Bohemian Girl (Southern Girl Series Book 1)

by Georgia Cates

  A serving of pumpkin steel-cut oats with two herbal teas later and I’m festival ready. I can’t wait to see Ollie’s reaction when he sees me.

  Iron City’s booth is front and center. Fitting since they are putting on this event. Their tables and displays are decked out in awesomeness. Their hipster graphics are killer. Everything about their branding pulls in a beer drinker. I can’t help but admire the proof of my brother’s success.

  From a chemical engineer to a beer brewer.

  I was so angry with him for pursuing this. I thought it was nonsense. The biggest mistake of his life. And I was wrong. He’d followed his heart and dreams and it paid off. Shouldn’t we all be so lucky?

  I search the faces behind Iron City’s table, and I don’t see Ollie anywhere. Odd. You’d think they’d want all three head honchos visible, especially on day one.

  I locate Porter who is engaged in a deep conversation. Perfect. I don’t want him to see me and let the cat out of the bag.

  I approach one of the women behind the table.

  “How may I help you?”

  “I’m looking for Oliver Thorn.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know who he is.”

  She doesn’t know her employer? The owner of the brewery she’s representing?

  “He’s one of the Iron City owners.”

  “I’m a temp hired to help serve beer at the festival, and I haven’t met Mr. Thorn yet.”

  She turns and points at Porter. “You’ll probably want to talk to that guy in the red T-shirt. He’s an owner.” She turns and gestures in the opposite direction. “The man wearing the black T-shirt, the one with his back to us, is also an owner. One of them should be able to help you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Black T-shirt guy must be Lucas Broussard.

  Tall. Broad shouldered. Exceptional ass. The view from here ain’t bad, but I won’t find Oliver standing here gaping at his business partner’s ass all day.

  I make my way over to my brother’s business partner and stand aside as he finishes his conversation with the men around him. I’m careful to position myself so my back is turned to Porter. If he sees me, my surprise is blown.

  Lucas Broussard is wearing sunglasses. I can’t clearly see his eyes, but I catch him looking in my direction as he talks with the men circling him. I definitely have his attention.

  He shakes hands with each man. “Iron City looks forward to moving into your draught emporium.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. I’m interrupting business talk. Oliver will kill me.

  He’s quick to turn his attention to me once the men are gone. “Hello. How may I help you?”

  I grasp the stone of the pendent around my neck and stroke it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting.”

  “It’s no problem, ma’am.”

  Oh my God. I love his accent. What is that? Cajun?

  “Well, that’s good to hear.” Ollie wouldn’t be happy if I screwed up something with a client.

  “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.” He offers his hand. “Lucas Broussard.”

  I take it in mine. “Lawrence Thorn.”

  Although he’s wearing sunglasses, I can see his eyes widen and his brows lift, causing several lines to form on his forehead. “Oliver’s sister?”

  I nod. “Yeah. I decided to pop in to surprise him.”

  “Well… Oliver,” Lucas begins but stops.

  Well Oliver what? “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m sure he’d be very surprised to see you if he were here.”

  What? “He’s not at the festival?”

  “Oliver’s not in town.”

  He’s gone? That doesn’t make sense. “But he’s been preparing for the festival all week. He partly owns this business.” Why would he miss the event after all the work he’s done to prepare for it?

  “Do you have time to sit with me a minute so we can talk?”

  I don’t know what this means, but my gut is screaming that I’m not going to like it.

  “Sure.” I have all the time in the world if my brother isn’t here.

  “Grab a table over there and I’ll get us a couple of cold beers.”

  “Okay.” I’m grateful to find a table in the shade. We haven’t even hit afternoon yet, and it’s already nearing the mid-eighties.

  When Lucas doesn’t return, I search the crowd for him. He’s talking to Porter and it looks like an intense conversation. They take turns looking in my direction, and I get the distinct feeling that their conversation is about me.

  This is bullshit. I don’t need my brother’s business partner to explain my brother’s whereabouts. I’ll just call him myself and find out what’s going on.

  My call goes straight to voicemail. “Hey, you jabbering butt plug. I’m in Birmingham to surprise you and you’re not here. What’s going on?”

  Well, I may be dependent upon Lucas and Porter for answers after all.

  There’s an abandoned festival flyer on the table so I use it as a fan while I wait for Lucas. I’m already drenched. So glad I wore my hair up. There’s no way I’d survive this heat if it was down on my neck.

  Lucas eventually joins me at the table and takes a seat across from me. “Sorry about that. I needed to tell Porter the big news about landing a placement in Tapped Beer Emporium.”

  Wow. They’re a huge chain across the South. “That’s fantastic. Was that who you were talking to when I walked up?”

  “It was.”

  “Now I really feel bad for interrupting.”

  “It’s fine. And again, you didn’t interrupt anything.”

  He pushes a clear plastic cup of amber toward me. “Pale Hazel.”

  “It’s my favorite.”

  The corner of his mouth curls. “Then I chose well.”

  “You chose very well.” I take a drink of the nutty caramel-toffee ale. “Always a smooth finish. Such a good brew.”

