11. Liam
CHAPTER 11
liam
The next morning, I’m at Bean Haven right before opening. Knowing Hannah has her headphones on, I use my key to sneak in, hoping like hell she’s blaring that music like she typically does so that I can scare the piss out of her. I told her payback was coming and scaring each other is something we’ve done for as long as I can remember. Careful not to let the door connect with the bell, I squeeze my big-ass body through the space and with all the care I can muster, shut the door behind me. Sneaking through the shop, I stand still next to the open doorway that leads to the bakery kitchen and listen for her footsteps, hearing nothing but her clanking around and humming. The moment I hear the loud noise of her industrial mixer, I know she’s facing away from me, and the noise will work to my advantage. I slip the Ghostface mask down over my head and take a peek around the doorframe. Hannah sways her hips side to side while she adds pre-measured ingredients to the mixing bowl. I hesitate for a brief moment, lost to the shake of her plump ass in a pair of tight black leggings as she dances to music that only she can hear .
Fuck it. It’s now or never. Squatting down to my haunches, I shuffle around the corner, letting the butcher block counter in the center of the room block her view of me if she were to turn around. Once she’s in view, I sneak right up behind her. Standing to my full height—six foot two inches, to Hannah’s five foot five—I’m several inches taller, and nearly double her width. She continues to sway, completely out of touch with her surroundings.
Shooting my arms out, I quickly snake one around her waist, the other clasping my hand over her mouth. She lets out a muffled scream as I pull her back into me. Just as quickly as I’ve captured her does her non-restricted elbow connect with my rib cage. Hard. I immediately release her as she turns, ready to fight.
I put my hands up in defense and as she takes in the Ghostface mask, she doesn’t react how I thought she would. Her hand is placed over her heart, chest rapidly rising and falling. Her cheeks are pink, but her eyes? They’re heavily lidded and glassy as she sways slightly on her feet.
Hannah loves being scared, and Scream has always been her favorite movie franchise. She even gave Charlotte the middle name Sidney. But this reaction is more than someone being scared. I watch as she squirms on her feet, her face flushed from a mix of fear and what I’m guessing is arousal. Holy fuck, did this turn her on?
Leaving the mask on, I prowl toward her, backing her against the stainless-steel counter between the mixer and sink. Hannah braces her hands on the edge, leaning back away from me. I squat down slightly, coming face-to-face with her and cocking my head to the side, as she struggles to maintain regular breathing. Yeah, she’s turned on. I don’t hesitate to run my hands slowly up the length of her arms and over her shoulders and neck until I’m clasping her face in my hands, goosebumps scattering behind my touch.
“This tracks, you know,” I whisper through my mask, enjoying seeing her like this.
“Probably not a normal reaction to an intruder.”
“Nah. But, I can’t say that I don’t like it.”
Her pretty eyes close as I move her head backward so that her neck is stretched and bared to me. She’s so goddamn pliable like this. So sexy. Goddamn, I want this woman. My woman. Her confession last night nearly broke me, but it cemented my need to give her everything she’s been missing, show her what this could be like.
“Han . . .” I breathe out on a rough exhale, my control rapidly slipping. My dick is rock hard behind my jeans, my breathing coming heavier now. I want to rip her pants off, lay her back on the table, and eat her pussy until she screams. Make her feel better than she ever has before. Fuck, I want to taste her so badly that my mouth is salivating at just the thought. This woman has me in a goddamn chokehold. She always has.
Just as my fingers touch the plastic of my mask to remove it, ready for my lips to kiss along the length of her neck, the baby monitor goes off with Charlotte’s little voice, breaking the spell between us.
Hannah’s hands move to my shoulders, pushing me back from her. I go willingly, removing the mask and setting it on the counter. Hannah looks at the monitor and sees that Charlie has in fact woken up for the day, earlier than she typically does. Disappointment doesn’t hit me as I look over her shoulder at Charlie sitting up in her bed.
“You finish up down here, beauty. I’ll go get the munchkin. She’s fun in the mornings.”
