Sighing wearily, she paused the game and turned to face them both and almost laughed at their eager little faces. “Guys, I’ve already told you my biggest concern and you’re not even pretending to take it seriously.”
Two blank faces stared back at her.
Ugh…
“If you’re serious about this, then you have to prove it. Bring on someone with a business degree! This can’t just be the two of you running the show because it won’t work and I’m not signing on for a train wreck. I’m sorry.” She hated to sound so bitchy, but…they weren’t giving her a choice.
“So you’re saying if we bring on someone with a background in business,” Michael said, “you’ll sign on?”
Leave it to him to oversimplify.
“I’ll think about it,” she replied carefully. “And it can’t be someone fresh out of college. You need to interview for someone with some experience in the gaming industry. If you’re going to do this, do it right. Please!”
Now they were back to looking hopeful and she couldn’t help but smile at them.
“This isn’t going to be easy. You know that, right?” she asked, and they nodded. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work and long hours and sacrifices. You’re both going to have to be active participants in the day-to-day operations. Are you aware of that?”
Eric stood and took the controller from her hands. “I know you think we’re both a couple of morons…”
“I didn’t say that…”
“You didn’t have to,” Michael interrupted. “We have a solid business plan and we’re looking for investors. Actually, we’re heading out to Seattle on Friday to meet with some people. Give us a week to see what we can do and then we’ll talk about it again, okay?”
“Fine. We’ll talk about it when you get back,” she agreed.
“Awesome!” Eric said excitedly, tossing the controller aside. “So what are you going to be doing back in King Harbor? Is there anything to even do there?”
They’d had this conversation dozens of times over the years and no matter how much she talked about loving her hometown, no one seemed to understand.
“I’m going to spend some time with my dad and try to find a job,” she explained. “Hopefully I’ll find something right away so I’m not a drain on him.”
“Or you can just sign on with us right now and not have to worry,” Michael said with a wink.
“We’ve been over this…”
“I was just kidding. Sheesh.”
She didn’t even remotely believe him.
“Anyway, I plan on enjoying the time with my dad and catching up with some old friends and…I don’t know…I’m just happy not having any assignments to work on. As much as I loved school, I am so ready for a break.”
“What kind of job are you going to get up there? Working in the mall or something?”
“What am I, sixteen?” she asked, unable to hide her sarcasm. “King Harbor isn’t a big city, but there are plenty of jobs for someone my age that don’t involve working the food court.”
It was only partially true, but no need to go there with them right now.
The truth of the matter was that she had no idea where to begin to look for a job. She’d been scanning the classified ads for a few weeks and she didn’t find much. There was always the possibility of going to work at The Whisky Vault–it was easy work and mostly nights so she could spend her days looking for a real job. It certainly wasn’t her dream job but…considering her dream job wasn’t looking so dreamy right now said something about her current frame of mind.
So maybe waiting tables wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for her. Maybe a mindless job was exactly what she needed until she figured the rest of her life out.
“I’m hitting the road after lunch for King Harbor,” Logan said as he took a seat opposite his cousin at their favorite steakhouse. “Anything I need to brace myself for?”
“With the way things have been going this summer, I’d say you’d be smart to brace yourself for pretty much anything.”
Groaning, Logan reached for the glass of water the waitress had just poured and took a long drink. “We’ve never been a boring family, but I’m ready for things to settle down. Between the situation with my mother and her refusal to come home and all you guys suddenly meeting women and looking to settle down, I’m feeling more than a little twitchy.”
A low laugh was Brock’s only response before they gave their lunch order. They never even looked at the menu anymore. The chef knew them and would prepare whatever they requested. Once that was settled, they both relaxed a bit in their seats.
“So have you talked to your mother?” Brock asked.
He shrugged. “We’ve texted a bit back and forth, but nothing substantial. It’s not like we used to talk every day before she left, but this is a little unnerving for her to be gone for this long and not want to actually talk on the phone.”
“Have you tried calling rather than texting?”
He gave his cousin a bland look. “Of course I have.”
Brock returned the look.
“Okay, only once, but still…I don’t know. I feel like maybe we should all be pushing her a little more to come home. At the same time, though, I’m afraid to push too much.”
“I get it. This whole thing is new territory for all of us. And Aunt Claire’s really been an anchor for all of us. I didn’t think she’d stay away this long.”
“None of us did. I’m telling you, something’s got to give. Soon.” He paused and took another sip of his water before placing his glass down. Letting out a long breath, he asked, “So what’s going on with you? How’s Jenna?”
"She's amazing," Brock said, his eyes sparking at the mention of her name. "She's moving from her apartment in New York to Boston to work on a book about Alistair and Meredith Blackthorne."
"So, she's really doing it? And Jason's buying movie rights?"
Brock nodded. "And we're buying the old Salmon Falls Distillery up in Maine to refurbish and fire up the old stills."
