Chapter 161

Heather was a little unimpressed when we piled back into the Couples Boat and she saw that I was helping Cattie, but she kept her mouth shut considering I was acting as physical labour. Cattie and I started putting the snacks they had bought away, and partitioning out some of the food they had transported back for Becca to be brought over to the Singles Boat. We chatted as we worked, and I found it felt sort of like when I had been doing the dishes with Becca.

Cattie and I just worked well together. We weren’t quite as smoothly efficient as Becca and I, but we were a little more playful as we teased each other and she would tickle my side trying to get a rise out of me, and then squirm away when I threatened to do the same to her.

Sherry came out looking for her sister and blushed again when she saw me.

“Cat, I’m heading back over to my boat,” she said. “Anything I should carry over?”

“Um, yeah,” Cattie said, turning and picking up a small pile of stuff and handing it over to her sister. “These should get in the freezer over there ASAP.”

“Cool,” Sherry said, and then she hesitated before looking at me. “Um, thanks for the lighting thing earlier. The back half of the pictures came out better lit.”

“No problem,” I said. “Sorry about walking in on you like that.”

“We should have put up another sign,” she mumbled. And then she turned and quickly walked away.

“Oh my God,” Cattie smirked. “I think that was her apologizing.”

“So she’s learning from Heather?” I asked, then immediately regretted taking the low-blow shot.

But Cattie suppressed a snort as her eyes went wide at the remark, putting her hands over her mouth as she tried her best not to laugh. “You’re bad,” she finally chuckled softly as she got her laugh reflex under control.

“Sorry,” I said with a smirk. “That wasn’t fair.”

“It’s fine,” Cattie said, then hugged me again.

I held her for a long moment, taking a deep breath and resting my chin on top of her head. “Love you, Catherine,” I said quietly.

“Love you too, Tiger,” she whispered back.

We had just gotten everything put away, and I was heading into the Couples Boat with the second half of the stuff that was going to be stored there, when I heard more than saw the arrival of the other two cars. I quickly went and dropped the foodstuffs on the counter neatly and then headed out to meet the girls.

It was a flurry of activity that I got swept up in and I found myself getting lots of little side hugs and kisses on cheeks from the girls. Each of them had been part of sending me teasing pictures while they were gone, but no one seemed to want to overplay their hand in front of the others.

Well, no one but my fiancee.

Cassidy practically jumped into my arms, kissing me fervently when I met her at the car. It was a full-on makeout kiss even if it was short as she pressed her body to mine and fed me her tongue, swapping spit with me. “Hi, Tiger,” she said with a big grin as she pulled away.

“Hey, babe,” I said back.

“Have fun while we were gone?”

“You know I did,” I said. “You?”

“Mhmm,” she grinned and nodded. Then she looked around, gave me another kiss, and dropped back down to her feet and grabbed Becca and pushed her at me. All the others were piling into the boats with armloads of food, leaving the three of us alone for a moment.

“Oof!” Becca said as she laughed and got shoved into my arms.

“Hi, you,” I said, wrapping her up in my arms.

“Hey, handsome,” she said and then reached up and put her hands on my cheeks as we kissed just as deeply as I had with Cassidy. When we separated she was smiling and her eyes were sparkling at the intensity of the kiss. “You know, your fiancee is trouble, right?”