She scrambled off River’s lap so fast she almost fell onto the ground. River grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet as he stood.
“You didn’t answer my question.” The anger in River’s voice caught Georgie by surprise. They’d encountered their fair share of messes over the past seventy-two hours, and he’d never once raised his voice to anyone. But River felt betrayed by Finn, so she couldn’t say she blamed him.
“Maybe I should go,” she murmured, wondering where she’d left her purse. Somewhere in the kitchen. Assuming it had survived the fire. Although why was she so concerned about her purse? All of her worldly belongings in Asheville were either in the house, the back of River’s car, or smashed on the street.
“No,” River said, putting out an arm to stop her. “Finn was just leaving.”
“Come on, man. After I heard about the fire, I raced over to check on things,” Finn said, running a hand over his short hair in frustration. His hair was somewhere between brown and blond and looked like it might be curly if he let it get long enough, and he had ocean-colored eyes—blue and green—fringed with lashes darker than his hair. The fact that she wasn’t attracted to him at all was only further proof of how hung up she was on River.
“How did you even find out?” River asked in a cold tone.
“The neighbors,” Finn said sheepishly. “I could see the smoke, plus Gertrude from down the block is going door to door warning everyone that the devil cat is loose after a fire, and, well…there are a lot of cats in this neighborhood, but only one Jezebel. I figured they had to be talking about Beau’s house.” He paused, looking at them with eyes that seemed to see everything. “I was about to ask if everyone is okay, but I’d say it looks like everyone’s doing better than fine.”
“We were until a few minutes ago,” River muttered.
Finn’s gaze shifted to Georgie, and she felt like she was being examined under a microscope. He took a step forward and extended his hand. “Finn Hamilton, River’s friend.” There was no missing the insinuation that she was the intruder, the odd woman out. He certainly didn’t lack for confidence—while he was right in a way, this was still her house. One-fourth hers, anyway. “You must be Georgie Buchanan, the new owner of Buchanan Brewery. I recognize you from your photos online.”
“You researched her?” River asked, incredulous.
Finn grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I had to see who hired you out from under me.”
“You mean from under Bev Corp,” Georgie said as she took his hand. “And yes, I’m one of the owners.”
“You and your two siblings,” he said, still holding on.
She cocked an eyebrow, ready to take on whatever challenge he threw her way. She hadn’t gotten where she was by backing down to blowhards. “Three, actually, but I’ll be the one running things.”
Which was true enough. Jack would come back at some point and help, or at least that was the idea, but she was in charge for now.
He gave her an appraising look, and she would have thought he flat out didn’t like her if she didn’t also see the worry in his eyes. Before the fallout of the Big Catch sale, Finn had been one of River’s closest friends, and it was obvious he still felt that way. Finding Georgie and River in a compromising situation like this was bound to make him worry that she was taking advantage of his friend, and damn if that didn’t burn, because in a way, she was.
Taking a step back, she said, “I’ll let you two chat while I go inside and grab my things. River, I’ll meet you out front.”
She was prepared for him to stop her, but instead, he glared at Finn.
Once she was in the already-open back door, she heard River light into his former partner. “What the hell, Finn? Why did you treat her like she was the enemy?”
“What the hell did I just walk into?” Finn countered. “Are you sleeping with her?”
“That is none of your business,” River countered.
“River, look. I’m worried. We both know Buchanan Brewery wasn’t very solvent before Beau’s death, and after the fiasco on Friday…yeah, I heard about it. Everyone heard about it. Lurch himself has told two dozen people. You’ll have to close down for at least a couple of months, I expect. Can you survive that? What if the Buchanans don’t make it? What will you do then?”
“This isn’t Big Catch, Finn. What happens to Buchanan Brewery is none of your concern. That’s for Georgie and her siblings to decide.”
“But where are they getting their advice, River?” Finn paused. “Do the Buchanan siblings know anything about running a brewery, let alone making beer?”
River shook his head, sounding exhausted. “Go home, Finn.”
“River, listen…”
Georgie heard the frustration in Finn’s voice. She wondered if she should stop eavesdropping, but the cold hard truth was that this concerned her too. So she stayed in the kitchen, watching them through the open window, hoping the darkness concealed her.
“No, you listen,” River said. “You know how much this brewery means to me. How much it would kill me to see it sold off to the devil too.”
Neither of them spoke for a moment, and Georgie held her breath, sensing they were on the cusp of something. Then Finn said, “Are you sure you’re not holding on to it because Beau was like the father you always wished you had?”
“What is the matter with you?”
“River, please,” Finn pleaded. “This is all coming out wrong, but if you’d just listen—”
“Listen to you insult me?”
“I’m not insulting you, River. We both know you have blinders on at times, and I think between Beau’s death and the bad timing of the sale of Big Catch—”
“Bad timing? You think I’d feel differently about the sale if it had happened a few months from now?”
“No, I think you’d be just as upset, but it’s a lot, River. A whole lot. Your life was just turned upside down on multiple fronts, and I’m asking you to take a breath and think this through.” Then he added, “And that includes whatever it is you have going on with Georgie Buchanan.”