She turns to face me, a sweet look plastered on her face that is starkly different from moments ago when she was hot and bothered.
“Thank you, bear. She’s much nicer to you in the morning than she is to me.”
“Isn’t that par for the course though? Daughters driving their mothers mad?”
I drop a kiss to the top of her head and walk farther into the back to the interior stairs that lead to the apartment.
“Bear!” Charlie squeals as she sees me enter her room.
“Munchkin monster!”
“Mumma’s downstairs?”
“Yep. And she’s in the best mood and said you can have whatever you want for breakfast today!”
“Even pickles?!” she squeals, clasping her hands together in excitement. I can’t do anything other than laugh.
After helping Charlotte get ready for the day and feeding her a breakfast of pickles and—after some serious begging—a waffle with peanut butter and banana on top, we braid her hair and grab her backpack to head downstairs so Hannah can say goodbye before school. I love the flexibility my job at the distillery gives me, and being able to help Hannah most mornings with Charlie is the best way to start my day. She is so full of life and always so excited to go to school to learn. Granted, school right now is full-day preschool, but she’s still learning and eager. I don’t ever want that light for learning to dim.
“Hey, my baby girl. Did you have a good breakfast?”
“Yep! I had pickles!”
Hannah’s eyes widen and she whips her head in my direction, brows arching in question.
“She also had a yummy peanut butter waffle with half a banana.”
“Okay, that I’m happy with. Good choices. I hope you have the best day learning. ”
“I will. Best friends forever?” Charlie asks Hannah.
“Best friends forever and always.”
I smile like a fool watching the two of them, pride and love filling my chest. Fuck, I want to permanently make the two of them mine. Levi may have helped make this family, but there is no doubt that they are mine.
Once I find a parking spot at the elementary school, Charlie unbuckles her seatbelt, and I pick her up to climb safely out of my truck. Hannah about kicked my ass a few months ago when Charlotte decided to full-on launch herself out of the side of it, skydiving style. She landed pretty gracefully, the little daredevil. But Hannah threatened to cut my balls off with a butter knife if I let it happen again.
“Dance time!”
I face Charlie in the parking lot, ignoring everyone around us and only focusing on the sweet girl in front of me. Going to Pre-K was a huge adjustment for her, and when it wasn’t getting any easier, I got her to make up a silly dance with me to help pump her up for the day ahead. So far so good, and it’s working.
“You ready, munchkin?”
“Ready!”
We sing our bravery song, stomp our feet and clap our hands, do a shake in a circle and then hip bump—thank Christ I have no problem squatting, but this shit will hurt if we’re still doing it at graduation—all to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star . Charlotte skips off to her teacher and I watch until she disappears inside, already missing her, remembering the day she was born and realizing it’s already been almost four years.
“Oh my god!”
“Shit, Hannah, did you just piss on me? ”
I jump up off the couch where we’re sitting watching The Cabin in the Woods. My entire thigh is wet with warm fluid.
“Oh my god, bear. I think my water broke.”
“Wait, seriously?” My concern over my jeans being covered in her urine suddenly evaporates.
She stands from the couch, waddling like a penguin to the bathroom. Grabbing some towels from the closet, I try to soak up whatever fluid is on the couch.
“Bear! It did! My water broke! Oh, fucking shitballs asshole motherfucker!”
I laugh at her array of curse words as I walk over to the bathroom door.
“Han, you okay? Once you get changed, we’ll head to the hospital.”
She opens the door wearing a large Hellraiser T-shirt, holding a folded-up towel between her thighs.
“You going like that?”
“Yep. This isn’t a fashion show, a small human is about to exit my body through a tiny hole between my legs. Bring me my phone so I can let Levi know to meet us there.”
I turn and roll my eyes. This’ll be a good ol’ time. Despite Hannah’s pregnancy news, Levi hasn’t stepped up. Surprise fucking surprise.
