Page 33 of Show Off

“Whatever you say, Mr. ‘touch my trip snacks and lose a hand.’” I knew he was kidding but still steered clear of his homemade jalapeño crisps on the car ride here. One was plenty to singe my tongue. “You sure you didn’t wilt off all your tastebuds with those?”

“My tongue’s just fine, thanks.” He gives me a look that’s hard to interpret as Cassidy starts for our table. Good thing, since I don’t need more thoughts of Dal’s tongue clouding my brain.

“Sorry I’m late.” Cassidy’s damp from the perpetual Oregon Coast rain as I stand to hug her.

“No problem at all.” I breathe in the fresh-air scent of her hair. “Is Jake parking the car?”

“Ugh, no.” She checks her watch and winces. “They had some kind of issue with the Sarah Lou this morning, so he’s running late.”

“I’m Dal Yang.” He stands and shakes her hand. “Who’s Sarah Lou?”

“That’s the name of my fiancé’s boat.” She drops to the bench seat beside me. “He’s Jake, and I’m Cassidy.”

“And Jake and Cass are the world’s cutest couple,” I add for Dal’s benefit. “Cass used to live in LA with my parents but came here to set up their new house.”

“And fell madly in love with a grumpy, small-town boat captain.” She laughs as she says it, her cheeks glowing. “Wouldn’t change a thing, though.”

I study her face, amazed at how laid-back she looks. When I first met Cassidy, she was wound up tighter than the screws on a jungle gym. Not these days, though. “Small-town life agrees with you.”

“Thanks.” She turns back to Dal. “It’s night and day from where Lana and I lived, but I love it here. It’s peaceful, you know? Everyone looks out for each other.”

He slides me a look that’s filled with respect. “Kinda like what Lana built at Juniper Ridge.”

I love that he’s giving me credit, but fair’s fair. “It wasn’t just me, but yeah—having a small, self-contained community was the whole point of Juniper Ridge.”

“Seems like it’s working.” Cass picks up a menu and scans it. “I love the show. You had quite the finale, Dal. I liked how you told off that jerk in the restaurant.”

He grunts and meets my eyes across the table. “I’m not one for sugarcoating things. If someone’s being an asshole, I tell them.”

Cass flips to the backside of her menu. “You and my husband will get along great.” She looks at me as her cheeks tint pink. “Is that weird I just called him my husband? The wedding’s not for a few months.”

“Absolutely not.” I love how happy she looks. “What does my mom always say? ‘A smart woman rehearses her lines, even if she’s not an actress.’” That sounds slimy when I say it out loud, so I quickly shift the subject. “How’s Mom doing, anyway?”

“Good.” Cass keeps studying the menu, and I wonder what she knows. My parents keep her locked in a strict non-disclosure agreement, so it’s anyone’s guess. Maybe Mom’s made her privy to our darkest secret. “She was finalizing details of the Australia leg of her book tour when I left Sydney two days ago.”

“You just got back from Australia?” Dal blinks. “That’s dedication.”

“I’m used to it.” Cassidy shrugs like jetlag’s just part of the job. “I don’t travel as much as I used to, but I do what the Judsons need me to do.”

Dal’s eyes meet mine, and I fight the urge to look away. “Probably true for lots of folks.”

Something in his voice gets me squirming on the bench seat. Time for a new subject. “I’m not sure what to order.” I grab a menu from a slot in the napkin dispenser and give it a good once-over. “The shrimp salad looks good.” I don’t lift my gaze, though I feel Dal’s eyes on me. “And obviously I hear the chowder’s amazing.”

“Cal harvests the clams himself.” Cassidy addresses Dal. “Lana probably told you this place shut down after his mother passed, but Cal resurrected O’Brien’s. He’s engaged to my sister.”

Dal nods and lifts a dark brow. “They put something in the water here?”

No one’s brought water to the table, but Dal’s got a HydroFlask he brought from the car. “Does it taste funny?” I point to the bottle. “You filled it back in Salem, right?”

“No, I mean everyone’s engaged.” He folds his hands on the table. “Just wondering if it’s catching from somewhere.”

Cassidy laughs as a handsome server starts toward us with a tray of glasses. “We can ask Jimmy to taste yours first, if you’re worried.” She looks up as the young man—Jimmy, presumably—starts setting down water.

“Afternoon, everybody.” He puts a glass in front of me. “Welcome to O’Brien’s.”

“Thank you.” Cassidy picks up her glass. “Any updates from the big man?” She shifts her gaze to mine. “Jimmy works for Jake.”

“Ah.”

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