Chapter 2
Chapter Two
T he three of them hadn’t even reached the front door before they were nearly deafened by the sound of too many people talking and laughing inside the house.
Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the fact the whole family had shown up. Not a single Storm was capable of “playing it cool.” They were far too passionate about the things they loved, and there wasn’t a soul in this family who wasn’t over-the-top proud of the farm and the businesses and the things they had created here.
Joey, true to his word, didn’t seem the least bit bothered when she opened the door to reveal no less than twenty people milling around between the living room, the dining room, and kitchen. In addition to her family, she spotted a few farmhands and tasting room employees.
The house smelled like bliss, the spicy scent of Aunt Claire’s chili and Mila’s buttery cornbread filling the air.
Mercifully, her family didn’t descend on Joey and Miles as a pack. Since Maverick, Sam, Theo, and Mila had already met the guys, they hung back, helping Aunt Claire in the kitchen, while the others came over in small groups to introduce themselves. Uncle Rex came out of the kitchen, handing both men a beer with a wink before moving on.
Joey and Levi shook hands, greeting each other like old friends. Levi had spoken to Joey on the phone a few times and said he seemed like a pretty nice guy. Personally, Lucy thought Levi had underplayed how cool Joey Moretti was because the man was miles away from just “pretty nice.” He was sexy, smart, inquisitive, funny, sexy, observant, and charming as hell.
Yes, sexy deserved to be mentioned twice.
“Sorry I couldn’t join you on the tour,” Levi said. “It was one catastrophe after another all damn day.”
“Murphy’s Law,” Joey replied good-naturedly. “And don’t worry about it. You left us with a very capable and entertaining tour guide.”
Joey reached out, claiming her hand, and tugging her close when she’d tried to move back, not wanting to monopolize him and Miles. She’d had them to herself all day, so it felt as if she should share them with the rest of her family. Even if she didn’t want to.
Mercifully, Joey didn’t look intent on letting her escape. He squeezed her hand, giving her a smile.
She’d never met such a tactile man. Joey had found ways to touch her all day, whether he was wrapping his arm around her shoulders, nudging her knee beneath the table as they sipped wine, or holding her hand whenever they walked over uneven terrain outside. She was as independent as the day was long, but damn if his overtures—some were gentlemanly, some were flirty—didn’t have her melting because they were so hot.
“Our family is thrilled about you featuring Rain or Shine Brewery on ManPower . We’re hoping it will draw in more visitors to all the businesses,” Everett said as he joined their group. In addition to the B&B, rental cabins, brewery, and winery, they were in the process of building an event barn for weddings, anniversaries, and other large celebrations.
Lucy introduced Everett as her “bookworm” cousin, the one who worked his magic inside on the computer as opposed to outside in the dirt.
Joey smiled. “Miles and I have gotten countless emails from previous guests, thanking us for the exposure. One guest referred to the response from the public as sheer magic. I hope it does the same for you.”
Everett soaked up that information, and Lucy could almost see the wheels spinning in his mind as he tried to figure out how to capitalize on their appearance on the show. Her cousin was a marketing guru, one of the most creative people she’d ever known, and an amazing graphic artist. He was the total package, and since he’d taken over—okay, created the farm’s marketing and IT department—they’d already seen a huge increase in tourism, as people now viewed them as a not-to-miss destination whenever they visited the state. Of course, it also helped that they were only sixty miles outside of D.C.
She, Levi, Joey, and Everett continued to chat for a little while before Lucy realized Miles was gone. She glanced around, wondering where he had wandered off to. She wasn’t surprised when she spotted him standing in a quiet corner of the dining room, chatting with Uncle Rex.
She hadn’t exaggerated when she told Joey she was a huge fan of the show. She’d watched every episode at least three times, and that was before she’d found out ManPower was coming to Rain or Shine Brewery.
As such, it felt like she’d known Joey and Miles before they arrived. It was probably why she’d launched straight into a conversation without even remembering to introduce herself, like a crazy person. In her mind, they were already friends.
