Page 108 of In Your Wake

“Hunt, leave your sister alone.”

I smile, sticking my tongue out at my brother.

He rolls his eyes. “I just find it weird that you forgot to mention you broke up.”

“Hunter, let it go,” Dad says.

“It wasn’t that serious,” I reply. “We dated for, what, a month?”

Honestly, ending things with Tucker has been easy. Too easy, despite his occasional texts and calls trying to win me back, which probably says a lot about our relationship and how I should have ended it sooner. When I think back on our time together, there’s this disconnected part of my brain that keeps comparing it to Mitch. Inevitably, this leads to me thinking of Mitch’s mouth on my nipples. And his hands gripping my hips. And the way he looked at me afterwards, like he wanted to say something bigger than either of us were ready for.

Jesus Christ, how is this my life?

I take a long drag of wine, trying to forget what happened on the boat.

“You didn’t like him that much anyway,” Dad says knowingly.

“I liked him.”

“Okay,” he guffaws.

“I did,” I insist.

Dad plates pasta while shaking his head. “Sorry, sweetheart. You’re easy to read. And it was obvious that guy wasn’t the one.”

I drop my gaze, ripping off pieces of bread and popping them into my mouth.

God, if I am easy to read, then everyone would know I let Mitchell Adams ruin my life both emotionally and sexually in the last few weeks. I hope my blush isn’t showing.

Luckily, we sit at the dining table and everyone’s distracted. Dad takes the head, and Hunter across from me.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” my brother begins. “We fired Kayla.”

I glance up too fast. “You did?”

“Mm-hmm.” He smirks into his wine. “We had to.”

“The flirting got out of control?” Dad asks, amused.

Hunter groans. “She propositioned two customers during Happy Hour the other day.”

“She’s young,” Dad replies with a shrug. “We all do stupid things when we’re young.”

I nod in agreement, knowing that all too well.

“Like asking a bartender if he wanted to see how she could make a cocktail shaker disappear?” Hunter points his fork emphatically and raises his eyebrows.

I snort, spitting wine back into my glass, and Dad grimaces. “Oh, that’s just wrong.”

“It was becoming a daily issue,” Hunter continues. “Especially with Mitch. Kayla practically climbed him every shift.”

Hearing that shouldn’t bug me. It really shouldn’t. He’s a grown man, and she’s a sexy woman. Still, I school my expression, keeping it neutral.

“She got way too handsy and he wouldn’t admit it, but I could tell it was making him uncomfortable.”

Dad frowns. “That boy’s going through enough without having to get mauled at work.”

“Mauled is the right word,” Hunter agrees. “One time she literally grabbed his bicep mid-conversation and said, ‘I wanna bite this’. Right in front of me.”