“This is my dream too,” she continues. “My dad called me yesterday. He exploded when he found out I wasn’t headed to Madison but was going away with Liam. He called me selfish and self-centered.”
“Jack did?” I’ve never heard him raise his voice at his daughter. Vicki’s the youngest child. She has two older brothers. She is the apple of her father’s eye.
“He does yell at me from time to time, Cat,” Vicki says dryly. “Remember when he found out that Scott Journey was five years older than me?”
I laugh. Scott was the guy Vicki wanted to go to her senior prom with. Jack Egan had gone ballistic when he found out Scott was a senior, not in high school like Vicki was pretending, but in college.
“Anyway. He chewed me out. He told me that if I wasn’t prepared to be serious, that I should bail so you could get a dependable partner.” She runs her thumb along the edge of the bar.
“Your dad said that?” I ask again.
“More or less. His version went on for twenty minutes and included a lot of swearing.”
“I thought he wanted to make this place one of his chain restaurants.” I voice my secret hidden fear.
“Oh, I’m sure he does.” Vicki’s voice is dry. “My dad has two sides. The businessman wants to take our brewpub over. But he also wants his daughter to succeed so he can brag to all his friends about our brewpub.” She goes silent for a bit. “So, I drove here. I’m going to work my ass off to make this place a success. That is, if you still want me.”
“Of course I want you, you dummy. If it were just me running this place, I’d be so focused on my to-do list that I’d miss the big picture.”
I might be willing to let Vicki off the hook, but she’s not as ready as me to let bygones be bygones. “I’ve dropped the ball a lot,” she says. “I went to the cottage we were supposed to be staying at, and it turned out I forgot to confirm their last email, and they rented to someone else.” She looks around. “You didn’t even tell me.”
“I didn’t want you to feel bad.”
She exhales in exasperation. “Cat, I know I’m a big picture person. Half the time, I’m wandering around with my head in the clouds. You’re good at detail. I think we’re going to be a great team precisely because we balance each other out, but you’ve got to call me out on my bullshit, okay? I rely on you to keep me grounded. To yell at me when I’m being too flighty. To kick my ass when I’m being an idiot. You don’t have to pussyfoot around me. I’m a big girl. I can take it.”
Evidently, somewhere along the way, I’ve grown a backbone. I shake my head. “I’m not going to adult for you,” I tell my best friend. “I don’t want to be the only grown up in the room. That’s not fair to either of us.”
Her eyes go round. I’ve shocked the hell out of her. “You’re absolutely right.”
“But,” I add, “I will speak up when I’m annoyed. I won’t hold my tongue, keep things bottled up, and then explode. There will be no Ferrari carnage.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
“Umm, okay. We’ll get back to that. So, new deal? I act like an adult, and you tell me when you’re not happy with me. Hug it out?” She still sounds tentative.
My anger has drained away. For weeks, I’ve been resentful, but now that everything’s out in the open, I feel like a boulder has been lifted off my shoulders. Dom was right. I should have had this conversation with Vicki days ago.
I laugh in sheer happiness and envelop my best friend in a giant bear hug.
“Where are you sleeping?” The two of us have migrated to the back. “I can’t believe how much you’ve got done in such a short time,” Vicki marvels. “The last time I was here, the tanks had just been delivered. Two weeks later, you’re all set up and ready to go.”
“That’s the schedule.”
She chuckles. “Ah yes, the schedule. I am ready to be a slave to it.” She looks around. “I thought you’d be sleeping here.”
“I considered it, but rents skyrocket here in the summer, so I thought it’d be easier and smarter to lock in a place. I’m staying in a cabin near the lake. You can join me there.”
“A cabin?” Vicki wrinkles her nose. “That sounds suspiciously like camping. The last time I did that, I was with the Girl Guides.” She shudders in horror. “God, I hated it. Mosquitoes and black flies everywhere. No flush toilets. No hot water showers. Ugh.”
I think about Sandra’s cabins. “Well, these cabins have a shared bathroom. It’s on a septic system. I can guarantee you flush toilets and hot water showers.”
