Dirty Game

“Cuz, what kept you so long?” Cole stood on the beach, poking the orange embers with a long fire stick. He had assembled a long sheet of metal over four stacks of cinderblocks that acted as sawhorses. “This fire has been ready for thirty minutes.” The coals burned two feet under the platform.

I held up the canvas bag. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. I’ve got the oysters.” I dropped the sack near Cole’s feet and scanned the empty beach. I took a deep breath of the chilled air.

“I have the champagne!” Emily giggled as she bounded over the grassy yard toward the beach. She held up a green bottle and pointed toward Sierra. “And sparkling cider.”

“I’m holding the good stuff. We are not smacking Moet into the sea.” Sierra smiled at me before my arms wrapped around her, and I buried my head in her shoulder.

“Darlin’, you need to keep me warm tonight.” The words made her purr in my ear.

My hand dropped to her belly where I could feel the small bump under her sweater. I rubbed over the fabric.

“Hey, you two. We have serious oyster roasting and boat christening to do tonight.” Emily wagged her finger at us.

Sierra tilted her head to the side. “We aren’t stopping you.”

“All right. So what’s the game plan? It’s damn cold out here.”

“This bottle is for drinking and celebrating.” Sierra held up the expensive French champagne. “And that one is for the boat.” She pointed to Emily’s bottle.

“Looks like you two covered all the bases.” I reached for the high-end bottle and unwrapped the foil sealing the cork. I looked at Cole. “And what about the oysters?”

“Ten minutes, tops,” Cole announced as he dumped half of the sack onto the metal sheet. A low hissing noise rose from the table when Cole covered the first round with a heavy canvas.

“Let’s make a toast.” Emily withdrew glasses from the bag she had brought to the beach, and held them up for me to pour.

“Thanks.” I tilted the bottle and filled each glass with the chilled beverage. I grabbed the cider for Sierra and handed her a special glass.

“I think you should do it, since you’re the songwriter.” Sierra poked me in the side.

“I’m a QB,” I groaned. “A football player,” I added.

“One who is not in the playoffs,” Cole called out.

Fuck. I didn’t need him needling me about what happened with the Thrashers.

“Songwriter doesn’t equal toast master, but I’ll give it a shot, baby.” I watched as the sharp flames from the fire caught the rise of the champagne’s dancing bubbles.

I cleared my throat. “Here it goes.”

I looked at Sierra and felt my heart swell a little. This was a moment I never saw coming, even if it was one I’d always wanted.

“Cole, man, when you asked me to go in with you on this venture, I could have sat down and listed the pros and cons, run the numbers, and consulted every boat builder Down East, but I didn’t. You asked, and I said yes.” I shuffled my feet in the sand. “I said yes, because you asked.”

Sierra and Emily smiled at each other across the circle.

I continued. “And I’m sure as hell glad I did because I wouldn’t be here tonight. None of us would be celebrating your tenth boat and your five-year exclusive contract with Charleston yacht club if it hadn’t been for you. So, tonight, I know we’re christening her”—I nodded at the vessel anchored along the beach—“but this night is about you bringing all of us together. Without these boats, this business, and you as my family, I wouldn’t have my favorite thing on this island.” I winked at Sierra. “So, here’s to boats, summer, and never giving up.”

“Here, here!” we all said in unison before drinking a few sips.

“Blake, that was beautiful.” Emily hugged me hard.

“I meant it.” I squeezed her again. “Let’s get this party going.” I pulled out my phone and hit play on my beach music playlist.

Cole walked over and slapped me on the back. “I couldn’t have done this without you. You know that?”

I cracked a smile. “I know. You would have been crazy to try it without me.”

It hadn’t been easy opening the doors to the boat barn again. Once I had though, I knew I couldn’t close the place up. Cole deserved to live out his dream, just like I was. So when he had asked if I wanted to re-