Trouble Brewing (In Ashwood Book 2)

by Kinney Scott

  Amanda burst through a side door, “Dad! There you are. Mom needs your help. She sent me to find you.”

  “We’re busted,” Allen shrugged, following his brother back into the fray.

  ***

  Timed to their arrival, Kent met Seth, Natalie and Ben in the parking lot, herding the couple into the darkness of the shop. As they stepped across the threshold, the twinkle of a thousand white lights suddenly illuminated the industrial interior, masking hard edges with an ethereal glow.

  Natalie gasped, holding Seth’s arm tightly, shocked at the sight of the town gathered to celebrate. A deafening “Congratulations!” echoed through the building, followed by the din of music.

  Chants of “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” rose up. Seth swept Natalie into his arms, and bent her into an iconic kissing embrace. His move brought on thunderous applause. Coming up for air, they looked over the mass of friends and family, taking in each face smiling back at them.

  Almost every member of the family from the east side of the state had left farms and ranches to join the party. There were simply too many of the Michaels’ clan in attendance to count. Great Aunt Elsa had come in from Seattle with Molly and Mandy. The twins took a weekend away from school to celebrate their cousin Seth’s engagement. In addition to family, half the town filled out the crowd.

  Kelsey’s parents, Mary and Dale Fisher hung back with Ed, and several other winter residents from the community on Lake Osprey. Making the trek across still snow-lined roads into town showed a decided level of commitment. Seth and Natalie appreciated the love that prompted the choice.

  Amanda and Kelsey stood among Wades three sisters in a knot of young women in short cocktail dresses, waiting eagerly to dance the night away.

  Stepping forward, Kent and Kelsey pulled the stunned couple onto a small stage, each holding tightly to a hesitant arm. Ben nervously stepped across the dance floor to join his sister in front of the crowd.

  As he tapped the mic, Kelsey slid a glass of champagne into Ben’s shaking palm. “Thanks Kels,” She smiled up at Ben. He gazed back for a moment, attempting to absorb courage from this woman he knew feared nothing. Ben began to speak. “I guess I get to make a toast, to get this party underway,” He said with a nervous laugh.

  Encouraging applause helped tamp down his rattled nerves. Ben cleared his throat and began, “Natalie made her best decision when choosing Seth to build her home that now sits up at Lake Osprey.” A smatter of whoops from the Lake front community broadened Natalie’s smile.

  “Meeting him brought Nate and I back to Ashwood. A place we both loved as children. Last fall, Seth talked to me before asking my sister to marry him. I could not have been happier to give a man I have grown to admire and respect my wholehearted blessing. Natalie, Seth, everyone here feels blessed to have witnessed your perfect moment - when luck, fate, and trust aligned to produce enduring love. Congratulations!”

  Ben raised his arm high, to toast the engagement, and start the party. Glasses clinked as the music kicked up a notch.

  Kelsey pulled her best girlfriend to the side for a moment. “I thought you might like to get dolled up for the occasion. I’ve hidden a tight dress that will make Seth’s mouth water. It’s waiting for you in the office. Come on. Let’s whisk you away for a quick change.”

  “Thank you Kels. You know me so well! I’ll never pass up the chance to put on high heels.”

  Later, out on the dance floor Seth swayed with his transformed fiancée. Either way, he found her stunning. He loved her in faded jeans or in this short deep blue dress hugging her curves. Taking advantage of her swept up hair, he bent his head for a nibble at her neck while they danced. The contact sent a tempting shiver quaking down her body.

  Seth spun Natalie and pulled her close, pressing her heat tight against his solid frame. He breathed deep, inhaling her intoxicating vanilla scent. Looking at him through upturned lashes, she asked, “Who do you think dreamed this up? I can’t begin to imagine the list of people I need to thank.”

  After another heated kiss he answered, “Give it a day or two, Amanda will fill in all the details.”

  Ever on the alert, Amanda’s head swiveled while she danced in Kent’s arms. “Did I hear my name, brother? Did you need anything?

