Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cade
I finish cutting up the onions and mushrooms as people start to arrive.
Wyatt has two fryers going over near the barn, and they’re about up to temperature for cooking.
Under the shade of the big oak tree, he has a few tables and chairs set up and a Bluetooth speaker pumping classic country from his phone.
“Hey, what can I help with?” my twin asks when he reaches my side.
Ignoring him, I give my full attention to the gorgeous woman at his side. “Hey, Lizard. Tired of the stiff yet? I’m available,” I offer, waggling my eyebrows and giving her a big smile.
She reaches over and pats my arm. “Sorry, big guy. I’m quite fond of the stiff,” she replies.
“Hey,” Collin grumbles.
Lizzie moves to his side and kisses his cheek. “You’re my favorite stiff though.”
“Eww, don’t do that around me. I’m starting to feel all warm and fuzzy,” I mutter, faking a big shiver in disgust.
“Oh, don’t you worry, Cade. One of these days, someone’s going to knock the wind right out of your sails. It’s going to be glorious,” she proclaims, her green eyes sparkling with delight.
“Watch your mouth,” I tell her, pointing the onion slice in my hand at her.
Lizzie rolls her eyes. “I’m going to take this taco salad over to the table,” she says, most likely to my brother, and I don’t miss the way his eyes follow her every move as she walks away.
“You’re drooling,” I mutter, placing the sliced onions into a baggie.
“Do you blame me?” my brother asks, a faint smile on his lips.
I don’t fail to acknowledge the change in my twin ever since he fell hard for Lizzie.
When she bought the bar earlier this year, she slowly chiseled through the brick wall he erected around his heart, knocking down the layers and helping heal the hurt he still carried.
Those scowls he always wore have slowly been replaced with smiles, and for that, I’m grateful.
I glance back at Lizzie, who gives Wyatt a hug. “Nope. Not at all.”
Collin gives her a full-watt smile, watching as our friend basically hits on her.
Of course, Wyatt isn’t actually hitting on her.
He’s subtly giving Collin a hard time and ruffling feathers, much like I do.
My twin exhales and shakes his head. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go rescue my girlfriend from the moron. ”
I snort and finish my task, making sure everything’s sliced up to be battered and deep fried with the fish. I say hello to more friends, all bearing food to share and coolers of drinks. Before I know it, the gathering is in full swing, and Wyatt’s signaling it’s time to start cooking.
Glancing toward the driveway, I realize I’m a little disappointed not to see Oaklee.
She said she was coming, and even confirmed earlier this morning when we chatted on her way to work, but I haven’t talked to her since.
I had a rare Saturday off, but that doesn’t mean I got to sleep in and relax.
I got up early, went for a run, and then sent her a simple little good morning text message.
That turned into a phone call while she was driving, and a promise to see me later in the afternoon.
Yet, she’s not here.
Wyatt, Collin, Alex, and I get to work on preparing the food.
Of course, we have a crowd gathered around, everyone chatting and watching us prepare the deep-fried goodness.
Alex and I man one fryer and start with coating the onion slices in beer batter, making homemade onion rings, while Collin and Wyatt start the fish.
I try to keep my attention on what I’m doing, considering I’m dealing with splattering oil and scalding hot food, which is probably why I didn’t notice Oaklee join us until I was finishing up the last round of onion rings and getting ready to start the mushrooms.
Just as I’m about to deposit some of the coated mushrooms into my fryer, I hear a laugh that makes me stop.
I look up and find Oaklee and Lizzie talking together, standing over near the edge of the barn.
My eyes are glued to her beautiful face, the way her hair is pulled back and tied high on her head, and the fact her laughter floats through the air like a hymn.
As if feeling my gaze, she looks over and smiles.
That simple gesture crashes into my chest, causing my heart to race and my palms to get a little sweaty.
Not to mention what it does below my belt.
My balls ache, and it takes everything I have not to grow hard standing in the middle of a big group of friends.
“Earth to Cade.” Alex snaps his fingers in front of my face to get my attention.
“Sorry,” I state, using the strainer basket to place fresh mushrooms in the oil.
“Ahhh, I see what’s got ya so distracted. You brought a friend.” He flashes a knowing smile before returning his attention to the woman across the way.
“Eyes over here,” I grumble, earning a hearty laugh from my friend.
