby.” He grinned and disappeared to get her some.
She pulled her phone out and found her message was off Jim, not that he’d really needed to text, he could have just spoken to her directly.
She smiled and wondered why he had decided to text her, but replied in the same way.
