Fall in Love Book Bundle: Small Town Romance Box Set

by Grover Swank, Denise

  The response was several tiny, enthusiastic licks. The dog’s little face looked up at him, the eyes so full of excitement that he didn’t want to put him down. He started petting him instead.

  “Oh, come on,” Maisie said through a mouthful of muffin. “Get going! Talk to me. What the hell happened with Finn? He’s not an idiot. He wouldn’t fire you even if you screwed his mother.”

  “Language,” River quipped, covering the puppy’s ears. In response to her fierce look, he shrugged. “Okay, maybe I quit. Finn told me last night he’s selling to Bev Corp. He didn’t even talk to me about it before he made up his mind.”

  “Seriously?!” Maisie said, her face falling. “Just when I was starting to think he wasn’t such a bro after all.”

  “Uh-huh,” River said. “You don’t need to pretend you don’t like him for my sake. But that’s not actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Something interesting happened last night.”

  He’d meant interesting as in I got the job offer of a lifetime…maybe. But the image that flitted through his mind was of Georgie Buchanan, her hair tumbling out of that immaculate bun, her cheeks pink with laughter.

  And it occurred to him that he didn’t just want advice on whether or not to take the job.

  Maisie tilted her head. “Really, River, there’s no need to be tall, dark, and handsome, and mysterious. Give the rest of us something to do.”

  He snorted a laugh just as the puppy gave him a little nip on his finger. He set him down, and the little dog scampered off to steal the toy his brother or sister was still chewing.

  “Duly noted. I got another job offer last night. It turns out Beau didn’t leave the brewery to his son—he skipped over him and gave it to his grandkids. Two of them have decided to keep it, although I’m not sure what the others will do. Anyway, we got talking last night after the whole thing with Finn, and they offered me a job on the spot. We haven’t talked salary or benefits or anything, but I’m inclined to take it.”

  “Obviously,” Maisie interjected, giving him a play punch to the arm. “This is freaking awesome! You know Beau would have wanted you to be involved.”

  “Well,” River said, playing with the lid of his coffee, “there’s one possible snag.”

  The thing was, he wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up. Which was weird, since he and Maisie usually told each other everything. But he wasn’t the kind of guy who got this tied up over a girl after one night, especially if that one night hadn’t involved anything other than conversation.

  “What could possibly get in the way of you accepting an offer like that?” she asked, glancing down at the puppies. The little multicolored one now had full ownership of the toy, and the one it had displaced looked like it was pouting. Maisie reached into the play bin and tossed it a rope toy.

  When he still didn’t say anything, she glanced back up at him.

  “Oh,” she said, her eyes widening. A moment passed, and then her usual wise-ass smile slid into place. “Let me guess. One of the grandkids in question is a woman. Riverrr has a crushhhhh.”

  Which was the exact same thing she’d said when he’d told her about liking the girl who sat behind him in English junior year.

  “Shut up,” he said, somewhat serious. “Dustin’s going to hear you, and I’ll never live it down. You know that man thinks we’re destined for each other.” And he refused to accept the fact that they were like brother and sister. Dustin was firmly of the men and women can’t be friends camp.

  “Well?” she said. “Am I right?”

  Abandoning the toy, the little puffball puppy raced back over and started nibbling at River’s shoelaces. It was adorable, so he let it happen.

  “You’re giving him bad habits,” she tsked. “Plus, you still haven’t answered me.”

  “Okay,” he said, meeting her gaze. “Yes, Georgie, Beau’s granddaughter, and I spent a lot of time together last night. I felt like we had a real connection. I’ve never experienced anything like that before, not so quickly.”

  A strange look passed through Maisie’s eyes, but she waved him on. “Continue.”

  “Well, I’m not sure I should accept the job. If I do, there’s no chance anything will happen between Georgie and me. She’s way too professional to consider it. Which is the problem, I guess. I’m not sure what to do. It’s the job of a lifetime, but she might be the girl of a lifetime too.”

