Whiskey Secrets

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  She sounded so happy, but the hesitation in her tone made Dare wince. He, Fox, and Loch had gone down to Denver once as a group, but that had been to check up on her and Alex. They hadn’t had a lot of time to just hang out since all three of them were forced to take time off when they really hadn’t been able to. Dare had been down again to see Tabby himself over the past few months, but he hadn’t stayed long. The Montgomerys had taken her in as one of their own, but Dare knew he and his brothers wanted to make sure she never forgot that she was a Collins first.

  “I can make it work,” Fox said. “I’ve already talked to the staff about it and I’m finding better ways to work remotely. So, however long you want me in Denver, I’m there.”

  “That makes me so happy,” Tabby said, and Dare heard the smile in her voice. “I miss you guys so much.”

  “Then why did you move so far away?” Dare asked before clearing his throat. He hadn’t meant to let so much gruffness into his tone.

  “Dare.”

  He let out a breath and shook his head, though he knew she couldn’t see him. “Sorry. I know Denver is your home now.”

  “He’s just grumpy because he has a thing for the new innkeeper.”

  “Ooooh, really?” Tabby teased, and Dare ground his teeth.

  Fox just grinned, and Dare flipped his brother off. As much as he loved his family, they were a bunch of busybodies.

  “Stay out of it, Fox,” Dare growled.

  “Oh? Like how you stayed out of my relationship with Alexander?” Tabby asked, her voice sweet.

  “That’s different.”

  “Sure, honey, if that’s what you think.” Tabby laughed. “I can laugh about it now because I know you love me and I know Alexander loves me with every part of him. But I do have to say, I’m kind of sad that I’m not there to witness Dare and Kenzie.”

  “I’ll make sure I write down all my notes for you.” Fox winked at Dare, and Dare moved closer, wrapping his arm around Fox’s neck. He squeezed slightly, and Fox let out a clearly fake cough.

  “You were always my favorite brother,” Tabby said with a laugh.

  “I’m standing right here, Tabs,” Dare growled out, though he was laughing, too. Damn, he missed his sister. While part of him was glad she’d found her happiness with Alex and had put her past behind her, the other part of him wanted her closer to the rest of the family. He needed to get out there more often to visit, but between work and his weekends with Nathan, it wasn’t easy. Tabby flew out here more often than not because she wanted to know her nephew, and Dare was grateful that she understood that sometimes Dare couldn’t do what he wanted to with his family.

  “You’re in third place right now, sadly,” Tabby said, not at all sorry from how it sounded. “Loch sent me a drawing Misty made for me, so that puts him right above you in the standings.”

  Dare ignored the little pang in his heart. It wasn’t Nathan’s fault that he didn’t have as much time to draw things for his aunt. Monica didn’t let him send stuff like that since she didn’t want to confuse her son—her words, not Dare’s. Dare did his best to make sure Nathan knew he was loved by all members of his family, but it was hard when he only saw his kid once a month and wasn’t allowed to talk with him on the phone as much as he wanted to either.

  Dare had screwed up royally when he tried to fight for custody with Monica. Between her family money and his high-risk jobs, he hadn’t had a chance. It hadn’t helped that he and Monica weren’t married. The courts had ruled in the mother’s favor, and Dare was at risk of becoming a stranger to his son no matter how hard he tried not to let that happen.

  Fox and Tabby were still talking wedding plans when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and read the screen, a frown marring his face. He met Fox’s gaze and nodded toward the hallway so he could answer. His brother gave him a look but stood up, picking up his phone as he did.

  “Hey, Tabs? I’m going to take you out to the hallway. Dare has a phone call.” He squeezed Dare’s shoulder as he walked out, and Dare sighed. That wasn’t exactly what he’d meant, but it worked.

  “Hey, Monica,” Dare said as he answered. He heard Fox groan out in the hallway, and Dare held back a smile. The two of them had never gotten along, and their animosity had only grown once Nathan was born and Fox wasn’t able to get to know his nephew as much as he would have liked.

