Chapter 7 #2
But after Winnie has her bourbon balls plated on the display and judging table, Barrel seems content to stroll around the festival, receiving pets from a half dozen kids and showing off his sitting skills for various town citizens.
“He is acting like he sits on command all the time,” Winnie says, looking bemused. “He never does this. It’s crazy.”
I’m feeling pretty pleased with the whole thing. “He’s really responding to me. I feel special, I’m not going to lie.”
“You’ve missed having a dog.” It’s not a question.
I nod. “I love being a distiller. I love the business we’ve created. But that’s come with sacrifice.”
So much so that for twenty-four hours I’ve been fantasizing about having an actual social life outside of work.
With Winnie. And Barrel.
“I understand. That’s part of why I moved here,” she says. “I was working two jobs in Nashville, living with my parents, and I still couldn’t afford to have any sort of social life or take vacations. It was crazy. Moving here allows me to have better balance.”
“That’s fantastic. I think it’s safe to say small town life agrees with Barrel too.” I hand her the lease. “I have to pass out bourbon samples to the same twenty people who drank them yesterday.”
Winnie chuckles. “Then why are you doing it again?”
I shrug. “Because it makes those twenty people happy. Bourbon is a social drink. It’s meant to be sipped while you spend time with family and friends. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday than having conversations all day with the people who are the heart of Wanted.”
“I love that,” Winnie says softly.
She leans forward a little, into my orbit.
Hell, she’s been in my orbit since the second she arrived in town.
Something is crackling between us again, right here, right now. Sweeping my gaze over her I lean in as well, slowly, to see if she’ll pull back.
There is nothing I want more than to ease my hand into her dark hair and pull her in for a kiss.
She doesn’t back away.
Winnie drifts closer to me.
I go for it.
Cupping her cheek, I stroke the smooth skin with my callused thumb, marveling at how beautiful she is. Desire punches me in the gut when her lips drift apart and her amber eyes darken.
This is a woman who could make a man could forget himself and all his good intentions.
When I take her mouth with mine, every last thought I’ve ever had disappears.
Replaced by a sudden and overwhelming need to make Winnie mine.
There’s nothing else. No crowd. No festival. No sweet scent of elephant ears and spring flowers blooming.
Just Winnie.
The second our lips meet, Winnie sighs, her eyes drifting shut.
Sweeping my tongue over hers, I close my eyes too and seek a deeper, fuller connection.
She takes like bourbon and chocolate and if there isn’t a more fucking perfect combination on this earth I don’t know what it is.
Then without warning she’s gone.
A cool breeze replaces where her mouth was beneath mine a second ago.
My eyes fly open and I see Winnie being dragged away by Barrel.
It’s so fast and unexpected Winnie collides with the edge of the lemonade stand.
“Are you okay?” I ask, rushing over to her.
She’s shaking her head in amusement. “I’m good.” She pulls the dog firmly to a stop. “Barrel spotted a toddler with a corn dog. I think he figured easy pickings. I think he might have a corn dog problem.”
“He also might have a problem with us kissing,” I say, because when I move to rub my hand over his head he growls at me.
Then he plants himself squarely between me and Winnie.
“Barrel,” she says, running her hand down his back. “We don’t need a chaperone.”
“Y’all are strangers and you’re making out at the Spring Fling,” Fred asks, staring at us over a tall cup of lemonade. “Maybe you do need a chaperon.”
That’s the downside of living in a small town. Gossip and strong opinions.
“Mind your business,” I tell him. “And making out is a bit of an exaggeration, by the way.”
“Don’t be taking spring fling so literal, folks. And Ian, you’d better remove yourself from the dessert judging panel. I saw that Winnie entered the contest and this is a conflict of interest right here.” He gestures to us both.
“You’re a judge?” Winnie asks. Her fingers brush her lips, which momentarily distracts me.
I nod. “I’m judging the spring crafts too. And the strongman contest. The town council likes a Four Brothers representative since we sponsor the Spring Fling.”
“You’d best withdraw for the dessert round,” Fred says.
“Fine.” Though I’m disappointed I won’t get to taste test everything. There were a lot of incredible desserts on display. “I don’t want anybody taking issue with it.”
Chaos.
That’s what Winnie has brought to my weekend.
As if to prove it, Barrel drags her off again.
“I’ll talk to you later!” she calls out with a smile.
Disappointed she’s leaving, I wave and head in the opposite direction to remove myself as a judge.
“Damn it, these all look really good,” I say morosely to the remaining judge’s panel.
“Your appetite seems a bit out of control today,” Bitsy Parker says, eyeing me over her reading glasses.
“I…” don’t have a clue what to say to that. I am not the town lothario. I have zero social life. Why am I getting called out for one tiny kiss? “I’m a starving man,” I tell Bitsy and stalk off.
When I try to find Winne again, I don’t see her anywhere so I park myself in front of my Four Brothers display and contemplate if it’s wise to get involved with Winnie.
Probably not, but damn, that kiss…
It was fantastic. Perfect. Powerful.
An hour later I’m still sitting there thinking about it—about her—when I hear her name over the speaker.
“The winner of the dessert round is Miss Winnie Roberts, Wanted’s newest resident!”
I stiffen.
That can’t be right.
I saw the state of my kitchen this morning.
I’ve eaten Miss Bettie’s sweets.
There is no way Winnie could have beat out those bourbon caramel blondie brownies.
The rest of Wanted seems to agree.
There is a stunned silence followed by a low hum as everyone starts muttering to each other.
“Recount!” a man yells out.
“Boo!” another man says. “The voting is rigged!”
“Oh, hush now,” a woman says. “No booing. That is unsportsmanlike, Buddy.”
I can’t see who reprimanded him but it sounds like Lucy.
When I make my way over there, Winnie is standing by the mac and cheese booth.
She has a bite of food halfway to her mouth. “Um…”
She looks totally confused.
I”m guessing we all do.