Handing the phone over to her, she calls the dipshit. He picks up on the third attempt and each time she has to call him, my anger increases. He fucking knows how far along she is, knows that this baby could come at any moment. Knowing his ass isn’t on a ship right now and that he is choosing not to be here, I want to knock his teeth to the back of his throat and watch him slowly choke to death on them.
“Labor takes a while, Levi. If you leave now, you can make it. ”
“I don’t care how late it is. You’re going to willingly miss the birth of your child?”
“Wow. Okay. Fine. I’ll update you tomorrow.”
She hangs up and throws the phone to the couch as a contraction hits her hard.
“Fucking shitballs. These hurt like a mofo,” she says through clenched teeth once the contraction passes. I hate seeing her in pain and don’t know what to do to fix it for her. I’ve never felt so goddamn useless before.
“You good, beauty?”
Seems like a fucked-up thing to ask considering she’s obviously in physical pain and Levi just massively let her down. She straightens her spine as best she can with the weight of her pregnant belly in front of her.
“Nothing I can’t handle. He’s an asshole. He doesn’t feel like driving. Told me to update him in the morning. So, fuck him.”
Things turn from anticipation to concern really quick as the contractions increase in severity. Hannah doubles over in pain, breathing hard through each one as they come rapidly back-to-back. She’s unable to take more than a few steps at a time, and with my help, we stop in the kitchen. On her next contraction, I dial 9-1-1. Based on all the pregnancy books I read so that I could support her, I don’t think getting her in my truck and driving to the hospital is a safe bet.
“I can’t do this. We need to get to a hospital. Please, bear. Please, get me to a hospital.”
I move directly in front of her, grabbing her face between my hands, forcing her to focus on me and me alone. When I speak, my words are firm, honest, and leave no room for discussion.
“Hannah. Listen to me. This baby is coming. The paramedics are on their way. You can do this. I won’t let anything happen to you. ”
“I’m so scared.”
“You don’t need to be. You’ve got me, and we’re about to meet this baby. Girl or boy?”
She laughs for a moment before another contraction hits her hard. She leans over the edge of the kitchen counter, one hand bracing herself, the other hand on her lower back. Moving up behind her, I put my palms there, massaging the tight muscles, trying my best to give her some relief.
“Boy. I think it’s a boy,” she says on a rushed exhale.
“Nah. Totally a girl. Only a girl would be giving their momma this hard of a time.”
“Fuck, bear. It hurts so much. There’s so much pressure.”
Fuck.
“Han, I need you to lay down. Paramedics might not make it in time.”
“WHAT?” Her scream could wake the goddamn dead, and her eyes are wide and terrified.
“Okay, psycho, no need to scream. But you need to lay down.” She levels me with a stare that could bring down an entire kingdom, but relents, thank fucking god.
I quickly snatch up the towels that were pulled out when her water broke and lay them down on the floor with a pillow. Grabbing Hannah by the hands, I guide her on top of them and force her to lay on her back. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing but I’ve seen enough movies that hopefully I can catch a slippery-ass baby as it leaves her body. I just hope to fuck there’s no complications. I’m not a religious person, but right now, I’m sending up prayers to every god that could possibly exist to see my girl through this.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” she bellows, panic, pain, and fear laced in her tone.
“Remember that scene from Alien?”
“Fuck! That comes out of her stomach, you fucker! ”
“Same, same!”
“Oh, fuck. Bear, I don’t want you to see me down there!”
“I think we’re past that, I was laying in your fluid, Hannah! And for fuck’s sake, I’ve seen you pee a thousand times!”
“This is different, you buffoon, and you can’t see anything when I pee! Oh, fuck my life, why does the universe hate me?”
She grips her pillow hard, biting her bottom lip until blood pools as she braces through another contraction.
“Han, you need to breathe for me, okay? This is nothing. We’ve been through so much, what’s a little childbirth on the kitchen floor?”
“Fuck, it burns!!! Fuck! Fuck! FUUUCK!”
I lift the T-shirt over her bent knees and close my eyes, taking a deep breath. I can’t believe this is fucking happening. When I’m alone and dreaming about being between Hannah’s legs, it definitely doesn’t include childbirth. I need to get it together, and now. She needs you, motherfucker. Man up and look. She fucking needs you .
