Trouble Brewing (In Ashwood Book 2)

by Kinney Scott

  “Unfortunately, I have to pour it from a separate tent, far away from any CCC brands. I can’t be two places at once. I’ll be stuck with the Coalition crowd serving Double Deet. Kyle will have to handle serving Sweet Venom in the smaller tent at the fringes, almost on his own.”

  “What about Dillon and Annie?” Linnea asked.

  “Annie will sell Mosquito merchandise only at the main tent.” Wade shrugged, hating the foolish compromises he was forced to make for Coalition. “Dillon can float between both spots, but with the execs breathing down our necks, I don’t want to be the only one pouring at the main tent.

  “What time do you plan on leaving for Denver tomorrow morning?”

  “Four. If we put in twelve hours on the road the first two days, Friday should be easy. We will arrive in Denver early enough for setup, allowing time to rest before the afternoon kick off.”

  “How about we plan for an early dinner tonight. Can we stick to tradition and all meet at Northside? Or is it too soon?” Linnea asked.

  Wade nodded, seeing Iris brought pangs of guilt, but he’d deal - “Northside’s great. Iris and I still talk. Sometimes it’s awkward, but we’re getting there.”

  “Annie and Kyle seem excited about their first big event.” Linnea said as her brother scarfed down the last of his lunch.

  Wade briefly thought over the logistics, “I’m glad Dillon will be along. I need at least one experienced staff to talk with the public. He has been working these events for years. Erik and Trisha were willing to go, but I know they need a break.”

  Relieved to have his key brewer around she nodded, “I’m glad Erik will be here. Brewing is not my thing, not yet. Ravenna knows the process, but not all your methodical quirks.”

  He barked out a laugh, “Quirks? You mean magic.”

  ***

  Rick and Kyle pushed four tables together to accommodate Mosquito’s crew and a few extra friends. Iris brought pitchers of soda and Sweet Venom after Linnea ordered five pizzas and family style salads for the large group.

  Wade had a difficult time not ducking behind the bar to grab extra napkins, but he waited rather than invade the private space. A few confused looks from her wait staff let him know Iris had not shared dirty details about their recent break-up. He figured she never would.

  Once the pizza arrived, the conversation buzzed with the excitement of the Denver trip. “Has anyone talked to Dillon today?” Erik asked. “Dillon never misses a kick-off dinner, or any chance at a free meal.”

  “I’ll send him another text,” Linnea said. Ravenna sat on one side, Rick on the other. With all the free labor he pitched in helping Linnea, Wade wondered if he should add Rick to his part time staff. Pulling the buzzing phone from his pocket, Wade glanced at the name on the screen, “Hey, Dillon. We’ve got pizza coming… where are you?”

  The concern on his face was immediate. “No that’s cool, get all the rest you need.”

  He listened for a moment then added. “It’s okay. There will be other trips. Take it easy, and drink plenty of fluids.”

  After glancing to each person at the table, Wade stated the expected. “Dillon took a nap earlier, hoping to shake the bug he could tell was coming on…now he’s running a fever. We are short a driver. Is anyone willing to take his spot in the morning?”

  Erik started to move, but Wade held up his hand. “I know you are willing, Erik, but I need you here to keep our brewing on schedule.”

  Linnea was the next to offer, “I’ll be happy to handle one of the rigs. I’ll just need to change the taproom schedules around.” Linn said as she pulled out her phone to check the work calendar.

  “No, Linnea. I should go.” Ravenna spoke up. “I’m actually expected as a Coalition employee. It makes more sense. With Erik and Trisha here, I’m not needed in Ashwood.”

  “Can you handle that truck?” Linn and Wade asked simultaneously.

  “No problem.” She expected people to underestimate her because she was small, but it bothered her coming from Wade. “Come on, you both know I grew up on a farm and around a brewery. I have a Commercial License.”

  Wade still couldn’t picture her behind the wheel of any big rig, but she was right. As part of Coalition, her presence was expected in Denver.

  Ravenna reassured, “I’ll be packed and ready to go, it won’t be a problem.”

