by Kinney Scott
At her foolish choice of words, Amanda’s face reddened further. Kelsey’s smile took on a mischievous tilt and her eyes raised to the challenge. Kelsey added, “He’s been so busy lately. I’m not sure he has time for me. Amanda, you seem to have him distracted.”
For a moment, Amanda tried to smile, “Right. He always has time for you. I know you are just trying to get info out of me.” Now she had lost any hint of a grin, “If you talk to Kent and he tells you anything worth knowing, feel free to pass it on to me. I’m nothing but a passing flirtation.” She sank low into her chair, snaking her arms tight across her chest to hold in a nagging bite of painful frustration.
Natalie hated to see Amanda strung along by Kent. Nate and Kelsey had repeatedly warned Amanda. Unfortunately, she knew his history with women as well as they did. “Sorry Amanda, I didn’t mean to pry. Do you want me to talk to him for you?” Kelsey said quietly, feeling guilty.
“No, it’s not a big deal. Kent likes to flirt at work, but so far, he is just teasing. I think he loves to have an admirer at his disposal wherever he goes.” She shrugged.
Linnea finally chimed in, “You could have fooled me today. The way Kent had his arm around you at work - I thought you two might be dating. You spent a long lunch together.”
“We did go out to lunch, and hung out in his car and talked for a while before going back to work. All he obsesses about is getting back on the river this summer.” Linnea knew Amanda was holding something back, but would wait to talk with her later. Anything said in front of Kelsey would just make it back to Kent. Everyone knew Kelsey and Kent shared all the details of their lives with each other.
The girls placed orders for dinner and another round of drinks. Natalie finished off her first glass of wine. She laughed as her smile took a wicked tilt. “Seth dropped me off tonight. He may find me a little buzzed when we get home.”
“I can’t remember the last time I had a man around to take advantage of the tipsy, willing version of me!” Kelsey laughed.
A groan from Amanda came from across the table, “Please, no details. Seth is my brother!”
Nate nodded, and asked Kelsey, “What about Mark? Last fall out at the beach, he seemed to know exactly what to do with you Kelsey.”
“See, Nate, now you’ve just made me sad. I hadn’t checked my calendar. Has it really been almost six months! I need to get out of Ashwood for a weekend.”
“Who is Mark? And if you leave Ashwood, I’d love to go with you!” Amanda laughed.
Kelsey leaned in, her voice dropping low, “A smoking hot surfer. I will admit it. I lied. Mark and I crossed paths again last month. He was in Hood River, and I met up with him for a glorious weekend.
“Kels, why didn’t you tell me?” but Nate knew as soon as her friend shrugged. Natalie hadn’t been too excited about Mark the first time. Nate wanted someone more permanent for her closest friend, and she always hoped it might be her brother, Ben.
Dinner arrived, and conversation moved to far less steamy topics. Usually, Linnea would ask questions about the Seattle condominium that Natalie recently put on the market. She barely heard a word as Amanda shared details of a recent photo shoot. Linnea’s mind wandered to the muscular man who was racking pool balls at the table across the room. As much as she longed to ask her new friends about Rick, she decided to wait. Discovering his secrets on her own would be half the fun. His frequent looks at work left her breathless. Perhaps he might be willing to explore the simmering heat between them.
Amanda spotted her brother Seth, as he took a seat at the bar next to Kent, “Looks like the chaperones have arrived,” she said, quickly gathering her things.
“Does anyone need a ride home?” Natalie asked when the bill arrived. She didn’t want anyone driving who shouldn’t.
A burst of frustrated laughter bubbled up from Amanda, “not unless someone changed the ingredients in diet cola! Do you need me to drive Linnea? I’m good to go whenever you are.”
“No, my car is here. I won’t be too long.” Linnea now spotted two reasons to hang around a little longer. She still wanted to meet Iris, and Rick was shooting pool.
Amanda stood, and slung her purse over her shoulder, “Thanks for dinner tonight Natalie. Next time it’s my treat!” She said as she scooted out of The Northside quickly.
“Did anyone else get the impression that Amanda left in a hurry?” Natalie wondered aloud.
