“Food’s ready!” Harrison called. “Come get it while it’s hot.”
Tink rested his hand on Abby’s lower back. “What do you want to drink? Beer, wine, soda, water? Something stronger?”
“Diet soda, if there is any,” she said.
“Sure. Susan? Lindsey?” He took their drink orders and went over to the cooler while they gathered around the food table. He returned with their drinks, then fixed his plate. Lindsey sat next to Turner, who had his charm turned all the way on, and Abby’s mom stood at the food table next to Senior.
“Should I tell you to warn Lindsey about Turner?” he asked as he slid in next to Abby.
She glanced at the other end of the table. “What about him?”
“He’s kind of a playboy.”
Abby grinned at him. “Like you?”
Tink snorted. “I look like a monk compared to Turner.”
“I think she knows. They’ve met before.”
“They have?”
She nodded. “Mmm hmm. The night we met. At Katherine’s.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot he was there.”
“Abby, what do you do?” Addison asked.
“I teach art and fashion design at Charleston STEAM Academy,” she said. “What about you?”
They fell into easy conversation. Tink ate and watched Abby fit seamlessly with his friends and family. They had these barbecues every other month or so, and Tink usually had a couple of beers, ate, and left. An hour later, they were still talking and laughing. Abby and Lindsey shared funny stories about the kids they taught while Harrison and Jeremy tried to outdo themselves with the most embarrassing Tink story they could remember.
He shook his head each time and took their ribbing good-naturedly. “Just remember I’ve got as many stories about you as you do about me. Payback’s a bi—” He glanced at Will on the other side of Abby. “Biscuit.”
“Well, now I want to hear stories about them,” Samara said. “I feel like I don’t have enough dirt on anyone.”
“Ohh!” Angie raised her hand. “I’ve got some.”
“No!” Harrison and Jeremy shouted, sending everyone into peals of laughter.
Tinker leaned close to Abby and whispered, “Angie has dirt on everyone.”
“Even you?” she whispered back.
“She’s known me for almost fifteen years, so especially me.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “I’ll have to get her to share some of those stories with me.”
He zeroed in on her mouth and her full bottom lip. He hadn’t tasted her in days, but the memory lingered like the last notes of coffee after the final sip.
“Mommy, I’m bored,” a little voice said beside him.
Reality crashed into him, and he remembered their audience. Judging by Abby’s shuddering breath, so did she.
“Dad, can we play hide-and-seek in the village?” Sierra asked.
“Yeah, if it’s okay with Abby,” Graham said.
“What’s the village?” Abby asked.