Logan's eyes widened. "Really? That is so cool. Then you two are good, I guess."
Brock just laughed. "Way past good, bro. Plan on a wedding next year."
“Wow! That’s amazing! Congratulations!”
“Thanks!”
Smiling, he asked, “You want to know something weird?”
Brock nodded.
“I never really thought about what it would be like once we were all grown up and getting married and having kids. Remember how we used to talk about the estate becoming like one big bachelor pad?”
“That was the summer you turned fifteen and I was sixteen,” Brock replied, laughing. “We were going to turn Nana’s cottage into a bar and the rest of the house was going to be filled with partying and girls in bikinis.”
Grinning at the memory, he asked, “You think I can still make that work?”
“So now the entire place would be a bachelor pad just for you? What about the rest of us?”
“Please. You’re all so happy being in committed relationships, you don’t need the estate.”
“You may have to compete with Trey.”
He laughed so hard he almost choked. “Right. Trey’s in a committed relationship with Blackthorne Enterprises. He wouldn’t even notice if I transformed the estate into a hedonistic playground.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a strong work ethic,” Brock countered, his tone going mildly serious. “Just because you’re too busy wandering around to figure out what you want to be when you grow up, doesn’t mean the rest of us have it wrong.”
And the thing was, Brock wasn’t putting him down or accusing him of anything. They’d had this conversation often enough that he wasn’t offended. “Not all who wander are lost,” he replied simply. “I’m still weighing my options.”
“Eventually you’re going to have to make a decision, Logan. You’re good at so many things. I don’t see why you’re having such a hard time with this.”
“Nothing’s felt right yet. When I know, you’ll know.”
Shaking his head, Brock took a sip of his own drink. “The Vault seems to be a good fit for you. Have you thought about just working with that?”
“Oh, right. While you’re all handling major divisions and corporations, I should serve drinks for a living. My father would lose his mind!” He paused. “Don’t get me wrong; I love working there and doing the expansion with the restaurant was great, but…I don’t know…it’s not like I want that for a career.”
“Then why are you even going there now to cover for Charles? It’s not like you have to. There are plenty of people who can cover for him–other managers. If you think it’s beneath you…”
“I didn’t say it was beneath me…”
“You kind of did.”
Rolling his eyes, he said, “I enjoy working there. I love the atmosphere, the people, and it’s a nice change from being in a suit or in board meetings.” He shrugged. “It’s just not someplace I want to settle down and put my name on the door. I’d be bored in a heartbeat.”
“Maybe. It still seems odd how you’d choose to go fill in for the manager. You can pay someone to do it and still go hang out if that’s what you wanted. No need to serve drinks if you’re not into it.”
“But I am into it. On the short-term, that’s all. For a few weeks, I get to hang out with the locals and see what’s working or not working and see if there are ways to improve. I like being hands-on with it.”
“You just spent a large portion of your summer up there. Didn’t you get enough of the locals then?”
Another shrug. “The whole family was there and taking up a lot of my time. Between trying to figure out what secret my mother was referring to and the fallout of her leaving, I didn’t particularly enjoy all my time there.”
“And you think you will now?”
“Oh, I know I will. I’m not staying at the estate, so I’ll have some privacy and I’m going to do my best to put the drama-filled summer behind me.”
With a laugh, Brock lifted his glass again. “Yeah. Good luck with that.”
2
“Thanks for coming in on such short notice, Piper.”
With a smile, she tied her apron around her waist and smiled at Charles, the manager of The Whisky Vault. This wasn’t the job she particularly wanted, but there was an opening and it gave her an immediate income while she tried to get her shit together.
Having lived in King Harbor her entire life, Piper always knew she could come home and find a job within the Blackthorne Distillery–and with the Vault particularly. She loved this place. With paneled wood walls, parquet floors, colorful rugs, and an extensive display of liquor, it was sophisticated but also warm and comfortable. Plus, because it was popular with the locals as well as the tourists, she was always able to find a friendly face to talk with. She’d worked a few summers here during her first two years of college and apparently, Charles and the crew would always have a spot for her.
Thank God.
With a quiet sigh, she stepped behind the bar and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirrored wall. Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail and her crisp, white blouse and black trousers gave her a professional appearance–the kind that was expected by the Vault’s clientele. Not that she minded–it certainly beat waiting tables down at one of the bars in town. At least no one was trying to grab her ass when she walked by at the Vault.
It was early–barely dinnertime–and as she walked around and familiarized herself with the layout after a few years away, she couldn’t help but smile. And when she looked up, old Charles was smiling at her.
“What?” she asked softly. “What put that smile on your face?”
“Oh, Piper, I’ve known you since you were a little girl and I can remember the first time your father brought you in here. You were all wide eyes and gangly limbs. And now look at you! You’re a young woman who should be ready to take on the world.”
