“Mmm, imagine that,” Coast muttered.
“Isn’t she just a ray of sunshine?” Bee kidded.
“Don’t tell me you’re bidding on one of these baskets,” Coast addressed Inari and took a bite of her rib.
“I am. So is my sister. Ayla, this is Coast. Coast, this is Ayla,” she introduced them.
Although Ayla hid behind those thin framed glasses, Coast acknowledged her pretty face. She was a couple of shades darker than Inari, but they had a familial resemblance that couldn’t be denied, mainly the lips and nose region.
“It’s for a good cause.” Inari shrugged and slid ten dollars across the table. “Usually, a bunch of old men participate in thisthing, and they’re usually happy as long as they got something pretty to look at and talk to all night long.”
“Yeah, give me a sugar daddy, hold the sugar,” Coast jested. “Didn’t I see you earlier?” She squinted at Ayla.
“Yeah.” She nodded and pushed her glasses back onto the top of her nose. “I showed up with Kong and his kids. I’m selling dessert at my table.” She pointed to a table where Kong’s two kids were seated, eating popcorn from carnival bags and kicking their legs.
“Kong? So, Mozzi is his brother?” Coast questioned.
“Yeah.” Ayla nodded.
“Your sister said you were in college, but those aren’t your kids, are they?”
“No.” Ayla giggled and shook her head. “I’m their chef. Right now, I’m also the nanny until they can find someone to fill the position, though. Aht, Kara, don’t even think about walking off,” Ayla warned.
Coast studied her. When she got out of the car with Kong and his kids, she could have sworn the two were a couple.
Kara froze with wide eyes as she lingered near the edge of their table. Inari shook her head. Ayla had been with the Blackmoor family for nearly a week now, and although she missed coming home to her sister and her home cooked meals, it was obvious she was fitting right in at the estate. Turning her attention to Coast, Inari squinted, examining her stuffing her face like it was her last meal. She barely took a breath between bites.
“You going to watch the game when it starts?” Inari questioned. “I was going to go scope out some seats.”
“I’ve been recruited to hold this table down.”
“Not anymore.” Bee shuffled some papers together. “Christy’s niece just got here. She’s going to work the table. You are bound to keep people away with your pessimism.”
Coast and Inari locked eyes and both tittered. A ray of sunshine she was not.
“Go watch the game. Maybe having a little fun will shift your attitude a bit,” she huffed, standing upright and resting her hands on her hips.
Coast turned her nose up, but she wasn’t about to argue with her. She didn’t want to stand in the direct heat anyway. At least around the basketball court there were tents being set up along with the bleacher seats and a few benches under shade trees.
“We’ll be over here until the game starts,” Ayla told them while Coast and Inari sauntered off together.
Coast was finishing her plate and dumped the bones into a trash can on their way over to find somewhere to sit. Now, she was thirsty and starting to sweat.
“Need something to wash that down?” Inari went into her purse and pulled out a flask.
While Coast was a frequent alcohol drinker, lately, the fragrance alone left her stomach flipping. When Inari twisted the cap off, and she caught a whiff of tequila, she gagged.
“No. Water. You shouldn’t be drinking in this heat either,” she pointed out.
“True.” Inari shrugged and tipped it to her lips anyway. “So, how far along are you?”
“Huh?”
“Girl, if you can huh, you can hear,” Inari teased. “My son might be damn near grown, but I know the signs. There’s a cooler over there with water.” She pointed straight ahead.
Coast shook her head and squinted at the bright sun shining down on them.
“Is it that obvious?” she asked, looking down at herself in the romper hugging her hips and ass specifically.