Opening my eyes, I let myself look between her legs. Hannah is being stretched to the max, a head of wet hair clearly visible. I steady my breathing, doing everything I can to stay calm.
“Alright, Han. Baby is coming. I hear the sirens but I’m gonna need you to push, okay? I can see the head.”
“Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!”
Hannah grabs her knees and lifts herself into a curling position, pushing until she’s bright red in the face. The head slips right out. Holy fuck, that’s a head coming out of my best friend.
“Breathe, Han. Push again.”
She pushes once more, and I reach out with a towel in my hand as the baby twists a bit, shoulders popping free. I steady the body as Hannah pushes again, the baby slipping free of her body and into my waiting hands. I pull away just enough, seeing the cord fucking hanging out of Hannah, and wrap the baby in the towel just as the paramedics rush through the door and take over.
Everything else happens in a blur. I hold Hannah’s head in my palms, praising her as the paramedics deliver her placenta, Hannah screaming at everyone to put the fucking sea creature on ice so she can do fuck knows with it later, and check the vitals on the baby. When the baby is finally wrapped up tight and put in Hannah’s arms, my heart nearly explodes out of my chest.
“Boy or girl, bear?”
“You’ve got a daughter, beauty. I hope you’re ready.”
Her eyes fill with tears as she kisses the head of the baby girl in her arms.
“Alright, we need to get you moved onto the stretcher, ma’am. You’ll be able to hold your baby on the way to the hospital.”
“Please hold her, bear.”
No hesitations, I eagerly scoop up the tiny bundle into my arms and look down into her bright watery eyes. And just like that, I’ve fallen in love with two girls.
“Beauty, what’s her name?”
“Charlotte. We’re going to call her Charlie.”
My heart stops beating and my eyes flash back to meet Hannah’s.
“After the goddamn bear we fought over? Hannah, think about this. It’s your daughter.”
“And you brought her to me, just like the bear brought you. That’s her name. Now I’ll have my Charlie bear forever.”
“Well, fuckin’ finally! Thought I was gonna join your grandpa in that jar at your dad’s house before you two got your heads outta your asses.”
I sit across from Ms. Nettie, Hannah’s grandmother, after we just dropped what Hannah thought was going to be a bomb on her. Apparently, her reaction is the same as everyone else’s.
“Grandma!” Hannah covers her mouth, shock written all over her face. “Mother above give me strength.” Ms. Nettie is a loud-mouthed, crass elderly woman, so this doesn’t come as a surprise to me at all. But clearly Hannah has chosen to completely ignore the rumors and whispers that have been going around our town for years about us.
I squeeze her hand lightly once before bringing it up to my mouth and placing a kiss on the back of it. Her eyes flick to me, nerves and shock settling down and leaving her more composed. Seeing how I affect her makes me feel so good, there’s a deep connection between us that’s always lain dormant, but now that I’m pulling that up, neither of us can deny it. She just needs to give in to it.
“Grandma, you’re good with this?”
“Yep! ’Bout time you dropped that little weasel, what was his name? Leon? Lance? Labia?”
“Levi, Grandma. Charlotte’s father.”
I bristle at her words, and I know she felt it based on how she looks at me out of the corner of her eye. The fuck he is. Deadbeat piece of shit is not that girl’s father.
“What a stupid name. That’s a brand. I like Labia better.”
“Holy shit, Grandma, what meds did you take today?”
“The good ones, my girl, always the good ones.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I whisper under my breath, leaning back in the chair. Time to get this train back on the tracks.
“Ms. Nettie, things are moving quickly, and I just want you to know how serious I am about Hannah. I’m crazy about her and I feel like we have a lot of time to make up for.”
“You’re a good egg, Liam Hayes. All you boys are. Not the eldest one though, something fishy about him. Winnie doesn’t like ’em much, which is a sign if you ask me.”
Sawyer and Ms. Nettie have been clashing since the beginning of time, and for some reason, the calm pup sitting in her lap loses her shit every time he comes into Bean Haven.