Kelsey and Linnea nodded together.
“I did.” Linn worried, “the moment Kent walked in.”
“Should I have Seth talk with Kent?” Natalie asked Linnea.
“Not yet. Let me see if I can get Amanda to open up.” She knew her cousin. Usually, it took no effort at all to get Amanda talking. This shift concerned her.
Kelsey didn’t say anything. She had noted a subtle change in Kent over the past few weeks. Maybe he was toying with the idea of trying a committed relationship. The kind of relationship Amanda deserved.
Seth and Kent wandered over with half-finished pints. Kent pulled up an extra chair close to Kels. When Seth snuck a too long kiss from Natalie, he earned a scowl from a woman seated with two kids a few tables away.
Catching this Kent chuckled, “Should we move this party to the bar?”
“I’m taking Natalie home.” Seth answered with a grin. He couldn’t wait another moment to get his woman alone.
“Thanks for dinner, Natalie, it was fun.” Linnea appreciated the invite and would reciprocate soon.
Kelsey gave Nate a quick hug, as Natalie whispered in her ear, “I want to hear all about Mark, soon. See you tomorrow at work Linn.” She squeezed Linnea’s shoulder with warm affection before she hurried toward the door. It seemed the look in Seth’s eyes had her eager to get him home.
Standing together, Linnea hesitated, relieved when Kels yawned and made up her mind about the rest of her night. “Kent, I’m two-beer-tired. There’s a season of guilty pleasure on my DVR, a vampire TV show I need to catch up on.”
“Mind if I join you?” Kent asked, he hadn’t spent an evening with her in weeks. As gorgeous as she was, the chemistry never took off between them. Perhaps growing up together safely protected their friendship, grounded in time and earned in trust. Kent permitted no one else beyond his cocky facade. Around Kelsey, he felt safely unguarded.
As much as she looked forward to an evening curled on the couch, the impromptu plans, made in front of Linnea, had her hesitating. “Linn, do you feel like joining us? I’ll make popcorn.” Kelsey asked, trying to look interested, but primarily being polite.
She shook her head, “No, thanks, Kels. You two have fun.”
Linnea, relaxed - relieved that her night could now effortlessly unfold. She could strike up a casual conversation with Iris at the bar, or not if the owner was too busy. Either way, she looked forward to the view of Rick safely locked to her barstool. A grin tipped her lips - beer, and a view of a gorgeous guy, not a bad combination.
On the off chance that Rick may notice her, Linn took a moment in the ladies’ room to freshen her lip-gloss and check her hair. Sitting alone at the long counter was a new experience. Her nerves kicked up when a good-looking guy took a seat two spots down. He turned his head and perused her curves with unashamed interest. She tried to ignore him. His eyes that almost certainly checked out every new woman in town.
Fortunately, when Linnea sat at the bar, Iris spotted her and made a point of introducing herself. “Hi, it’s Linnea, am I right? Have you just moved here to help Wade in the taproom? Welcome to Ashwood.”
“Thanks, yeah I think the change will be great. I’m Wade’s sister, nice to meet you Iris.”
“What can I get you to drink?” Iris asked, as both girls smiled. No reason to pretend that their connection through Wade didn’t exist, Linnea was happy that her brother had found a girl that wasn’t into playing games.
“Maybe a light-beer? In the bottle is fine.”
Iris brought it over, and seemed to be happy to talk for a momen
t. “Where are you living? That tiny home could get a little snug for both you and Wade.” She didn’t recall spotting Linnea’s things the night she had been at Wade’s small place.
“Right now I’m living at my aunt and uncles. I hope to find a place of my own soon. Amanda may want to escape her parents place with me.”
“Renting a place in Ashwood should be affordable, but nice spots don’t pop up too often. If I hear of something opening up, I could give you a call. I usually know the news in town as soon as anyone.”
“Sure, I won’t be ready to look for a month or two, but that would be great. Thanks Iris.” Linnea took a quick taste of the beer, and toyed with the label, “Wade told me you grew up on a farm in Kansas. Were you happy to make your escape?”