  As the meal progressed, every move Wade made spiked her awareness. Ravenna tried to maintain focus on the trip, but could no longer ignore the growing heat in his gaze. Finally, her eyes locked on his, and the words flowing around them faded. For a few seconds, the world shrank to include only this man, this woman, and their desire.

  TWENTY

  Something didn’t taste right. Erik checked again. Wade was two hundred miles away, and Erik needed to make a judgement call. He shot off a text to Wade, call when you stop for gas. Got a question for you.

  While he waited, Erik re-checked the settings on the automated systems that kept Mosquito Creek humming. Then he found the source of the problem. Damn it. “Hey Trish, can you come over here for a second.”

  His wife knew the brewery as well, if not better than he did. “Yeah, did you figure out the issue?”

  “Take a look,” he said pointing to the settings.

  “The temp was too warm when the yeast was pitched. The fermentation happened too fast.” Trish mumbled. “How is this possible?”

  “I don’t know. Anyone else and I’d say human error, but we don’t make mistakes like this.”

  She looked with concern at her husband. “Wade’s had a lot on his mind.”

  Erik nodded, “Yes, I suppose. Still, I don’t think that’s the case.”

  His phone vibrated, he looked down as his wife murmured, “Good luck.”

  “What’s up? Is everything okay?” Wade asked as he stood and stretched next to his rig.

  “Are you alone?” Erik didn’t know who or what was behind this.

  “Yeah, what’s going on?” Erik shared what he had found. By the end of the conversation, Wade agreed that if the taste was off, the batch must be tossed.

  Coalition’s demands made any setback a serious concern. If he fell behind on his projected goals, production of Double Deet may move to an outside source. Wade ran the risk of permanently losing control of Mosquito Creek Brewing.

  After having a hurried conversation, Wade decided to take immediate action. “I agree, Erik, the chance that this was human error are slim. Someone may be messing with the equipment. Don’t tell anyone except Seth. I’ll give him a call and have him help you install some cameras.”

  Erik wondered, “Do you want me to tell Linnea?”

  “No. I hate to keep my sister out of the loop, but she is too close to Ravenna. Linnea has always been a terrible liar. Unfortunately, I can’t completely eliminate Ravenna from the list of people that may be involved.”

  Erik knew how difficult this decision was for his friend. “Shit, I’m sorry Wade. I’ll get rid of this batch tonight, and do everything I can to keep us on schedule.” Erik assured his friend.

  Wade kicked at the gravel beneath his feet in frustration. “I’m glad you’re there, no one else would have caught this right away. We could have wasted so much more time. Thank you.”

  His gut pitched. He hated questioning anyone’s loyalty, and doubting Ravenna hurt. As if on cue, she came out of the quick-stop. A bottled drink in one hand, and bag of pretzels in the other. She opened the door of her truck, tossed her things inside and jogged his direction. As the distance shrunk between them, her smile increased.

  “I forgot how much I love going on road trips!” She said as she came to a bouncing halt in front of Wade. “You haven’t had time to go inside. I’ll keep an eye on things out here while you get something to eat.”

  He smiled at her, her face was so open, so sincere. He just couldn’t picture a betrayal originating from Ravenna. “Sure I’ll just be a minute.” Wade said, as he left her to keep an eye on the vehicles.

&
nbsp; Ravenna phoned her mom while she had a free moment, and let her parents know she would be in Denver for a few days. When Leo got on the phone to ask where she was, she struggled to remember. “It’s arid, and I faintly remember a sign for the Idaho border. Or maybe it was Utah?” He laughed, recalling similar days on the road. “I’ve gotta go - we’re off again.” She promised to call once they settled in Denver.

  Spending time with Wade tempted Ravenna to tangle her fingers in his long hair, and trace the sexy mosquito tattoo she glimpsed on his ribcage with her tongue. Better to wait before exploring a possible relationship, no matter how much she longed to feel his power owning her body. She must put his interests ahead of her desperate cravings. A relationship with Wade may damage his ability to gain leverage against Coalition.

