CHOOCHOKUM, OR AS I used to call it, Cho chokes ’em, is the annual street party in downtown Langley every August. The colorful art, freestyle dancing, dreamcatcher, ribbon-waving, patchouli-scented love fest drives Olaf to take a three-day vacation every year. He always says it coincides with his family reunion, but we suspect he lies in a dark room and curses the downfall of humanity.
Erik, Jonah, and Dan all set up booths for the weekend. Even without The Dog House being open, we all find ourselves congregating on the corner of First and Anthes. Mostly for the floor show. If the town would loosen the laws about public nudity, or at least toplessness, the whole day would be even more interesting. A couple of years ago a group of women decided to forgo their tops and cover their chests only with body paint. Best Choochokum ever.
Especially because Ashley was one of those women.
For an entire ten minutes, she stood in the middle of Anthes with a swirl of painted blue sky and clouds the only layer between her skin and my eyes. Then she and her friends were not so politely asked to put on festival shirts and leave.
Yes, there was booing and even some hissing.
As much as I loved seeing her body again, I hated others getting an eyeful, too.
I don’t care if I’m a hypocrite.
I was her first, and if I have my way, I’ll be her last.
Her forever.
No one should enjoy her body but me. Only me. I mentally thump my chest like the caveman ready to drag his woman back to his lair.
“Hey goat boy!” A group of women wave at me and dance their way over to where I’m standing.
“Can we play with your goats?” The pretty dark haired one asks as she bends at the waist, giving me a view down her dress to her braless breasts.
Did I mention I’m standing on a street corner with two Nigerian Pygmy goats on leashes?
It’s part of Ashley’s idea for brand visibility. Or something like that. I think she’s pranking me. What’s more ridiculous than walking goats on leashes? Other than these two are also wearing T-shirts with my company name.
“Do you ever dress them in pajamas?”
“Or make them wear sweaters when it’s cold?”
“You should totally crochet them tiny hats for their horns.”
“Horn cozies!”
They all squeal at once as they crouch in front of Jackie and Lou, petting and cooing at them. Lou head butts the blonde in the group and she tips over, landing on her butt.
“Sorry about that.” Lou may be a doe, but she’s vying with Babe for alpha queen of the herd. Apparently, she hates all females.
“You can make up for it.” Looking up at me, she gives me a flirty grin. The tip of her tongue peeks out from the corner of her mouth as she stares at my crotch.
I can think of at least one thing she can do in that position.
I expect my body to react to her offer and her obvious flirting, but it doesn’t. No zing or blood flowing into my dick.
Nothing.
I offer her my hand not holding the leashes and lift her up. “Thanks, but I’m not available.”
“That’s a shame.”
Summer on the island is chock full of opportunity with all the summer people and tourists. I swear the population of women triples, at least, during the season. Girls’ weekends, weddings, and wine tours mean there’s always a fresh crop of ladies here to have a good time.
Typically, I’m happy to help them out.
Now that Ashley and I are hanging out more, I’m not interested in the random vacation one-night stand.
Thinking about her, my eyes automatically scan the crowd for her copper hair.
I spot her familiar curls pulled into a ponytail beneath her old, straw cowboy hat. The skinny straps of her long, flowy dress expose her pale, freckled shoulders. Her skin’s pink from today’s strong sun.
“I think your goat’s eating your shorts.” One of the women laughs and points down.
Sure enough, Jackie is chomping on the flap of the pocket on my cargo shorts. “This is why we can’t have nice things, Jackie.”
After I extract the fabric from her mouth, there’s a big wet spot on my leg. Luckily, it’s not high enough to look like I peed myself.
Glancing up, I squint into the sun in the direction I spotted Ashley. She’s disappeared again.
Someone bumps into me hard from behind and then thin arms wrap around my middle.
“Uff,” I grunt and brace myself to keep from face planting from the force. A familiar scent of flowers and lemons surrounds me.
“Ashley?” I grip her arms and steady us.
“It’s me!” She rests her chin on my shoulder and mashes her back against mine.
“I’m all into PDA, but what’s with the grinding on my backside?”
Laughing, she shoves my shoulder. “Turn around.”
When I do, I notice she’s taller than normal.
“I’m on roller skates!” She points down at the white boots with pink wheels.
“Nice pom-poms.”
“Aren’t they the best?” Executing a wide turn, she shows off her wobbly skating skills.
“Do they have brakes?” I grab her forearm before she slams into me again.
“There’s a stopper thingy on the front, but I keep forgetting to use it.” She giggles again and I realize she’s tipsy.
“Is there a law against drinking and skating?”
She bops me on the nose. “Of course not.”
“Shouldn’t you be wearing wrist guards or a helmet?”
“At a street festival? Boo. Don’t be a party pooper.” With a gentle push, she glides backward. “It’s all good.”
She takes another spin and skates down the street, waving behind her. “Catch you later.”
