Fall in Love Book Bundle: Small Town Romance Box Set

by Grover Swank, Denise

  Finn walked past him, Aunt Dottie calling out, “Lovely to see you, dear! Consider what I said about seeing Lola. I’ve never had such a spot-on reading. No better time to go than when you’re at a crossroads.”

  “Thanks, Dottie. I’ll keep it in mind,” he intoned. He looked back at River once before he left. “Cute dog.”

  The as-yet-unnamed puppy was humping a discarded sandal.

  Then the door closed and Finn was gone, probably out of River’s life too. Which hurt more than he would have liked.

  Focus on the new job.

  So why did he find himself thinking of Georgie? Wondering if she’d like the puppy better than she did Beau’s mostly evil cat? Wondering if he was making the right call even if he needed—and really, really wanted—the job?

  Because you’re an idiot, that’s why. And Finn knows it too. That’s why he didn’t talk to you about this while Beau was dying. He thought you’d fall apart.

  “I recognize that look,” Aunt Dottie said knowingly. “Beau’s granddaughter is quite lovely, isn’t she?”

  “Really?” he said, stooping to pet the dog—and remove the sweater. It was, after all, the beginning of June, but Aunt Dottie did love her knitting. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “You know how I feel about lying, River.”

  He glanced up at her and smiled. Something told him everything was—currently—going according to her plans. But she had to know he couldn’t, or at least really, really shouldn’t, notice how beautiful Georgie Buchanan was if he intended to accept her job offer.

  “You asked a rhetorical question. Anyone with eyes can see she’s beautiful. It’s only after talking to her for a while that you realize she’s also brilliant, kind, and funny.”

  Aunt Dottie’s eyes lit up. “I knew it! The pink crystal wanted to go to her. It sensed there was something between you.”

  “Well, Aunt Dottie, you might want to rethink your interpretation. That pink crystal nearly ended up smashing my brains in.”

  He told her about the way he and Georgie had officially met last night. They relocated to the table, and he ended up telling her a whole lot more, ending with the offer she and Jack had made.

  “I guess I’m going to take it,” he said, “although I can’t say it doesn’t suck.”

  “What makes you think you can’t romance her if you work with her?”

  Leave it to his aunt to put it like that.

  “Well, there are rules about that kind of thing,” he said.

  “Not at Buchanan Brewery,” she said. “I started working there before Beau and I began courting. Indeed, it’s how we got to know each other. You really learn the make of someone when you work with them.”

  “Well, I’m not so sure about that,” he said, gesturing toward the door even though Finn had left a long time ago. “Besides, even if it’s not in the HR manual, surely it’s not encouraged. And trust me, Aunt Dottie, she’s nothing if not proper. Even if it’s not unheard of, it would be for Georgie.”

  His aunt shook her head knowingly. “That pink crystal tells me differently. There’s a lovely energy to that girl. Nothing like that dry husk of a father. She’s the type who’ll stand up for what she believes in—and for the people she believes in.” A sad look crossed her face. “And I’m not so sure you misjudged Finn, either. Sometimes you expect too much from people, dear, and it can only end in disappointment.”

  He shrugged it off, although it was the kind of comment that had barbs, and he already knew he’d be thinking about it later.

  “We’ll see, I guess.”

  “Indeed, we will,” she said, shifting her gaze to the puppy, who’d fallen asleep on the sandal he’d been humping earlier.

  “Hope he didn’t imprint on it,” River said.

  “What are you going to name him? He looks an awful lot like a Flavius to me.”

  River just shook his head. He was used to Aunt Dottie coming up with ridiculous names for things. “I was thinking I’d call him Hops. The last time I spoke to Beau, he told me he thought our…Big Catch’s new beer was too hop-forward.” He shrugged. “I bet he’d find it funny.”

  She smiled at him. “I bet he would. Now, about Lola. Finn’s not the only one who’d benefit from having his cards read. You’re at a crossroads too.”