  Maisie paused for a second, as if considering. “And did you get the impression she feels the same way about you?”

  He remembered the way she’d looked at him as he leaned in to kiss her, the sparkle in her eyes. “Yeah, she’s interested,” he said, “but she also seemed adamant about hiring me. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

  “River,” she said, “I say this as your best friend of an astronomical number of years…take the job. You’ll regret it if you don’t. What’ll it feel like if they bring someone else in to transform the brewery? It’ll never be right. It’ll never be the way you would have made it. Don’t blow that for a maybe romance. This is too important.”

  It felt like his heart dropped in his chest, although he wasn’t really sure what he’d expected her to say. Maybe he’d come here because he’d known she’d say this. It was true. He couldn’t turn down the offer, if the offer still existed after the breakfast meeting with Georgie’s siblings.

  “Thanks,” he said, nodding. “I guess I needed to hear that.”

  “You can tell me all about it at movie night later.”

  He nodded again, although he’d almost forgotten. So much had happened in the last few days. So much was still happening.

  She gestured down to the puffball still gnawing away at his shoelace. “Now, how would you like to foster a puppy? I daresay you’ve been chosen.”

  Chapter 9

  Georgie was nervous. A lot hinged on this breakfast. Lee was pissed and Adalia was being standoffish. She didn’t need their permission or their blessing to keep the brewery—the will had said they could only sell if all four of them decided to do so by the noon deadline—but she still wanted their approval. She also wanted their help, although she knew that was beyond a long shot.

  She was the first to admit she’d drunk too much beer before making her official decision—in fact, she’d had to get an Uber back to her hotel—but in the light of day, she stood by it. She was sure she and Jack could make a go of this, especially with River making the beer.

  River.

  While she was utterly sure about keeping the business, she was having second thoughts about offering him a job. Not that she didn’t think he was capable. Her gut told her he was the linchpin to making Buchanan Brewery successful—no, more than successful—great. She’d learned to listen to her gut. It was what had made her previous business, Moon Goddess, such a success. But in this instance her gut and her heart were at war. The spark she’d felt with River was instantaneous and strong, but she couldn’t let that matter. Every man who’d wandered into Georgie’s life had proven to be unreliable and temporary, her father included, but a solid business offered security and fulfillment. It created the kind of satisfaction that lasted. Part of her suspected that River was different, but she couldn’t make a hasty decision based on one night of attraction that had involved a possessed cat and multiple samples of beer…and one almost kiss.

  She hadn’t imagined that, right? They’d almost kissed.

  In hindsight, it was a good thing they hadn’t. It would have complicated everything. Hiring River Reeves meant there could never be anything romantic between them.

  Why did that thought cause her heart to ache so much?

  Standing in front of the full-length mirror in her hotel room, she appraised her appearance. She was wearing a gray dress with flats, but she’d left her hair down in loose blond waves rather than securing it in her usual bun. Asheville had a more casual vibe, she told herself. Even her dress was probably too fancy, but she knew deep down that wasn’t why she’d chosen to wear her hair down. Ri
ver had mentioned that he liked it loose around her face.

  You’re playing with fire.

  Was it wrong that she felt gratified by a handsome man appreciating her appearance?

  It is if he’s your employee.

  With a heavy sigh, Georgie grabbed her purse and headed out the door to the stairwell. She was on the fourth floor, but she was too antsy to wait for the elevator, not to mention she needed to expend some nervous energy.

  Once she was outside the building, she put on her expensive sunglasses to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight, then started walking toward the hip organic restaurant the hotel concierge had recommended. In hindsight, she realized it would drive the meat-and-potatoes Lee crazy, but it was likely to win her some points with Adalia.

  Georgie needed all the help she could get, but perhaps she’d pandered to the wrong sibling. Too late to change it now.