  ***

  Spotting mushy looking tread, Wade placed a quick call to his employee. “Hey Annie, find a safe spot and pull off the road. Your rear tire looks a little low.” All four vehicles lined up in a wide empty lot just off the interstate. Any hope of making it to Salt Lake tonight evaporated. He looked for lodging near the Utah border.

  Fortunately, he found a mechanic willing to repair the damage. They would only loose a few hours. The rest of his crew slept longer, while he listened to the time-weathered man explain the details of the slow leak. “From what I can tell, this looks intentional. You’ve got a clean puncture, but it’s too high on the tire to be a nail or road debris. We see this from time to time - usually vandalism. Good thing you found it. Your truck could have had a dangerous blow out.” Wade stood back watching the weathered grizzled hands repair the damaged tread.

  “How long ago might this have happened?”

  The mechanic examined the damage, “That hole is pretty small, still, no longer than two days, or the tire would be completely flat.”

  Wade nodded. “Thanks, I appreciate your help.”

  “That’s why I’m here. Glad to keep you on the road.” The wiry man said as he bent back to his task.

  It was before seven, and with the time difference an hour earlier in Ashwood. Unfortunately, Wade needed to place a call.

  Wandering to the far edge of the dusty gravel lot, Wade heard three rings.

  He picked up, his voice graveled. “It’s Wade babe, go back to sleep.” Erik said to Trish as he cleared his throat.

  “Sorry to wake you. I’ve got a problem.”

  “What’s happened?” Erick asked - his tired voice now hitched with worry.

  Wade heard the rustling of sheets and Trisha’s murmured concern as he added, “Sometime in the past forty-eight hours we had a tire vandalized. At least that’s what the repair guy figures.”

  “How can he tell?” Erik asked. His sleepiness had washed away with a hit of anger-driven adrenaline.

  “The location of the damage, and the size of the leak.” Wade sighed on the other end. “Do me a favor - get those cameras in as soon as possible. It could be someone on the road with me, or someone in Ashwood.”

  “Already done, Seth and I ran to Portland yesterday and stayed up ‘til three installing them. Pretty cool hardware. Seth decided to outfit his business at the same time. We are all secure.”

  “Thank you. How does the system work?”

  “You can log-in from your phone and check the feeds. I’ll text you the link and passwords so you can take a look. One warning. Because you won’t let me tell Linnea, you may see more of Rick and your sister than you bargained for.” He laughed aloud breaking some of the tension.

  “Ah, you didn’t need to tell me that!” Wade swept his hand down his face. “As soon as this is all resolved it might be a good deterrent to post signs that cameras have been installed.” Wade added.

  “Good idea, because these are designed to blend in. The damn things look exactly like fire suppression sprinklers. I doubt even Rick could tell the difference, unless he is paying attention.” Erik added with a chuckle.

  “Did Seth tell Natalie?”

  “Not yet, it seems both Linnea and Natalie have a soft spot for Ravenna. Seth struggled with the decision, but chose to keep it from her for now.” Wade grunted in agreement.

  As Erik filled him in on a few other matters concerning the brewery, Wade refused to accept that Ravenna was playing both sides. She simply was not capable of deceit.

  Miles ticked by. Mountains and desert blurred to monochromatic beige, in his current distracted state. The late start put the caravan into Laramie just after dark, hungry, sweaty, and sore from a second day behind the wheel. Few words passed between the weary crew as Wade rose from a worn white formica table, following another greasy meal.

  He paid the bill and mumbled. “I’m going to get some sleep while I can. We’ll meet here for breakfast at 7:30. ” All heads nodded in agreement, as his eyes skimmed past Ravenna without stopping. She watched his slumped body cross from the small diner to the dated one story motel. For the first time since she met Wade, he seemed distant and his eyes impenetrable. His disregard stung.

  Kyle got up to follow him out, mumbling, “see you both in the morning.” Annie looked after the men disappointed, Kyle was new to Ashwood, yet seemed determined to keep to himself.

  “Have you helped at a festival in the past Annie?” Ravenna asked, attempting to find common ground while they both finished off their salads. The men had wolfed down their food, and seemed eager to get out the door.