Five minutes with Joey proved her ease with him hadn’t been misplaced. The real-life Joey was exactly like the guy she saw on TV. He had a boisterous personality, a great sense of humor, a contagious laugh, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever been so comfortable with someone after only eight hours together. She was a social butterfly, so making friends had never been a struggle for her, but she’d never felt such an instant strong connection to someone. Being with Joey was almost effortless, and it was like they’d known each other their entire lives.
Although Lucy had to admit her thoughts were a lot more than just friendly when she looked at the man. In addition to that connection, she’d also experienced an immediate attraction to him—a crank-up-the-AC, chug-down-some-ice-water, fan-herself kind of attraction. She’d never truly understood the meaning of hot and bothered before today.
Miles, however, was a different story.
While he was obviously the straight guy on the show, the calmer, quieter host, he still came across as the kind of man you wanted as a friend. The one who would help you move, stop on the highway to help you change a tire, the fella you called when your kitchen sink was leaking.
She’d seen shades of that person today, but only the dimmest variety. For the first hour or so, she’d actually been worried he was doing the show under protest for some reason. Or—dammit—what she’d really been afraid of was that he didn’t like her , and she was going to somehow ruin this chance for her whole family.
He’d become less standoffish as the day wore on, but he was by no means the man she’d been expecting to meet.
“What did you think of the farm?” Levi asked Joey.
“I love this place. I can’t imagine waking up every morning to that view. It’s just incredible.” There was no question Joey meant what he said, and it warmed Lucy’s heart because she knew what those words would mean to Levi.
“Quite a few of our now-locals were people who came to visit the town and never left.”
Lucy resisted the urge to groan aloud when Scottie Grover joined their group. She hadn’t realized he was here tonight. Scottie was one of the few people present who wasn’t a relative. His family fell into the category he’d just described, his parents moving to Gracemont when Scottie was in sixth grade, the two of them in the same classes. Back then, Scottie had been a shy boy with a nervous stammer, and the other kids made fun of him.
When Lucy had shared that with her grandmother, Grandma did what she’d always done. Taught Lucy how to be empathetic, explaining how scary it must be for Scottie to be in a new town where he knew no one. After putting herself in Scottie’s shoes, Lucy decided Grandma was right, so the next day at school, she’d introduced herself and offered her friendship.
For the rest of that year and most of junior high, she and Scottie had been friends. While Lucy was one of the more popular kids in their class, active in choir and a member of 4-H, Scottie had never warmed up to anyone else at school, opting to keep his circle small.
Small as in just him and her.
As such, he’d been clingy, insisting they didn’t need to sit with anyone else at lunch or invite other friends to the movies with them. By the time high school rolled around, Lucy found it difficult being his only friend. She liked doing things with the other kids, or her sisters and cousins, which always pissed Scottie off.
To add insult to injury, he was an only child. A very spoiled only child. So whenever they hung out together, they did whatever Scottie wanted to do because he’d never been taught how to compromise or share or take turns.
On the last day of ninth grade, the two of them had a major falling out when Lucy chose to kick off her summer holiday by going swimming at a girlfriend’s house instead of playing video games with Scottie. He hadn’t taken her rejection well, and when he’d called her selfish, that straw in the camel’s back broke for good, and she told him that maybe they should take a break from each other for a while.
Lucy didn’t know if it was their fight that prompted it, but Scottie left Gracemont a week later to spend the summer working on his uncle’s cattle ranch in Montana. When he returned just prior to the start of tenth grade, he’d sprouted six inches, lost the stammer, and gotten tan and buff from doing ranch work.
Needless to say, every sophomore girl in the school was suddenly very interested in Scottie, which was fine with Lucy. She’d had her fill. Unfortunately, he’d made her last few years of high school difficult because he still harbored a grudge, and he made sure she paid for it by acting like an arrogant, condescending ass every time their paths crossed, putting her down in front of others, treating her like she was stupid…ridiculous crap like that.
After graduation, Scottie went off to college, while she’d taken a few courses to earn her brewing certification before interning on the farm under Sam. She would have been fine if she’d never seen Scottie again, but he returned to Gracemont to join his family’s business.
Two years ago, he’d been elected mayor, and now he worked closely with her uncle, who served on the town council.
“I’m Mayor Grover,” Scottie said, extending his hand. Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his use of his title rather than his first name.