  “No thanks, Aunt Dottie. I’ll find out what happens when it does.”

  Which was how he always responded, but she still hadn’t given up. Part of him liked that. He liked knowing he could count on things—because for much too long he hadn’t been able to count on anything.

  But could he count on Georgie Buchanan?

  Chapter 11

  Georgie walked into the law offices of Gramble and Manning at 11:57, ready to start the next phase of her life. After she and Jack finished with the paperwork, they were meeting River at the brewery at one. While Georgie had toured the space with her grandfather, she needed to see it again from an owner’s perspective, not to mention Jack hadn’t seen it at all. River had spent plenty of time at Buchanan Brewery, so he would make the perfect tour guide.

  Sure, and that’s the only reason you want to see him.

  Mr. Manning’s assistant met her as she walked through the door. “Jack is already in the conference room and Mr. Manning is readying the documents for you to sign.” She gestured down the hall to the room, then said, “Can I get you coffee or water while you wait?”

  “This should only take a moment, right?” Georgie asked. “I won’t need anything.”

  The assistant didn’t answer, just gestured for her to enter the room where everything had gone down the day before. “He’ll be here in a moment.”

  Jack was standing next to the wall of windows overlooking a parking lot, wearing a pair of khakis and a short-sleeved button-down shirt. He turned when she entered the room, and she gave him a soft smile.

  “Hey,” he said, appearing unsure of his standing with her. Georgie understood. They’d both been drinking last night, which called the decisions they’d made into question. Georgie had no regrets… Did Jack?

  “How was breakfast with your siblings?” he asked, his body tense.

  She stopped herself from saying they were his siblings too. “Good.” She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Actually, great. Lee’s on board and plans to be hands-off, which means we can run it how we see fit.”

  “And Adalia?”

  She made a face. “Not so eager, but I think she’ll come around once it starts doing well and making a profit.”

  He nodded, then turned back to the view.

  Georgie eyed the table, reluctant to sit down. The emotions of the previous day still hung in the air, but she was also antsy. She wanted to get this done so she could head to the brewery and get down to business, not because she was eager to see River again. Okay, a partial lie. She was eager for both.

  “Ah, Georgie,” Mr. Manning said as he walked into the room, holding a stack of papers. “And Jack. Thank you for coming in.”

  “Of course,” she said with a smile. “Lee said it was okay for me to sign for him and Adalia.”

  “Only one of you has to sign that you want to keep it,” the attorney said. “So the two of you signing is more of a sign of solidarity and not a legal necessity.” He set the stack of papers on the table and Georgie took a seat. Jack sat next to her, resting both his hands on the table.

  It looked like Mr. Manning had more than one document for them to sign. He flipped the pages until he reached one with two signature tabs.

  “Let’s start with the reason you’re here. This document says that you both agree to keep the brewery. Sign next to the tabs.”

  Georgie grabbed a pen from a cup in the center of the table but stopped with the pen hovering over the signature line. “Lee said you had a buyer lined up for the property?”

  Jack’s body jolted.

  The attorney’s smile wavered. “That’s right. Bev Corp, a national company, is very interested.”

  “How much did
they offer?”

  “Four-point-two million for the brand, the recipes, and the facility.”

  Georgie couldn’t help wondering if Adalia needed the money. A quarter of the sale price would be enough to completely change her sister’s life. Was she being selfish? But then she thought of the determination in Jack’s eyes. He deserved to be part of the Buchanan legacy. And Lee believed in her, for once, something she’d always wanted. And then there was River. He’d been important to Beau, and he wanted—needed—to make this work as much as she did.

  Jack shot her a questioning look. Even if Georgie decided at the last minute to sell, she knew he would never agree to it.

  Ultimately, she trusted her gut, and it told her this was the right decision. She leaned over and signed her name, then passed the form to Jack. The attorney produced several other papers for them to sign, one naming Georgie the executor of her grandfather’s trust—which included the brewery and the house—and giving her control over Beau’s business and personal bank accounts. “Grandpa Beau named me as executor? How did he know I’d agree to do this?”