Her expression is deeply suspicious, and I have to struggle not to laugh at her. Vicki’s a city person, through and through. “And the bugs?”
“Not too many so far.”
She shakes her head. “Fucking wonderful. Still, I deserve it for dropping the ball on that nice cottage I’d lined up for us. Is there enough room in your cabin for me?”
“No, but Sandra has five of them on her property. Let’s go see if she’ll rent you one.”
We’re about to head out when Vicki puts her hand on my arm. “You’ve really changed,” she says, her eyes studying me. “You don’t look as stressed out as you did two weeks ago. You look… relaxed. Happy.”
That’s Dom’s doing. I remember how strung out I’d been on the day Gino delivered the wrong piece of furniture to the brewpub. How I’d marched over there to yell at him.
He’s the reason for this change. He’s taught me how to stand up for myself. How to feel secure in my skin. He’s made me a better version of myself.
I’m not going to keep secrets from my best friend. “I met a guy.”
“Here? In town?”
I nod. “Dominic Wilde. The carpenter you ordered the bar from.” I grin. “I guess that in a way, I have you to thank. If it weren’t for you, I’d have never met him.”
She rolls her eyes. “This town has a thousand residents. Trust me, you’d have met the guy one way or another. But never mind that. I want to hear all about this guy. Tell me everything. Omit no detail.”
“That could take a while.”
Her expression turns astute. “And it’s Saturday, and you want to snuggle with your new guy.”
I feel shitty about abandoning her as soon as she’s gotten into town. But this thing with Dom… I want to savor every minute of it, because it might end at any time. “Something like that.”
“Go on then.” She nudges me toward the door. “Text me the address of the cabins, and I’ll do the rest.”
“You sure? I feel bad leaving you alone.”
“I’m absolutely sure. And don’t feel so guilty. I plan to find a place to stay, unpack, and then call Liam and have hot and heavy phone sex with him.”
Ah, Vicki. Never change. “You know, I really did not need to hear that.”
25
Dom
The next three weeks are idyllic. My life’s like a fucking Disney movie. Birds chirp and deer frolic through the woods. Flowers bloom everywhere. Random animals break out into song.
Everything is pretty damn perfect.
Cat’s brewpub, now that Vicki’s finally decided to make an appearance, is humming along. I show up as often as I can to help out. I rope Gino in as well. Luke comes when he can too, but he doesn’t have a lot of spare time. Now that winter is behind us for the year, he’s got to get his campground ready for the influx of tourists. “They’re coming earlier and earlier in the year,” he grumbles. “Still, I guess that’s a good thing. Marriage counselors aren’t cheap.”
They might not be cheap, but the woman that they’re seeing is really helping them sort through their issues. After only two sessions, Ruby and Luke look happier than they have been in a very long time.
Vicki’s staying in one of the cabins. Of course, that meant I had to fix it up. I wasn’t thrilled about it—Cat’s been stressed out about her friend for a very long time, and I’m protective of my little spitfire—but I did it anyway. Vic
ki, to her credit, has stepped up, and is doing everything she can to make things right. I’m not Team Vicki quite yet—it’s too soon for that—but I’m cautiously optimistic.
And of course, my nights are spent with Cat. I can’t get enough of her. She’s funny and sassy, smart and tough. And when she drops her walls and shows me her vulnerable side, I feel like a million bucks.
Manuel once told me that somewhere out there, there was a woman I was meant to be with. I’ve found her, and it is better than I could have ever imagined it to be.
Dakota bursts into my workshop Monday afternoon. I’ve just come back from the brewpub, where Cat and I painted the bathrooms while Vicki scrubbed years of accumulated dirt off the tiles in the passageway. “Dom, we have a problem.”
I look up at the urgency in her voice. “Let me guess. Teresa wants a raise.”
“Stop joking,” she snaps. “This is a real problem. The town council met this morning and rejected Cat and Vicki’s restaurant permit.”
“What?” Shock courses through my body. “Are you sure? Why?”