Like, he doubles over, careful not to drop the bowl he’s holding, and laughs. Hard. “Never thought I’d see the day,” he says, standing back up and trying to compose himself.
“The day for what?” I ask, depositing the mushrooms and making sure they’re not sticking together.
“The day you fell for a woman. I knew it was coming with our boy Collin over there, but you? Thought you’d be single and mingle for the rest of your life.”
I make a face. “Who said anything about falling for a woman?” The question leaves a nasty taste on my tongue and a churn in my gut, but I ignore it.
“Well, first off, there’s the fact you warned me away from looking at her. Usually you call dibs, but you’ve never told me not to look. Not to mention the fact you’ve glanced over there no less than six times since you noticed her arrival.”
Realizing I’m doing exactly what he just accused me of, I peel my eyes away from Oaklee and glare at my friend. “She’s hot. Excuse me for looking,” I reply casually.
“Oh, she’s hot, all right,” he agrees, his appreciation of the view evident.
“Knock it off,” I mutter, my tone turning harder than even I expected.
“See?” he states, taking a swig of his beer and pointing at me. “You like her. Admit it.”
I scoff but refuse to give him what he wants. I keep my eyes where they should be, and that’s on preparing some of the food.
“First round of fish is up!” Wyatt hollers, taking a pan of deep-fried goodness over to the picnic area under the tree.
Alex follows behind, carrying the container of onion rings with him, and the crowd starts to move in that direction.
The thing about my friends is they’ll eat all day.
Sure, we’ll make a plate, but one of the best parts about a fish fry is the grab and go.
We’ll snack on this stuff far into the night.
“Hey.”
I look up and smile. “Hi. Glad you found the place all right.”
“How could I not? Once I got out in this direction, I just had to follow the line of trucks,” she states with a chuckle.
“Yeah, when Wyatt has a party, they come out of the woodwork. Did you get a drink? I have a cooler over by the porch. I grabbed some of those fruity can things I saw in your fridge, but there’s also some bottled water and Dr. Pepper.”
She tries to hide a smile but fails. “Dr. Pepper?”
“Best damn soda there is,” I insist. Plus, I might have seen that in her fridge as well.
“I have to agree with you on that one.” She looks around and then down at my fryer. “What are you making?”
“I’ve got breaded mushrooms coming up.”
“Mmm, I love those,” she says.
“Good. You can try one of the first ones up,” I tell her, poking the strainer into the oil and making sure the mushrooms are separated.
Oaklee rocks back on her heels and looks around. “Do you mind if I grab a bottle of water from your cooler?”
“Of course not. That’s why I told you it was there. What’s mine is yours, beautiful,” I practically sing, then smile as I watch the grin spread across her lips.
“Do you want something?”
“Yeah, go ahead and bring me a bottle of water too.”
“No beer?” she asks.
“Not while I’m cooking, but when I finally dive into the fish, you can bet your sweet ass I’ll have a beer. It enhances the flavor.”
Her cheeks blush and she averts her gaze for a brief moment. “Of fish?”
“Yep. And of the beer in the batter. Plus, it’s a law. When you eat fish and have a bonfire, you’re required to have a beer.”
She giggles and shakes her head. “Funny, I’ve never heard of that particular law before.”
“Oh, you just wait, beautiful. I’m about to blow your mind with my extensive knowledge on all the things,” I say, reaching for a fresh pan to start scooping the ready mushrooms. “Go ahead and grab us some waters, and when you get back, these’ll be coolin’ off and about ready.”
She nods before stopping. “Which cooler?”
“The blue and white one to the left of the steps.”
I watch her walk away, noticing the way her jeans mold to her curves. I’ve never really thought of myself as an ass man, but damn do I love watching hers as she walks away.
“You get drool on the food, and I’m gonna be pissed.”
I turn to Wyatt and narrow my eyes. “You want something, or are you just over here to stick your nose where it’s not wanted?”
He laughs, throwing his head back and drawing everyone’s attention. “Oh, Cade, Cade, Cade. You’re funny.” He takes a drink of his beer. “That’s the hot one from The Lizard, right? The one who turned you down?”
I huff, fishing the rest of the mushrooms out of the oil and preparing to add a second batch. “You’re annoying.”
He just grins and winks as Oaklee rejoins me. “Well, hello, I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Wyatt Larimore. Welcome to my humble abode.” The fucker extends his hand and brings Oaklee’s to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.
“Well, thank you,” she replies, smiling politely.