  “Just wondering who we should thank for tonight and this perfect party. Our wedding reception may not compare.” Natalie smiled while Amanda beamed. Seth’s sister played a large role in the success of this event. Working along with Kelsey, they did not pull the party off without help, but many of her touches were on each part of the plan.

  Now that the first wave a thirsty guests had drinks, Wade came out from behind the bar, pulling Iris along with him. “You know Iris, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you dance. You are always working behind the bar at The Northside”

  “Too busy, and no one bothers to ask, but I’m happy to join in tonight.” Iris said as the next sultry song began. The bluesy rhythm offered Iris just the beat she craved. Her lithe dancers’ body draped in a short silky skirt floated effortlessly to each nuanced beat. Wade found himself pulled in, mesmerized by her movements, his body reacting to her gentle sway. They remained together for the next song, until partiers called them back to their posts behind the bar.

  Iris did not remain in place serving drinks for long. Wade was not the only man who noticed this new side of Iris that the town seldom saw. Until this moment, she had mainly been a fixture of The Northside Grill, the place she owned at the north end of town. Sexy music, white lights and her long legs stretching from a short skirt completed the heady transformation.

  Wade’s eyes burned Iris with keen heat, watching as she took a turn on the dance floor with four different men. Surprising her with a continuous queue, she knew most of the men reasonably well - consistent customers from her bar.

  A few faces were unfamiliar. Their tall physiques and handsome features set them apart as one of the many Michaels’ men. Is it fair for one family to hold such a monopoly on quality genetics?

  Pulled close into the rhythm of the music, she enjoyed the attention from one in particular. His mature good looks probably placed him several years older, but their attraction was instant. She wondered how this potent man could still be single. It turned out he was another of Wade’s cousins, from the eastern side of the state.

  Clint was surprised to find she was a Kansas girl, raised on a farm. His interest peeked just as Iris decided to pull away. As alluring as Clint was, Iris chose to distance herself from this man and the life he represented. Fear crept in as she recalled the windswept plains and memories of her destroyed Kansas home.

  From behind the bar, Wade watched her supple movements, her skirt twirling up as Clint spun her in a well-planned move. He pulled Iris closer, as they talked and danced over the loud volume of the music.

  At first, she seemed willing to allow Clint to possess as much of her space as he desired. Suddenly, her mood shifted. Once relaxed and free, her movements were now slightly stiff. Perhaps he had overplayed his hand. Wade felt oddly relieved, now that Iris seemed less comfortable.

  Until this moment, Wade enjoyed stealing glances from Iris, as she twirled to the changing rhythms. Now, he felt the need to pull her back behind the bar, and hide her away from the throng of men lining up to claim a moment of her time. Wade’s protective side kicked in, as he wandered over to snag the next dance.

  “Do you want to take another turn with me on the floor, or would you rather grab something to drink?” he asked, sensing the recent shift in her mood, and wanting to give Iris an out.

  “Looks like this will be a slow song. I would love one more dance. After that, I will be happy to take my place again, where I feel most comfortable, behind the bar.” She snaked her arms loosely around Wades neck, settling into an easy sway. After catching her breath she asked, “How many of these people are you related to?”

  “More than I can count. Half the time I struggle to recall many of my relatives’ names. Do you come from a large f
amily?”

  “Not really. My brother is in the military, based in Europe, in Italy. Mom lives in Texas, and I have some aunts and uncles in the Midwest, but I don’t get back there much.”

  Wade noted she did not mention her Dad, but chose not to press her for more information. Maybe another time in a more private space, if she was ready. After winding one more time around the floor, Wade took his familiar spot behind the bar while Iris stopped to visit friends at a nearby table.

  Seth wandered up to grab a beer and a glass of champagne for Natalie. “Thanks Wade, this party will go down has one of Ashwood’s greatest.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, I’m happy for you. I hope to find what you have someday.”

  “When you least expect it!” Seth said, as he wandered back onto the dance floor. Iris finally stepped back behind the bar, warmth radiating off her skin, her subtle spicy lavender perfume teasing Wade’s senses.

  “I’d forgotten how much I love to dance. Thanks for hauling me out there.” She bumped his hip with a gentle flirtation, the music still influencing her movements.