“Excuse me?”
“She called me for a reference on Friday, River. After you and I talked.”
“Did she? Good. Unless you bad-mouthed me to her too. Did you warn her I’m emotionally damaged?”
“No,” Finn said, outrage on his face. “Of course not! I gave you the glowing recommendation you deserve, but think this through, River. Do you really think it’s a good idea to start a romantic entanglement with one of the owners? You don’t exactly have a great track record of staying with your girlfriends for very long. What’s going to happen when you end things with her? Haven’t you ever heard that you don’t shit where you eat?”
Georgie sucked in a breath. She’d never gotten a player vibe from River, but surely his best friend would know better than she did.
“How much is she paying you?” Finn asked. “It can’t be much. The brewery was in the red, and with no income for the foreseeable future…”
“There’s a reserve,” River said. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Of course it’s my business if it directly affects you. You’re like a brother to me, and this disagreement isn’t going to change that.”
River glanced down at his feet.
Finn pushed out a groan, running his hand over his head as he took a few steps away. When he turned back, he wore a look of determination. “Look, promise me this—don’t let your personal relationship with Georgie get in the way of what she pays you. Bev Corp was going to top what you were making at Big Catch and then some, and you could go just about anywhere else and make more than you’re likely to at Buchanan.”
River started to say something and stopped. Was he having second thoughts about working for her? She had to admit that Finn had some very valid points. She already knew she was going to have to dip into her Moon Goddess profits to cover the employees’ salaries during the closure, and she’d be a fool not to moderniz
e the facility and the equipment while they were closed. River had indicated he’d accept less than he was worth, but she wouldn’t agree to that. She refused to make Finn right. Which meant she’d need to dip a little deeper for his salary.
Georgie grabbed her purse off the kitchen table, then hurried up to the room she’d chosen to stay in, gathering the items she’d left there on Saturday morning. When she headed back down, she used the flashlight on her phone to survey the damage in the living room. While the ceiling and walls were black from smoke, it looked like the majority of the fire had been contained. Still, she had no idea how long it would take to repair the mess.
Perhaps she should look into staying in a short-term residence.
When she brought her things out front, Finn was gone and River was standing in the yard, staring at the house with a look that broke her heart. Like he’d lost his best friend, his father, and his job, which wasn’t far from the truth.
She walked straight to him, dropped her things on the ground, and took both of his hands in hers. Not a great place to start given what she’d decided, but she needed to touch him. Needed to comfort him. Right now, nothing else mattered.
“I heard a good part of your conversation with Finn.” Cringing, she forced herself to continue. “It was wrong to eavesdrop, and part of me is sorry, but the rest of me isn’t. I want you to know I’d never take advantage of you or your talent. I’ll pay you every cent you’re worth, River.”
He lifted a hand to her cheek, a pained smile spreading across his face. “Georgie, I never once thought you would take advantage of me, but there is some truth to the rest of what Finn said. I do want to make it work because of Beau. There’s no denying I have an attachment to the place.”
“And so do I. It doesn’t hold the memories for me, but I see it and think of all the time I missed with my grandfather. He trusted me to bring it back to life, and I don’t want to disappoint him.” She paused. “And I don’t want to disappoint you. We’ll make this work. Together. But Finn’s right.” Her voice broke. “Once you’re my employee, we can’t have a romantic relationship. Finn already thinks the worst of me, and my brothers…”
“I know,” he said, the disappointment on his face weakening her resolve.
Part of her knew this was a huge mistake. Once she opened this door, it would be hard to close it again, even if River really did shun long-term relationships. Still, her heart wanted this, and she was tired of letting her brain take charge all the time. In her heart of hearts, she knew that if she didn’t give herself this night with River, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
She playfully lifted an eyebrow. “But as I reminded you earlier, you’re not officially an employee at Buchanan Brewery. Which means we have tonight…”
Before she realized what he was doing, River swept her into his arms and kissed her so thoroughly she wondered how she was still standing.
Chapter Twenty-Four
River couldn’t get Georgie back to his loft quickly enough.
One night. He could work with one night. It was better than nothing, and although he wouldn’t say so to her, his heart hoped they could still figure things out. They’d let everything come together with the brewery, allow the dust to settle, as it were, and then maybe things would be different. Then maybe they could try in earnest.
But good God, he wanted her. It was painful, the wanting.
He opened the trunk to put the rest of her things in with the boxes, and her mouth quirked into a little smile when she saw her neatly folded clothes in the cardboard boxes.
“No wonder you were out here for so long.”
He felt his ears heat. “Well, I know you’re going to wash them anyway, but I figured it would soften the blow of seeing your suitcases in the back seat.”
She leaned over to look and flinched a little. “Ouch. They didn’t stand a chance.”
Neither do you, said an inner voice that sounded suspiciously like Finn.
Damn it. Why had he needed to show up out of the blue to stir up shit? Finn could say he was concerned until his voice went raw, and maybe it was true, but there was more to it. He couldn’t accept that his actions had reactions. Finn hated it when anyone was mad at him, whether they had a legitimate reason or not—and so he’d turned things back on River, making some big pep talk about the mistakes River was making. The risks he was taking. Turning himself into the big hero who’d save him, like he had before.