I want to chase after her, but I’m tethered to two goats. Saying a quick good-bye to the goat fangirls, I walk Jackie and Lou back to their pen on the grassy hill between The Dog House and the art gallery. An antique phone booth stands guard next to their pen. Inside it a couple is making out. Or living out their old school Clark Kent fantasies. I think about telling them to get a room, but apparently they think a glass box offers them some privacy. It doesn’t.
I settle the goats inside their pen along with Cy and Cobb, and make them promise to behave. Spotting Cari, I wave her over and ask her to goat sit with the promise I’ll bring her back some food.
Once I’m free, I jog through the crowd, searching for Ashley. I know she’s not with Falcon, because he’s up on stage banging away on some homemade percussion setup. From the small crowd of hippie girls swirling in front of the stage, he has his own fangirls.
Good for him.
I hope he sleeps with all of them. At the same time.
I double-scan the group for a redhead, but don’t spot Ashley.
Given her unsteadiness, I doubt she went up the hill away from downtown. The food and Double Bluff beer are on the corner of Anthes and Second street, so I continue in that direction.
At the corner, the beer garden spills into the intersection, blocking off Second. In the middle of the tables, I spot my favorite ginger. She’s standing in her skates. Or at least trying to. As I approach, she laughs at something someone at the nearest table says. In her typical style, she tilts her head back and lets the laughter spill out of her. I love seeing her happy.
I flash my license at some college kid I don’t recognize guarding the entrance to the fenced off area.
Tucking my wallet back into the pocket of my shorts, I weave my way through the tables and crowd to get to Ashley. I hear my name and turn to wave hello at some guys from the golf course. When I return my focus to Ashley, she’s gone. One minute she’s laughing, telling a story. The next, she’s disappeared.
Not into a poof of smoke, but simply gone.
I bounce up on my toes, attempting to see around the clump of people in between us. Ashley’s laughter carries through the crowd, and I spin around, trying to find the source.
The sound comes from the same spot she was just standing in. When I reach the table, I spot Ashley, sitting on the ground by one of the chairs, laughing.
“Carter!” With a grin, she waves from below me. “I fell.”
Jonah greets me and points to his sister. “Mind scooping up Grace?”
“Not at all.” I extend my hand to her and yank her upright.
She’s not steady on her skates and crashes into me again. This time, my arm goes around her lower back and I brace her against me.
When she lifts her arms and rests them on my shoulders, her laughter quiets into a breathy murmur. “Hi.”
“Hello, yourself. Maybe you should lose the skates?”
“Then I’d be barefoot.” Her fingers lightly twist in my hair.
“You’d fit right in with the hippie girls dancing in front of the stage.” Jonah pulls out an empty chair. “Joining us, Carter?”
“Yeah, sure.” Once I’m seated, I notice there’s no room at the table for Ashley. “Oh, hey, here, Ashley. You can have the chair.”
“We can share it.” Her fingers brush my shoulder. “I’ll sit on your lap. You won’t even notice I’m there.”
Before I can protest, she plops onto my lap and wiggles around to adjust herself with her butt on one of my thighs and her legs between mine. Her skates rest between my feet, occasionally bumping against my shoes.
“Beer?” Jonah hands me a cup and then gives a bottle of water to Ashley.
“Thanks, but where’s my adult beverage, Sweet Brother of Mine?” Despite protesting, she uncaps the water and chugs down half the bottle.
“Hydrate first,” Jonah instructs.
While the two of them engage in sibling bicker, I say hello to Dan and Roslyn, who are sharing our table. “When did you get home from Italy?”
“Yesterday. The jet lag sucks. All I want to do is sleep.” Roslyn leans on his shoulder as she fights a yawn.
“Could be the pregnancy hormones.” Dan strokes her hair.
“I’m never going to make it to December at this rate. Wake me up in a couple of months.” Closing her eyes, she snuggles closer to him.
“How’d the goats do today?” Dan asks me, ignoring the fact I have my crush sitting on my lap. Typical of him.
“Good. They’re back in their pen with Cari and Erik watching over them.”
“Oh, can we go pet them?” Roslyn asks.
I guess she’s not asleep.
Roslyn’s own auburn hair is pulled into a ponytail today. If I didn’t know she was pregnant, I couldn’t tell by the loose dress she wears. She and Ashley are close to being twins today in their long dresses.
“Of course. Any time you want to visit them, feel free to stop by the house. If they’re home, you can totally hang out with them.”
Roslyn fights another yawn. “I think Dan should get dairy goats. We could make our own cheese for Sal’s.”
“We’re not getting goats. We have a cat. Isn’t that enough? Plus, the baby.” Dan’s deep voice leaves no room for argument. At least I wouldn’t argue with him.
Roslyn, on the other hand, has bigger balls than I do. Or whatever the female equivalent is. She touches his cheek and hums. “We’ll see.”
That’s girl code for “eventually I’ll get my way.”
See? I’m learning.
“I think we need a week at the spa at Roche Harbor to recover from our vacation.” Roslyn covers her mouth with the back of her hand as she fights off another yawn.