Joey shook his hand. “Joey Moretti.”
Knowing Scottie, he’d discovered celebrities were in town and invited himself to dinner, believing someone as important as him would be expected to make an appearance. He was just as egotistical and self-important as he’d been in high school, but he was no longer holding a grudge against her these days.
Because apparently, he’d moved on to something worse.
Much worse.
Nowadays, Scottie had rewritten their past like they’d been some kind of childhood sweethearts…who were on the verge of rekindling something that had never been.
For months, she’d been perplexed about why he was suddenly paying attention to her again, until that confusion was cleared up a few weeks ago at a baby shower. That was when his mother had loudly suggested Lucy had the potential to become the future “First Lady” of Gracemont, then started spouting a bunch of bullshit about how close she and Scottie had been growing up, and how she had always noticed a special bond between the two of them.
Until then, Lucy had seriously thought Scottie was just trying—in his cocky, annoying way—to become friends again. With the new information, she’d started looking at his recent attention in a different light, and not liking what she saw. The idea that he thought she would be interested in dating him sent bile to her throat.
Hell would freeze over first.
“How was your first day in Gracemont?” Scottie asked.
“Lucy’s been a very gracious and entertaining tour guide.” Joey had released her hand when Levi offered him an appetizer, and he hadn’t taken it back…dammit.
She was tempted to reach for it now, especially when Scottie stepped closer, looking down at her with that smug smile he thought passed for affection but came off like creepy possession.
“Lucy is the prettiest part of Gracemont,” Scottie said, as if her worth was solely wrapped up in her looks.
She gritted her teeth, annoyed by his misogynistic comment, as Joey tilted his head, looking from her to Scottie curiously. She prayed he didn’t think she was interested in a giant douchebag like Scottie.
“We’re thrilled you’ve chosen to feature our small piece of heaven on your show,” Scottie said.
“Stormy Weather Farm certainly is heaven,” Joey agreed.
Scottie nodded. “Well, yes. The farm is nice. But I think you’ll find Gracemont offers more than just homemade beer and wine.”
Lucy shared a look with Levi, who looked ready to commit murder. No one in her family knew exactly how big a prick Scottie had been to her in high school. Lucy hadn’t seen a reason to toss gasoline on that fire, since it was easy enough to dislike Scottie for his personality alone.
“My family owns a very successful and prosperous horse breeding farm down in the valley,” Scottie said. “Many of our stallions have gone on to win some of the top competitions in racing, and trainers from all over the country come to see our horses. Perhaps you’d like to stop by for a tour while you’re in town, see if you’d be interested in filming your show there.”
Joey didn’t look impressed. “Miles and I filmed an episode featuring the Wilshire Farm last season. They’ve had several horses compete in Triple Crown races. It was a good show, great ratings, but I think it’s too soon to do something so similar.”
If Lucy hadn’t already adored Joey, this conversation with Scottie would have sealed the deal. Scottie’s disdain for any horse breeding farm that was more well-renowned and successful than his family’s was obvious. His eyes narrowed briefly, but he recovered quickly.
Joey leaned over to bump his shoulder against hers fondly. “The brewery is fascinating and the entire farm charming. I have no doubt the episode will be a popular one, especially when Lucy starts talking. She’s a brilliant brewmaster.”
“Yes. Well,” Scottie said, not bothering to hide his jealousy when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a proprietary manner, trying to pull her away from Joey. “We’d still love the chance to show you more of our town. Wouldn’t we, Lucy?”
Lucy twisted quickly, forcing Scottie’s arm to drop awkwardly. “Excuse me while I go see if Aunt Claire needs any help setting the table.”
“Be sure to save me a seat next to you, sweetheart,” Scottie called out after her.
Lucy didn’t even acknowledge his request, though it took every ounce of strength in her body not to toss him the middle finger. Instead, she stomped away, furious.
“I’m going to fucking kill him,” she muttered under her breath.
“Need an alibi?” Miles asked in a low voice behind her.
She spun around, surprised by his sudden appearance, as well as the fact he wasn’t scowling at her. In fact, it almost looked like he wanted to smile. “Yeah. Actually, I do. And maybe some help burying the body. You look like a strong guy.”
