Chapter 12
Asher
I saw her before she saw me. She was standing near the edge of the orchard rows, sunlight catching in her hair.
She had it tied back, but a few loose strands framed her face.
She wore fitted jeans and one of our crew shirts, her sleeves rolled slightly like she was trying to look casual.
She didn’t look casual. She looked like the kind of trouble I should stay away from.
I slowed my steps without meaning to. She turned at the sound of gravel under my boots.
Our eyes met.
“Morning,” she said softly.
Like last night hadn’t happened. Like she hadn’t stood in the dark and told me she was inexperienced while I was two seconds from losing control.
I swallowed. “Morning.”
Her gaze lingered for half a breath too long. Curious. Measuring. I forced myself to look away first. She shifted her weight and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You, um, sleep okay?”
No.
“I did,” I lied.
She nodded like she wasn’t sure she believed me.
I stepped around her, close enough to catch the faint scent of her shampoo.
Something light and floral. It made my jaw tighten.
We worked in silence. Every time she was near me, my body reacted before my brain could catch up.
A brush of her fingers when she passed a crate.
The way she bit her lip when she concentrated.
I kept my distance. She kept hers. It was safer that way.
When my shift ended, I left without saying much. I didn’t trust myself to say anything at all. The brewery was quieter than usual when I walked in. Phoenix looked up from behind the counter.
“There he is. Heard you won big last night.”
I grunted and leaned against the bar. “I did okay.”
“Always so modest,” Phoenix chuckled.
He poured something into a tasting glass and slid it toward me. “New batch. Tell me it’s undrinkable so I can defend myself.”
I took a sip. It was smooth with a citrus undercurrent and a clean finish.
“It’s good,” I said.
He smiled faintly. “You’re in a mood.”
“I’m not.”
He leaned back, studying me. “This about the girl?”
I exhaled through my nose. “There is no girl.”
“The grad student,” he clarified in a way that said, don’t try to hide it.
I didn’t answer at first. Phoenix didn’t push either. Instead, he wiped down the counter, minding his own business, which was better.
“Eric mentioned Harmony stopped by to see her.”
That caught my attention, and my head lifted slightly. “Why?”
“Claire’s still digging into her best friend’s case, and Harmony knows what it feels like to not have answers,” he stated the obvious. “She told Harmony she wants to talk to Nico Mercier.”
My fingers tightened around the glass. “She shouldn’t be anywhere near him.”
Phoenix’s expression sobered. “Harmony told her as much, but she didn’t think she would listen.”
“Yeah, probably not.” From what I knew of Claire, she was stubborn.
The door to the brewery opened behind me. Becket walked in, sunglasses perched on his head. He glanced between us. “Why do you two look so tense?”
Phoenix didn’t miss a beat. “Our youngest brother has a crush.”
Becket’s attention shifted to me slowly.
“I don’t,” I said flatly.
Becket smirked. “That defensive, huh?”
“I don’t do crushes,” I grumbled.
Phoenix folded his arms. “Sure.”
Becket stepped closer to the bar. “Crush or not, if she’s talking to Nico, that’s not smart.”
I looked at him. “You heard?”
Becket nodded. “Nico’s not some bar owner with a temper. He’s practically a mob boss at this point.”
“I’m aware,” I said.
The thought of Claire sitting across from Nico made something dark settle in my chest. Her curiosity could become dangerous, fast.
“She thinks she’s untouchable because she’s asking about her best friend,” I muttered.
“He won’t see it that way,” Becket countered.
Phoenix’s voice softened slightly. “She’s desperate, Ash.”
I didn’t respond. The three of us knew all too well what it felt like to have someone you love disappear. Even if, in our case, our mother made a conscious choice to walk away.
Becket straightened. “Speaking of desperate. My contact in Montreal called,” Becket said, and he looked unusually tense. I should have noticed it from the moment he walked in.
“And?” Phoenix urged.