Dan kisses her temple. “Reminds me of the time we went to the San Juans for John’s bachelor weekend.”
“Right. No one needs to rehash that weekend.” I try to cut him off before he brings up Tom. Dan knows the history there, but probably not every detail.
“We never did let you loose on the nuns, did we?” He goes there. Damn him.
“Nuns? Carter?” Ashley twists in my lap and blinks at me.
“Practical joke. Turns out there’s a nunnery or convent on Shaw Island.”
“I know the place. Mom used to joke about sending Ashley there for misbehaving.” Jonah laughs. “Can you imagine her as a nun? She probably would’ve swum all the way home to escape.”
“Your mother sounds a little . . . what’s the word I’m looking for? Right, old school,” Roslyn says.
Ashley sighs. “You’re being polite. If we had an attic, she probably would’ve locked me up there until I turned twenty.”
“That’s being generous,” Jonah adds. “You’d still be under lock and key if she had any say.”
Roslyn scrutinizes Ashley. “I had no idea.”
“We don’t talk about our childhood much.” Jonah’s eyes flick to mine for a beat.
“Must be tough having grown up here. With everyone knowing everyone’s business.” Roslyn’s voice holds empathy. “I can’t imagine.”
“One good thing is there’s always a new scandal to keep people occupied.” I tighten my arm around Ashley’s waist.
She rests her hand over mine and gives it a squeeze.
“Don’t you two look cozy?” Hailey Donnely stands next to Roslyn across the table. Her tone is flat and I can’t tell if she’s being sincere or sarcastic. Given her history with Ashley and the fact that Tom’s now her husband, her comment could go either way.
Ashley’s back stiffens and she sits up taller.
“Hiya, Hailey.” I greet her with my typical grin.
She blinks a few times before smiling. “Hi, all.”
“We’d ask you to join us, but as you can see, we’re doubled-up already. Plus, I think there’s a one pregnant woman per table in the beer garden limit.” Ashley keeps her voice light, but she’s not fooling any of us.
“Oh, no worries. I’m meeting John and Diane. Tom dropped me off and went to go park.” Absentmindedly or intentionally, she rubs her belly bump.
Ashley perches stiffly on my lap like she’s in trouble.
Bullshit.
I want her here. To prove my intention, I pull her against my chest and snake my other arm below our hands. This new position puts her head near mine and I whisper against her ear, “You are not at war with anyone at this table. Pretend I’m saying something intimate and funny. Smile and laugh.”
Some of the tension in her body dissipates when she laughs at my suggestion.
I exhale against her cheek and feel her shiver.
When Ashley gets nervous, she tends to say inappropriate things or rude things. Her anxiety turns off the filter between her brain and mouth. I’ve witnessed it more times than I can count.
Luckily, John and Diane show up before Tom. They’re neutral territory. At least John is. I think.
“Carter Kelso, just the man I need to see.” John slaps my back.
“I think that’s a first.” I twist my head back to look up at him. Not an easy feat given he’s well over six feet tall. It’s like standing at the base of a giant cedar and trying to see the top.
“I need to hire some goats. I hear you’re the man.”
“I’m your guy.” I give him a thumb’s up like a cheesy politician.
“Good. I cleared some acreage off of Cultus Bay Road and heard you can finish the job before they start construction.”
I can’t continue the conversation with my neck twisted. If I don’t stand up soon, my muscles are going to lock. I pat Ashley’s arm and tilt my hips, silently asking her to stand.
I think we both forget she’s wearing roller skates because when she stands, her feet fly out in front of her. It’s a good thing I’m holding onto her arms before she slides under the table.
Finally managing to stand and remain upright, I step away from the chair to finish talking with John about goats.
Ashley skates over to the bar for a fresh beer. Or so she says. I think she’s looking to escape. As far as I know, she and Tom have managed to avoid facing each other since the meat tossing. Even when they’ve been in the same space, like Halloween at the Rod and Gun or the Holiday Sip n’ Stroll, they’ve maintained a safe perimeter, a no-man zone.
I keep one eye on Ashley at the bar and one eye at the entrance, watching for Tom.
It’s not my job, but as the peacemaker in my own family, it’s a role I easily adopt.
When Tom’s familiar crazy head of curls cuts through the crowd, I wrap up my conversation with John, telling him to call me. After a quick good-bye to the rest of the group, I make my way to Ashley.
I rest my hand on her lower back, letting her know I’m here.
“Ready to go?” I step closer.
“I haven’t even gotten to the front of the line yet.” She twists her head to look at me. The moment she spots Tom, her eyes widen. “Yeah, let’s go.”
“Hold on.” I hold her in place. “Why should we have to run away? We were here first. Plus, someday we’re all going to have to let it go. All of it. The past is over. Done.”
“I agree, but can we not have another public confrontation? Something less likely to hit the rumor mill?” She squeezes my hand. “Please?”
“Anything for you.” I continue stewing over Tom and feel a confrontation coming on to clear the air once and for all. Or at least get in the punch he deserves to take.