Iris tried not to react, the question was harmless, but memories flooded unchecked, “As you know, the work tends to be unrelenting. It probably doesn’t matter whether the crop is wheat or hops. I miss the connection to the land I guess.” But, she knew she would never overcome the reasons she left.
Linnea shook her head, “I won’t miss the isolation or waking before dawn.”
Iris gave her a weak smile, “Wait ‘til you are gone for a few years. You may find yourself longing to return.”
“How did you go from farming to owning a restaurant?” Linnea asked, as Iris poured whiskey for the guy with roaming eyes, still perched on his barstool.
“Oh, that’s a story for another day, when I can join you with a cold one. I do look forward to sharing it, and hearing about your progress at the taproom. Mind if I stop in and visit?” She asked as a couple at the end of the bar signaled for a check.
“Please do. I’ll give you a call once my schedule settles down.” Iris nodded, gave Linnea her phone number and got back to work. She glanced again at Linn, and made a point to keep her in her peripheral vision. Wade seemed to come from a nice family. She missed that connection with people who support you, no matter what.
Linn’s fingers had already nervously picked the label from her beer. She glanced toward the pool tables, finding a group of girls had taken over the area. Disappointed, she figured Rick had moved on, never noticing she was here.
She wished her body would lose this newly acquired keen awareness. It seemed to know if Rick was in a half-mile radius. A terribly distracting physical phenomena, all day at work.
The mirrored wall behind the bar reflected bits of the dance floor. Linnea took another sip of beer distracted by the movement in the refracted light. The man who took note of her a few minutes ago slid over one stool, she could feel the heat from his large body warm her right thigh.
“Can I buy you a drink? I’m Grant. Do I know you? ‘Cuz baby, you look exactly like my next girlfriend.”
Linnea plastered on a pleasant smile and tried not to laugh, at least his pick-up line wasn’t offensive. “Hi, Grant. Thanks, but I’m about at my limit.”
“And she’s with me.” Came a familiar voice from behind her, as Rick slid his hand possessively to her waist.
Grant shrank back from Rick’s intimidating stance, “Oh, hey - Rick. Why did you leave your fine woman here at the bar all alone while you were playing pool with Justin? Were you trying to get my hopes up? I should have known the most beautiful girl in the room wasn’t available?”
Linnea blushed, but enjoyed that Grant’s banter prompted Rick to pull her snug against his solid chest.
“She was with her girlfriends tonight, but I knew exactly where she was the entire time.” Heat rushed through Linnea, setting every nerve on edge as Rick revealed a craving that matched her own.
“Join me at a table, Linn?” Rick added, trying to tamp down the way Linnea always jangled his nerves.
“Love to. Nice meeting you Grant.” She smiled, grabbing her nearly empty bottle as she stood. Grant gave her a too friendly nod as his eyes drifted down the entire length of her lush body.
Rick caught the interest-filled inspection. His jaw tightened as he wondered if Linnea was blind to the attraction of her curves and quiet allure. As she passed through the bar, moving to a table near the back, the eyes of men all flicked her way. While he didn’t mind a little competition, Rick felt an urgent need to stake his claim.
Until now, one night with a woman had been enough. Something about Linnea beckoned Rick to take additional time and care. He pulled out her chair, sliding in across from her. “Did you have fun tonight with the girls?”
“Yes, Natalie treated us all to dinner. Getting together away from work was great, and I enjoyed the chance to spend some time with Kelsey.”
“Kels finds a way to make every day of her life a party. Watch out, she may talk you into things you never intended to try.” He added, with a smile.
“That wouldn’t be too difficult. Dad kept a very close eye on me and my sisters. Wade was lucky, as the only boy - he had freedom. Now that my dad isn’t watching I may be ready to take some risks.” With you.
Fighting the desire to turn up the heat, Rick enjoyed the unfamiliar challenge of getting to know Linnea first. He asked about her family, finding she admired her overachieving sisters and brother, but probably did not give herself credit for her own talents.
They shared a love of reading. Rick chose to reveal the depth of his book addiction for another time. An unexpected wave of jealousy swept over him when she talked about a recent relationship that fizzled out not too long before coming to Ashwood.