  “As you’ve likely guessed, he changed his will after your visit. Originally, the house went to your father, and the brewery went to someone else.”

  “Who was it supposed to go to?” Jack asked.

  Instead of answering, Mr. Manning pursed his lips and handed Georgie the bank account statements.

  Had Beau originally planned to give the brewery to Dottie? He hadn’t left her anything in the will, although Georgie had assumed that was because he’d passed along everything he’d wanted to her before dying.

  She considered pressing Mr. Manning, but she was more interested in the financial state of the brewery. She slid the papers between her and Jack, and they quickly scanned the business account documents, which proved the business was indeed in trouble.

  When they both finished signing nearly everything in the stack, Mr. Manning gave them an apologetic smile. “Now that you’ve finished most of the official paperwork for keeping the brewery, I need to tell you both about the strings.”

  She gaped at the attorney, sure she’d heard him wrong. “Strings? What strings?”

  “Beau wanted to make sure that you and your siblings didn’t make this a side project. He was worried the others might be uninterested.”

  Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for what she was sure would be terrible news. “Excuse my language, Mr. Manning, but I have no intention of half-assing this.”

  “And neither do I,” Jack said with a firm resolve.

  Perspiration began to dot the attorney’s forehead. “They aren’t my rules. Trust me, I tried to talk Beau out of it.”

  Her stomach turned to a dead weight. “What did Grandpa Beau do?”

  Mr. Manning handed her an envelope. “Perhaps you should read this first.”

  She broke the seal, pulled out the page, and read the shaky handwriting.

  Dear Georgie,

  You have no idea how much I loved your visit. You have your father’s drive for success, but you also have something he never possessed. Sure, he has ambition, but he doesn’t have heart. You, my girl, have it in spades.

  I knew after our visit that you wouldn’t sell Buchanan Brewery. I could see the fire in your eyes—the same fire that led me to found my business so many years ago. I’m ashamed to admit that I got tired. I lost my drive and I let things slide. I considered passing BB on several years ago, but the successor I’d named wasn’t ready. He had to pay his dues, just like you and your siblings will have to pay yours if you fail to meet the challenge I’ve set for you.

  I know this will seem harsh, my dear, but I assure you that I would never ask this of you if I didn’t think you were up to it. We all need a little fire under our britches. Remember I do this out of love.

  If anyone can turn Buchanan Brewery around, my dear, it’s you. My love, Dottie, is there to help you. Now go make me proud.

  Love,

  Grandpa Beau

  Georgie stared up at the now-drenched attorney in horror. “What challenge?”

  “What does it say?” Jack asked.

  She handed him the paper and his head moved slightly from side to side as he read. Mr. Manning pulled yet another paper out of his stack. “I could read the legalese, or I could get to the heart of it.”

  “I’d rather just hear the bad part,” Jack said, setting the paper on the table in front of Georgie.

  “Yes, please cut to the chase,” she said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

  “Well, there are two stipulations. The first is that Dottie Hendrickson cannot be fired. She can only retire of her own volition.”

  “Well, that’s no problem,” Georgie said, puzzled. Why would her grandfather have thought it was even necessary to put that in writing?

  “Like I said, let’s hear the bad part,” Jack said.

  The perspiration on Mr. Manning’s brow confirmed he’d told them the easy part first. He cleared his throat, then said, “Buchanan Brewery has to place in the top five of the Brewfest Competition.”

  She shook her head. “Brewfest Competition… River told me about it last night. It’s a beer contest.”

  He nodded, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing his forehead. “It’s usually held at the beginning of March.”

  March…it was early June, so they’d only have ten months.

  Her mouth gaped. “River told me that Buchanan Brewery hasn’t placed in years.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Jack said, leaning over the table while his eyes bored into the attorney’s. “We have less than a year to take a below-average brewery and make it nationally competitive?”