“Grandma, you’ve known these boys their entire lives. There’s nothing fishy about Sawyer.”
“Agree to disagree! You two have fun. Put a baby in her, Liam, I want more grandkids, and lord knows Harlow and Hailey aren’t gonna give me any before I croak. And keep Labia away from her.”
“Shit, Grandma, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Feeling great, quit askin’ me. Now, go. Let me watch Graham Colson cross the street. That man is a silver fox if I’ve ever seen one. Fine piece of ass that one.”
“Holy shit, I’ve had enough.”
Hannah scoots out of her chair and walks to the back of the bakery while I drop my head back in a deep laugh that I can’t contain. Once I’ve pulled myself together, I lean back until I can make sure that Hannah isn’t within earshot.
“Ms. Nettie, I know I’ve known Hannah forever and things have always been platonic, but I’ve been in love with her for a damn long time. She’s it for me. I’m gonna marry her. Soon.”
Her hand reaches out and pats the top of mine in a loving, grandmotherly way, and I settle into my seat.
“I know, my boy. She’ll figure it out. That other one left his mark on her, but you can heal her, help put her back together again. Soulmates are real and you’re hers. You remind me of my James. This kinda love only comes once, so when you get it, don’t let her go.”
Pride and happiness swell in my chest as her words settle in my heart. Some conversations will stick with you for a lifetime, and this is one for me. It was important to me that she knew where I stood before her time on Earth ended.
“Thank you, Ms. Nettie. I’ll take care of them.”
She suddenly gasps, her hand flying to her heart in shock, causing mine to stop. What the fuck?
“No! I will not run away with you, Liam Hayes! You’re not my type!” she yells, and I sit fucking stunned as shit. She knows no bounds. Fuck, to be old and give zero shits will be such a gift.
“Grandma!” Hannah snaps from the bakery counter. “Leave him alone!”
Later that afternoon, I drove to the other side of town to pick up Charlie from school. The pickup line traffic is a goddamn madhouse and too many parents parking their cars to chitchat like it’s fucking happy hour caused an even worse traffic jam. By the time we got back into town, there was zero parking within three blocks of Bean Haven, forcing us to park down the street and walk.
Carrying Charlie’s backpack, her little hand in mine so she doesn’t slip on any ice, we walk down Main Street, chatting the entire way about school and friends, all the while I’m trying to hurry her along so that we aren’t late for dance. Typically Hannah is able to close Bean Haven on time to do afternoon pickup but on the rare occasion she can’t, I get to jump in and help out.
“Shh. Stop. You hear dat?” Charlie asks me, pulling my hand back to get me to stop.
I crouch down to her level and listen, giving her patience even though I know we’re behind schedule .
“Munchkin, I don’t hear anything.”
“No! Shh! Don’t talk. Listen.”
She puts her little hand up to her ear, cupping it around and leaning forward. She can be extremely bossy when her mind is set on something. It’s difficult not to encourage her to use her voice because I don’t ever want her to feel like her’s isn’t important or valued. But right now? In an alley in the freezing cold when we’re running late? I need to pick my battles, and unfortunately, this is one of them.
Releasing my hand, she starts to walk away. Trailing close behind her, I start to hear the faint whimpers and scratches of a small animal. Moving on instinct, I scoop Charlie up with one arm around her waist, holding her sideways like a sack of flour. She immediately starts to flail.
“Charlie, it’s a rat, and they carry diseases. Let’s get going.”
“No, listen! It’s crying. Rats don’t cry! Ms. Katie said so!”
“Your teacher told you that rats don’t cry?”
“Yep!” she pops the “p” for good measure, the little fibber. Deciding to indulge her, thinking back to the last time she had all her immunizations and wondering if any of them cover feral animals, I put her back on her feet and follow her into the alley. A little bark echoes through the dank space and Charlie looks back at me with an iconic “told ya so” face that she could have only gotten from her mother.
“Okay, okay. Let’s investigate.”
