Getting Lucky

by A. R. Casella

  River’s back stiffened, insinuating he might not agree. He approached the door and opened it, saying in a deep voice that held a note of challenge, “Lee.”

  “River,” Lee said in an equally authoritative voice from the front porch.

  “Great,” Finn mumbled. “It’s going to be a pissing match.” He glanced at Jack, raising his brow.

  He shrugged and lifted his bottle to take a drink. “I peed before I left home.” He gave a nod to the dog still standing next to him. “Tyrion too.”

  But he knew why Finn had given him that look. Everyone knew Lee refused to acknowledge him as a sibling. Hell, Lee might be one-fourth owner of the brewery, but he refused to acknowledge Jack as a business partner either.

  River was still holding his ground in the doorway.

  “Why don’t you invite him in?” Finn said.

  River backed up. “Come on in. Thanks for coming.”

  “Yeah,” Lee said as he walked in, his gaze scanning the house. His gaze lingered on Finn and Jack for a brief moment before returning to River. “Wouldn’t miss it.” But he sounded like he would have missed it if he could have gotten away with it.

  Tyrion released a low growl, but Finn grabbed his collar and bent down next to him, whispering something in his ear.

  A wave of pain washed through Jack, catching him off guard. So the bastard still wasn’t going to say anything to him. So be it.

  Lee took a few more steps into the house, casting a wary glance at Tyrion. The dog had stopped growling, but his tail wasn’t wagging. Which said plenty. He’d yet to meet a person he didn’t like.

  “I take it your father’s not coming,” River said as he shut the door.

  Lee looked reluctant to move, as though he wanted to stick close to the front door in case he changed his mind and wanted to make a quick retreat. “No. He had some work to do this afternoon, and he’s having dinner tonight with that eccentric woman from the will reading. Dottie Hendrickson.”

  “Dottie’s my great-aunt,” River said with a hint of warning.

  Lee’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Didn’t mean anything by it. Half the people in Asheville are eccentric.”

  He shot a glance at Finn and Jack again, then back to River.

  They all stood in silence for a few seconds before Finn gestured to the tub of drinks in the kitchen with his free hand. “We’ve got some beer here. Buchanan and Big Catch. Big Catch is the brewery River and I used to run.” He gave Lee a questioning look. “Have you tried any of the Buchanan brews yet?”

  Lee’s shoulders tensed. “No.”

  “Hey,” Finn said, looking over at River. “We should set up a flight for him. Like you did for Georgie the night of the will reading.”

  Lee’s body stiffened even more as he swung his attention to River. “So that’s how you got my sister to change her mind about selling the brewery? You got her drunk and seduced her?”

  “Are you kidding me?” River said. He didn’t raise his voice, but he didn’t need to. He emanated silent rage. “I would never take advantage of Georgie that way!”

  “So you’re claiming you didn’t get her drunk?”

  Picking up on the tension in the room, Tyrion swiveled his gaze back and forth from River to Lee, then moved closer to Jack, pressing against his leg.

  “I was there that night,” Jack said, hating to get into the middle of this but feeling the need to set the record straight. “I wasn’t there for the whole thing—I showed up after the flight—but Georgie wasn’t drunk when I arrived. She was totally lucid when we discussed keeping the brewery.”

  “Like I should take your word for it,” Lee sneered. “You got your way too.”

  “Now, everybody take a breath,” Finn said in a tone a preschool teacher would take with two kids fighting over a toy. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

  Lee’s eyes glittered with anger, and River looked like he was ready to deck him.

  Jack was tempted to take his half-brother outside and beat him up himself.

  “Maybe you all need to clear the air,” Finn said, standing in the middle of the room. “Obviously, there are some perceived wrongs, and River is marrying your sister, Lee. I think it’s safe to say we all care about Georgie and want her to be happy.”

  Lee didn’t argue. Then again, he and Finn got along, apparently. Jack was pretty sure the six figures in Finn’s bank account had something to do with it. And while he liked Finn too, he couldn’t be anything but disgusted by Lee’s snobbery.

