She hesitated, but her hand reached forward, taking the other side of the glass. Our fingertips brushed just slightly, just enough to make me jerk my own hand away.
“And, hey, bonus,” I continued, shaking off the awkward tension. “You can be as ‘unladylike’ as you want here. I won’t judge. You can even burp, if you’re really feeling frisky.”
Ruby Grace laughed, eyeing the whiskey like she still wasn’t sure before she shrugged and tilted the glass in my direction. “Oh, what the hell. Bottoms up.”
She took a sip, and then promptly grimaced and stuck her tongue out as soon as she’d swallowed.
“God, that’s awful.” She shook her head, shoving the glass back in my direction. “Definitely not doing that again.”
I laughed, rinsing the glass with a splash of water from the bottles we kept nearby before filling it with the same whiskey.
“Okay, that was my bad. Maybe I should have told you how to taste it first.” I handed it to her again, though she eyed it like it was poison. “Smell it first.”
She did as I said, uncertainty shading her face as she looked my way again. “I’m not sure I’m doing it right.”
“You’re not sure you’re smelling right?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You know what I mean. I don’t… I don’t know anything about this stuff.”
“It’s okay, that’s why I’m here.” I stepped closer to her, taking the glass from her hand, and when I inhaled to demonstrate, it was her I smelled instead of the whiskey.
She smelled like lavender, like an open field in the heat of summer.
“Watch,” I said, taking another breath, this time focusing on the whiskey. “You smell it first, and ask yourself what you smell. Oak? Vanilla? Honey? Maple? Every whiskey is different, depending on how it’s aged, how the barrels are charred and toasted. See what notes you can detect first. And then,” I continued, taking my first sip. I let it linger in my mouth, swirling it a round before swallowing gently. “Taste it. I mean, really taste it. Does it give you different flavors on the tip of your tongue than it does on the back? Does it burn going down, or is it just warm? And what’s the aftertaste?”
Ruby Grace watched me, fascinated, her lips parted softly, eyes falling to my bare chest where a small drop of whiskey had landed. I thumbed it away, handing her the glass again.
“Now, you try.”
She took a deep breath, like she needed to focus to really do it right, and then she repeated my steps. And this time, when she finished swallowing, she smiled.
“Wow,” she said. “It’s different when you don’t just throw it back like a shot.”
I chuckled. “Well, this isn’t shooting whiskey. It’s Tennessee Sippin’ Whiskey,” I said, tilting my imaginary hat. I tucked my hands in my pockets, nodding toward the next barrel. “Take a little from that one.”
“I can pour it myself?”
I nodded. “Just twist that spout a little, not too much. You don’t need a lot to taste it.”
She was hesitant as she poured a sip into her glass, and her eyes lit up, a little squeal of joy popping from her mouth. “I did it!”
And for the next ten minutes, I watched Ruby Grace be a girl.
She was so far from the snotty woman who had offered me her hand like a prize when we first met. She was just a teenager, a soon-to-be sophomore in college, drinking whiskey, learning something new and having fun.
I wondered when the last time was that she had fun.
I wondered if she’d ever had fun at all.
The way she looked when she laughed, I hoped she had. I hoped it wasn’t the first time that laugh had been genuine, the first time that sound had made its way into the airwaves. She laughed the way the wind blew — softly, and then all at once, without an ounce of shame for how that sound might permanently shift the atmosphere around it.
When she’d decided on the barrel she wanted, Ruby Grace regretfully slipped back into her heels, and I tugged my t-shirt on before leading us out of the warehouse and toward the welcome center.
“So,” I said, walking slow so she didn’t kill her feet in the process of getting back to her car. “What are Anthony’s plans when you go back to school in the fall?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, are you guys moving in together and he’s getting a job there? Or are you guys doing long distance for a while or what?”
She laughed, her hair falling over her face a little as she watched our feet. “I’m not going back to school.”
“Oh…” I paused. “You don’t want to?”
“I mean, I guess I do… but, there’s no point. You know? I’m getting married. I’ll be his wife now, and I’ll have so much to do. He’s already getting into the political arena, and he’ll need me to be by his side, campaigning and networking and all that.” She shrugged. “I don’t really need a degree to do that.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s what I want to do,” she said quickly. “It’s what I was bred to do.”
“Bred?” I frowned. “You’re not a horse. You’re a human.”
Ruby Grace stopped with an abrupt click of her heels once we reached the welcome center entrance, and she crossed her arms defiantly as her eyes found mine. She didn’t even have to say another word for me to know I’d pushed the wrong button, and I was about to get the same woman I met in this very spot an hour before.
“Look, you don’t know anything about me, okay? Or my family, or what I want or what I don’t want, so just stop trying to presume whatever it is you’re presuming.”
“Oh, look at you,” I chided, stepping into her space. “Using big words again.”
She scoffed. “They say nothing changes when you leave this town and come back, I guess you just proved them right.”
“Well, that’s my job,” I fired back. “Proving the ominous they right. Glad I’ve still got it.”
Our chests were close again, the stains on my off-white t-shirt highlighting the crisp cleanness of her dress.
“Lucy will take your money inside,” I said, nodding to the doors behind her. “Congratulations on your engagement.”