  Wade now feasted on a close up view of each sway and bend. He imagined grabbing hold to press his lengthening heat against the swell of her behind. “Why haven’t you got out on the floor a little more at the Northside?”

  “Probably for the same reason you don’t drink your beer at festivals. Someone has to be in charge.”

  “Too true. I don’t know who’s in charge tonight, but it isn’t me.” Wade added with a raised eyebrow.

  “Do you trust this crowd to pour their own beer?” she laughed, knowing he was happier right where he was, feet planted firmly near his kegs.

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but at least the numbers are thinning, so we can relax a bit. It won’t be long before Natalie gives Seth the signal to get out of here. He’s itching to get her alone already.” Wade lowered his voice to pull Iris in closer. He could now feel her heat tucked up against his side.

  “You picked up on that too?” She said, her eyes gaining an intensity that sent a clear message. She spoke barely loud enough for him to hear, the whisper intentionally pulling him in tighter still.

  Wade slid his body directly behind hers, pinning her close to the bar as he answered. “Hard not to notice.”

  “That’s what she said,” she laughed pressing her back into the muscled plane of his chest.

  Wade held his position, hoping Iris would continue the escalating flirtation. Both were sober, and knew precisely where this could end up. In bed.

  Iris swayed her ass against his groin. As she suspected his body was responding to her with enthusiasm. He groaned, forced to pull away from her temptation as his parents approached, missing her contact as he distanced himself from Iris.

  Thankful to have the bar between his lower torso and his parents, Wade took a deep breath to clear his head. “Mom, what can I get you?”

  “Thank you, nothing for us, Son. It’s getting late, we are planning to catch a ride back with Seth’s parents. Can you keep an eye on your sisters for us? They will have our car to get back to Uncle Bill and Aunt Sandy’s.”

  “I’d be glad to, but I’m not sure they need my supervision, Mom. I’ll let them know to ask if they need anything.” Linnea and Sylvia sat with Amanda and Kelsey at a table close by. With all four stunning girls taking a break, the dance floor seemed empty, even though there were still more than twenty people spinning to a throwback disco number.

  Linnea felt the eyes of her parents and brother on her. She waved casually as he flashed a telling smile. Her younger sister, Sylvia, leaned over, “Is Wade talking to Mom and Dad?”

  “Looks like he’s trying to convince them we can handle a night out on our own.” Linnea spoke, still looking at her mom with her stiff bright painted on smile.

  “Don’t look now, I think they are heading for the door.” Sylvia and Linnea lifted glasses in a toast, celebrating a night without parental supervision.

  Wade’s dad helped his wife into her winter coat. “Hey son, could we all get together for breakfast tomorrow, before we head back?”

  “Sure, what did you have in mind?”

  “Why don’t you come out to your aunt and uncles around 9:30? We need to get on the road before noon.”

  “Sure thing, see you tomorrow morning.” Wade hoped visiting over breakfast would remain friendly. Lately every conversation centered squarely on his father’s hostility toward the expansion of Mosquito Creek Brewing. No matter how much his father protested, the construction would push forward.

  Contracts had already been signed and notarized. The speed of the transition now increased at a ferocious pace, like an avalanche rolling down Mount Adams’ steep slopes.

  ***

  What Linnea had not noticed was the second set of eyes watching her from a safe distance half the night. Rick’s quiet nature often kept him comfortably in the background, unless he was playing the part of Kent’s wingman. He seemed shy in comparison to Kent’s charismatic draw, not that he had any trouble attracting female attention. His chiseled dark features and muscled build naturally drew women in.

  Rick watched, should I approach her, and ask her to dance? Damn, Amanda and Kelsey have her surrounded. I wouldn’t survive their torture if she turned me down. Who is she? She must be one of Seth’s relatives from the East side of the state.

  He watched as Ben made the first move, and asked Kelsey to dance. A few seconds later Kent snagged Amanda for another spin on the floor. Seeing his opportunity, Rick worked up the courage to take a chance. This gorgeous girl should never sit alone watching others have a good time.

