Johnnie Walker: It’s All In The Whiskey

by Talty, Jen

  Johnnie Walker

  It’s All In The Whiskey

  Jen Talty

  Copyright © 2019 by Jen Talty

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Johnnie Walker

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Also by Jen Talty

  About the Author

  Johnnie Walker

  It’s all about Whiskey

  book 1

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  JEN TALTY

  Chapter One

  Buhl, Idaho…

  Johnnie Walker Whiskey, better known as JW, set his empty glass on the counter and rubbed his tender back.

  “How many world records do you have to break before you’re going to retire?” his sister, Georgia Moon, said. “You’re not getting any younger.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” Two weeks ago, he’d promised his fiancée and his future father-in-law he’d give up bull riding competition, and even though he knew it was time, he’d made the decision for all the wrong reasons.

  Hell.

  He’d been bullied into it, and now Bella wanted him to make the announcement as soon as possible. Preferably in the morning.

  That wasn’t going to happen.

  “I smell like Bengay, and even though the X-rays say my ribs aren’t broken, they sure feel like if I coughed they’d snap like a twig.”

  “Then don’t cough.”

  He let out a slight chuckle as he clutched his side. He’d had a good run, and now it was time to move on to the next phase of his life, only he wasn’t exactly sure what that looked like.

  “Have you seen Luke?” Georgia Moon leaned against the bar and tipped her cowboy hat.

  “Not since we got here, why?”

  “Something crawled up his ass and died. Any idea what?” Georgia Moon asked.

  “I wish I knew.” JW frowned. He and Luke Hannah had been doing the circuit together since they were teenagers. Up until about two years ago, they tolerated each other. But when Luke nearly died after having been trampled by a bull, it had been JW that jumped the fence and came to Luke’s rescue.

  They’d been best friends ever since.

  “I feel like for the last month he’s been avoiding me,” Georgia said. “JD and JB said the same thing.”

  “I know. I’ve thought the same thing, but I didn’t want to say anything until after the competition. Even though I haven’t made a formal announcement about my retirement, everyone is speculating, and honestly, I wanted to make sure I went out on top, so whatever has been bothering Luke, I needed it to wait.” JW carried a tinge of guilt for not asking his friend if there was something wrong, something he would rectify first thing in the morning.

  Georgia Moon patted his shoulder. “I don’t blame you there.”

  “Can we get another round?” he asked the bartender.

  “Sure thing, JW, and congratulations on beating your own record. That’s damn cool.”

  “Thanks.” JW turned his attention to Georgia Moon. “Have you seen Bella?”

  “I try to avoid your stuck-up girlfriend at all costs,” Georgia said with a scowl. “I can’t believe you asked her to marry you.”

  “She’s going to be a member of this family, and I’d appreciate it if you’d start being nice to her.” JW had thought that his sister and two brothers would have accepted Bella by now, but ever since he’d popped the question, his family had dug their heels in even deeper.

  “Maybe you should have that conversation with her. Yesterday, she told me, JD, and JB we’re going to have to move off the ranch.”

  “She did what?” JW took his drink and downed the whiskey in one gulp. It burned his throat, and he coughed. A sharp pain took hold of his chest. He’d known Bella for most of his life. Growing up, she’d been a spoiled little princess that he did his best to avoid until about a year ago when he’d ran into her at a local watering hole. They shared a meal and a few laughs. One thing led to another, and the next thing he knew, he was secretly dating the daughter of one of the richest men in Idaho.

  Things were great until they made their relationship public two months ago.

  “You heard me,” his sister said.

  “Well, that’s not happening, so don’t worry about it.” He glanced around the massive living room, but Bella was nowhere to be found.

  “I honestly don’t know what you see in her,” Georgia said. “She must give the best blowjobs known to man.”

  “Don’t be disgusting,” JW said under his breath. His sister had no filter. A trait he both valued and resented.

  “I’m being serious. She’s selfish and treats me like some hired help.”

  JW lifted his Stetson and raked a hand through his hair. “Half the time you treat her like she’s got the plague, so what do you expect? It’s time to call a truce. Can you at least try? For me?”

  “I suppose,” his sister said.

  Only, JW wasn’t so sure what he saw in Bella anymore. The sweet, attentive woman he’d fallen in love with had been replaced with the selfish, spoiled mean girl he remembered from high school. He kept telling himself things were off-kilter because of his training these last couple of months and the fact she had started to plan the wedding.

  A huge wedding he didn’t want.

  That had caused a massive rift in their relationship.

  “I’m going to go see if I can find her and don’t worry. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure she understands that the four of us own the ranch together, and my siblings aren’t going anywhere.”

  “Good luck with that.” Georgia slapped his back.

