He looked at the doors then back at her. “I think so.”
“Then why aren’t you opening the doors?”
He wanted to. Man, he wanted to more than anything, but what if he forgot something? What if the beer wasn’t good? What if everyone told him it was, but on the inside, they were wondering what the hell he’d been thinking?
Cassie stepped out from behind the bar, moving close to him and resting her hand on his arm, instantly calming his mind.
He couldn’t believe it had only been a week since he’d found her walking on the side of the road. It felt like he had known her much longer.
“This place is amazing, Mason.”
“I know.”
She smiled at his words, and damn it if the slightest curve of her lips didn’t brighten up the whole room.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
He stared into the golden orbs of her eyes, resisting the urge to cup her face in the palm of his hand. He’d been thinking about it ever since that day in his bathroom. He couldn’t help but wonder if Cooper never barged in if something would have happened.
His hand twitched at his side. His body was growing impatient and taking control for itself. She stared at him, probably waiting for him to answer her question, but he couldn’t form words right now… not when her bottom lip was shining and begging for attention.
“Mason, you okay?”
He wanted to laugh. Here she was, asking if he was okay when she was the one with the demons. He was a fool who was enamored by her natural beauty.
“Fine,” he finally managed.
“You sure?” Her hand moved up higher on his arm. It probably meant nothing, a simple reassuring gesture, but it sent electricity through his body, racing from head to toe before centralizing at his core.
“You need to understand that I have a very strict rule about mixing business and pleasure.”
Her hand dropped from his arm, crimson filled her cheeks as she looked down. The urge to reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear, cup her cheek and stare into those beautiful eyes was strong. A part of him deep inside, wanted to know how soft her hair was and if it was softer than he imagined. But the other part mentally slapped himself, reminding him of the words he just spoke.
They were just words though and he could no longer deny the truth. “It’s a rule I have never broken, yet from the minute I found you soaking wet on the side of the road, I knew it was only a matter of time.”
“Why are you saying this?”
“I have no idea. I just wanted you to know in case my resolve breaks and I cross the line.”
There was confusion in her gaze as she stared at him. Her eyebrows pulled together above the bridge of her nose, creating cute wrinkles. “You don’t want me,” she said.
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“No, trust me, you don’t. I’m damaged goods.”
“Imperfections are what make things unique and beautiful.”
“But my problem isn’t imperfections, it’s…”
Her words were cut short by the pounding on the door.
“We’re getting impatient out here,” Cooper’s voice came through the thick wood doors. Mason was going to kill his brother and his awful timing. It took so much for Cassie to open up to him and just when she was giving him a little she was cut off. Now he didn’t know if she’d ever tell him what she thought her problem was.
“You don’t want to keep your fans waiting,” she said, her arm coming up to his as if she was going to give it a reassuring squeeze, but must have thought better of it and let her hand drop back to her side.
“We’ll talk. Later.”
She nodded in response then headed back to the bar, getting in position.
“Let’s do this,” he said, giving her one last glance. Her smile was enough motivation to push open the doors.
With a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped outside into the crowd of familiar faces. The entire Hayes clan was there except for Daisy, who called that morning to wish him luck. His grandfather pushed his way to the front, and Mason was eager to let him be the first one to enter since it was his generous loan that even made this possible.
Terry and her husband, Walt, stood behind his grandparents. Terry’s big red hair stood out in the crowd, creating a focal point for him to concentrate on.
“Speech!” Terry exclaimed, smacking her hands together and causing the rest of the crowd to join in.
Mason knew he had to say something, but as one who preferred to stay quiet, he couldn’t seem to find the words.
He caught his oldest brother, Matt’s eyes in the crowd and Matt smiled. It was a simple smile, not the signature Hayes charming smile that Matt perfected over the year. No, this smile was genuine and real. This smile said more than words could ever convey. His older brother was proud of him.
Mason found the strength in that simple gesture to speak what was on his mind. He clapped his hands together to get the crowd’s attention.
“I want to thank you all for coming today. I especially want to thank you all for the support you have shown me throughout my life. I couldn’t have done it without my family, this town, and all the people who live here and who I consider not only friends, but family as well. So, let’s drink some beer!”
Cheers erupted around him, and he stepped back, letting the flow of people file into his brewery. He couldn’t wait for Cassie to impress his family and friends with her extensive knowledge of the tasting menu. Her palate was impressive, detecting even the subtlest of flavors. She not only learned all the beers, but she also learned a great deal of the brewing process, silently watching as he worked, asking questions when she was curious as to what he was doing and why.
“Sweetie, we’re so proud,” his grandmother said. Both she and his mother kissed him on the cheek.
His brothers and dad offered pats on the back, and his sister, Kate, playfully punched him in the shoulder. “How do my growlers look?”
“Go see for yourself.” She all but skipped through the doors, not bothering to wait for her fiancé, Caleb, who stopped and shook Mason’s hand. “Congratulations, man.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll stop by tomorrow, and we can discuss final details for the bike ride and setting up the club.”