  “Dare.” Monica sighed, and Dare did his best not to let any resentment or anger fill him at the sound of her voice. She’d thought she was doing what was best for her son at the time, and though Dare hated the outcome, he knew she was a good mother. He told himself that often so he didn’t end up a bitter old man who couldn’t get to know his own son.

  “What’s up?”

  “Nathan has a birthday party coming up for a friend, and it’s on your weekend. Can you take him to it, or will you need to be at your bar?”

  He didn’t like the way she said bar, but in the end, he didn’t really care how she felt about his job. She’d known who he was when they got together, and though Nathan had been unplanned, they loved that kid. They just had to work to remain civil. Hell, Monica wasn’t evil, she just wasn’t someone he really liked anymore, and that was kind of sad. They’d liked each other well enough to have a child, and that should have been good enough.

  “I can handle it,” he said smoothly, though he was annoyed. He didn’t get that much time with Nathan as it was, and now he was going to lose precious hours because of a birthday party. But if his kid was happy, that had to be enough.

  “It’s only three hours, and they won’t need you to stay since they have all the parental supervision they need.”

  In other words, the parents were in Monica’s tax bracket and not his. Oh, well, Dare thought. He owned two businesses and worked his ass off. If anyone had a problem with what he did for a living, they could jump off a bridge.

  “Just get me the details and tell Nathan I’ll call him tonight to read to him.” Monica at least allowed him that, and he forced himself to be grateful.

  Damn it, he hated how things had worked out, but he needed to stop complaining.

  “Will do.” She hung up without saying goodbye, and he wasn’t surprised. She didn’t like wasting words on him, and he really didn’t want to draw out their conversations more than he had to anyway.

  Monica was a good person and a good mom. That was all that mattered. The fact that they didn’t like each other anymore was just a byproduct of two people who were poorly suited.

  Someone shuffled to the office doorway behind him, and Dare turned, expecting to see Fox. Only it wasn’t his brother.

  “What can I do for you, Red?”

  Kenzie narrowed her eyes at him and put one hand on her hip. “I was going to take a walk down Main Street to get to know the town. Fox offered up your tour guide services, but I can see you’re busy.”

  Dare pinched the bridge of his nose. Was it too early for a drink? Probably, but hell, today seemed like it was a day for surprises.

  “Fox said I’d show you around?” Of course, his brother had. Meddling asshole.

  “I can do it on my own, but since we said we’d start new…”

  “Then consider me your official Whiskey tour guide.”

  And, apparently, today was a day for bad decisions, too. But he might as well figure out exactly who his new innkeeper was and what exactly he was going to do about her.

  Because even though he didn’t want change and didn’t relish dealing with what Kenzie would bring to what he’d established, he couldn’t help but want her.

  And that just confused the hell out of him.

  Chapter 4

  Once again, Kenzie had no idea if she was making the smartest of moves, but she wasn’t about to back down now. Though it was September, the weather fluctuated between stifling humid and hot to downright chilly. Right now, it was a pleasant day where she didn’t feel like she was walking through a wall of humidity, nor did she need a jacket. Between that and the bright
sun and tiny dots of clouds above her, it was a pretty nice afternoon.

  “This is the main drag for the town.” Dare gestured at the street. “It’s pretty much a straight line except for one part where it curves over the bridge. The creek below that only starts pumping real good after a storm or right when the run-off from the mountains begins to melt. Other than that, it’s a decent trickle that tourists like for selfies.”

  As Kenzie herself had taken a selfie in front of the creek for her personal album of memories, she ignored the humor in his voice at the comment. She’d told herself she would start taking more photos and enjoy where she was and who she was now that she was free of everything that had held her back for so long.

  “It’s a beautiful town,” she said simply, and she was being honest about that. Everyone took great care of their buildings and businesses. There were coffee shops, teahouses, bakeries, restaurants, antique shops, clothing stores, and a couple dozen other shops that catered to practically every need. Everything was unique and could only be found in Whiskey.