  She was a few minutes early, but she spotted Lee as soon as she entered the restaurant lobby. To be fair, he was hard to miss. At six foot two, he stood half a head over almost everyone else, and his short, stylish blond hair and bright green eyes had always garnered attention from women. It wasn’t until Georgie was within a few feet of him that she noticed Adalia next to him. If she’d shared that thought—something she couldn’t imagine doing—she could anticipate her sister’s response. That’s because I’m always overlooked. It’s what happens when you’re the afterthought kid.

  “Good morning, Lee, Addy,” she said, keeping her voice light and cheery as she took off her glasses. “I hope you both slept well.”

  Adalia simply frowned, but Lee looked irritated. “Maybe it would have been better if you’d actually called me back last night.”

  “Sorry,” she said, genuinely meaning it. “I needed some time to process everything.”

  “Thank God,” Lee said in a breath of relief. “I knew you were logical enough to come to your senses.”

  His comment pissed her off, but she needed to keep him relatively happy, so she let it roll off her back as she walked up to the hostess and checked in for her reservation.

  The hostess led them to their booth, and Georgie gestured for Lee and Adalia to slide in first. She didn’t want to risk being flanked by them; she needed to see them face-to-face.

  Adalia scooted in first and Lee sat next to her, leaving Georgie the side opposite them, and she felt a sense of relief that things were already going well.

  She was truly desperate if she was calling the seating arrangement a win.

  “What did you both do last night?” she asked as she picked up a menu.

  “Are you really resorting to chitchat?” Lee asked in a snide tone. He’d always been a touch bossy, but this seemed over the top, bordering on their father’s level of high-handedness.

  “Don’t mind him,” Adalia said as she opened her menu. She beamed when she saw the choices. “Victoria left with Dad last night, and it wasn’t pretty.”

  Lee frowned and picked up his menu.

  Adalia leaned over the table a few inches and mouthed: She was pissed.

  Georgie could only imagine, and she had to wonder if Lee partially blamed her for his almost fiancée abandoning him. Georgie wasn’t sorry she’d voted for Victoria to leave the meeting. That woman held far too much sway over Lee and their father, particularly considering she’d known neither of them a year ago—or maybe that was her own bitterness speaking. After all, neither man ever seemed to listen to her.

  “My flight is early this afternoon, so I won’t be able to sign the papers at the attorney’s office,” Lee said. “The attorney says you can sign for all of us. Addy got her flight changed so we can go back to New York together.”

  Georgie couldn’t hide her surprise. Lee and Adalia had never been particularly close. She was usually the bridge between them, although she’d be the first to admit it was a shaky wood bridge with a few loose planks. Was this his attempt to sway their sister to his side?

  “That’s fine,” Georgie said, pulling herself together. Once her business got off the ground, she’d gotten herself a present: a good therapist. The doctor had helped her understand that she’d shifted from trying to gain her father’s approval to seeking her brother’s, an equally impossible task. Logically, she knew she only needed one person’s approval—her own—but knowing it and living it weren’t always the same thing. “The business side of things won’t take long, but we haven’t all been together in at least a couple of years. I thought it might be nice to share a meal, just the three of us.”

  The way Lee pursed his lips as he studied the menu suggested he didn’t feel the same, and Adalia seemed unsure of how to react.

  “Addy,” Georgie said enthusiastically. “What are you working on right now?”

  A war played out on Adalia’s face, but excitement won out. “A gallery wants to display some of my work next month, so I’ve been busy prepping for that.” She held up her stained hands. “Hence the reason I look like I have the nail beds of a mechanic.”

  “You’re working with ink now?” Georgie asked in surprise. The last she’d heard, her sister had been working on mixed media sculptures.

  “I’ve been dabbling with screen printing,” Addy said, becoming even more animated. “The gallery owner saw one of my prints hanging in someone’s home and reached out.”

  “You should see her pieces,” Lee said, his gaze still on the menu. “They’re amazing.”

  Lee had seen her screen prints? Her siblings only ever saw each other at family events—like funerals—or when Georgie arranged it. What had happened to draw them together? And why hadn’t they included her?