Miles chuckled. “Done and done.”
“Thanks.”
“Unless it’s Joey, of course. Then I’m afraid that bro code thing is going to have to take precedence.”
“It’s not Joey,” she reassured him. “Just the mayor.”
Miles’s eyes widened as he glanced over his shoulder. His gaze focused directly on Scottie. “I’m assuming that’s the guy who whipped out his Halloween costume early. Going as rich frat boy this year? I like the boat shoes,” he added sarcastically.
Lucy took in Scottie’s pale blue button-down shirt, tucked into his khaki chinos, complete with Sperrys, and laughed out loud. “That’s him.”
“I think we can take him,” Miles said with a wink.
Before Lucy could continue the conversation, Aunt Claire called everyone to the large table. Each of the three farmhouses on the property had a similar long dining table, as family meals like this happened at least once a week.
Lucy grinned when she walked into the dining room to see Joey had gotten there early. He waved her and Miles over, the two men offering her the seat between them. Levi, who’d clearly heard Scottie’s request, took one for the team, inviting Scottie to join him and Uncle Rex at the other end of the table. He caught her eye and gave her a quick wink. Her oldest cousin was getting an extra Christmas gift from her this year for that sacrifice.
Once the bowls of chili were placed in front of them and the baskets of cornbread passed around, everyone started digging in with gusto.
“This chili is incredible, Mrs. Storm,” Joey said to Aunt Claire.
“Mrs. Storm was my mother-in-law. Call me Claire, please. And thank you so much. It’s an old family recipe.”
Mila snorted. “It’s a family recipe that she has yet to share with anyone in the family.”
Aunt Claire’s grin was completely unrepentant. “It’ll be passed on to you…eventually.”
“In her will,” Levi joked. “She can’t take a chance on you beating her in the local chili cookoff, Mila.”
Aunt Claire laughed as she tapped her oldest son on the arm affectionately. “What can I say? All those medals look so lovely hanging from the mirror on my dressing table.”
“What did you think of the brewery?” Uncle Rex asked Joey and Miles. “Think it will make for a good show?”
“Absolutely.” Joey wiped butter off his fingers. Given the litany of moans that slipped from his mouth every time he took a bite of cornbread or chili, there was no denying his compliment about the food was sincere. “Lucy and Sam are both engaging and easy to talk to, which is exactly what’s worked so well in our more successful episodes. We’ve done a few shows where trying to get our guest to talk was like pulling teeth.”
Miles grimaced. “We had this one guy who literally wouldn’t talk at all. We would ask him questions, and he’d reply with one or two words, spoken straight into the camera, never to us. It was painful. For a day or two, we thought we were going to have to scrap the whole segment because nothing was salvageable.”
“But you didn’t have to?” Lucy’s anxiety over screwing up during filming crept in because Everett was right. This show was a good opportunity for the farm.
Miles shook his head. “We were saved on the third day, when the man’s adult son stopped by to see how things were going. When he realized how badly his father was doing, he stepped in to do all the talking while his dad did the work.”
“The son must’ve taken after his mother because he was quite a character, cracking jokes, charming. Turned out to be a great show, and we’re still in touch with him. The son, I mean. He came to Philadelphia a few months ago for a work trip, and the three of us went out for happy hour,” Joey added.
Lucy was touched to learn that Joey and Miles stayed in contact with former guests, hoping perhaps the same might hold true for her. She mentally added Philadelphia to the list of “must see” cities on her extensive travel wish list. Not that she held out much hope for checking any of those places off anytime soon. She had responsibilities on the farm and to her family, so jetting off to see the world would just have to wait until…
Someday.
“I don’t think talking is going to be a problem with Lu,” Levi said. “Your struggle is going to be getting her to stop talking.”
She shook her head as everyone laughed, secretly hoping that was true. While she hadn’t admitted it to anyone, she’d lost a fair amount of sleep the past few weeks in the lead-up to Joey and Miles’s arrival. “I don’t know about that. The truth is, I’m really nervous. I might have to let Sam do the heavy lifting when it comes to explaining our process.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re a natural, Lucy,” Joey insisted. “The key is to forget the cameras are there. Just talk to us like you did all day and you’ll be fine. And if you find yourself getting anxious, just let us know. Miles and I will talk you off the ledge. Promise.”