  Linnea was just about to sneak over to the bar and meet the woman her brother had been talking to all evening. A pair of leather boots stepped up beside her, attached to one of the most imposing men she had ever seen, and that was saying something. Accustomed to the stature of her entire clan of Michaels’ relatives, most men did not quite measure up.

  Linnea’s eyes panned high. She heard a deep voice accompanied by a large outstretched hand, attached to a muscular arm that led to an expansive chest. She froze anticipating his words. “Hi, I’m Rick. I was hoping you would like to join me for a dance.” Linnea smiled, this man seemed to have nerves almost as rattled as her own.

  “Love to,” the warmth in her smile put Rick immediately at ease, but he hoped she didn’t notice the nervous shake of his hand as he pulled her onto the floor. Fortunately, his timing was perfect, and he was able to avoid Kent and Amanda as the pair spun toward the bar. More than anything, Rick wanted a few moments to learn all he could about this curvy girl with the clearest silver blue eyes he had ever seen.

  TWO

  Music still filled the shop as the hangers-on refused to give up and go home. Seth and Natalie had left over an hour ago, wrapped in a romantic embrace that meant a long satisfying night lay ahead. Wade checked the clock, quarter to one, yet he remained wired.

  Fortunately, cleanup had started while stragglers were still on the dance floor. Among them, Wade spotted his sister dancing again with Seth’s employee Rick, but the guy seemed to be keeping a semi-respectful distance.

  Kent had pitched in to help, gathering all the trash before heading toward the giant dumpsters out back. He stopped to watch Amanda moving from table to table gathering up glasses, plates and utensils. Kent’s mouth watered as Amanda’s skirt hiked up as she reached across a wide table to pick up abandoned dishes. Just a little higher and he may be able to figure out what was under that tight dress.

  She bent low to stack crates of glasses onto a flat wood cart, a rugged antique home decorators would kill to have. Now that her parents were no longer around, Amanda bent a bit lower to flirt outrageously with Kent, and he knew it.

  He didn’t take the flirtation with Amanda too seriously. Part of him still had a difficult time ignoring the memory of her as an awkward teen. Amanda no longer had an awkward bone in her body. Her teenage curves had given way to supple proportions, sle
nder yet soft in all the right places.

  Grabbing the rope, Amanda rolled the heavy cart toward the large bay doors. Kent met her, “Let me get the door for you Amanda,” Kent said as he brushed close against her, craving just a little physical contact.

  “Thank you, kind sir” she curtsied. Earlier she had slipped on flip-flops to save her feet. Her thin sweatshirt might protect her from the cold, but it didn’t hide the way her ass looked in that snug short skirt.

  As Kent rolled open the large bay, Amanda watched his tight t-shirt stretch across his muscular back, and arms roped with well-honed strength earned from physical work and natural athletic skill. As much as they flirted, she had never touched him the way she longed to.

  Amanda’s face lit up with a wide childlike smile, as bright outdoor sodium lights hit thousands of tiny snowflakes, illuminating their swirling descent. “Snow!” she squealed with delight. All eyes turned, and many groaned in unison. Immediately the music turned off.

  “Look Kent, isn’t it beautiful?” she hugged him for a moment, and he kissed her cheek, but stepped away. Spending so much time together working at Whitewater Homes created a layer of complication. He could not risk his usual one-nighter with Seth’s sister.

  “Not as beautiful as you, sunshine.” He laughed and moved outside to skid his boot on the pavement.

  “How bad do the roads look?” Rick asked, as he regretfully moved away from Linnea. Damn, the night would come to an abrupt halt and he might never see her again. He automatically took a head count, cataloging each trip home. As a volunteer in the Ashwood fire department, he hoped he wouldn’t be called out to deal with any accidents involving his friends.

  “Not bad. Hey Ben, did you plan to drive out at the lake tonight?” Kent asked.

  “I hoped to, but now that it’s snowing I’m rethinking that plan.” Ben knew he would be welcome at Seth and Natalie’s place, but waking them, or worse, walking in on what he figured would be a wild night was not going to happen.