“What’s investigrate?” she whispers, butchering the pronunciation.
“It’s when you check something out closer.”
Grabbing the hood of her raincoat, I pull her behind me while I move some boxes away from the dumpster. Sitting in the corner, shivering, is a tiny, dirty dog that looks more like a large rat than anything else .
“A puppy!” Charlie squeals as she barrels out from behind me, reaching for it.
“Hey, hey! Freeze, little miss! Did Ms. Katie teach you about rabies? Cause that thing could definitely have it.”
“It doesn’t have the raybeez.” And I can’t help the laugh that comes out of me at her pronunciation. “It’s sooooooo cute!” she squeals as she balls her little hands into fists and shakes her head violently, eyes large and wide.
I squat down and hold out my hand for the little rat-dog. The dirt and grime matted to his short fur is so thick it’s hard to tell what the natural color is but I’m assuming it’s a mixed breed. Knowing I can’t leave it out here to starve, the moment that tail starts wagging wildly and its nose bumps my fingers—clear signs it’s not going to try to bite me—I scoop it up into my arms.
Still on my haunches, I turn so Charlie can see it better. She jumps from foot to foot, clapping her hands and squealing.
“Calm, Charlie, calm. We don’t want to scare”—I lift it really quick and check the undercarriage—“him.”
“’Kay. Whisper voices.”
“That’s right.”
“Hi, Garbage. We’re taking you home now.”
The chuckle that I release is far from quiet and booms through the alley as I study her. Dark brown eyes, the color of rich molasses, blink back tears as she oohs and aahs over the ball of matted fur in the crook of my arm.
“Garbage?”
“Yep! That’s where we found him.”
I laugh again.
“That doesn’t mean we need to name him Garbage, munchkin. You were born on a kitchen floor, but your momma didn’t name you Kitchen.”
“I like Garbage. His name is Garbage. ”
“We’re going to have to talk about this.”
Standing to my full height, I pull the dog close and grab Charlie’s hand, walking the rest of the way up Main Street. We take a short path between two buildings and climb the stairs to the second-floor door so we aren’t waltzing through Bean Haven with the dang thing. Hannah is going to kick my ass.
Instead of getting Charlie ready for dance class, we stop by the grocery store and purchase dog food, ten bottles of dog shampoo, tick and flea treatment, and head back home. We spend the rest of the afternoon bathing our new little friend five times before it resembles an actual dog, and one more time for good measure. I think, and I use that term loosely because I don’t actually have any fucking idea, that he may be crossed with a Cairn Terrier, but what the fuck do I know? I’m relying on Google here. He has an appointment with the town vet tomorrow, so we’ll have a better idea. Hopefully we can find its owners.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I know who it is before taking it out.
Sawyer: The fuck am I finding out about you and Han from my wife?
Kins: And Ms. Nettie
Carter: I’d just like to state for the record that I knew before anyone and successfully kept a secret
Me: Piss off Casanova, no one asked you
Sawyer: Talk or I’m coming over
Me: We’re dating, it’s serious
Kins: Eek! About time!
My phone buzzes again and I realize the chat name isn’t “Nosey Assholes” but just all of our names, Dallas conveniently missing from the chat.
Sawyer: You need to tell him
I contemplate what he’s saying, and I know I do. It’s eating me alive to not talk to my brother, the one who always has our backs. But he’s got shit on his plate right now he needs to focus on. Plus, he’s the only one who knows the truth and could potentially blow this whole thing up in our faces.
Me: I will, when I’m ready. He needs to focus on his own stuff right now.
Sawyer: I won’t hold him back when he comes for you if he finds out from someone else
Me: I can handle Dallas, shithead
Sawyer: *Middle finger emoji*
Sawyer: I’m happy for you, brother
Carter: So exciting! Yay! Another brother off the market turning lame as fuck. I’m jumping for joy for you assholes.
Kins: Uhm, I’m not taken? Am I not cool?
Sawyer: You don’t count because you’re an angel and you’ll never do anything terrible like dating or getting married
Carter: Our sweet little sister forever
Me: Perfect Kinsey! No men for you!