I turned just as her mouth popped open, but I didn’t look back.
“Thanks for the tasting,” she said, making sure her voice was loud and clear.
“Go ahead and say it louder, princess,” I threw behind me. “You’d be in just as much shit as I would.”
She didn’t respond to that, and when I chanced a glance back in her direction, there was steam rolling off that cute face of hers as she ripped the door to the welcome center open.
And I couldn’t help it — I chuckled.
I didn’t mean to ruffle her feathers, but damn if I didn’t like getting under that pretty bird’s skin.
This has been a sneak peek of book one in the Becker Brothers series, On the Rocks. Continue reading here!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
* * *
I’ve said in the last couple of books that this part gets harder each time, and I’m here to tell you — that’s still true.
There were SO MANY hands that went into the making of this duet, and I don’t think there are words to truly explain how grateful I am to every single person who has been a part of this process. This was my most aggressive writing schedule, my most intense edit, and — in the end — my best work to date (in my opinion). That would not be true if it weren’t for all the loving (and critical) people who held my hand in this journey.
Let me start by thanking you — the reader — whether you are a book blogger, a writer, or just someone who inhales books like oxygen, as Charlie would say. I know it was scary taking a chance on this duet. For some of you, angst and emotional romances scared the living hell out of you. For others, it was the horror of having to wait two weeks between installments. And, even if you did love angst and torture (like me), you still had to trust me to take you on a love triangle ride, knowing there was a possibility that your
guy wouldn’t win. I truly hope that no matter which “team” you were on, you were happy with the ending. And THANK YOU for trusting me and taking a chance on my duet. Your reviews and messages are what get me through the hard days.
I love you all so, so much.
To Staci Brillhart, thank you for putting up with me when I had a complete meltdown during the editing process of book one. I knew every critical thing you had for me was valid, but I still needed you to hug me while I spent hours and hours making those changes. You were always there to talk me through scenes and pet my hair when the days were long and I was tired. Because of you, book one is better than it ever could have been had you not been a part of this process. Thank you for being my friend always and my mentor as a bonus. I love you.
Karla Sorensen and Kathryn Andrews, both of you were also critical voices in this. As two ladies who LOATHE triangles and cheating, you helped me make this duet something more than just a series for the “angst-lovers.” I appreciate all your guidance, your feedback, your words of encouragement and your suggestions. More than that, I appreciate your never-ending love and friendship. Thank you.
I have to send out a huge thank you to Brittainy C. Cherry, my forever ride or die. Thank you for cheering me on, for sharing the struggles with me along the way, and for making me laugh when my anxiety was threatening to pull me under. I truly can’t think of a single other person in this world who understands me the way you do, and I value our friendship more than words can say. Friends who slay together… ;)
To all of my incredible beta readers: Kellee Fabre, Monique Boone, Sarah Green, Danielle Lagasse, Ashlei Davison, Jess Vogel, Maegan Abel, Trish QUEEN MINTNESS, and Sahar Bagheri — YOU. ARE. THE. TITS. I don’t know if I’m aloud to write that in my acknowledgements, but I am, because it’s my book and I said so. Seriously, WOW. What a ride we had this time around, #amiright? Not only did many of you read multiple versions of each book, but you also waited (maybe not so patiently) for more from me when I left you at the worst spots. I mean, readers think they had it rough with a two week wait — if they only knew your pain as you waited MONTHS. I cannot say how much you helped shape this duet. Thank you for all your time, feedback, and love. I have the BEST team.
And to Sasha Erramouspe, thank you for being my last minute “Charlie” reader who reviewed the manuscripts after all the beta changes were made. Your feedback was crucial and so, so appreciated. I just adore you. Thank you for your time and thoughtfulness on this project!
To my momma and my best friend, Sasha Whittington, I thank both of you for always being there and cheering me on with my writing. Even if you do it from a distance, you’re always there pushing me to do better and reach higher. I think you both get more excited on release days than I do LOL. I love you both so much.
There is a whole team behind my books that really make them as successful as they can be, and I feel like just writing a thank you in here isn’t enough. You all deserve medals. To Elaine York, my editor and formatter, thank you for making my words prettier and for bringing the feeling of this duet to life with the gorgeous formatting. I always love working with you, but this time around you were absolutely invaluable with how flexible you were timing-wise. To my agent, Flavia, thank you for hustling as hard as I do. It’s so comforting and refreshing to know you have my back. Then, there’s the team at Social Butterfly PR. Nina, Chanpreet, and Hilary, you ladies have made this duet release everything that it is. Thank you for your hard work, your loving messages, your support, and your guidance. And, last but not least, thank you to Lauren Perry of Perrywinkle Photography for, yet again, bringing my vision for the covers to life. Your work is amazing and I’m so happy I get to continue to work with you.
Thank you to my tribe, my peoples, and especially to the ones that dried my tears at the writing retreat in January. You guys were there with me through the most intense edit of my life, and it’s thanks to you that I felt inspired and motivated enough to keep going.
I’d like to give a special shout out to Angie McKeon for pushing this duet SO HARD. Your love for it absolutely inspired others to take a chance on it, and that word-of-mouth love is invaluable. I can’t thank you enough.
