She twittered and grabbed a big handful of chips. “Simply fantastic. You know, Asher, I am sorry our family was kinda rough on you. We really just wanted the best for Sarah.”
“No hard feelings.”
“Oh, and someone to give us grandkids,” she added with a grin.
Asher turned scarlet. I was probably twice as red.
“Uh, hey, mom. I think someone outside was looking for you,” I said quickly. “One of Asher's friends. They love home decor just as much as you do, and I think they'd like some pointers.”
She clapped gleefully and headed out to the deck in search of this mystery decorator. Both Asher and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Seems like both of our mothers just want to use you as a baby incubator,” he grumbled.
I swallowed my nervousness. “Y-yeah. It sucks, that's for sure.”
He gave me a funny look while stirring the queso in the slow cooker. “Feeling okay? You've been looking kind of clammy the last couple of days.”
“Uh, I'm fine. Just a bit stressed out, that's all. I'm really grateful at how much better the shop is doing, but things are much more hectic than they used to be.”
He sank an arm around me and whispered in my ear, which never failed to get him whatever he wanted – which usually happened to be something physical out of me.
Not that I was complaining about that.
“Once the party's over, maybe I can help ease some of that tension.”
“Hey, guys! We finally made it.”
Lana's cheerful greeting interrupted me before I could reply. She entered the kitchen holding a platter of desserts, followed by Ellen, her dad, and the rest of their kids. Elias trailed behind, looking nervous but excited.
“Are these your famous brownies?” I took the tray from her. “Smells delicious.”
“Elias helped. I think he's got a knack for baking.”
The boy shuffled up to Asher while staring at his shoes. “Thank you,” he mumbled softly. “For helping me get home.”
Asher never cried, but his eyes misted over for a moment. “It was worth it. If you ask me, I'd say you ended up with a great family.”
Ellen offered him a hug. “You're a good man, Asher. An angel.”
“Heh. I wouldn't go that far. Just ask Sarah.”
Out we went to the deck, where some guests had already went for a dip in the pool. Others mingled on the deck, drinking and enjoying the balmy spring weather.
“Don't get my hair wet! I just got it dyed at the salon.”
Macy was in the shallow end of the pool with a couple of her friends. One of them splashed her anyway despite her shrieking protests.
Cole lingered nearby, watching the show with a satisfied snicker. Macy, beet red once she noticed him, whirled around and glared.
“What are you staring at, huh? Pervert. I bet you're just hanging around for a peek at me in my bikini. Someone ought to call the cops.”
He almost choked on his beer. “With a bathing suit that skimpy, you're practically inviting people to gawk. Maybe you're showing off 'cause you want people to look.”
She howled and threw a beach ball his way. “I didn't spend hours at the gym for nothing. Cute guys can stare all they like.”
“Oh, in that case.” He grinned and pretended to ogle her.
“Not you!” She wailed, swinging a pool noodle, and hit him in the leg. “You're not cute. In fact, I'm shocked you managed to crawl out of your mom's basement long enough to socialize like a normal person.”
“I dunno, Macy,” one of her friends interrupted between sips of her margarita. “I think he's pretty hot. He's got that mysterious, dark-and-silent type thing going on.”
Macy sputtered a string of profanities back at her. I hadn't seen Cole laugh so hard in a long time.
“Shut up, Katie. If you're that desperate, I'll set you up with one of my friends from school.”
“Sounds like someone's jealous,” Cole sang.
Wait a minute. Was he actually flirting with her? Holy crap. My brother hadn't been on a date since high school. I wasn't even sure he knew what flirting was.
Although, honestly, he could have picked a better person to practice his moves on.
“Jealous? Of what?” Macy shot back. “My vibrator has more to offer than he does.”
“At least it won't give you a disease, I guess. Unlike the million guys you've already screwed.”
“I do not have a disease!”
“Surely it's inevitable.”
She uttered an inhuman growl. “Enough already. Just crawl back to your basement and spend the night with your hand, like I'm sure you always do.”
“Hmm, I bet he's pretty good with his hands,” murmured Katie, who was by now totally smashed.
“Katie, don't you even think about it.”
She shrugged. “If you wanted him for yourself, you should have just said so. Anyway, don't you think you have enough boyfriends already?”
“They're not boyfriends. And want Cole?” She faked a gagging noise. “I'd rather be celibate the rest of my life.”
“That's fine,” he shot back. “Better to stay single than get involved with a bitchy, vapid woman who couldn't be nice if her life depended on it.”
“I can be nice. In fact, I'm being nice right now. You don't want to be around when I'm really pissed off.”
“You're always pissed off.”
“Katie!”
Asher saddled up beside me as I watched this disaster unfold. “That's my sister for you. Never knows when to keep her mouth shut.”
“Yeah, I guess. But if it hadn't been for her snooping, things would have turned out very differently for us all.”
I still had no clue how she got that information about Rosa's family, but it was better not to even ask.
Asher tried to hand me a margarita. “Here.