  “How about that drink first?” Finn said with a half grin.

  “Got any whiskey?” Lee said with an air of challenge.

  “Your choice is beer or water,” Finn said. Then his eyes lit up with amusement. “Or the spiked lemonade Addy made last night.”

  With the amount of testosterone oozing out of Lee, Jack wasn’t surprised he skipped the hard lemonade and went with beer. Nor was he surprised when he picked a Big Catch brew.

  Finn had them all sit down in the living room while he dragged a kitchen chair in front of the fireplace like a mediator or an emcee. Lee sat in an armchair, and River and Jack sat on the sofa. Tyrion lay at Jack’s feet, as though giving him moral support.

  “Lee,” Finn said in a firm tone. “It’s obvious you think River has taken advantage of your sister, but I’ve gotten to know Georgie better, and she’s not the type of woman who is easily duped. Am I right?”

  Lee took a long pull from his bottle, then slowly lowered it and kept his gaze on his hand. “No. She’s not.”

  “River,” Finn said, turning to his friend. “I’m sure you can see how Lee might have gotten the wrong impression. He found out that you would get ownership of Buchanan if it doesn’t place fifth or better in Brewfest, not to mention his sister put a ton of her own money into the brewery to bring it up to speed.”

  “She did what?” Lee barked, his face flushing.

  Finn grimaced. “He didn’t know?”

  “He knew,” River said in a short tone, then turned his attention to Lee. “Georgie told you. You just didn’t listen.”

  “I knew she invested some money, but I didn’t realize it was a ton,” Lee said. “How much have you suckered her into investing?”

  Jack wanted to stay out of this part too, but he was one-fourth owner of the brewery, which meant he had a say. “You have full access to the financials, Lee. Are you saying you don’t look at them?”

  “I’ve been busy,” he said defensively. Then his eyes hardened. “But I’m sure you did your own fair share of pressuring.”

  “No, she did that on her own,” Jack said. “I would have suggested loans.”

  “How much have you put into the business?” Lee asked.

  “You know I don’t have much money,” Jack said, his voice cold. “I’m sure you had me investigated, if not before our grandfather’s death, then definitely afterward.”

  Guilt flickered in Lee’s eyes, but his expression quickly shifted back to anger. “Are you saying that surprises you?”

  “No,” Jack said, holding his gaze. “Not one bit. You learned at our father’s feet, after all.”

  Lee started to say something, then stopped.

  “Lee,” Finn said, sounding less enthusiastic than before. “I’ve known River for six years. I know him. He has never loved a woman like he loves your sister. He would do anything to make her happy. Don’t you want that for your sister?”

  Lee gave River a hard stare. “I’m supposed to forget that you win the brewery if it fails to rank in the competition? Even after all the hard work my sisters have done?”

  “I’m doing everything I can to ensure we place in the top five,” River said. “And besides, if Georgie and I are married, she’ll still be an owner. She won’t lose in this, Lee, no matter what happens.”

  “But we might,” Jack said, voicing a fear that had been simmering below the surface since he’d heard about Georgie and River’s engagement. “Addy, me, and Lee…we’re no lon
ger part owners if we lose. We’ll have done all this for nothing, especially since I’ve only just started to draw a fraction of my salary.”

  River started to say something, then stopped, swallowing.

  Tyrion didn’t budge from his spot at Jack’s feet, but he glanced over his shoulder as if to check in with him.

  “That’s right,” Lee said, perking up. “And who’s to say you aren’t marrying Georgie to hedge your bets? Win or lose, you still own part of it.”

  River ignored the comment and swung his gaze to Jack. “I’m not trying to screw you out of anything, Jack. I swear.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Lee said. “Then prove it.”

  River’s body seemed to throb with anger. “I’m marrying your sister, Lee. I won’t cancel the wedding to prove myself to you. Or Jack.”

  Jack sat up straighter and Tyrion did the same. “I never asked you to cancel anything. From what I’ve seen, you make Georgie happy. I would never take that from her.”