Yeah, that’s what she had thought too. And yet…
“We weren’t expecting you to be back. Well, I know I wasn’t. When I heard you had graduated with honors from that fancy school…”
She let out a low chuckle. “Well, I don’t know if I could call it fancy. Lynchburg, Virginia, wasn’t really living the high life, if you know what I mean.”
He waved her off. “Oh, nonsense. We’re all proud of you, Piper. Your father was just about bursting with pride when he came home from your graduation. When I heard you didn’t come home with him, I just thought you were moving on to bigger and better things.”
Now it was her turn to wave him off. “Well, I’m still looking at some offers, but…I don’t know. Nothing’s really appealed to me yet. Most of the offers would put me too far away from my dad and I don’t know if I could handle it.”
“And where are those offers?”
She let out a long breath. “West Coast.”
His eyes went wide. “Does your father know?”
She nodded. “It’s one of the reasons I decided to come home for a while. I’m hoping he can help me figure it all out. He doesn’t seem to think it’s such a big deal, but I can’t wrap my brain around it. I mean, the weather and all is fairly similar to here in Maine, but to have Dad so far away will be rough.”
“Virginia wasn’t particularly close…”
“No, but at least we were still on the same coast.”
He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning to greet a customer. Within minutes, Piper was making her way around the room taking orders and chatting with a lot of familiar faces. The time flew by and it seemed like she was telling the same story she’d just told Charles over and over again–by request, not of her own doing. It was nice to get reacquainted with the people she’d grown up around, the people she’d been missing. It made it feel a little less like work and more like a night out with friends.
Friends who she happened to serve drinks to.
There was a flurry of activity by the door and as she glanced over her shoulder toward Charles, she saw him pale slightly. Excusing herself from the table of guests she was chatting with, she walked back to the bar. “Everything okay?”
“Just a little unexpected party of twenty,” he said as he reached for his phone. Piper figured he was calling to find a few more servers to come in on short notice, but she had to wonder who else would be available. They didn’t have a long list of standby staff and almost everyone was already here, so…
“Should we put them in the private dining room?” she asked.
The Whisky Vault was part of the Blackthorne Distillery and was originally just a whisky bar. A couple of years ago, they expanded to include a restaurant to seat fifty, plus a small private dining room, and a game room in the back that was primarily used by the Blackthorne family. Piper was fine with serving drinks but managed to steer clear of serving food. Her coordination wasn’t that great and she knew her limitations.
“I’ll let Sharon get them seated in there,” he replied easily. “And we’ll have to wait and see if they’re here for dinner or just drinks.”
“Sounds good.” She went back to checking on her customers and figured everything was under control. But a few minutes later, she began to head to the bar when she froze.
Logan Blackthorne was tending bar.
When Charles made his call earlier, she had no idea he’d called Logan and honestly, she couldn’t believe he was actually here and working!
Not that she thought poorly of Logan. No one did. Everyone knew he wasn’t afraid to step in and do some work, get his hands dirty. None of the Blackthornes did that, but Logan was different. He hadn’t settled into any of the family businesses like his brothers and cousins had and she wondered if he ever would. Standing behind the bar, he looked right at home. Although, she had to imagine he looked the same way when he was heading up corporate meetings or schmoozing clients. He had th
at kind of easy way about him, like he was adaptable to any situation.
And sexy as sin.
Dark hair, dark eyes, a lean, muscular body that she just knew would look good…
Okay, so not the time to be thinking about that.
They had sort of grown up together–even though Logan was three years older–because Piper’s father was the groundskeeper for the Blackthorne estate. When she was younger, she spent a lot of her time working alongside him on the property. Piper had almost the same amount of knowledge of landscaping and greenery that would thrive in the Maine climate as she did of gaming and coding.
Way to be versatile, nerd…
Straightening her shoulders, she slowly started to walk toward the bar–all the while wondering if he would even recognize her. It had easily been five years since they’d seen each other and even then, it wasn’t like they were…friends. They were acquaintances. She was the daughter of the hired help.
And now I sound like someone in a Victorian romance novel…
Putting her head back in the present, she approached the bar with a smile.
And prayed she wouldn’t make a fool out of herself because man oh man did he get even better looking!
With the slow, easy grin she knew he was famous for, he turned that handsome face her way and she almost tripped. Luckily she caught herself and, as gracefully as she could, placed her tray on the bar and hoped her smile didn’t look awkward. She slid her order form over to him with a soft hello and then his smile kicked up a notch.
“Quite the crowd in here tonight,” he said, taking the paper from the bar. He instantly started pouring drinks and Piper had to remind herself not to stare. He glanced at her over his shoulder as if trying to place her.
So he doesn’t remember…
With a smile, she nodded. “It seems the Vault’s popularity has increased with the addition of the restaurant.”
Logan Page 2