  He groaned and not from the bruises. “I’ll talk to you later.” Pulling out his cell, he sent a text to Bella. Where the fuck was she? This was precisely the kind of thing she liked to be draped on his arm for, especially since he broke a world record. Didn’t matter it was his own. She thrived on the attention.

  Wandering the halls of Luke’s spacious home, he contemplated how he was going to tell Bella that no way in hell could he do some big fancy country club wedding with over three hundred guests. He’d conceded to a church wedding. He’d give her that. He’d even do the whole fucking reception thing, but he wanted to limit the guest list to family and close friends, and in his book, that meant maybe fifty people, tops.

  And even that was way too fucking big.

  JW couldn’t find Bella in the family room, kitchen, or the back patio. The only other place he could think to look was Luke’s library where he kept his own set of trophies, and it was quite the collection too. JW pushed open the large wooden doors. “What the fuck?”

  “Oh shit,” Luke said with his hands on Bella’s hips, her naked body draped over the desk.

  JW blinked. Then he rubbed his eyes.

  “Oh, my God,” Bella whispered as she scrambled to cover her body. “I thought you locked the door.”

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” JW swallowed the bile that smacked the back of his throat. JD had warned him that Bella had a wandering eye.

  Well, it was more than her eye that wandered.

  But what sucked the air right out of his lungs was watching Luke turn his ba
ck as he hiked up his pants. “You both can have each other.” JW turned on his heels and stormed down the hallway, not bothering to shut the door.

  “Hey, JW,” JB, his younger brother, called. “Where are you going?”

  “Home,” he said flatly. He was in no mood to talk to anyone. He’d deal with this after he got good and drunk for a week.

  Or more.

  “Wait!” Bella called.

  He paused mid-step and clenched his fists. The one thing he hated more than anything was public drama, and Bella knew how to cause a scene.

  “Not now,” JW said.

  “What’s going on?” JB stood at his side and stared at him with an arched brow. “You’ve got that look.”

  JW shook out his hands and relaxed his face. The last time he had what his brothers referred to as the look, he ended up in a brawl after one of Georgia’s ex-boyfriends sent naked pictures over the internet. He put his hand up as Bella approached. “Not the time nor the place. We’ll talk later. JB, get me the fuck home, now.”

  “You got it,” JB said.

  JW navigated his way through Luke’s home, trying desperately to erase the image of one of his best friends fucking his fiancée. He stopped in the living room to get his trophy. He glanced around at all the guests. A few of them smiled and waved in his direction while the rest continued with their conversations. However, all of them remained blissfully unaware that JW’s world had come to a crashing halt.

  “This isn’t me,” JW mumbled.

  “Excuse me?” his brother asked.

  JW gripped his trophy and stomped out into the brisk night air. “That scene. Those people. The party. That’s not my style. It’s Bella. It’s all Bella.” He tossed the metal object into the back of the pickup. “And Luke.”

  “Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?” JB asked as he slipped behind the driver’s side of JW’s pickup.

  “Just drive.” JW tossed him his keys. He stared at the dark sky. Puffy clouds floated over the bright stars. Bella and Luke had been acting weird for weeks, and he had no idea why.

  Now he knew.

  The diesel engine roared to life. JB punched the gas, and the big tires kicked up some loose gravel on the driveway.

  JW secured the seat belt across his waist. He made a fist and slammed it into the dashboard.

  “Jesus, what the hell has gotten into you?” his brother asked.

  “You won’t have to worry about Bella anymore. I won’t be marrying that bitch.”

  “What did she do to piss you off?”

  “She’s been fucking Luke.” While JW never liked airing his dirty laundry in the public eye and would prefer if the world didn’t know the real reason for his breakup, he wouldn’t lie to his family.

  “How do you know?”

  “I caught them.” JW swallowed hard.

  “Just now?” The truck jerked to the left, then to the right.

  “Watch the damn road.” JW rubbed his temples. He wasn’t sure what hurt more. Bella’s betrayal or Luke’s. Didn’t matter. Both would be cut out of his life.

  For good.

  “I didn’t like her, but I never wanted anything—”

  “I know.” JW dropped his head back. His siblings had put up with a lot over the last few months when it came to Bella, and she hadn’t made it easy. If anything, she made it harder, and he’d been stuck in the middle. But he’d pushed it all aside and focused on his training.

  The pickup jerked to a stop in front of the main house.

  “You can take my truck back to your place,” JW said as he slipped from the passenger seat.

  “Nah. I’ll walk. It’s a nice night.” His brother leaned against the driver’s door. “Do you want company?”

  “Not tonight.”

  JB nodded. “Call me if you need me.”

  “Will do.” JW made his way inside where he was greeted by two very excited dogs. “Hey, King. Hey, Kong. You two will love me forever, right?” As a reward, the dogs yelped and raised up on their hind legs, giving him a wet kiss. He set the trophy on the counter, then let the dogs out.