Becket’s gaze moved between us before settling. “Our mom’s name came up.”
Silence fell heavy. My stomach felt like I had just bungee jumped off a bridge.
“She’s in Canada,” Becket said matter-of-factly. “She was in the US for a long while, but she’s in the country now.”
The words hit harder than any punch I’d taken last night. Alive? All this time?
I stared down at the bar.
Phoenix let out a slow breath. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” Becket said quietly. “It’s her. It’s not a lot, but knowing she’s here in the country…”
We all sighed in some way.
“How do we get more information? Why does your contact have information on her? Are they following Mom for some reason?” My questions came out like shots.
“Trust me, I had just as many questions,” Becket replied. “My contact in Montreal knows the story of how she left. She always told me that she probably just started a new life and a new family somewhere, even though she said as a mom herself she didn’t know how someone could leave her kids.”
His words sat heavy between us. Her leaving marked each of us in a different way.
“So what does this mean now? She’s in Canada, so what?” Phoenix asked, his voice scratchy but underlying with hurt.
“My contact couldn’t say much. Everything was off the record. I’m not an officer involved on the case she’s working, so I need you guys to keep this quiet. Especially from Dad,” Becket emphasized.
“Don’t you think he’d want to know?” I snapped.
“No.” His answer was immediate. Final. “Dad made it clear a long time ago he didn’t want to look for her. I don’t know if he was driven by ego or hurt, but this stays between us.”
“Eric should know,” Phoenix added.
“So tell him, but keep it quiet. Whatever case my contact is working can’t get compromised. She said it was important and a long time coming. I shouldn’t have shared this with either of you, but I couldn’t hold it in either,” he said sadly.
“I get it, bro,” Phoenix said, and he reached a hand across the bar and placed it on Becket’s shoulder.
“Who’s this contact in Montreal anyway? Wasn’t she helping with Harmony’s stalker too?” Phoenix asked, his lip curled on the right side.
“Not like that, bro. She’s a single mom of two. Her ex-husband works for the RCMP,” Becket explained, which meant he was high level like the FBI in the United States.
“Ex-husband,” I laughed.
“Don’t start, Asher. You’re an easy target right now. That pretty blond working the orchard has your panties in a twist,” Becket countered.
“Fuck off,” I countered with a chuckle. “Looks like I hit a sensitive spot. Single mom. What is she, provincial police? She helped with Harmony, so maybe she’s RCMP too.”
“You’re such a child,” Becket said, shaking his head.
“You can’t use that on me anymore. I’m responsible now,” I winked.
“That’s enough,” Phoenix said sternly, looking between us. As our oldest brother, he was used to putting his foot down. Then he focused on Becket. “If you hear anything else on Mom, keep us posted.”
“I won’t hide anything. We all deserve an explanation,” Becket said solemnly.
“That’s the truth.” I took a swig of beer. I was still feeling irritated about Claire. Hell, maybe this is what a crush felt like.
Becket took off, and I stood up and stretched.
“You know if you like her, it’s okay,” Phoenix said.
Ever since he fell in love and got married to his childhood nemesis, he’s been the relationship therapist of the family. He was head over heels in love and wanted us all to feel what he was feeling.
“She’s my employee, that would be irresponsible,” I reminded, which meant I wasn’t denying anything.
“For the next four months. It’s seasonal work. She seems different,” he said, watching me carefully.
He wasn’t wrong. “I’m not going there, but thanks for the approval.” I winked.
Phoenix laughed. “We’ll see.”
I shook my head and laughed too. “Thanks for the beer and the ear. Gonna try not to think about our mother in the same country as us too much.”
“Seriously, that’s messed up,” Phoenix agreed.
“Have a good one,” I said to him.
“Night, Ash,” he said.
I left the bar and walked toward my cabin. What I needed was a good night’s rest, but when I reached the walkway that led to the cabins, I saw Claire, and she looked like she was dressed for going out.
F-me.