“I was there,” she says unhappily. “It was Roger Wexler’s doing. He turned the whole council against the brewpub. He went on and on about how Vicki’s father is a restaurateur in Toronto who owns a handful of chain restaurants, and this was just his sneaky way of expanding into Madison.” She makes a face. “You know how everyone around here feels about chain restaurants.”
Wexler. My blood runs cold. This isn’t about Cat’s brewpub. This is about Wexler’s irrational obsession with me. He’s screwing with Cat’s entire life so that he can get even.
That petty motherfucker had better not cross my path, because I will destroy him.
“Over and over, he kept talking about how a chain restaurant would change the character of our town. By the time he was done, every single councilor was convinced. Timothy Pollard was the only one who even tried to speak up. He asked what would happen if the brewpub didn’t get a food license.” She runs a hand over her face. “That’s when Wexler looked at me and said that the brewpub could always allow customers to bring in food from other local restaurants. Like mine.”
“This is bullshit.”
“I know,” she says moodily. “It really is. I’ve dealt with the council before. The brewpub can appeal their decision, but it won’t come up for review until they meet again. Since half the councilors run businesses that cater to tourists, that’s in fall, once life slows down again.”
“That’s too late,” I say flatly. “Cat and Vicki are overextended. They were counting on summer business to dig them out of their hole. If they miss the tourist season, they can’t survive. There’s not enough money to be made in winter.”
“Could we loan them money?” Dakota asks hopefully. “I can scrape together a few thousand dollars. Ten, in a pinch.”
I shake my head grimly. “Cat won’t accept it. She’s too independent.”
My throat is dry. My shoulders, tight. My heartbeat is racing as if I’ve run a race. “This is my fault.”
Dakota frowns at me. “How is it your fault that Wexler is a fear-mongering dickwad?”
I tell her about Luke and Ruby. About Luke punching Wexler, and about Wexler confronting me in the grocery store. “I shouldn’t have baited him.”
“Dom, you couldn’t know.” Dakota’s voice is uncharacteristically gentle. “And come on. Everyone knew about Roger’s obsession with Ruby.”
“Not Luke.”
“Wow, he’s not particularly bright, is he?” She puts her arm around me. “Cat and Vicki will find out soon,” she says. “You should be there.”
She’s right. I do. This brewpub is Cat’s dream. She’ll be shattered. I need to be with her, and I need to fix this mess. I need to make things right.
26
Cat
“It looks real.” Vicki’s voice is soft and awed. “I cannot believe this is actually happening.”
Me neither.
The last few weeks have been a whirl. The end result makes it all worthwhile. Our brewpub is ready. The walls are painted a cheery yellow that Dom jokingly calls ‘Egg yolk.’ Vintage beer posters jockey for space with Sandra’s colorful modern art pieces. Some of them are available for sale; the others are a loaner.
I look around with pride at what we’ve done. When we took over this building, it had been dusty and grimy and faded. Now, it absolutely gleams. Sunlight streams in through the sparkling windows. Clever shelves behind the bar—Dom’s doing, of course—hold the Madison Brewpub pint glasses. The taps have been installed, and I’ve polished their copper handles until they shine. The lighting fixtures Vicki ordered on-line went up last week, a mixture of practical and atmospheric.
The front is ready. I’m going to spend next week kegging the beer, while Vicki’s going to put the finishing touches in the kitchen. The head cook, Keisha, comes in the Monday after next, and the line cooks are ready to start.
Against all odds, we’re going to open on time.
It has taken us a lot of elbow grease to get to this point. Everyone has pitched in. We commissioned the natural wood bar from Dom. Unasked, he also made us a secondary counter that he wouldn’t take money for, and he’s built a half-wall around the tanks so that our customers can’t accidentally wander among my equipment.
Dakota and her crew provided both manual labor and marketing advice. Luke, Ruby, and Sandra have been talking up my beer to everyone in town. We’re doing a one-day open house this Saturday for the locals, and the Thursday after that, we open unofficially for a soft launch.