  He shot a glare at his half-brother.

  Lee pushed out a breath, his brow furrowed, then held his hands out at his sides. “Finn’s right. We all want Georgie to be happy. There’s no disputing that.” He narrowed his gaze at River. “But you seem to want my blessing.”

  “I don’t give two shits about you or what you think,” River said through clenched teeth, “but for some reason, Georgie does. Your approval matters to her.” Then he added, “She’s going to marry me regardless of what you say, but yes, she wants your blessing.”

  Suddenly, Jack realized why River had been so nervous. Not because he wanted to impress Lee, but because he knew his good opinion mattered to Georgie. It made Jack think more of River.

  “Okay,” Lee said with a hint of a smile. “I think we can work out an agreement.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “If you want to marry Georgie with my blessing, then all you have to do is relinquish your claim on the brewery. Whether it places in the top five at Brewfest or not, it stays with the Buchanan siblings. Even after you two are married. You can have Buchanan Brewery or my sister, but you can’t claim ownership of both.”

  Finn got to his feet. “Now wait a minute.”

  River’s eyes narrowed. “No one owns Georgie.”

  “Fair point,” Lee conceded, lifting a hand. “Poor choice of words.”

  River swallowed again. “Georgie means more to me than whether my name is on the ownership papers. I’ll be happy as long as I can work there with her. But you have to swear that you’re one hundred percent on board with this marriage, because like I said, your blessing is important to her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to give that to her.”

  Lee shifted his weight with an air of confidence that reminded Jack of their father. “So, just to be clear, you’re willing to give up any claim of ownership to Buchanan Brewery to marry my sister?”

  River lifted his chin. “I’d give up everything and anything to marry her.”

  Lee stood, glaring at River.

  River stood and held his gaze, issuing a challenge of his own.

  “I’ll have the papers drawn up and you can sign them before the engagement party tomorrow night,” Lee said in a tight voice. “And if you sign them, I’ll make a toast to the happy couple, giving you both my blessing.”

  “Even though you’ll probably piss off your father?” River asked.

  Lee shrugged. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to keep him on his toes.”

  Finn looked surprised, and so was Jack. Both men had been privy to enough video conversations between Addy and Lee to know he was an ass-kisser where their father was concerned. What had changed?

  Lee extended his hand to River, and River clasped it. Both men put a lot of effort into their firm grips, enough so that Finn stepped in and broke them apart.

  “Maybe now would be a good time to start the movie,” he said. “I’ll order some pizzas.”

  “Sounds good,” Lee said, going back to his seat and focusing his attention on the blank TV screen. “I’ll take anything as long as it’s not hippie, new age, or vegetarian. And no pineapple.”

  “You know what I like,” River grunted, returning to his vacated seat.

  Finn grabbed his phone and started to place the call, then seemed to remember Jack. “What about you?”

  “I ate before I came over.” A lie, but he’d lost his appetite.

  Jack’s gaze swung from Lee to River. Both men were less tense after their discussion, but he wouldn’t exactly call them friendly. Still, they’d reached an agreement, which was more than he and Lee had done.

  Jack felt invisible. He knew he could make Lee acknowledge him, but what was the point? He’d suffered enough humiliation with Prescott—he wasn’t going to invite any more from his half-brother. But wasn’t his blatant dismissiveness a humiliation of its own?

  Jack was close to making some excuse to get out of this torture session, but then he thought of Maisie and how excited she’d been to see him tonight. He’d stick through this for her and her alone.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Thank you,” Georgie said, looking Maisie in the eye.

  Which was about the last thing she’d expected Georgie to say when she’d dragged her to the bathroom. Of course, she wasn’t sure what she had expected her to say. Except that it was probably about River, and she almost certainly didn’t want to talk about it.

  “For what? Being your bathroom buddy?”