“Besides, it’s not like you’re new to the camera,” Mila pointed out. “You film Kiss and Tell all the time.”
“ Kiss and Tell ?” Miles asked.
“That’s different,” Lucy retorted. “I’m always behind the camera.” Then she quickly explained to Joey and Miles. “I have a little YouTube show I do called Kiss and Tell .”
“Little,” Sam scoffed. “The thing has over ten thousand subscribers, and some of her shows have had over a hundred thousand views.”
Joey’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
Lucy nodded, always touched by the way her family bragged about her success, their pride in her so evident it brought tears to her eyes. “It was a hobby that sort of took off.”
“And then some,” Levi added. “Lu’s reaching the point financially where she could make a living from it.”
“You could have knocked me over with a feather when that first check appeared,” she admitted.
“ Kiss and Tell is a fine thing for now, but I’m not sure Lucy can keep up with her job on the farm and her hobby for the long-term,” Scottie added, as if she gave two shits about his opinion.
“She’s been doing fine so far,” her youngest sister, Remi, replied, obviously as pissed about his comment as Lucy. “I keep telling her that she should go on the road with it. See the world like she’s always talking about.”
“Remi,” Lucy started.
“Don’t Remi me, Lu,” her sister retorted. “While I was plastering my bedroom walls with pictures of Zac Efron, Drake, and Ryan Reynolds in high school, your walls were covered with torn-out pictures from those travel calendars Granddaddy gave you every year for Christmas.”
Theo chuckled. “She still does that. Only instead of her bedroom walls, they’re the screensavers on every computer in the brewhouse.”
“Lucy has too many responsibilities here, Remi. She’d never leave Gracemont,” Scottie said with a confidence that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, even if it was true.
“Never say never,” she replied to the idiot through gritted teeth.
Scottie, the condescending prick, just gave her a smile that said he knew he was right. The part that really pissed her off? He was. She wouldn’t leave Stormy Weather Farm.
“I’m going to look up Kiss and Tell tonight and watch it,” Joey said to Lucy. “If it feels like something we could work in, maybe you can mention it when we’re filming the show.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. Really? That would be huge.”
“We’ll have to run it by our producer, and there’s a good chance it won’t make the final edits,” Miles warned.
“I understand completely,” she said quickly. “But if there’s a chance to promote it, it would be great for my show.”
“I’m not sure promoting it is such a good idea, Lucy,” Scottie chimed in again. “While you have time for your hobby now, that might not be the case in a year or so when your life becomes more settled.”
Her temper had hit the boiling point. “Excuse?—”
Scottie’s phone rang before she could finish calling him to task for presuming to speak for her. He excused himself from the table, claiming it was an important call. Lucy would bet twenty dollars it was his mother, calling to check in on her “sweet baby boo,” a nickname that had been horrible in middle school and was even more disturbing now that he was a grown man. Not that Scottie minded. When Mommy called, he answered.
Lucy drew in a deep breath and mentally started counting to ten in her head, trying to calm down. His comments about her work being a hobby and his veiled insinuation that she intended to become “more settled” rankled.
When counting the first ten didn’t work, she kept on trucking to twenty.
“You okay?” Joey murmured quietly.
She nodded.
Miles leaned closer. “Say the word and I’ll grab the shovel.”
She laughed, while Joey looked confused.
Fortunately, Scottie’s call required him to leave to deal with an “urgent matter.” After that, the dinnertime conversation was much easier, as Levi and Joey started playfully one-upping each other on sibling stories, each tale funnier than the last. Lucy laughed so much her stomach hurt.
And that wasn’t the only part of her hurting. Joey’s arm rested on the back of her chair, his fingers toying with her ponytail and occasionally brushing the back of her neck.
Why, oh why, did that feel so good?
She liked how big he was. She was used to being around physically large, strong men—aka, her cousins—so his size didn’t intimidate her. Joey was built the same as Levi, so she felt comfortable with him, even though she was at least half a foot shorter.