It had been Kate’s idea for them to team up, and so far, the partnership had been a success. Before Mason was up and running, Caleb let him hold a few tastings in his shop and together they were organizing the first ever Red Maple Falls bike ride sponsored by Five Leaf Brewery and the Chain and Spoke.
The ride would start at Caleb’s shop and go through town. For those more advanced in mountain biking, they would hit the trails with Caleb, who recently got a cast off his leg, but refused to be out of commission any longer. Everyone would finish at the brewery, and all participants would be given a complimentary pint. Shay, Mason’s sister-in-law, would be setting up a baked goods table where she’d give out complimentary cupcakes. Caleb would also have several bikes available for test rides while Kate had a table for one of a kind growlers and pint glasses that she had handblown herself.
It would be a family affair, and Mason was looking forward to it.
“I’ll be here,” he said to Caleb before Caleb disappeared inside.
The tasting room was packed with familiar faces all holding glasses filled with his beer. It was the culmination of all his hard work, and the sight was surreal. He did his best to take it all in, but every time he turned, someone else stopped to congratulate him. It was overwhelming as he stepped into the spotlight for the first time in his life.
He glanced around, his gaze landing on Cassie across the way. The happiness inside of him seemed to grow and expand when her eyes met his. She offered the slightest of smiles, not quite touching her eyes, but managing to light them up anyway.
He wanted to know everything about her. What her favorite movie was, her favorite song. If she preferred beer over wine. He wanted to know what
it would feel like to tangle his fingers in her hair, feel her lips pressed hard against his and then soft as he slipped away and kissed a path down the long, sleek curve of her neck.
He gulped down the beer he was holding, hoping the alcohol would wash away the thoughts running rampant in his mind.
When he put the glass down he spotted his grandma pushing her way to the front of the bar, her attention solely focused on Cassie.
She was either about to try and play matchmaker or ask Cassie how fertile she was. The woman’s quest to match up her grandkids and get them pregnant was out of control, and the last thing Mason needed was for her to pounce on Cassie.
He made his way to the bar to rescue the poor girl from Betty Hayes’ game of twenty questions when his grandfather stepped in his way.
“You did good,” he said, slapping a strong hand down on Mason’s shoulder, and damn it if Mason couldn’t walk away now.
Chapter 6
Cassie would be blind if she didn’t notice Mason staring at her from across the way, but she also would be an idiot if she thought it could be anything past simple attraction. Her life was too much of a tangled complicated mess to allow anyone in—even if he was a Roman god come to life with perfect chiseled features and the sexiest smirk she had ever seen.
She wouldn’t be surprised if the guy melted panties from a single look. What made him even more attractive, if that was even possible, was that he didn’t seem to realize how good looking he actually was. She expected someone who was blessed with his perfection to be cocky, self-indulged, and obsessed, but he wasn’t any of those things. He was quiet, but when he spoke he was intelligent and funny. He was serious, but he knew how to lighten up. He was a breath of fresh air among the hardships she had been dealt, but even so, she couldn’t help but be skeptical.
A man like that just didn’t exist. There had to be something wrong with him, something he kept hidden beneath the surface that was bound to come out. It was only a matter of time.
She had to be careful. Mason Hayes might have seemed perfect, but she wasn’t ignorant enough to fall into that trap again. She would keep her distance, and in doing so she would also keep her eyes open to the things that she was usually blind to.
Betty Hayes, who Cassie briefly met earlier, waved her hand at the corner of the bar and Cassie went over, offering her a friendly smile. “What can I do for you, Betty?”
“You’re a pretty thing. High cheekbones, good facial structure, healthy.”
Cassie had never been outwardly assessed before, but this was Mason’s grandmother and she wanted to make a good impression, so she continued to listen.
“What do you think about children?”
“I don’t really think much about them at all. Did you want a refill?” Cassie pointed to her half-full glass, hoping like hell the woman only wanted to top her drink off and this was all some weird small talk.
“Do you like them?” Betty asked.
“Like who? Children?”
“Of course. What else would I be talking about?”
Confused, Cassie narrowed her gaze to Betty, but the woman didn’t even blink, just stood patiently waiting for an answer. “Sure,” Cassie said. The Brewster twins were entertaining and helped keep her mind occupied. She actually really enjoyed playing tag and looking for bugs with them “Kids can be fun.”
“Good to know.”
Cassie tilted her head as she looked the woman over. The question had been strange, but the response was even more bizarre. She kept expecting Betty to add on to her statement, but when she stood there, eyes roaming Cassie up and down, Cassie couldn’t wait any longer. “Why do you ask?”
“My Matthew is finally giving me a great grandbaby. Only had to wait thirty-six years. And I’m ecstatic, really I am. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but the poor child will be lonely without any cousins. Every kid should grow up with cousins. Don’t you think?”
“Cousins?” Suddenly the realization as to what Betty Hayes was talking about sunk in. Betty gave a knowing look as she swung her attention across the tasting room to Mason and back, giving Cassie a confident nod, her bright blue eyes filled with that same confidence.
