Page 72 of Pretty Poison

Rocky glanced out the kitchen window and saw that the party was going strong. Their friends were mingling and having a good time, so why couldn’t he relax? Rocky had nearly made himself sick, worrying what Asher’s team would think about him. He’d wanted to make a better first impression than the one he’d made on Duggins, but things weren’t looking too good.

Rocky had earned his first strike when the trio of trouble’s snooping interfered with the Spencer family’s relocation plans. The second strike came when Dandridge caught Rocky showing his ass after the Snickerdoodle fiasco. He’d prepared himself for cool indifference at best and outright hostility at worst, but the guys had been really nice when they introduced themselves.

But by that point, he’d put so much pressure on himself not to fuck things up he had unintentionally erected shields. Rocky knew he was coming off as stiff and aloof. They probably felt unwelcome, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It was nice putting a different name with their faces besides the goon squad numbers Felix had assigned them. He learned Dandridge’s first name was Kurt. Goon Three, with the tawny hair and cumin-colored freckles, introduced himself as Zack Beaumont. Goon Four, with the white-blond hair and vibrant green eyes, was really named Eddie Chandler. None of the guys brought dates, which was a bummer because Rocky was curious about the guy Dandridge was engaged to.

All of them seemed happy for the invite and had even brought potluck dishes of their own. Even though their contributions were little more than frat-boy fixings, Rocky appreciated the thought and used it as an excuse to retreat to the kitchen. Once there, he became fixated on the chili instead of pulling himself together. Asher recognized the ploy and followed Rocky, but he was already sinking into the cognitive quicksand before his husband arrived and pulled him to safety.

“Ford?” Asher prodded.

It took him a second to remember what they’d been discussing. “No, the barbecue wasn’t a mistake.” Rocky heaved a sigh. “I just hope I can say the same about making this chili. It’s not too late for me to tuck it away in the refrigerator. No one has to know. There are plenty of other things to eat.”

“Don’t be silly,” Asher said. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll act as quality control.” He maneuvered Rocky out of the way, then got a clean spoon out of the silverware drawer.

“How brave of you,” Rocky said, snatching the utensil out of his hand and dipping it into the pot. He blew on the chili to cool it off before holding it up to Asher’s lips.

“Your chili is delicious. Nice and thick and full of flavor without being too spicy. I want to eat this on top of my burger.”

Rocky blew out a relieved breath.

Asher cupped his cheek and drew him in for a brief kiss. “I know it’s easier said than done, but stop worrying and just enjoy yourself, okay?”

He nodded. “I’ll try.” Rocky turned the stove off and set the lid back on the pot. “Let’s get back out there.”

Asher’s phone rang. Rocky glanced down and saw Duggins’s name lit up on the screen. Asher declined the call and returned his cell to his pocket. “Let’s take the fruit and veggie trays out to snack on until it’s time to throw the meat on the grill.”

Rocky had so many questions, but it wasn’t the time to delve into them. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out the trays, handing one to Asher and taking the other himself.

“Oh, good,” Dandridge said, “here they come. Maybe Rocky can settle this debate.”

Rocky laughed. “Um, I can try.”

“What identifiers did you give to the goon squad to give them away?”

Rocky set the fruit tray on the picnic table. Then he pivoted to his husband, who wore a sheepish grin on his face. “You really told them about the goon squad moniker?”

“I told Dandridge,” Asher replied. “He must’ve told the others.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Zack said. “We need to know how you ranked us.”

He looked to Felix and Jude for help, but those two assholes just shrugged. “You can’t remember, Felix?” Rocky asked. “You’re the one who numbered them.”

Felix flipped Rocky off while Jude laughed and checked out Felix’s back.

“The bus didn’t leave tread marks when it ran over you, Ace,” Jude said.

Felix flipped him off too.

“Oh, they assigned us numbers. How did you rate us?” Eddie asked, waggling his brows. “Was I number one? I have bigger muscles.”

“Bigger mouth, maybe,” Zach countered.

“Okay, here’s how it went,” Rocky said. “Asher was goon one, Dandridge was two, Zack was three, and Eddie was four.”

“Why did Asher get the top spot?” Dandridge asked, an adorable pout playing at his lips.

“Who cares?” Eddie asked. “They clearly saved the best for last, right, Rocky?”

“Care to field this one?” Rocky asked Felix.