“Your siblings blowing up your phone?”
“Yeah,” she said with a frown. “Adalia’s over the moon about your aunt, but Jack’s on a bit of a warpath. Lee’s just generally pissy. He doesn’t like that I ignored my father’s request for a business plan, or maybe he doesn’t like that Dad won’t leave him alone about it.”
Huh. Jack had been weird with him a few days ago, but he’d been straight-up hostile tonight. Whatever mystery problem had drawn him home clearly wasn’t going well. Or maybe that wasn’t the problem. Maybe…
Hell, might as well come out and ask.
“Does he have a problem with me because he knows I’m interested in you?”
She looked him in the eye, and the attraction he saw there had him thinking about that kiss again—the sounds she’d made against him, the way the sparks of color in her eyes had danced.
But there was something else in her gaze too, an inner conflict he could guess at all too well. The work situation still stood between them.
“Maybe part of it is that he knows I’m interested in you,” she said softly, “but I don’t think that’s all of it.” She opened her mouth as if on the verge of saying something else, only to close it again without uttering a sound.
He wanted to reach for her, but he couldn’t until they got past this. Somehow. “He wants me out,” he guessed, “and after tonight, I’m guessing Lee feels the same way.”
Her mouth twisted, but she didn’t deny it.
“I’ve been working on a plan for the fall beers all weekend.” He paused, glancing back at the house. “In between helping Aunt Dottie with this fiasco. But it occurs to me that I haven’t actually signed any papers yet, and two of the owners are against it happening.”
A look of horror crossed her face. She took his hand and turned to face him, her knee knocking into his leg. “Oh, River, I don’t want you to think I’d take your work and then go with someone else. I’m going to get the paperwork sorted out tomorrow. You’re the one who made me realize how great this could be. Restoring Grandpa Beau’s legacy, working with Jack.” She held his gaze, her eyes intent. “Working with you. I started Moon Goddess by myself, and while I hired a lot of great people, I didn’t have anyone to brainstorm with. To collaborate with. I want that with you.”
“But we don’t work together yet,” he repeated.
Her eyes widened with understanding. The conflict from earlier was still there, unresolved, but she leaned toward him. “No, I guess we don’t.”
She took out her phone, and for a second he thought he’d been reading her wrong, but she turned it off without looking at the texts. Tucking it back into her pocket, she looked up at him, her lips parting.
He reached up to wipe the spot of soot off her chin, smiling a little when he saw her skin was tinged pink again, and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were as soft as he remembered, and the kiss was gentle at the start—as if their lips were reacquainted with each other—but it turned fierce as quickly as it had that last time. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer, and he lifted her into his lap, eliciting a little gasp from her that was muffled as she changed the angle of their kiss.
She pulled back to look at him, her eyes bright and intense. She looked on the verge of saying something—like maybe they should get out of Beau’s somewhat public backyard, or suggest that they both take a shower, hopefully together—but then her gaze lowered, and her nose scrunched. For a moment, he thought she was staring at his obvious arousal, but then she reached into his pants pocket and pulled something out.
“Why are my panties in your pocket, River?”
Chapter 23
The look of horror on River’s face was almost too much for her to take with a straight face, especially when he started to fumble over his answer. “I…they were on the ground… I thought Josie and I had gotten them all, but then I saw these in the yard, and I—”
“So you were being chivalrous?” she whispered with a playful look.
The tension eased from his face. “Yeah.”
“I think it’s kind of sexy that you have my panties.” She slowly tucked them back into his pocket. “You can keep them for now.”
His body tensed, but she was sure it was for a different reason this time. The growing bulge pressing against her thigh was proof enough.
He stared up at her in wonder. “How the hell are you so forgiving after everything that’s happened tonight? Hell, the last few days.”
Her smile softened, settling into contentment. “You have a good heart, River Reeves. From my limited observations of the male species, that’s somewhat of a rarity.” Her grin brightened again. “And it buys you a few passes.”
Warring emotions flickered in his eyes. “I’ll make it up to you, Georgie.”
Her hand fanned against his cheek as she studied his warm brown eyes. If she wasn’t careful, she might lose herself in them.
“Um…am I interrupting something?” a man asked from a few feet away, his surprise obvious.
River’s arms tightened around her, the sudden tension in him coming in his voice. “What are you doing here, Finn?”
Finn? As in Finn Hamilton, the owner of Big Catch?
Just when Georgie was sure this night couldn’t get any worse, it kept on coming. It might not have been so bad if she hadn’t called Finn for a reference on Friday, and now…
Good Lord. What did he think of her?
She scrambled off River’s lap so fast she almost fell onto the ground. River grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet as he stood.
“You didn’t answer my question.” The anger in River’s voice caught Georgie by surprise. They’d encountered their fair share of messes over the past seventy-two hours, and he’d never once raised his voice to anyone. But River felt betrayed by Finn, so she couldn’t say she blamed him.