Sawyer: We would literally hunt them down and murder them while they’re awake so they knew exactly who was taking their life
Me: Slowly
Carter: Painfully
Kins: The fuck is wrong with you three? Can’t believe I actually miss Dallas being on here
Sawyer: Dallas is more protective than we are…
Kins: I beg to differ, psycho. Pretty sure you almost murdered your own best friend for looking at Ivy
Sawyer: He shouldn’t have looked at her
Me: I don’t see the problem here
Carter: I do.
Sawyer: ???
Carter: He’s still breathing
Kins: Bye. Happy for you, Liam
I drop my phone on the coffee table, glad that’s over with, but slightly nervous about how to handle Dallas finding out the news. I still need to tell my parents, but now just isn’t the time with everything they’re focusing on with Dallas and Blaire.
Charlie is on the floor rolling around with the dog when the front door opens and closes, Hannah’s graceful footfall leading her closer and closer to us. I brace myself for what I know is going to be the loss of my life.
Hannah rounds the corner leaving the kitchen and comes into my line of sight, freezing and staring at the scene in front of her.
“Hi, beauty. Welcome home.”
“Bear . . . What is that and why is it in my house?”
“Hi, Mumma, that’s Garbage, my puppyyyyyy!”
I use my hand to cover my smile and choke down my laugh, coughing on my own saliva.
“But we don’t have a puppy.”
“Technically, it’s a dog. We don’t know if it’s a puppy or not. And his name is not Garbage,” I inform Hannah, loving watching her face morph from shock to confusion, and then settling on mama bear rage.
“Oh no. Absolutely not. We don’t have a puppy, or a dog, or a cat, or a hamster, or a pet wasp . . .” She gives Charlotte a pointed look because, unfortunately, she caught a wasp under a cup last summer, named it Platypus, and tried to keep it.
“But, Mumma, it’s sooo cuuuute! It loves me and I love him! Bear said I could keep it.”
My eyebrows shoot to my forehead, and I look at the little traitor before me as Hannah turns her back to Charlie and stares me down in a way that could only be described as Carrie right before prom burns to the ground. I bristle as Charlie puts her hands together in a clasped prayer, pops out her lip, and blinks her eyes rapidly at me from behind Hannah. Damnit.
“That true?”
My eyes drift slowly back to Hannah’s. Her hip is popped out, arms akimbo, and she’s death-glaring me, daring me not to have her back on this. She’s so sexy when she’s riled up, but I don’t let myself go there.
“I may have said something along those lines.”
“Oh, really? Okay. Well. He can’t stay here, so hopefully you’re excited about your new little companion.”
Fuck.
The next day, I’m a zombie on my drive to work. My new little buddy cried and whined the entire night. He finally settled when I put him at my feet on the couch, burying himself into my body heat and crashing hard. Unfortunately, I had to wake up and get to work two hours later.
The crunching of my large truck tires over the snow-covered gravel startles him from where he sits in the passenger seat of my truck as I drive through the familiar barren roads on my way into the distillery. It’s one of those gray Washington mornings, the kind that makes you feel like the sun is hiding just beyond reach, trying to make up its indecisive fucking mind. The sky’s overcast, a dull blanket that stretches out for miles, promising rain, or maybe even very late-season snow. I wouldn’t complain about either. I pet the little guy around his face and neck to calm his nerves. For a dog who’s been surviving on his own out in these elements, he sure does get scared easily.
Once settled at the distillery, my buddy sitting to the side of my desk, I throw myself into work, preparing for a finance meeting with our CFO, Lorelei, checking on the production and maturation process of more than a few single barrel recipes we’ve got going, and making sure everything is running smoothly. Carter walks into my office for our meeting, and I don’t bother looking up from my laptop, not really feeling like talking marketing plans today.
“What the fuck is that thing? Is that a rat?”
“It’s a dog, Casanova,” I deadpan.
“Are we sure? How the fuck did you end up with a dog?”