And now he was thinking about Finn when Georgie—sexy, smart, beautiful Georgie—was about to come home with him.
“Ready?” he asked, closing the trunk.
“Yes.” That one word had hidden layers, and the sound of it stirred him as much as her touch. Her brow furrowed. “You know I’m thirty-three, right?”
She said it so seriously, he almost laughed. He had known. He’d done the math after seeing her bio on the Moon Goddess website. And while he didn’t care in the least, he’d wondered if she would.
“Oh, are we exchanging birthdays?” he asked with a grin. “My thirtieth birthday’s in a month, if you’re planning on enforcing the whole awkward cake tradition.”
She smiled back. “Mine was last month. I’ll admit I’m relieved that you didn’t just turn twenty-nine. I know it doesn’t matter, but—”
“But it sort of matters.”
She shrugged self-consciously and then glanced back at the house, very obviously trying to change the subject. “It just occurred to me. Was that your computer in there? I think it probably has water damage.”
“Shit,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “It’s Maisie’s. I think it was an extra from the shelter, but even so. Yet another reason why tonight was a bad idea.”
Which reminded him. Maisie was still at the apartment, and he needed her not to be.
“Let me just text her before we get going,” he said, opening the passenger door for her. She got in, and he pulled out his phone.
Thanks so much for watching Hops. Now, scram. I’m bringing Georgie back to the loft. Also, my aunt kind of, sort of started a fire that probably damaged the computer. I’m really sorry, but I am 100% buying you a newer, nicer one. Oh, and Jezebel is missing. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.
He paused a second before adding, And buy you lunch. Okay, signing off.
He circled around to the driver’s side and slipped behind the wheel. Bringing his phone up so Georgie could see it, he turned it off.
“Fair is fair,” he said, tucking it into the console beneath the radio. “Like I said, I did a bunch of brainstorming over the weekend, but I think we should table that too, as much as I’m dying to tell you everything.”
She did the mouth quirk thing again. “And I agree, as much as I’m dying to hear it. A clear delineation between work and…not work.”
“From the bags, I take it you went back to Boston this weekend?” He’d intended to ask her earlier, and then everything had gone up in flames. Literally.
“Yeah,” she said as he pulled away from the curb. “I forgot to change my original ticket, which is completely unlike me, but someone’s been distracting me.” She shot him a look that was somewhere between accusatory and playful, which he took to mean that while it had been a good distraction, she also didn’t like the hiccup in her thinking. “I figured I should grab the stuff I’d need right away and make arrangements for the rest.”
“You know,” he said, “I think Josie would tell you this is a sign a shopping trip is in order.”
She laughed. “I suspect she would say that. So she’s staying with Dottie tonight? I saw you guys talking in front of the house.”
“Yeah,” he said, taking a turn, “Josie is another of what you might call my aunt’s adoptees. Aunt Dottie met her when she was panhandling downtown. They got to talking, and within a half hour, Aunt Dottie had offered her a job and a temporary place to stay.”
Georgie gasped. Her voice laced with horror, she said, “She was homeless? Jack fired her. Is she going to b
e okay?”
“Georgie,” he said, “Jack was right to fire her. And I wouldn’t say she was homeless so much as drifting, looking for a place to call home and people to call a family. I think maybe she reminded Aunt Dottie of my mother.” A little twist of pain made itself known in his abdomen. Why had he said that? He never talked about his mother willingly, and yet he’d mentioned her to Georgie twice now. He swallowed. “You don’t need to worry. My aunt would never let anything happen to her. She’ll find something else, probably something better suited to her.”
“Still, I feel bad,” Georgie said. “I feel like we’re coming into your house and messing everything up.”
“Like we did to your house?” he said, glancing at her with a grin.
“Yeah, exactly like that. Speaking of which, should we be putting up posters for Jezebel, or canvassing the neighborhood or something? I’m sure Dottie’s beside herself with worry.”
“I’ll put up some posters tomorrow,” he said, “but trust me when I say word of mouth will be more powerful than any poster. It took Finn all of five minutes to come over.” His mouth flattened at the thought.
“True,” she said, “and I can’t imagine it would be easy to spot a black cat in the dark.” She paused, as if weighing her words, and said, “I feel like we should talk some more about Finn…”
He grimaced. “If we’re turning off the rest of the world off tonight, Georgie, I especially want to turn off Finn.”
It had become dark suddenly, as if night were a blanket that had been lowered on them. Or maybe it only seemed sudden since his attention had been so fixed on Georgie and the horrors unfolding around them.
He parked in the alley, grateful his usual space was open, something that had become increasingly rare as Asheville became a more popular spot for tourists. No sign of Maisie’s Jeep.
They both got out, and he looked at Georgie over the hood of the car.
“What would you like to bring inside?” he asked.
She smiled. “Just the fully intact one will do,” she said. “In fact, we can probably go ahead and throw the other two away.” She nodded at a dumpster midway through the alley.
Any Luck at All: Asheville Brewing #1 Page 19