Iris had clandestinely kept an eye on the talking couple, supplied refills of water and set a serving of chips and salsa in front of them. Her bar began to empty before Rick looked away from Linnea’s silver-blue eyes long enough to realize the time. “Wow, Linnea. We’ve outlasted most of Ashwood.”
“Oh, my. Have I talked your ear off all night?” She gasped, shocked by the late hour, and equally shocked that she had opened up to Rick so fast.
“Not at all! I enjoyed getting to know you. We left plenty to be shared later. Can I walk you to your car?” Rick realized they had not ordered a thing, but neither had noticed. He put a twenty on the table, waved to Iris as she smiled his way, and then followed Linnea into the nearly empty lot.
Fishing her keys from her purse, she grasped them tight to keep the metal from jingling in her shaking hands. Rick rested his muscular arm over her car, caging her body between the door and his large protective frame. “Linnea, I had a great time tonight. When we first met at the party, I was afraid you might go back to Yakima and I would never see you again.”
He shifted slightly closer, shielding her from the cool evening breeze, “I’m glad you’re here, hopefully for good. I look forward to more evenings with you, just like this.” Rick knew Linnea was too good to lure back to his place, and too important to consume all in one night.
Linnea wanted so badly to feel the heat of his lips, just once. She struggled to form a coherent sentence. “See you tomorrow at work?”
Rick didn’t answer. Instead, he slid his hand across the sway of her back, pulled her toward him and bent his head to taste her lips. Her quick inhale pulled in just a touch of his breath. That brief intimate exchange of oxygen set the tone for a first kiss that deconstructed time and space, and wove the two, for brief moment, into one.
SIX
Linnea drove Wade to the airport early Friday morning. He checked and returned a few emails en route, as she asked some final questions about his itinerary. The flight to Las Vegas would be short, but he planned to get work done on the plane. The traffic increased as they approached the northeast edge of Portland. Along the way, Linn spotted a place she intended to shop before returning to Ashwood. Her meager supply of clothes were not enough, especially now that Rick had taken such a keen interest.
“Thank you for all the prep work for this trip. I hope our projections for Coalition Craft Corporation for the entire year wasn’t wasted effort. I can’t know how a new beer will be received, before I’ve even created it!” Wade grumbled as his sister left the freeway toward the Portland Internation
al Airport exit.
“You aren’t spending the entire weekend with Coalition are you?” she wondered. “That itinerary left little time for fun. Please try to enjoy Vegas.”
Wade hoped his sister didn’t feel left out, “Are you disappointed to miss this trip? I promise there will be others. When I saw that lineup of meetings, I decided to go this one alone.”
“Not at all. When I finally visit Vegas, I don’t intend to spend days in meetings. I’m not sure I’d even want you around. What happens in Vegas…” she laughed.
Now I’m relieved. Mom and Dad would kill me if you were corrupted on my watch.” He laughed. “Thank you for keeping an eye on the brewery while I’m gone. If I had known how quickly you would grasp every detail of the business, I would have begged you to move to Ashwood sooner.”
Pulling the truck up to the drop-off area, she put his rig in park. “Try to have fun, Wade. Call me after you are settled.” She hugged him quickly and watched him disappear into a sea of people pulling suitcases. They planned to talk every evening. Wade needed to stay connected to the fast pace of the project at Mosquito Creek Brewing.
His plane touched down ahead of schedule. Vegas shimmered in the heat. Dazzling gold, silver and black refracted the morning sun in ostentatious splendor. Wade sprung for a room in the casino at the conference, right in the middle of the strip.
In a luxurious tower, Coalition Craft Corporation had offered him a spot in the bank of rooms reserved for this event, but instead he chose to separate himself from the executives. Somehow hanging out with these investors, having drinks just doors away, seemed invasive. Not that Wade planned to do anything more than attend meetings and gather information. This was a business trip, pure and simple.
After checking into his room, he wandered downstairs to find the welcome booth and pick up his information packet. CCC had left a message at the booth, asking him to contact them once he arrived. Wade could no longer assume the role of independent, craft brewer. He was part of a larger conglomerate, and had to play their game, by their rules.