“Charlotte. We found it yesterday next to a dumpster on Main and Hannah won’t let her keep it in the apartment.”
Carter bellows a laugh, but I ignore him, trying to keep my focus on new sourcing options for wood for the barrels. I pride myself on using locally sourced ingredients, everything from the corn, barley, and wheat, down to the white oak used to make our barrels. We toast or char them depending on what we’re putting in it, but we do it all here. We’re one of the few distilleries in America that do this in-house instead of sourcing made barrels from a cooperage.
“That little girl has you wound so tight around her fingers, bro. So now you’re the proud new papa of a dog that looks a whole helluva lot like a rat. What’s its name?”
“Charlie named it Garbage. But we gotta think of something else, ’cause no man needs to be called Garbage for their short little life.”
“What about Winchester?”
“What are you, the Queen of England? No.”
“Magpie?”
“No.”
“Kanye Westie? Pup tart? Dogzilla? Jimmy Chew? Oh! I got it!” He snaps his fingers. “Chew-barka!”
I look up at him from my desk, dumbfounded. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
He shrugs his shoulders before taking a seat in one of the chairs placed haphazardly around the empty space. I’m hardly in my office, spending the majority of my days working with my hands or in meetings.
“How’s things with Dallas and Blaire?”
“They’re hanging in there. Stopped by yesterday. If you ever checked your phone, you’d be getting more updates. What are you working on?”
“What am I not working on right now? I need to spend more time on this recipe and getting it going. Everything needs to be perfect.”
“You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself. Anything new you’ve added has been incredible, why are you so worked up over this one?”
I lean back in my chair, pulling my hat off and running my hand through my shaggy hair while thinking about his question. I’ve been working on perfecting the recipe for the straight bourbon whiskey for a while now. There’s a shit ton of rules, which I’m used to, and confident that we can meet the standards, but I want this to blow everyone away. I want to crack that baby open in a few years and have it be a game changer on the market.
“Legacy? I guess. Yeah, I’ve adjusted some of the recipes, but this would be mine. Something we haven’t done yet. Long after I’m gone, whoever inherits Aspen Ridge Distillery will still have my make. I want to leave my mark, not just as one of the founder’s grandsons, but as someone who’s earned his title and place here.”
“Alright, shit. Yeah, I can relate to that.”
“It’s hard to bitch when we’ve all been lucky to find our places here, but I don’t want it to be just because we’re all family and keeping it in the family.”
“I get that, and I hear you. But we’ve worked our asses off. Dad and Grandpa didn’t give us shit.” I give him a look, arching my eyebrows. “Alright, fair,” he concurs. “Dad may have created my position, but I’ve got two degrees in marketing and business. You know we needed someone to come in and focus on what I do. I’m busy non-fucking-stop. You know why I sleep around? ’Cause it takes the edge and the pressure off. I don’t have to think, there’s no pressure, and I’m damn good at it.”
“So, we’re all a little fucked-up then.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I guess so. Except for maybe Kins. She seems to have her shit together.”
“Little angel. She’ll never do anything wrong.”
“Never.”
“Not having Sunday dinner sucks. Never thought I’d say it. Hopefully we’ll all be able to get back to our normal routine as soon as things settle down with Blaire.”
“Agree. You tell Mom and Dad about you and Hannah yet?”
“I’m sure everyone has started to hear the rumors. It’s moving quick though, so I should probably get on that.”
“I don’t know if she has. She hasn’t left them. Sawyer’s been stepping up and taking care of everything.”
Shit. I feel like an asshole for not being there for my brother, even though he’s asked everyone for space. But Dallas is a straight shooter, while he’s the most loyal and dedicated to his family, he will still be the first to call any of us out. But if we’re already married when he finds out . . .
“Alright, I’ll talk to Han and figure out a plan.”
“Good. Now, let’s talk about this bullshit coming up.”
Carter and I jump into our meeting, but my mind is on Hannah, wondering what’s the best way to play this and how to address the elephant in the room. We need to tell her parents, and we need to get married.
Soon.