“Maybe I should go,” she murmured, wondering where she’d left her purse. Somewhere in the kitchen. Assuming it had survived the fire. Although why was she so concerned about her purse? All of her worldly belongings in Asheville were either in the house, the back of River’s car, or smashed on the street.
“No,” River said, putting out an arm to stop her. “Finn was just leaving.”
“Come on, man. After I heard about the fire, I raced over to check on things,” Finn said, running a hand over his short hair in frustration. His hair was somewhere between brown and blond and looked like it might be curly if he let it get long enough, and he had ocean-colored eyes—blue and green—fringed with lashes darker than his hair. The fact that she wasn’t attracted to him at all was only further proof of how hung up she was on River.
“How did you even find out?” River asked in a cold tone.
“The neighbors,” Finn said sheepishly. “I could see the smoke, plus Gertrude from down the block is going door to door warning everyone that the devil cat is loose after a fire, and, well…there are a lot of cats in this neighborhood, but only one Jezebel. I figured they had to be talking about Beau’s house.” He paused, looking at them with eyes that seemed to see everything. “I was about to ask if everyone is okay, but I’d say it looks like everyone’s doing better than fine.”
“We were until a few minutes ago,” River muttered.
Finn’s gaze shifted to Georgie, and she felt like she was being examined under a microscope. He took a step forward and extended his hand. “Finn Hamilton, River’s friend.” There was no missing the insinuation that she was the intruder, the odd woman out. He certainly didn’t lack for confidence—while he was right in a way, this was still her house. One-fourth hers, anyway. “You must be Georgie Buchanan, the new owner of Buchanan Brewery. I recognize you from your photos online.”
“You researched her?” River asked, incredulous.
Finn grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I had to see who hired you out from under me.”
“You mean from under Bev Corp,” Georgie said as she took his hand. “And yes, I’m one of the owners.”
“You and your two siblings,” he said, still holding on.
She cocked an eyebrow, ready to take on whatever challenge he threw her way. She hadn’t gotten where she was by backing down to blowhards. “Three, actually, but I’ll be the one running things.”
Which was true enough. Jack would come back at some point and help, or at least that was the idea, but she was in charge for now.
He gave her an appraising look, and she would have thought he flat out didn’t like her if she didn’t also see the worry in his eyes. Before the fallout of the Big Catch sale, Finn had been one of River’s closest friends, and it was obvious he still felt that way. Finding Georgie and River in a compromising situation like this was bound to make him worry that she was taking advantage of his friend, and damn if that didn’t burn, because in a way, she was.
Taking a step back, she said, “I’ll let you two chat while I go inside and grab my things. River, I’ll meet you out front.”
She was prepared for him to stop her, but instead, he glared at Finn.
Once she was in the already-open back door, she heard River light into his former partner. “What the hell, Finn? Why did you treat her like she was the enemy?”
“What the hell did I just walk into?” Finn countered. “Are you sleeping with her?”
“That is none of your business,” River countered.
“River, look. I’m worried. We both know Buchanan Brewery wasn’t very solvent before Beau’s death, and after the fiasco on Friday…yeah, I heard about it. Everyone heard about it. Lurch himself has told two dozen people. You’ll have to close down for at least a couple of months, I expect. Can you survive that? What if the Buchanans don’t make it? What will you do then?”
“This isn’t Big Catch, Finn. What happens to Buchanan Brewery is none of your concern. That’s for Georgie and her siblings to decide.”
“But where are they getting their advice, River?” Finn paused. “Do the Buchanan siblings know anything about running a brewery, let alone making beer?”
River shook his head, sounding exhausted. “Go home, Finn.”
“River, listen…”
Georgie heard the frustration in Finn’s voice. She wondered if she should stop eavesdropping, but the cold hard truth was that this concerned her too. So she stayed in the kitchen, watching them through the open window, hoping the darkness concealed her.
“No, you listen,” River said. “You know how much this brewery means to me. How much it would kill me to see it sold off to the devil too.”
Neither of them spoke for a moment, and Georgie held her breath, sensing they were on the cusp of something. Then Finn said, “Are you sure you’re not holding on to it because Beau was like the father you always wished you had?”
“What is the matter with you?”
“River, please,” Finn pleaded. “This is all coming out wrong, but if you’d just listen—”
“Listen to you insult me?”
“I’m not insulting you, River. We both know you have blinders on at times, and I think between Beau’s death and the bad timing of the sale of Big Catch—”
“Bad timing? You think I’d feel differently about the sale if it had happened a few months from now?”
“No, I think you’d be just as upset, but it’s a lot, River. A whole lot. Your life was just turned upside down on multiple fronts, and I’m asking you to take a breath and think this through.” Then he added, “And that includes whatever it is you have going on with Georgie Buchanan.”
“Excuse me?”
“She called me for a reference on Friday, River. After you and I talked.”
“Did she? Good. Unless you bad-mouthed me to her too. Did you warn her I’m emotionally damaged?”
“No,” Finn said, outrage on his face. “Of course not! I gave you the glowing recommendation you deserve, but think this through, River. Do you really think it’s a good idea to start a romantic entanglement with one of the owners? You don’t exactly have a great track record of staying with your girlfriends for very long. What’s going to happen when you end things with her? Haven’t you ever heard that you don’t shit where you eat?”