  And now, she was part of it.

  “It’s home.” Apparently, Dare wasn’t a man of many words today.

  They walked another block in easy silence, and Kenzie sighed. She hated feeling awkward.

  “So, have you always lived here?”

  He looked down at her and studied her face as they waited at the crosswalk. “No. I lived in Philly for a few years.”

  “Big city,” she said dryly then immediately regretted it. Weren’t they supposed to be friends now? Or at least friendly?

  He snorted before stuffing his hands into his pockets. She couldn’t help but notice the way his forearms tightened at the movement. She shouldn’t be noticing the man’s arms, damn it. Nor should she think forearms were sexy.

  She’d come to Whiskey for herself, and had sworn off men and relationships. That meant no more looking at Dare Collins’ arms and the way he filled out his jeans.

  “Sorry about that. Like I said, I had a rough night and took it out on you.”

  “You already apologized. Let’s get back to the bar. I know you have to work, and I have paperwork to go over.”

  His jaw tightened as he studied her. “Starting already?”

  She raised her chin and then cursed herself for doing so yet again in front of this man. He set her on edge, and she wasn’t sure if it was because they kept bumping heads or because she found him attractive when she didn’t want to.

  “I’m here to help your parents, Dare, and to do a job.”

  “I know you are.” He turned away from her, giving her his profile. “And I’m glad my parents are taking a step back to actually try and relax. I’m just not a fan of change. Hell, I hate it, and I hate surprises even more.”

  That, she could totally understand. “I hate surprises, too. As for change? Well, sometimes, change is good.” She was living proof of that, wasn’t she?

  “That’s true enough, but it doesn’t mean I’m quick to like it.” He stared at her, and she blinked at the intensity. There was something there, she thought, some heat she couldn’t quite name, and it worried her. Was he attracted to her? Or was that flare because she represented that change he wasn’t ready for?

  Either way, it didn’t matter; thinking too hard along those lines when it came to Dare wasn’t something she could do.

  “But I guess it doesn’t matter, does it?” Dare continued. “As for your new job? I’ll be around if you need help. I don’t know everything about the inn since I have my own two business to handle, but I can probably at least point you in the right direction. And if you’re looking for upgrades like you mentioned? Talk to Loch. I know he’s family, but he’s damn good at handyman work and carpentry when he puts his mind to it. He hasn’t done much on the inn since our parents weren’t ready to update yet, but Loch’s good at what he does.”

  Surprised, she found herself nodding. She’d already heard from her new employers about Loch and how he could help, and she was glad to know that the family stood together no matter what.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “You do that, Red.”

  She rolled her eyes. “My name’s Kenzie.”

  “I know. I like Red too, though. Plus, it’s fun to see you get all rattled when I call you that.”

  And she found this man attractive? She was seriously losing it. It must just be the nonexistent heat talking. Once she was fully immersed in her new job and life, she wouldn’t be thinking about Dare and those sexy forearms of his again.

  At least, she hoped.

  Four days into her new job, and Kenzie felt a little more surefooted about her position as innkeeper. She worked alongside Barb and Bob during the day and worked on paperwork and package options in the evenings when she wasn’t eating at the bar or the restaurant downstairs.

  The inn made decent money and had good bookings weekly, but in time, she thought they could make it even better. And to top it all off, it would make it easier on the older Collins couple so they could fully retire. She’d loved working as an innkeeper in her past job, and even as a hotel manager. She’d told Dare the truth when she said she had the experience, yet she hadn’t told him everything.

  After she’d gotten married, David had pulled her away from her duties ever so slightly at first. In the end, she’d had to quit her job to make her husband happy. She hadn’t known he was manipulating her at the time, and even though her therapist told her not to, she still blamed herself partly for leaving a job she loved.

  But all of that was in the past now, she reminded herself.

