Page 16 of Finding Ash
“He’s a hottie,” Kit fanned himself.
“Hey, you’re married, and I have a boyfriend.” McClain was very handsome, not that I had noticed…
“Married but not blind.” He shook his head and sighed. “You never know.”
Not sure what any of that meant, but Kit’s always been far more adventurous than me. His Daddy could deal with his naughty side, but I had friends to get back to.
“Everything okay?” McClain asked as I slid into the booth.
“Yes, just Kit being Kit,” I rolled my eyes. “Did I miss anything?”
“Remy just finished giving me a glimpse into his world, now it’s your turn.”
Where to start… “Well, I’ve been here since Christmas. My family came to Foggy for the holidays. I’d been talking to Kit and Nate about moving here and I made the decision as soon as we pulled into town.”
“That’s great. Where does the rest of your family live?” Remy and I glanced at his each other but his grin pushed me on. “I grew up on a commune in the mountains that border Arizona and New Mexico. I have five brothers and sisters, including Kit, most of which still live there or in the closest town to it. Um, what else?” Sheltered? Boring? All of the above by my account. “Oh, and I’m twenty-four, which now that I’m saying it I realize you already know that from my job application.” Add nervous rambling to the list of new things I’ve learned about myself. I shrugged, having run out of interesting things to share. “Kit’s the youngest, then me. Um, that’s it.”
“Wow, what a great story. How do you both like Foggy so far?”
Remy and I shyly smiled. “I’m gonna stay. I really like it. Not too big, not too small, and everyone is really nice.”
“Same,” Remy squeezed my hand. “I’m gonna look for a place of my own. The RV is nice and all, but I’d like a space I could stretch out in and make my own. Have a private office so I don’t bug anyone,” he did it again, “who might be over.”
“Totally makes sense. I haven’t been out much, getting ready for the grand opening and settling into my new place has consumed all my time. But I do plan to now. I’d like to shop locally as much as possible. Now that I have help at the store, I might actually be able to take a lunch break.” The three of us laughed. “I’m really looking forward to having you both around, even if it’s just to pop in and say hi, Remy.”
I bet McClain was lonely since his husband was gone. Remy and I would make sure he wasn’t anymore. I looked forward to learning how to make homemade ice cream, it was gonna be fun. All the flavor combinations and new creations, like being the mad scientist of the ice cream world.
“What are you giggling at over there?” McClain asked me.
“Sorry, my brain kinda went in a weird direction.” His brow arched, and I figured I better explain. “I was thinking how exciting it was going to be to learn how to make ice cream, then one thing led to another in my brain, and suddenly you became the mad scientist of the ice cream world.”
McClain threw his head back and laughed. Sigh…he had a wonderful, bone-deep chuckle. “I can see how that came about. I will happily be the mad scientist if you two will agree to be my Frankenstein samplers.”
We laughed so hard the heads of the patrons at nearby tables turned our way.
“You’ve got a deal!” Remy held his hand out and McClain shook it, so I did the same.
“I’m a big fan of ice cream.” That was no lie. It was a rare treat we got growing up and now I can have it anytime I want. “And learning.”
“We are going to get along just fine then, Ash.”
“Good morning, Ash,” McClain greeted me as I stepped inside the shop. “Right on time. Are you ready for your real first day?”
“I am.” Remy had an all-day team meeting to go over the launch for their new game release and to get started on their next project.
“Excellent. Put on an apron and a pair of gloves and let’s get to it.” McClain’s smile was infectious, as was his positive attitude. “I set an alarm for ten minutes before opening so we don’t get lost in creating. Trust me, it’s easy to do when the muse takesover.”
“Muse?”
“That little voice that guides you through what you enjoy. Always follow your creative muse, Ash. You’ll never regret it. Some of the best decisions come when you do.”
I’ll have to remember that, if my muse ever presents itself.
“Wow, that’s a lot of milk.” I feared for the lactose intolerant. “Is there a way to make it without that?”
McClain blinked, then it was like he got hit by something. “Oh no, are you lactose intolerant?”
“Me? No, but so many others are.”