She told herself she should keep her distance from him and not succumb to his charms. For all she knew, Joey Moretti was some big player, jumping from bed to bed and leaving a trail of broken hearts as he traveled across the country.
Given her concerns about doing a good job promoting the farm, she would be wise to be more professional and less flirty, more serious and less giggly. But it wasn’t working. Because every time Joey shifted nearer, she couldn’t resist leaning toward him, wanting to be as close to him as possible.
It wasn’t until she realized Miles had noticed her actions—and was scowling again—that she finally forced herself to…well…behave.
Finally, everyone began excusing themselves, some to do farm chores, others to clean up the kitchen. Lucy led Joey and Miles to the front porch, both with a piece of homemade apple pie in their hands. She’d opted to skip dessert herself, after eating way too much chili.
The guys claimed rocking chairs while Lucy plopped down on the porch swing, all of them slowly swaying, enjoying the unseasonably warm evening.
“Tell us more about Kiss and Tell ,” Joey urged after he finished his dessert, licking the last crumbs off his fork.
“To be honest, I never intended to create a show at all.” Lucy considered how much to tell them. “It’s kind of a long story.”
Joey placed his empty plate on the small table between his and Miles’s chair, then leaned back. “We’ll call it a bedtime story.”
She grinned, then looked at Miles. She’d seen glimpses of the man who graced her TV at dinner, but for the last hour, he’d gone quiet after seeing her flirt with Joey. Once again, she felt like she was screwing up this opportunity.
Miles caught her looking him. “I don’t mind a long story.”
“My parents were killed in a car accident when I was ten,” she started.
“Jesus, Lucy,” Joey said, sitting upright. He’d claimed the chair closest to her, so he was able to reach over and touch her knee. “I’m sorry.”
She appreciated his kindness. “It was a long time ago. After they died, Grandma Sheila and Granddaddy Lloyd took us in. We moved from our farmhouse—the one my cousins live in now—to this one with them. They raised us. Aunt Claire and Uncle Rex helped as much as they could, but it was hard for them to do a lot with seven boys under the age of sixteen in the house. They had their own kids to raise.”
“You have a great family, Lucy,” Miles said. “They really do remind me of the Morettis.”
After listening to Joey’s stories, she wished she could meet his family because they sounded terrific. “Grandma and Granddaddy obviously hadn’t expected to raise four little girls when they were in their late sixties, but they never missed a beat, smothering us in love. We had a lot of happy years. Until…”
Lucy swallowed. This was always the hard part of the story.
“Until?” Joey prompted.
“Grandma was diagnosed with dementia when she was seventy-five. We’d noticed little things, like her forgetting names, losing things, struggling to make a recipe she’d been cooking for years. After about a year, Granddaddy put his foot down and took her to the doctor. She was in the early stage of Alzheimer’s at that point, but we were warned it would eventually get worse.”
“That’s not an easy disease…for the one suffering from it or the caregivers,” Joey mused.
“You can say that again. Anyway, Granddaddy was a sucker for romcom movies, watching them with me and my sisters all the time. Or at least whenever it wasn’t Remi’s turn to pick that night’s film. She always chose horror flicks,” she said with a shudder. “If I never see one of those godawful Saw movies again, it’ll be too soon.”
Joey and Miles chuckled.
Lucy continued to sway on the swing. “One night, shortly after we learned of Grandma’s diagnosis, we watched 50 First Dates . I’d gotten a video camera for Christmas that year, and Granddaddy asked if I would make a video of him and Grandma talking about how they met and fell in love.”
“What a cool idea,” Joey said.
“And because I loved romcoms as much as Granddaddy, I suggested we set it up When Harry met Sally style.”
She could tell from Joey’s smile and Miles’s furrowed brow which guy got it and which one didn’t, so she looked at Miles as she explained. “In that movie, there are all these snippets from couples sitting in their homes, on their couches, telling their love stories.”
“Ah,” Miles said.
“So we did the same. Grandma and Granddaddy sat on the couch during one of Grandma’s good days and they reminisced, told their story. I was taking a graphics class at the time, and my teacher let me stay after school to edit the footage every day for a month. The first time I played it for Granddaddy, he cried, said it was perfect and just what he wanted.