  Grimacing, Mr. Manning wiped his handkerchief over his forehead. “I’m sorry. I really did try to talk him out of it.”

  Georgie’s head swam and she sat back in her seat as she tried to soak this in. Was it even possible to create a winning beer by then? From what River had told her about brewing, it took weeks just to create one batch. Trying not to panic, she said, “What if we realize we’ll never win and we want to sell it instead?”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Georgie. By signing those papers, you agreed not to sell.”

  She’d been a fool not to read the fine print. She knew better than that, but she’d been caught up in the moment, thinking about the future. About the look on her father’s face when he learned his children had chosen Beau over him.

  “And what happens if we lose?” Because Georgie’s father had taught her at a very young age that there was no point of a challenge if a dastardly threat wasn’t dangling over her head.

  Now she wondered if her father had learned his tactics from Beau. That sweet old man she’d met had had some bite left in him.

  “The brewery goes to the person originally named in the will.”

  “And who is that?” she forced out past the lump in her throat.

  “River Reeves.”

  Chapter 12

  River stood outside of the brewery, tapping his foot while he waited for Georgie and Jack. The whole nervous energy thing wasn’t usually his jam, but he’d left Hops at home in his crate, so he didn’t have a puppy to fuss over. Maybe he was overthinking it, but it felt like a lot was riding on this moment.

  What if the walk-through didn’t go well, and Georgie and Jack changed their minds? Sure, Georgie had seen the brewery before, but she probably hadn’t been looking at things critically—like she would be today—and he was well aware most of the equipment was old. If Bev Corp was waiting in the wings with an attractive offer, it might be hard for them to say no.

  He didn’t think they’d cop out, he really didn’t, but so much of his life had changed in a blink. So much of what he’d counted on had slipped away.

  He’d expected them to take a car—although it wasn’t a long walk, it wasn’t terribly short either—so it took him a moment to notice them across the street. His heart thumped faster in his chest at the sight of Georgie, her
hair bouncing around her face. Jack strolled beside her, and they were deep in conversation.

  He’d been thinking of seeing her again too—wondering if it would feel the same, or if the magic of the previous night would slip away.

  But it hadn’t, or at least not for him. And she’d worn her hair down. Was that a message?

  It wasn’t until they came closer that he realized they were arguing, and Georgie had a stricken look on her face. Jack’s expression veered closer to pissed.

  Well, shit, that couldn’t be good. If breakfast had gone well, what could have happened since? Had something happened with the father, maybe?

  Except…hadn’t he already left?

  Georgie made a shut up gesture to Jack, and they crossed the street in silence.

  “Hey,” River said, stepping toward Georgie. He went in for a hug, because that’s how they’d said goodnight, but she flinched away.

  Definitely not good. Although maybe she was being a consummate professional, just like he’d told Dottie she would be. It was one instance in which he did not relish being right.

  Georgie nodded to him—nodded—and then Jack did the same, although he looked like he’d rather punch him instead.

  “Um. Okay,” he said. “Everything go all right at the lawyer’s office?”

  Georgie opened her mouth to answer, but her gaze shot to Jack, and something like regret passed through her eyes.

  “Yes. Fine,” she said, her tone not matching her words. But one look at Jack told River he’d do best not to press. If he was going to get her to talk, he’d have to do it alone. He’d gotten along with Jack last night—hell, he liked the guy—but now Jack was looking at him like they were blood-sworn enemies.

  “Ooookayyy,” he said. “They gave most people the day off after yesterday, but Aunt Dottie said Josie, kind of a jack-of-all-trades assistant, would be able to show us around.” Jack-of-all-trades was a nice way of saying she didn’t really do anything but was still on the payroll, but he wouldn’t be the one to point it out. Nor was he about to mention the fact that Aunt Dottie had once described her as a bit peculiar. They’d soon figure both things out for themselves. “Did Henry give you the key?” When he was greeted with blank looks, he added, “Henry Manning. Beau’s attorney.”