  A few minutes later, the dogs went wild, barking and growling as if an intruder were on the prowl.

  JW pulled back the door. “What the hell are you doing here, Bella?”

  “Could you please call these dogs off me?” Bella hugged herself and twisted her body left and right as King and Kong pranced around her, practically snapping at her heels.

  “Inside you two, now.” JW snapped his fingers. “In your beds.”

  “We need to talk,” Bella said as she smoothed down the skirt that had been hiked up over her hips an hour ago.

  “There is nothing to talk about.”

  Before he could slam the door closed, she pushed her way into his home.

  King growled.

  Kong groaned.

  He should tell the dogs to attack.

  “I still love you,” Bella said in that sweet as honey voice that usually would make him act like a lovesick puppy.

  Now, all it did was make him want to vomit.

  “Get out.” JW snagged his trophy and hurled it across the living room. It hit the wall with a thud and a crack, shattering into three pieces when it landed on the hardwood floor.

  Both dogs whimpered, covering their snouts with their paws. He’d apologize to them later.

  “Oh, my God,” Bella yelled with her hand on her hip. “You could have hit me with that stupid thing.”

  “I didn’t throw it anywhere near you, so stop being so dramatic.” As much as he’d like to haul off and put his fist through the wall, he’d never lay a hand on her, even if she was the reason for his rage. “I want my engagement ring back.”

  She gasped, her eyes growing wide as if the request had been such a shocker.

  He didn’t want the damn ring back, and he should have known their relationship was doomed the day she refused his mother’s ring—something about it being too small and not her style.

  “You’ve been so busy lately. I was lonely. Come on, JW. Let’s talk about this.”

  He laughed. “There is nothing to talk about. We’re done. I’ll have your things sent to wherever you want. I never want to see you near this house again. Ever.” He closed the gap between them, curling his fingers around her arm, tugging her toward the door.

  “Hey, that hurts!” She jerked her arm away. “That’s going to leave a bruise.”

  He ignored her statement, knowing he’d applied little to no pressure, and opened the front door.

  “My siblings were right about you all along,” he said.

  She narrowed her eyes into tiny little snake-like slits. “You’re going to regret this.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “I’ll make sure you do,” she said with a snarl.

  The second she crossed the threshold, he slammed the door shut, locking it. About the only thing that would get him through the night was his namesake.

  He stepped over the broken trophy and made his way to the bar, pulling out a bottle of Johnnie Walker. He didn’t bother with a glass. The liquid burned as he took three large gulps.

  He eased himself back onto the sofa and turned on the television. He had no idea what blared from the speakers as he took a few more shots, closing his eyes. He’d deal with the fallout of breaking up with Bella in the morning.

  He took a few more sips, his vision doubling as the effects of the alcohol numbed his body. His mind wandered to a place where he’d never met Bella, much less took her home.

  His brain became a haze of what-ifs and mistakes. He wished he could go back and have a do-over…

  He had no idea how long he’d slept when the doorbell rang.

  And rang.

  And rang.

  Then someone pounded at the door.

  His head throbbed, and his stomach lurched to the back of his throat as he tried to stand, but instead he rolled off the sofa.

  Pushing himself to a standing position, he tried to focus on the
clock blinking off the cable box, but the room continued to sway, and he saw double of everything. A faint glow of light shimmied through the window.

  So, he’d slept all night. Well, that had been his goal.

  He rubbed his temples and stumbled toward the front door.

  “Johnnie Walker Whiskey. This is the police.”

  Steadying himself, he pulled back the door. “Yes, Officer?” He tried to steady himself, though he didn’t think he was successful as the two policemen standing in front of him rocked as if they were holding a baby.

  “You’re under arrest,” one of the cops held up a piece of paper. “You have the right to—”

  “Before you read me my rights, could you at least tell me what for?” JW asked.

  “For the assault of Bella Brothers.”

  Chapter Two

  Three months later…

  Kitty O’Doole tossed her phone into her purse and cringed.

  “Is that Preston again?” Dorinda, her best friend from high school, asked. “You should file a restraining order.”

  “For what? I don’t even know what he wants. I haven’t spoken to him since the trial. I haven’t even listened to his voice messages.”

  “Good. He’s a rich prick who doesn’t deserve you,” Dorinda said. Her flip-flops smacked against her heels as they walked down the streets of Baltimore on the way to McCurdy’s Restaurant. “I still can’t believe he didn’t spend a day in prison and now he’s got these new business dealings. Doesn’t anyone remember all the money he lost his investors?”

  Kitty shrugged. “I no longer care. He’s not my problem.” She fingered the tiny scar she had on her right cheek from when Preston’s diamond wedding ring crash-landed on her cheek. It had been the only time he’d hit her.

  But that had been enough.