Whiskey Love Sneak Peek
Wyatt
“ I t split… right down the middle?”
I grab my beer and bring it to my mouth, and before taking a swig, I nod and confirm, “Right down the middle, and I swear, it happened in slow motion.” The look of sheer horror reflecting back at me on each of my buddies faces makes me chuckle.
Brows cinched together and face screwed up, Dusty, one of my oldest friends and an employee of mine, asks, “How the hell did that happen anyway? What was she doing?”
“She was there for a farm tour, but Daphne was running late from her lunch break, so I offered to show her around while she waited.” I scrub a hand down my face, my skin tight with discomfort as I recall the incident in vivid detail. “Was showing her around the barn when she dropped her… hell, I don’t even know what she dropped, if I’m being honest, and when she bent down to grab it, that’s when it happened. The sound of her jeans ripping open was deafening.”
“Oh, that poor woman,” Levi, my other buddy, murmurs before taking a swig from his beer.
“Fuck, no kidding,” I grumble. “And of all the times this could happen, it had to be the one time I’m covering for Daphne. It had to be with me.”
“So, what’d you do after that?” Levi asks.
“The only thing I could think to do. I ran into the office, grabbed one of them Lavander Hill jackets Daphne had designed, and offered it to her to tie around her waist.”
“I can just picture the look on your face,” Dusty drawls, shoulders trembling with laughter. “Probably red as a goddamn cherry tomato, your mouth hanging wide open the way it does when you don’t know what to say. What I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall in that barn.” Laughing harder, his hand goes to his abdomen as he says, “Fuck, that’s great. I needed that after the day I’ve had.”
“So glad I could be a source of amusement for you,” I deadpan.
“Bet Daphne got a kick out of it too, didn’t she?” he adds, with actual tears in his eyes. Fucker.
Standing up from the table, I flip him off before sauntering over to the counter to order another beer. Daphne did, in fact, find the incident more than a little amusing when she got back to the farm and heard about it, but that’s not surprising. If there’s one thing my younger sister enjoys, it’s watching or hearing about me in uncomfortable situations.
Owning a highland cow farm that offers guided tours, I’ve heard about many a incidents and awkward situations that’ve taken place, but typically, I’m not the one dealing with them first hand. The tour aspect of the farm is ran entirely by my sister, with the help of her daughter and a couple part-time employees, allowing me the freedom to stay as far away from it as possible. When I opened Lavender Hill Highlands a little over fifteen years ago, tours were never something I planned on offering. The idea of socializing with and educating the general public on what I do isn’t my idea of a great time, which is ironic given the farm is one of our town’s most popular tourist attractions.
As the gentleman behind the bar hands me a fresh beer, my phone goes off, vibrating against my thigh. “Thanks, man,” I mutter as I step away from the counter and retrieve the phone from my pocket. Glancing at the name flashing on the screen for a moment, I accept the call and bring it to my ear. “Everything okay?” Squeezing past the people congregating near the exit, I slip out the back, wanting to get away from the bustling noise inside the brewery. Neon and string lights illuminate the patio area, the sun having gone down since I first got here about an hour ago.
“Yeah, everything’s fine, Dad.” I can hear the smile in my son, Henry’s words when he asks, “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Maybe because you never call me on Friday nights.” The tension I’d been subconsciously holding in my shoulders relaxes, and I breathe out a laugh. “Just making sure.”
“Nah, all good with me.” Henry chuckles. “How’re things with you?”
“Not too bad. At Spellbound now with the guys, tossing back a couple beers.”
“Sounds fun. I’m about to head to dinner with Diana here in a minute.” Diana is the girl he’s been dating for several months now. I haven’t met her in person yet, since Henry lives up in Raleigh, which is a good three hours from Sweet Briar, but I’ve talked to her on FaceTime a handful of times when Henry’s called me. She seems great. “I was actually just calling to see if you’ve done anything with the spare room?
My brows pinch at the question. “You mean your bedroom that you stay in every time you come to town?”
“Yeah, that one,” Henry replies with a chuckle. “When I was home over the summer, you’d mentioned possibly turning it into an indoor workspace.”
“Ah, you’re right. I did say that, didn’t I?” One of the many plans I come up with, but never have the time to put into place. “It’s still a bedroom,” I confirm.
“How would you feel about renting it out for a while?” he asks, voice way more chipper than normal.
“Why? Thinking of moving back in with dear old dad?” I ask.
“Not me,” he offers. “Teddy.”