To #MysteryMan, I only wish I could tell you how much your support has meant to me. From rubbing my shoulders after long days of writing to checking in on my goals and pushing me on the days I felt like quitting, you have shown me what TRUE love and support looks like. You inspired me when you didn’t even know it, and knowing you would be there for me whether this duet succeeded or failed miserably made it easier to keep going. I don’t know what our future holds, but I do know that my life is forever changed for the better by having known you, and having been loved by you.
And of course, I have to thank Pocket. Because if I don’t, she’ll aggressively meow at me while I try to sleep and knock bottles of water off my nightstand onto my computer. So, meow meow, I love you, thanks for not judging me when I don’t shower for days during writing deadlines.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
* * *
Just when I thought the writing and editing process couldn’t get more challenging, I tackled Reese and Sarah’s story. To say this one put me through the ringer would be a gross understatement. These were the most complex characters I’ve ever written, and I know I wouldn’t have made it out alive if I didn’t have an amazing team.
First of all, I have to thank Drew Pace, an old friend who came through in the most amazing way for this project. Drew, your knowledge of piano — not just the instrument, but the career, the journey of being someone tied to classical — it was absolutely invaluable. Hearing your stories helped shape this story, and without you, I wouldn’t have been able to tap into the emotions, to the lessons, to the challenges. I really am at a loss for words, and I don’t know that I can ever truly thank you enough to feel like it’s adequate for all you did to contribute to this book’s success. Thank you for being so open and honest with me, and for taking time out of YOUR busy schedule to help me create art. You are truly a gem in this world and I’m so happy to know you!
Staci Brillhart. In every book I’ve ever written since the day we first met, you have been on my team. You’ve been cheering me on, helping me work through the tough spots, celebrating when I achieved what I set out to do. But, with this book more so than any other, you provided tough, RELEVANT feedback that truly helped shape this into the final product it was always meant to be. And, more than anything, you believed in me when even I didn’t. You knew I could survive the edits when I was looking at the notes and wanting to cry. I felt like I’d failed, like these characters would never come to life the way I wanted to, and you helped me pinpoint the biggest challenges and you helped me find solutions. I can never thank you enough for always being in my corner, and please know that even when it hurts, your feedback means more to me than I could ever say. I love you. More than tacos, babe!
Momma, as always, I could never do this without you. You raised me to be strong, to be independent, to chase my dreams and never, EVER let the setbacks make me quit. I don’t know how you do all that you do, but I am thankful every day that I got the resilient gene from you. I love you.
To the lovely Karla Sorensen and Kathryn Andrews, you two babes helped me SO MUCH in these edits. Thank you for taking the time and the care to help me really bring these characters to life. Your insight is always so valuable, and I could not do this without you. More than your help on this book, thank you both for being such amazing friends to me. I love our trips, sleepovers, laughs and late nights. I never want to do this without you. Let’s stick together — always!
Patricia Leibowitz — AKA QUEEN MINTNESS — I have to give you a huge, HUGE shout out for your help in this book. Not only were you instrumental in some of the big changes, but you are the ONLY beta reader who also read through the entire thing AGAIN after I made all the edits. You love this story and these characters just as much as I do, and your emotion while reading gave me life. I seriously cannot
imagine doing this without you. I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.
To my amazing team of beta readers: Kellee Fabre, Sarah Green, Danielle Lagasse, Ashlei Davison, Jess Vogel, and Sahar Bagheri — YOU ARE THE BEST TEAM TO EVER EXIST. Seriously. Some of you read as I wrote, others read at the end, but ALL of you provided the best feedback that helped transform this book into the final product. I am so thankful for all of your time, care, and feedback.
To the most amazing, patient, hard working and bad ass assistant to ever exist — Christina Stokes — I don’t even have the right words for you. Between hunting for stock photos for our teasers and finding copy to share on various social outlets to reading the story and petting my hair in times of need, you do it all. You do it ALL. Even before I ask, even before I KNOW that I need something, you do it. I cannot tell you how much stress you take away from my life, how much comfort and joy you bring me, and more than anything, how happy my heart is when I am around you. I am so lucky to not only have you on my work team, but to be able to call you my friend. Let’s travel the world together. I love you!
Shout out to Sasha Erramouspe and Gabby Waltz for charlie reading this one. You both brought me so much relief that I had done what I’d set out to do, and your final feedback was like the little bow on top of this story. SORRY FOR MAKING YOU CRY, SASHA, but just know I love you more than whiskey — and we both know that means a LOT.
I have the absolute best editor in the entire world in Elaine York from Allusion Graphics. Thank you, my friend, for always working with my changing timelines, for sending me love notes as you read, and for helping me polish this to a high shine. You are an instrumental part of my team now and for always.
To the most wonderful PR crew: Nina Grinstead, Hilary Suppes, Chanpreet Singh, and the rest of the team at Social Butterfly PR — thank you for always helping me promote the fuck out of my books. Your fresh ideas and constant attention to detail are just some of the reasons I’m happy to have you on my team.
Best Kept Secrets (Complete Series) Page 84