  Lucas grins. “Should be. It was inspired by you.”

  Is he flirting? Or trying to distract me because something is going on with my brother? “Is everything all right with Ollie?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I don’t understand. Why isn’t he here at one of the most important events of his career?”

  “He called me yesterday and said he had to go see a friend in Memphis.”

  I didn’t know he had any friends from that area. And what could be so important he’d miss this beer festival? “What friend is that?”

  “Oliver never mentioned a name. Only that the friend was going through a severe bout of depression following a divorce, and he could be suicidal. Of course, Porter and I told him to go.”

  “He didn’t mention a word to me.”

  “It happened very quickly. I’m sure he’ll text after things are under control.”

  “I can’t believe I came all this way for nothing.” Coming here without calling was stupid. I shouldn’t have let Ivy and Kelsey talk me into it.

  “It won’t have been for nothing if you stay and have a good time.”

  “Porter is the only person I know. And I don’t see me sticking around to hang with him.” Giving Porter any kind of encouragement would be a mistake.

  “You know me.”

  “You introduced yourself to me ten minutes ago. I don’t know you.”

  “What do you need to know to consider us acquainted? I’ll tell you anything.”

  “You assume I want to know about you.”

  “Don’t you?”

  Damn. That is a dangerous grin and I bet he uses it to get whatever he wants.

  Lucas Broussard is my brother’s business partner and friend. There’s no real danger in that so I suppose I should get to know him.

  I bite my lip to stop my smirk from turning into a full-fledged, dimple-bearing beam.

  Damn. What is wrong with me? I’m not typically so charmed by a man.

  “Where are you from originally?”

  “Lafayette, Louisiana. The heart a
nd soul of Cajun country.”

  I was right. He is Cajun. “I’m not surprised to hear that.”

  “No, I suspect not.”

  “How’d you end up in Birmingham?”

  “My family moved here for my father’s job when I was in high school.”

  “Tell me about your family.”

  “My parents are still married and live in Birmingham. My brother, Briac, is twenty-three. Just graduated from Alabama with a business degree.”

  “Does he have an accent like yours?” It’s nearly enough to melt my panties.

  “No. He was eight when we moved here so he lost it. I think mine stuck because I spent more time with my mom’s parents. They are very Cajun. They speak fluent old-school Cajun French.”

  Lucas must be financially stable to have financed Iron City for Oliver and Porter. I wonder how they had connections to a man like him. “Ollie’s never told me how you came to be the financial backer for this company.”

  “Porter was a graphic design intern for me at my old company. He knew I was looking to sell out and try something different so he pitched the idea to me.”

  Oh. This isn’t Lucas Broussard’s first business venture.

  “What kind of business did you have?”

  “A printing company.”

  The beer-brewing business couldn’t be more different. “What made you decide to leave printing for beer?”

  “Long story. Not sure it’s one you want to hear.”

  Does he think I’m too dumb to understand and discuss enterprise?

  “I’m a business owner. I can keep up.”

  “I don’t doubt that you can but I think I like you too much to give you the whole story. So I’ll give you the short version.”

  Ollie has said so little about Lucas. I had no idea that he was so good-looking and delectable and panty-melting hot.

  “I inherited an old-school printing company from my grandfather a month after I graduated from college. In the blink of an eye, I became the sole owner of the company. I knew very little about the print world but I learned quickly because there were fifteen employees depending on me to figure out my ass from a hole in the ground. So that’s what I did. My wife became my personal assistant and we starting hammering at it to grow the company into a bigger success.”

  His wife? Well, damn.

  “My best friend became my general manager and pitched the idea of transitioning the company from print to marketing. Logical idea since we live in a digital world. Warren bought in as my partner. Two years after that, he and my wife told me they had fallen in love.”

  Holy shit. I did not see that coming. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s fine. I sold my part of the company to Warren, gave Bridgette a no-fault divorce, and the three of us are still good friends. I was the best man at their wedding.”

  Damn.

  No, double damn.

  Most people in his situation would be too bitter to retain any form of civility, but this man chooses to remain friends. Good friends per his words. Even as much as I believe in positive thoughts and actions, I can’t begin to understand how he did that.

  Dos Equis got it all wrong. This is the world’s most interesting man.

  “I don’t understand. It was your family business. Shouldn’t they have sold out to you?” It seems the only right thing to have done in that kind of situation.

  “I was ready to get out; I didn’t enjoy printing or marketing. Warren did and was great at it. He paid me generously for my part, and I was able to move on to Iron City Brewery, which is something I love. I’m happy where I am so it all worked out as it should have.”

  Ollie’s never said much about Lucas. For that reason, I’ve never had an interest in meeting him. It’s a shame I’ve not been acquainted with him until now. He seems like such a nice guy.

  “That’s a lot of personal information about me. Do you think it’s fair to say that you know me now?”

  “I think it’s enough for now except for one more thing. How old are you?” He’s obviously lived a lot of life already but he doesn’t look very old.

  “Twenty-nine.”

  “I would have guessed a little older.”