  Annoyed that she’d let her thoughts go that direction again, she stood up from her small desk in her new apartment and picked up her bag. She had a few more things to do for the day before she could find something for dinner and enjoy her evening, but in reality, as an innkeeper, she was never truly off duty. Soon, the Collinses would help her hire someone part-time that could take care of duties when Kenzie wasn’t on shift, but that wouldn’t be for a while yet. She wanted to get the hang of things, and for now, between her and the older couple, they had things covered.

  She headed downstairs to the second floor where her small office was behind the registration desk. Since the bar and restaurant were on the first floor, everything inn related was located on the top two floors with a back staircase and an elevator to connect them.

  All guests had already been checked in for the evening, and that meant that Kenzie only had to be on call if someone needed something. So far, however, the guests seemed pretty self-sufficient.

  She was just about to pull up the next week’s arrivals when her phone chirped. She swallowed hard when she saw the readout, but answered anyway. There was only one number she was truly avoiding, after all.

  “Hello, Jeremy,” she said, false cheer in her voice. She loved her brother, she truly did, but he was exhausting to talk to and, honestly, a reminder of a past she’d do better to forget. She and her brother had never truly been close when they were growing up, but as he was only eighteen months younger than she was, they’d been raised almost like twins.

  Twins who were so completely different that most people wondered if they were related at all.

  “Oh, good, your phone works. From the way David talks, it’s as if you broke the damn thing since you never answer him.”

  Kenzie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. So it was going to be one of those calls, was it? Lucky her. If only she had a glass of wine in her hand, maybe she’d find a way to get through it. Damn her and her inability to completely ignore the last connection she had to family.

  “What can I do for you, Jeremy?” She tried to keep her voice pleasant, but she couldn’t help the sweat breaking out over her skin at the mention of David’s name. She’d come so far, yet not far enough it seemed.

  Though she’d been the one to introduce her brother to her ex-husband, she still couldn’t quite believe how close the two of them had become during her marriage, or how hard Jeremy clung
to the other man once Kenzie finally found the courage to leave him.

  “You need to answer David’s calls, sis. You can’t keep hiding from your problems. You know that’s not what our parents would have wanted. You took a vow, and you need to keep it. It’s how we were raised.”

  Bile filled her throat, but she swallowed it back. She wasn’t a woman who bowed down to her brother’s accusations and petty manipulations anymore. Just once, she’d have liked him to call her to ask how she was doing, to just talk about their lives rather than what she’d left behind or asking for something since he’d never been denied anything growing up.

  “I’m divorced.” Finally. “I owe nothing to David and don’t plan on answering his calls. Ever. So feel free not to talk about him with me again.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way right now.” He paused, and Kenzie set her jaw. He never listened to her. “I actually called for something other than that. I’m sorry for bringing David up.”

  No, he wasn’t, and they both knew it. And now, Kenzie knew exactly why he’d called. Just once, she’d love for him to need her for something beyond her bank account. Just once.

  “What do you need, Jeremy?” she asked, resigned. Somewhere, deep down, she knew her brother loved her, but sometimes it was hard to keep that tiny thread of hope in mind.

  “Just a little to get me by, Ken,” he said softly, using her childhood nickname that made her ache for what she’d never truly had. “I was up for a while and have a lead on how to make that even more, but I need to pay my rent in a couple of days.”

  None of this should have surprised her. It wasn’t the first time her baby brother had called needing money because he’d had a little too much to drink and gambled away the money he’d said he set aside for bills. She’d said countless times that she would never help him again, stop enabling him, but she couldn’t find a way to say no and keep saying it.

  “Jeremy,” she sighed.

  “Just a little. I promise. I’ll pay you back. You know I’m good for it.”

  He wasn’t good for it, and they both knew it. But what could she do? He had a job, but he wasted away his paycheck on games and bets he couldn’t afford. If she turned him away, he could lose everything and would only come to her for help. Or worse, resent her for pushing him away. And, ultimately, blame her.