Georgie sucked in a breath. She’d never gotten a player vibe from River, but surely his best friend would know better than she did.
“How much is she paying you?” Finn asked. “It can’t be much. The brewery was in the red, and with no income for the foreseeable future…”
“There’s a reserve,” River said. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Of course it’s my business if it directly affects you. You’re like a brother to me, and this disagreement isn’t going to change that.”
River glanced down at his feet.
Finn pushed out a groan, running his hand over his head as he took a few steps away. When he turned back, he wore a look of determination. “Look, promise me this—don’t let your personal relationship with Georgie get in the way of what she pays you. Bev Corp was going to top what you were making at Big Catch and then some, and you could go just about anywhere else and make more than you’re likely to at Buchanan.”
River started to say something and stopped. Was he having second thoughts about working for her? She had to admit that Finn had some very valid points. She already knew she was going to have to dip into her Moon Goddess profits to cover the employees’ salaries during the closure, and she’d be a fool not to modernize the facility and the equipment while they were closed. River had indicated he’d accept less than he was worth, but she wouldn’t agree to that. She refused to make Finn right. Which meant she’d need to dip a little deeper for his salary.
Georgie grabbed her purse off the kitchen table, then hurried up to the room she’d chosen to stay in, gathering the items she’d left there on Saturday morning. When she headed back down, she used the flashlight on her phone to survey the damage in the living room. While the ceiling and walls were black from smoke, it looked like the majority of the fire had been contained. Still, she had no idea how long it would take to repair the mess.
Perhaps she should look into staying in a short-term residence.
When she brought her things out front, Finn was gone and River was standing in the yard, staring at the house with a look that broke her heart. Like he’d lost his best friend, his father, and his job, which wasn’t far from the truth.
She walked straight to him, dropped her things on the ground, and took both of his hands in hers. Not a great place to start given what she’d decided, but she needed to touch him. Needed to comfort him. Right now, nothing else mattered.
“I heard a good part of your conversation with Finn.” Cringing, she forced herself to continue. “It was wrong to eavesdrop, and part of me is sorry, but the rest of me isn’t. I want you to know I’d never take advantage of you or your talent. I’ll pay you every cent you’re worth, River.”
He lifted a hand to her cheek, a pained smile spreading across his face. “Georgie, I never once thought you would take advantage of me, but there is some truth to the rest of what Finn said. I do want to make it work because of Beau. There’s no denying I have an attachment to the place.”
“And so do I. It doesn’t hold the memories for me, but I see it and think of all the time I missed with my grandfather. He trusted me to bring it back to life, and I don’t want to disappoint him.” She paused. “And I don’t want to disappoint you. We’ll make this work. Together. But Finn’s right.” Her voice broke. “Once you’re my employee, we can’t have a romantic relationship. Finn already thinks the worst of me, and my brothers…”
“I know,” he said, the disappointment on his face weakening her resolve.
Part of her knew this was a huge mistake. Once she opened this door, it would be hard to close it again, even if River really did shun long-term relationships. Still, her heart wanted this, and she was tired of letting her brain take charge all the time. In her heart of hearts, she knew that if she didn’t give herself this night with River, she would r
egret it for the rest of her life.
She playfully lifted an eyebrow. “But as I reminded you earlier, you’re not officially an employee at Buchanan Brewery. Which means we have tonight…”
Before she realized what he was doing, River swept her into his arms and kissed her so thoroughly she wondered how she was still standing.
Chapter 24
River couldn’t get Georgie back to his loft quickly enough.
One night. He could work with one night. It was better than nothing, and although he wouldn’t say so to her, his heart hoped they could still figure things out. They’d let everything come together with the brewery, allow the dust to settle, as it were, and then maybe things would be different. Then maybe they could try in earnest.
But good God, he wanted her. It was painful, the wanting.
He opened the trunk to put the rest of her things in with the boxes, and her mouth quirked into a little smile when she saw her neatly folded clothes in the cardboard boxes.
“No wonder you were out here for so long.”
He felt his ears heat. “Well, I know you’re going to wash them anyway, but I figured it would soften the blow of seeing your suitcases in the back seat.”
She leaned over to look and flinched a little. “Ouch. They didn’t stand a chance.”
Neither do you, said an inner voice that sounded suspiciously like Finn.
Damn it. Why had he needed to show up out of the blue to stir up shit? Finn could say he was concerned until his voice went raw, and maybe it was true, but there was more to it. He couldn’t accept that his actions had reactions. Finn hated it when anyone was mad at him, whether they had a legitimate reason or not—and so he’d turned things back on River, making some big pep talk about the mistakes River was making. The risks he was taking. Turning himself into the big hero who’d save him, like he had before.
And now he was thinking about Finn when Georgie—sexy, smart, beautiful Georgie—was about to come home with him.
Fall in Love Book Bundle: Small Town Romance Box Set Page 326