My brows pinch at the mention of my son’s best friend. “All right, I’ll bite. Why’re you asking me if I’d rent out your old room to Teddy?”
“ Wellll actually, renting it out might not be the right phrase,” he corrects, with a laugh. “Teddy lost his job a while ago, and he’s had a hell of a time finding a new one. I think a change of pace would be good for him. Figured you might be able to help him get a job down there and give him a place to stay while he got back on his feet.”
“Wait, you didn’t lose your job too, did you?”
Henry and Teddy work for the same tech firm. They were hired right after they graduated college, but work in different departments, doing entirely different things. What they do, I can’t say, though. Henry’s entire career is basically a foreign language to me. I’ve never been someone good with computers or technology, so while I love listening to him tell me about his job and I admire his passion, I couldn’t recite a single part of it gun to head.
“No, don’t worry, Dad. Everything is all good with me,” he assures me. “The company restructured a few departments, and it resulted in a lot of layoffs. Teddy is one of, like, sixty employees who lost their job”
“That’s awful. I’m sorry to hear that,” I say, but I’m confused where this idea is coming from. Henry and Teddy met in college years ago, so Teddy isn’t from here. If I remember correctly, he’s originally from Virginia. “Why would he move here? Can’t he get another job up there?”
“He’s had a rough year, really been down on his luck,” Henry explains. “Think maybe a change of scenery could be good for him, you know? Get out of the city, try a new change of pace. Besides, any time I’ve ever talked about back home, he’s always said how much he’s always wanted to live in a place like that. The close knit community really appeals to him, since he didn’t grow up with a whole lot of family or community. So, what do you think? Need any help on the farm?”
“Teddy doesn’t strike me as the farm working type,” I interject.
Henry snorts. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. But what about the brewery? Or the hardware store? There’s gotta be something, right? And having a roommate temporarily probably wouldn’t be the worst thing for you,” he adds, and I can hear the grin in his words.
Henry’s got it in his head that I’m lonely, but I don’t know why. It’s not like I’m a hermit, who never leaves the house. I talk to people every day at work, and I go out at least once a week with my buddies. Sure, it’s been a couple years since my last relationship, but that doesn’t automatically mean I’m lonely, or that I need a roommate. In fact, the idea of sharing my space with somebody sounds kind of awful, if I’m being honest.
Don’t get me wrong, Teddy seems like a great guy. Any time we’ve ever been around one another, he’s been very pleasant, but that doesn’t mean I want to eat at the same table with him every night or wash our underwear in the same washing machine. I’m a far cry from lonely, and quite enjoy living by myself. it still doesn’t make sense why Teddy would move to Sweet Briar, when he’s never been here.
“I don’t know, Henry,” I murmur, running my fingers through my hair. “You know I’m private. I know Teddy’s your friend, but I hardly know him.”
“Please. This would be good for him. He went through a pretty nasty break up not long ago, and now he lost his job. He could use some good news and hope. Besides, I may have already mentioned the idea to him, and he may already be on board.”
“Henry…” I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose. I’m getting flashbacks of Henry doing the same thing when he was a teenager; asking if his friend could stay the night, then telling me he already got the friend’s hopes up. He’s got such a big, caring heart, and I love that about him, but this isn’t the first time he’s tried to bring a stray home.
Please, Dad,” he urges. “Besides, think of how much more frequently I could come home now that my best friend is living there too.”
“Oh, as if visiting your old man isn’t a good enough reason.”
“Of course it is, but what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t check on Teddy, and make sure he’s getting settled?”
“When were you thinking?” I ask, heaving a sigh.
“A week from today,” Henry offers so matter of factly, which seems rather suspicious.
“That’s awfully soon,” I murmur. “And exact.”
“Yeah, well, the lease on his apartment might be up on that date.”
“Henry Michael,” I groan. “So, what you’re saying is, I’ve really got no choice?”
“Nope!” Chuckling, he adds, “You’re the best, thank you! Teddy’s going to be so excited, you won’t regret it.”
Hanging up with my son, I stand outside a few minutes longer, drinking the full beer that’s nearly room temperature at this point, while wondering how the hell I just got roped into letting this kid I barely know move into my house? In a week! As I head back inside, I spot my buddies at one of the pool tables playing a round, and I spend the rest of the evening watching them and making a mental checklist of everything I’ll need to get done before next week.
This should be interesting.
Whiskey Love, book 1 in my upcoming Sweet Briar series, is coming coming soon.