  But she shook off her hurt feelings, telling herself that she should be happy Lee and Adalia were making an effort. Even if they weren’t making an effort to spend time with her.

  “That’s so exciting!” Georgie said, truly meaning it. She’d be the first to admit that her younger sister’s waywardness had worried her. She had no doubt that Adalia was talented—she’d seen plenty of her work—but she also had a tendency to float from one art medium to the next. And while Georgie hated to agree with their father about anything, one of his favorite sayings about Adalia made a sad sort of sense: talent didn’t pay the bills, and a successful career in the art world was just as difficult as an actor making it on Broadway. There were plenty of uber-talented actors waiting tables across the city. “Does the exhibit have a theme?”

  Addy’s smile wavered for a moment, then became more serious, but now pride filled her eyes. “Yeah. Isolation.”

  The theme hit Georgie in the face. Art was an expression of the artist’s psyche. Adalia always seemed so happy with her life and her friends. Had things changed? Regardless, it sounded like she was doing well professionally, which probably meant she wouldn’t want to move to Asheville. Adalia and Lee would probably remain remote partners.

  The waitress appeared with a carafe of coffee and a small creamer container. “Coffee? It’s our special organic Bolivian blend.”

  Lee turned his cup over as though it was a race to see who could get coffee first. “Bolivian. Columbian, North Carolinian…I don’t care where it’s from. As long as it has caffeine, I’ll take it.” Then his eyes narrowed as he scanned the menu. “I think I have the wrong menu. Where are the breakfast items?”

  “Oh, they’re on there,” the perky waitress said, pointing to one side of his menu. “See?”

  “That says bean sprout toast,” Lee said in a deadpan voice.

  “It’s one of our most popular dishes,” the waitress said.

  “Where’s the bacon?” Lee asked. “And the eggs?”

  “We have tofu bacon and egg substitute,” she said. “We’re vegan.”

  Lee looked up at Georgie, his mouth gaping.

  Oh dear.

  Adalia leaned forward and held the waitress’s gaze. “We’re gonna need a moment to look over the menu, but we’ll take coffee while we’re looking.”

  “No problem,” the waitress said, setting
the creamer dish on the table as she poured coffee into Adalia and Georgie’s cups.

  “Is that half-and-half or heavy cream?” Lee asked.

  The waitress laughed as if he’d made a hilarious joke. “It’s almond milk.”

  Then she left to check on the next table.

  “Vegan?” Lee asked, staring at Georgie in disbelief.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I knew it was organic, but not vegan. We can go if you want.”

  “No way,” Adalia said, pouring almond milk into her coffee. “I’ve heard this place is great.”

  “You’ve been in Asheville less than forty-eight hours,” Lee said in disgust. “How in the hell did you hear this restaurant was great?”

  “Everyone’s talking about it,” Adalia said with a mischievous grin. “We’re staying.”

  “We can pick up a muffin from a coffee shop after we finish,” Georgie told her brother.

  “They have muffins here,” Adalia said.

  Lee made a face. “Chia rhubarb agave muffins.”

  “And blueberry,” Adalia said. “And also pancakes. Try them. I’m sure you won’t even notice the difference.”

  Lee shuddered.

  Georgie couldn’t stifle a laugh. “Okay, I’ll not only get you a muffin but also an Egg McMuffin.”

  “Deal.” He grinned, and some of the tightness eased from her chest. She liked it when he let himself lighten up. It reminded her of how things used to be, before Lee followed in their dad’s footsteps and became his clone in training.

  When the waitress returned, Georgie ordered a fruit plate and Adalia ordered strawberry pancakes. Lee stared up at the waitress, looking hopelessly lost. “What’s the tofu bacon taste like?”

  She made a face. “I can recommend the egg substitute.” When he didn’t seem impressed, she said, “Or the banana almond pancakes. They’re my favorite. With the egg substitute scrambled on the side.”

  Lee handed her the menu. “Yeah. Okay,” he said, but he sounded like he’d just committed himself to a three-day fast.