My heart is bursting with pride. My chest so filled with emotion that it hurts to breathe. This brewpub is the dream of a lifetime. For seven years, I’ve paid my dues, and it’s finally time for me to collect my reward.
Less than two weeks to go. I cannot wait.
Then it all falls apart. Sherri Stephenson, who is officially the town council’s admin assistant, and unofficially the person who gets shit done—cycles up. She’s normally pretty cheerful, but today, her face is somber as she hands Vicki an envelope and hurries away.
Why did Sherri look so glum? My heart starts to beat faster. Vicki, who didn’t catch Sherri’s expression, grins widely. “It’s our permit. Eyes are dotted, tees are crossed. I’ll check it off my to-do list, and yes, Cat, try to control your shock. I do indeed have a to-do list. It works great when I remember to look at it.”
She tears open the envelope. There’s a moment of silence as she reads the contents, and then her face goes pale. “Denied?” She swallows hard and looks at the sheet of paper again. “They’ve denied us our restaurant permit.”
Ice runs through my blood. “How is this possible?” My voice is high and thin and quivery.
“I don’t know.” Vicki is looking pole-axed. “Our application was perfect. I looked at it. You looked at it. Hell, I even got my dad to give it the once-over, just in case we were missing something.”
She’s right. Vicki might screw up things like finding us a place to stay, but the restaurant business is in her blood, and she never gets the major stuff wrong. And I had double-checked it, reading each line with obsessive thoroughness. There’s no possible reason for our restaurant permit to be rejected.
“Is it because we’re right next to Dakota’s?” I grope for answers. It’s hard to speak. I have to force the words out. “Does the council think we’re going to adversely impact her business?”
Vicki’s eyes search the form. “That’s not what they’re saying,” she replies. “They’re saying we’re not a family-friendly establishment.”
“What?” I stare at my friend. “That doesn’t make any sense. We have a liquor permit, but not a food permit. How is it more family-friendly to just serve beer?”
“It isn’t. This is insane.” Vicki sounds as dazed and confused as I feel. “Did they screw up? Get us mixed up with some other restaurant?”
The front door opens, and Dom and Dakota walk in. Dom immediately comes over to me and wraps his a
rms around my waist, and I hug him tight, clinging to him, drawing comfort from his warm body and his steady heartbeat. “They didn’t screw up,” I hear Dakota say, her voice grim. “It was quite deliberate.”
I pull away from Dom’s hug but don’t let go of his hand. I need his touch to tether me. Right now, I’m at sea. Up is down and down is up, and nothing makes sense at all. “What happened?”
Dakota gives Dom a sidelong look. “One of the councilors found out that Vicki’s father owned a chain of restaurants in Toronto,” she says. “He convinced everyone that your brewpub was a front for another of his restaurants.”
“What?” Vicki explodes out of the chair she’d sunk into. “That’s crazy. This isn’t part of my father’s chain. Anyone reading our application would have realized that. Our menu’s completely different. We’re serving Ontario-made sausages and farm picked-vegetables, for fuck’s sake, not mass-market Canadian food. I don’t understand how the council thought we had anything to do with his chain. We even attached a copy of the menu to our application, for fuck’s sake.”
Dakota takes a deep breath. “The councilor in question,” she says carefully, “strongly implied you were lying on your application, and the menu you attached was a fake. He told everyone that the moment the restaurant permit was granted, Jack Egan’s chain would be expanding into Madison. Every single member of the town council owns a small business that would get wiped out if the big-box stores came into town. He played on their fears, and it was pretty effective.”
I’m torn between anger and heartbreak. “Vicki’s being punished because her father owns a bunch of restaurants? That’s complete BS.”
“I know,” Dakota says softly, her face etched with sympathy. “This sucks ass.”
The fight leaches out of Vicki as the news sinks in. “This is my fault,” she says, her voice hollow. “Over and over again, I keep screwing things up for you, Cat.”
Hard Wood (Hard n' Dirty Book 3) Page 14