  “No,” Georgie said, waving to the door. “For helping with Victoria. Lee hasn’t told Adalia yet, but he’s thinking of breaking up with her.” She made a face. “I didn’t mean to tell you that part. I think Addy put more schnapps in my hot chocolate than she let on.”

  “Why wouldn’t he tell Addy that?” Maisie asked in genuine shock. “That would be, like, the best Christmas present ever for her.”

  Georgie shrugged. “You’re no more surprised than I was. He doesn’t usually confide in me. I think he probably wants to be the one to inform Victoria they’re through. You know Addy wouldn’t be able to help herself if she knew.”

  Maybe. Either way, it struck Maisie as another case of Buchanan dysfunction. Adalia had told her that the siblings had struggled to communicate with each other after their mother died, and although things had improved, clearly the struggle was ongoing. At least with Lee. Of course, her impression of Lee, whom she’d still never met, wasn’t all that great.

  Maisie had about a dozen other questions about the whole Lee/Victoria quagmire—why bring someone to a family event if you planned on breaking up with them? Why spend Christmas with someone you didn’t love? And the real clincher: Why would anyone, for any reason, ever date Victoria?

  But she settled for asking, “What do you think she’s going to do with the wedding dresses? Shred them?”

  Georgie laughed. “Or maybe she just repurposes them. They could be from her last would-be engagement.”

  “Imagine being the guy who goes home with her for the first time and finds a closet full of wedding dresses.”

  “And a fridge full of tiny jugs of milk.”

  Then they were both laughing, the kind of laughter that made you bend over with it, and it felt surprisingly good. Maisie had always hesitated to be alone with Georgie, and she was pleased to find she didn’t mind it. That she liked her. Which shouldn’t have been a surprise. Although Georgie had always struck her as a little too proper, she was Adalia’s sister, after all, and River thought she’d hung the moon.

  Georgie was the one who sobered first. “I’m grateful River has a friend like you. I wanted to tell you that too. You were there for him through a lot of hard times, and it helped make him the man he is. And I know you’re the one who told him to talk to me after we had our fight this summer. I…I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable around me. You’ll always be welcome in our home. I hope we can be friends too.”

  She could just thank her, and that would be that. But even though she and Jack were a big question mark right now,
she wanted to explore the curve of that question mark—just like she wanted to explore his body at much greater length. And that meant she needed to be straight with Georgie. Because Georgie obviously knew something, or thought she knew something. “I’d like that.” She paused. “To be clear, I’m not in love with River. I’m interested in your brother Jack.”

  Georgie’s eyes went comically huge, and Maisie would have laughed if the moment didn’t feel so weighty. “You didn’t expect me to be so direct, did you?”

  “No,” she said with a tentative smile, “but maybe I should have. You always have been before.”

  Except about this one thing, Maisie mentally filled in.

  Georgie paused. “Thank you. I appreciate your honesty.”

  “In the interest of full disclosure, my feelings for River have been…confusing in the past, but I’m beyond that. I think I have been for a while, only I sometimes find it hard to move on from things.”

  The attachment she’d felt to River, to the idea of them possibly changing their friendship…it was no different than the old things haunting her house. And it was past time for her to let go of all of that. To accept the future in its frightening, maddening, and exhilarating uncertainty.

  Georgie nodded like she understood, and maybe she did. From what River had said, she’d had no problem moving on from Moon Goddess, the company she’d founded and sold, but personal baggage always weighed more than the professional variety. “I get it.” She paused, then added, “Jack’s a good guy.”

  “He is,” she agreed. “More so than he realizes. Now, do you really need to use the bathroom, or are you ready to go back out there?”

  Georgie made a face. “Can’t we just stay in here until it’s time to leave?”

  “Get ready for the long haul,” Maisie said with a grin. “Addy planned a sleepover for y’all tonight.”

  Georgie blanched. “Surely Victoria won’t stay for that.”

  “Although it disappoints me to say so, if only because I wanted to hear about her monogrammed pajamas and her sleep regimen, Addy wouldn’t stand for it. She’ll figure out a way to send her packing.”