“Grandma’s dementia advanced quickly. For three years, he watched that video with her practically every single day. It always calmed her down whenever she was agitated. When she was having a good day, it made her smile and sometimes even laugh.”
“She lived at home?” Miles asked.
Lucy nodded. “We all took turns taking care of her.” She tried to quickly swipe away the tear trickling down her cheek.
Joey saw it. He rose, gesturing for her to scoot over, which she did. He joined her on the swing, reaching to take her hand in his. He gave it a gentle squeeze, then held on to it. “You gave them an amazing gift.”
She sniffled. “Grandma died when I was twenty-one, then Granddaddy a year later of lung cancer. It took him quick. I think he wanted it that way. He missed Grandma too much to live without her.”
Miles leaned forward. “You took care of him too?”
“I’m blessed with a big family. We set up a rotating schedule toward the end so Granddaddy was never alone. We even put a cot next to the hospital bed we moved into his room so there was always someone with him at night.”
“You’re too young to have lost so many people,” Miles mused.
She smiled sadly. “I still have Aunt Claire and Uncle Rex, my cousins and sisters.”
“So that video launched Kiss and Tell ?” Joey asked.
Lucy nodded. “We played it at Granddaddy’s funeral. He was well-loved in this area, and the funeral director said it was the largest funeral Gracemont had ever had. I was inundated with requests from people in town to film their stories after that. So, I did. It was easier to share the files on YouTube because they’re quite large. One of the first couples I filmed asked if I would make their video public so they could show their kids, grandkids, and friends who lived out of state. It sort of evolved from there because it turned out, everyone in town wanted to watch everyone else’s.
“Remi was the one who came up with the idea of calling it Kiss and Tell . So, I created an intro, got permission to share the stories, and before I knew it, my views were growing, along with my subscribers. Nowadays, I get a check from YouTube every month, and I’ve had at least fifty couples travel here from all over the place to sit on my couch and tell their stories.”
“Damn, Lucy. That sounds amazing!” Joey lifted her hand to kiss it. Only Joey could make a simple gesture feel both sweet and sexy at the same time.
“And not at all like a hobby,” Miles added with a bit of force.
She loved the way Miles didn’t bother to hide the fact he didn’t like Scottie or his opinions. “I love being brewmaster, but if I’m being completely honest, my dream job would be to travel the country, filming people from all different walks of life on their own couches, sharing their stories on Kiss and Tell . Social media is overrun with bad news and contentiousness and anger. I’d like the opportunity to spread a little happiness and show the power of love.”
Joey released her hand, but only so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder, tugging her against him. Lucy couldn’t resist the warmth of his hold, so once again, she leaned into it.
“I hope you get your wish because that’s exactly what the world needs. And I gotta tell you, it’s a great dream because traveling is the best part of making ManPower . Before working on the show, my explorations had been limited to the East Coast. Now, Miles and I have seen so many places we never would have even known existed before the show.”
“You’re so lucky.” She reluctantly stood when she felt Miles’s eyes on the two of them, his frown back in place. “And with that, I think I should drive you back to the cabin now because that was a ridiculously long bedtime story. I’m sure you must be sick of the sound of my voice by this point.”
“Not even close,” Joey reassured her, following as she led them to the truck. He claimed his spot in the middle, Miles following him in.
She started the engine, the three of them quiet as they drove down the dark lane. Once they arrived, she put the truck in park.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, turning to look at them.
Miles nodded. “Good night, Lucy.”
“Night.”
Joey leaned toward her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for a great day, honey.”
She smiled, her heart racing at his sweet nickname. Earlier in the day, she’d confided that she was utterly addicted to honey, eating it with everything from apples to pita to cheese. God, she really had talked their ears off.
Lucy watched as they walked to the cabin, Joey stopping at the doorway to give her a wave.
Then, she turned the truck around and headed back to her house, praying for the strength to resist this overpowering attraction.
Joey Moretti, with his winks and endearments and charming smile, was temptation incarnate, which was dangerous enough.
But Miles Williams, with his smoldering looks, deep voice, and dry wit, was turning out to be just as deadly to her libido.
This was not good.
Not good at all.