“You’d make beautiful babies.”
Cassie sucked in a shocked breath. If she had been drinking something she would have choked to death.
With a calming inhale, she let the shock wear off and gathered her thoughts. “You must have the wrong idea. Mason and I aren’t—”
“Do you not think he’s attractive? My grandson is very handsome.”
Cassie tried to speak, but she had lost control of her words. Of course he was attractive. He was the epitome of attractive. And as far as she could tell that attractiveness ran beneath the surface to where it really mattered.
But that didn’t mean she wanted to have his children.
“He’s very handsome, you know that, but he’s my boss,” she finally said to Betty, whose blue eyes had been fixated on her from the minute she asked the question.
“So?”
“We’re not together. We can’t be. It would be unprofessional.”
“I’m not asking you to marry him. Just let him knock you up.”
Cassie’s eyes widened, her entire body jolting back at this sweet looking woman. Man, she did not sugar coat a single word that came out of her mouth. Cassie went to speak but the shock prevented her from forming sentences. She had known what Betty was getting at, just hadn’t expected her to be so blunt about it.
“Oh, you young people today. You think I’d ask you to murder someone. I’m just asking you to let him slip…”
“Grandma!” Mason said, coming up behind Betty and draping his arm across her shoulder. Cassie leaned against the bar, sighing a breath of relief. “Grandpa is looking for you,” he said.
“Of course he is.” She kissed Mason on the cheek, pulling back and looking at him with so much love. Francine used to look at her like that, and out of the many things Cassie missed, that was probably the thing she missed most. “I’m so dang proud of you.” She pinched the same cheek, causing a blush to spread across his face.
From the blush to the light sparkle in his eyes, Cassie could tell those words meant the world to him.
Betty patted Cassie’s hand. “Remember what I said, dear.” She gave her a wink and walked away.
“Let me guess,” Mason said, crossing his arms over his chest, making his biceps press impressively tight against his Five Leaf Brewery t-shirt. “She is trying to talk you into having my babies.”
“How’d you know?” Cassie asked, wondering if they had some sick plan worked out, and he was in on it the whole time. It would make sense, pretending to be perfect, meanwhile he was sizing up her womb the whole time.
“Because my grandmother is nothing if not predictable. She wants great-grandchildren, and she’s not shy about it. Now that Matt is honoring her wishes, she’s moved onto me. Sorry if she offended you in any way.”
For two seconds, she hoped that he did have some sick and twisted plan. It would be easier not to like him, but god, the man was perfect. Even apologizing on his grandmother’s behalf.
She waved it off. “It’s fine. She meant no harm.”
“She never does but it doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.”
Cassie could see how Betty’s forwardness could swing either way, especially since she had been taken aback by it, but when it came down to the heart of it, there was no mistaking her intent. “You can tell she means well.”
“She does.” Mason looked across the crowded tasting room, that glimmer in his eye, the one he got every time he took a second to take it all in.
He had worked so hard for this and even though it had only been a week since they met, she knew without a doubt that he deserved all of this.
His attention came back to her. “How you holding up?”
“Good. Everyone is so friendly. I know I’m working, but it doesn’t feel like work.”
“Maybe I should have you
clean the spent grain out of the mash tun.”
“If you want me to I will.”
“I’m kidding. I wouldn’t have you do that. I wouldn’t even let my sister, Hadley, do that, and she spends her days cleaning out chicken coops.
“I met her earlier. She seems great. Your whole family does.”
“Don’t let them fool you; they’re all pretty evil.”
“For some reason, I highly doubt that.”
“Okay fine, they’re pretty great. And I’m happy you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I am.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way. I want you to want to come to work, not for you to feel like you have to.”
“Mission accomplished, then.”
“It’s only the first day,” he said. “Let’s give it a month then see how you feel.”
“A month? Does that mean I passed my week trial?”
Mason reached behind the bar and grabbed two glasses before joining her behind the bar. There was plenty of room for the two of them, but being confined to tighter quarters, she could feel his warmth, smell that delicious scent of musk and man. He walked over to where she stood, reaching around her to the taps. She could feel his presence, strong and dominating but not in a way that she feared. In a way that made her feel safe and happy.
He pulled back from the tap, handing her a glass of the IPA—her favorite—then filled his glass with the porter. When the head came to a rest just below the top of the glass he held it up to her. “Welcome to the team, Cassie.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded and, not able to control her excitement, she threw her arms around him, spilling her beer and knocking into his. Cold liquid sloshed down her back, and she pulled away, immediately noticing the nice wet spot on his shirt.
“I am so sorry,” she said, putting the glass down and reaching for a rag. She wiped at his shirt, apologizing over and over. Heat flared in her cheeks.
Fear had her rubbing at his shirt; a mistake like this was an invitation to be punished. Her already burning cheek stung at the memory of Dylan’s palm as it made contact, almost like he was there.
Moments with Mason (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #3) Page 5