  Annie nodded. “Wade hired me as temporary help for two local events last summer. Before working at Mosquito, I had a job at the farmers market. It was fun, but seasonal. This will help me move out of my parents place sooner.”

  Annie took another bite and regarded Ravenna in a slightly critical way. “How long do you intend to stay in Ashwood? It seems to me that we have things handled effectively, and you could move on to another start-up. That is what you do, right? Help breweries expand, and then move along.”

  Ravenna was far too exhausted to carefully choose her words. This girl, who was clearly loyal to Amanda’s view of recent events, needed to learn some respect. “Essentially, you are correct. However, Coalition is part owner of Mosquito. Technically I’m also your employer.” Annie winced, as her hazel eyes narrowed slightly.

  Ravenna continued patiently, past her even smile. “Wade still wants me here, and I’m happy to stay as long as I’m needed.”

  Annie’s eyebrows lifted in defiance. “I wasn’t saying you’ve overstayed your welcome,” she clearly lied, “I just thought there may be some breweries that would better benefit from your kind of help.” For this type of challenge, most employees would be fired, but out on the road that would not be the best choice.

  Ravenna chose to abandon the conversation. “Clearly, we have different opinions.”

  Placing her thin paper napkin atop her half-finished salad, she stood to leave. “See you in the morning Annie. Sleep well.” As she glanced back through the dirty window of the diner, she saw Annie’s fingers fly, sending a message on her phone. Amanda would be reading a full play by play of the conversation within seconds.

  The relentless stress weighed heavily on her slim body. Even her feet were difficult to lift as she fished the metal key from her jeans. Standing in front of the turquoise metal door, dreading her night alone in the small stuffy motel room, Ravenna had never felt so alone.

  ***

  “Would you just look at this text Annie sent?” Amanda said as she pushed her phone under Natalie’s nose. Working near Amanda at Whitewater had become increasingly tiresome. Ravenna could not move, talk, or breathe without Amanda perceiving the action as another act of sabotage.

  “I knew Annie would have Wade’s back on this trip.” She smiled as her fingers tapped out a rapid reply to another message.

  Natalie could not take another moment of Amanda’s presence. “I think I’ve put in enough hours today. I’m going to find Seth.” Her goal, to escape to the peace of home and rest on the couch wrapped in the arms of the man she loved.

  “No problem, Nate. I’
ll see you tomorrow,” Amanda mindlessly blurted, her eyes never leaving the screen as she sent another text.

  Seth spotted Natalie, slumped just outside the office door. His fiancée looked like she needed a soothing bath, and a massage. “Will you take me home? Your sister said she would wrap things up.” Natalie whispered past the sadness in her eyes. Her face communicated a worry deeper than he first thought.

  “Of course.” Seth said, and waved goodbye to Carlos. Opening her door, he lifted her into his truck. He touched her cheek and took extra time to place a thorough kiss on her lips. Natalie moaned against his mouth, asking for more.

  When he pulled back, he found her smile stopped below her eyes. “Why don’t we pick up a fried chicken from the deli and take it down to the lake? Just you and me and a picnic.” He knew that whatever was bothering her might take more than the car ride home to tease out. Seth was determined to get to the root of her worry before wrapping her in his arms tonight.

  “That sounds perfect.” She said sliding close to him, placing her small hand on his thigh. Natalie loved the feel of his muscles bunching as he drove. Even that small contact soothed her nerves.

  The sun hung high in the late afternoon sky. In mid-June, summer days in the Northwest were amazingly long. A picnic table sat permanently on their lake property, near the now vacant spot reserved for her tiny home. After eating a few bites, Natalie opened up and shared, “Seth, I have an idea, but I’m not sure how you will feel about it.”

  “So long as I’m with you, it’s all good,” He smiled.

  “How would you feel about spending extra time in Hawaii … and eloping?” She asked with a nervous smile.

  Seth’s chicken drumstick paused in mid-air. This potential change of plans, while tempting, was more than surprising. “What brought on this idea, babe?” He carefully asked, needing to understand her motivation.