  “I have an old soul.” He glances at his watch and then looks up at me. “I’m afraid that I need to return to the booth. I have a meeting in two minutes and I can’t be late.”

  His crooked grin is sexy and does wobbly things to my insides. I admit that I struggle to take a deep breath after seeing it.

  The verdict is in. Lucas Broussard is a flirt. A well-practiced one.

  I look over at the booth behind his back. “I think they’re looking for you.”

  He twists in his chair for a glance. “That’s my next appointment.”

  He turns back to look at me and I wish so badly that I could see his eyes behind those dark shades. “We’ve established that you now know me, so what’s it gonna be? Are you going to stay and hang out at the festival or go home?”

  I could go back to Ollie’s, gather my things, and be home before bedtime. But I don’t think that’s what I want to do. “I’ll think about it while you have your meeting.”

  “Fair enough.” He pushes away from the table and stands. “One thing before I go. Since you asked me, it seems only fair to ask in return. How old are you?”

  “Thirty-one.” And three-quarters.

  “Hmm… okay.”

  What does hmmm… okay mean?

  He’s only a few steps away when he turns and calls out, “I hope you decide to stay, Lawrence.”

  It’s tempting. Oh, is it ever tempting.

  Let’s weigh my options. Get in the car and drive six hours to Savannah? Or stay right where I am and thoroughly enjoy some Cajun man-candy?

  Do I dare?

  Yes, I think I do.

  5

  Lucas Broussard

  Lawrence Thorn’s presence and the vibration of Oliver’s phone in my back pocket are distracting me. I’m sure it’s her blowing up his phone, and I can barely concentrate on what my customer is saying.

  It was a mistake to encourage Lawrence to stay. Her presence is only going to further muddle the already-murky waters of what I’m doing for Oliver. This is wrong. He shouldn’t have asked me to do this to his sister. And I shouldn’t have agreed.

  I went along with Oliver’s request when Lawrence Thorn was some faceless person I didn’t know and would likely never meet. But now I have met her.

  And I like her.

  I’m interested in her.

  I want to know her better.

  I gesture for my dispensation guy to come over. “Allow me to introduce Matt. He’s in charge of distribution and I’m going to pass you off to him. He’ll take care of your every need.” I lift a brow and give Matt a quick nod, my cue for him to charm the pants off our new client.

  I look at the time and find I’m free for a little while. Good. I plan to spend that time getting to know Lawrence, but first I must tend to her latest call, voicemail, and string of texts.

  Lawrence: Hey, little brother. I’m sorry to ruin the surprise but I’m at your house. I’ll see you whenever you come home. I’m sleeping in the guest room.

  Shit. This text is from last night. I’ve been so busy I completely missed it.

  Lawrence: Where are you?

  Lawrence: I just met Lucas. He says you left town to see a friend in Memphis.

  Lawrence: What friend? What’s going on? I’m worried.

  I have to be careful with the way I handle this or the shit is going to get deep fast. I need to be clear enough to answer her adequately but vague enough to avoid a problem.

  Lucas as Oliver: I’m in Memphis with a friend from college. One you’ve never met. He’s having a hard time. I came to check on him b/c I was afraid he might do something stupid. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I can’t believe you came to town to surprise me. Wish I was there.

  I hope that sounds like something Oliver would say. And hopefully it’
s the right words to put an end to her worries.

  Lawrence: I’m bummed I missed you but thinking about staying for the festival. Looks like fun.

  I type out a message but hesitate before sending it. Fuck, it would be so wrong of me to answer Lawrence as her brother and tell her to stay because it’s what I want.

  Wrong or not, I press send.

  Lucas as Oliver: You should stay and have fun. Porter and Lucas will make sure you have a good time.

  Lawrence: I haven’t talked to Porter yet but Lucas seems very nice.

  Nice? I’ll take it.

  How would Oliver respond? I’d like to think he’d tell Lawrence that I am a nice guy but it feels wrong to build myself up to her.

  Lucas as Oliver: Let me know if they don’t treat you right. I’ll kick their asses.

  Lawrence: Will do. Call when you can. Miss you. Love you.

  Lucas as Oliver: I will. Love you too. Have a great time.

  The festival is running smoothly so I think it’s fine to step away for a little while and spend some time talking with Lawrence. “Hey, Molly. I’m going to take a break for a little while. Shoot me a text if you need me.”

  “Will do.”

  I’m walking toward Lawrence when I see Porter has joined her. It would be a fucking disaster if he’s blown my story about Oliver’s whereabouts. He really should have checked with me before talking to her so we could get our stories straight.

  I place a hand on Porter’s shoulder and squeeze when I reach the table. “Hey, man. You’re supposed to be working. Not hanging out with a pretty girl in the shade.”

  “No ordinary pretty girl here.”

  I’d agree with that.

  I don’t know what Porter has said, but I need to cue him to the explanation I’ve already given Lawrence. “It’s a damn shame that Oliver had to leave yesterday and go to Memphis to check on his friend going through the divorce.”

  “The whole thing is so weird, Porter. I’ve never heard him mention a word about a friend from Memphis. Do you know who he went to see?”