2. Rumors Would Explode
RUMORS WOULD EXPLODE
The smile tugged at Baker’s mouth the second he felt a presence behind him.
He didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
Jolene Fierce.
For a woman barely five-foot-nothing, she walked like she was announcing herself to the whole damn distillery. And Mason’s little habit of spritzing her vest with that citrusy “here-comes-Mom” scent? Yeah... he was pretty sure Jolene knew about that. She knew everything.
The rhythmic tap on the concrete—her sneaker tip—nearly made him snort. Almost.
“I know you know I’m here, Baker.”
“Maybe I’m busy.” He kept his back to her, measuring out the wheat for the gin batch. Once the weight hit exactly where he wanted it, he shut the funnel with a satisfying click.
“Now you’re not,” Jolene said.
This time the laugh escaped. He couldn’t help it. For all her meddling, she never interrupted him mid-task.
“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked, turning and heading for the forklift.
He had a vat waiting and preferred to get to it before the conversation took a turn. And with Jolene, it always did.
“I wanted to see if you enjoyed the party Saturday. I’ve only been trying to get you to go for, I don’t know… two years?”
Their annual July Fourth party.
“I did. It was loud and chaotic. But not the hellscape I expected.”
Her face scrunched so hard he thought she might sneeze her conscience out. Then she cracked and laughed.
“Good. Now you’ll come back.”
“I might. The food alone was worth it.”
“Aiden always crushes it. Even better with Liam and Margo helping. And speaking of Margo,” Jolene said, too casually. “I was just talking to Tasha.”
“Tasha who?” he asked, his voice as plain as he could make it.
He knew exactly who Tasha was.
He also knew exactly what Jolene was up to. And had for over a year.
He wouldn’t be surprised if the entire city of Charlotte didn’t know what Jolene Fierce did.
And now she’d decided her new mission in life was to match-make him into eternity. He was her new project.
Yeah, no. Hard pass.
He’d played the relationship game before. And he didn’t need to again.
Not that he hadn’t noticed the new tour check-in girl. Hell, he wasn’t blind.
Tasha Robinson had wavy brown hair, bright eyes, a killer smile, and curves that could distract a man mid-distillation. She carried herself like she knew her worth and knew how to move in a way that made a man appreciate it.
Not that he’d accuse her of “working anything,” but damn.
“Tasha Robinson.” Jolene sighed, actually looking disappointed he didn’t take the bait. “She’s Margo’s best friend. She needed a summer job.”
That part he didn’t know. And he couldn’t exactly ask around. One question and rumors would explode like fireworks. Rumors Jolene would twist into wedding bells by lunchtime.
Hooking up rumors he could shrug off.
Jolene-approved matchmaking destiny?
Hell. No.
“That’s nice.” If he asked more, he’d be falling into Jolene’s trap.
He climbed onto the forklift rather than standing in front of it. Jolene was on his tail like the stink from a skunk.
“She’s a teacher. Fifth graders. It’s got to be tough to do that.”
“I bet.”
Jolene hated those short answers. All the more reason to keep doing it.
“I think she used to take summers off, but last year she had a baby. So you know, home with Micah. But this summer, he’s still in daycare and in order to keep the slot, she still had to pay, so she figured she might as well get a job but didn’t want anything stressful or full time. Being a single mother is hard enough.”
Damn, more information than he’d hoped to get.
And what he heard was complications and baggage.
He had enough of that in his life.
“I’m sure.”
“Do you know how to answer with more than two words?”
“I didn’t know you were asking me questions.”
Jolene paused as if that had just hit her. “Guess not. See I can do it too. Two words.”
“Except you ruined it by continuing to talk.”
“I like you, Baker.”
He laughed. “Thanks. It’s mutual. But I’d like you more if I could get back to work. The gin isn’t going to make itself.”
“You sound just like Mason.”
And Mason had given him permission to answer this way to his mother when she came around more.
Which seemed to be the case now.
And for the first time, a name was added to the mix.
It was the first clue he had and now he had to decide what to do with it.
“Your son is a smart man,” he said. “He hired me.”
Jolene slapped his arm. “I was going to say that too.” Her two fingers were spread wide, moving back and forth between her eyes and his. “You and me, we are on the same wavelength.”
“If you say so.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know humoring when I hear it. Got it. You can go back to work now.”
He shook his head when Jolene took off as fast as she’d come in.
He finished mixing the mash, set it and walked away to get a bite to eat of his lunch while he had the time.
The minute his ass hit the chair at his desk, his phone was vibrating. He lifted it to see if it was work related and saw the text from his mother asking him to call.
What was that old saying? Things come in threes?
Mason’s mother.
Finding out the hot chick who caught his eye was a single mother.
And now his mother.
Though she didn’t bug him often, it was normally with an issue.
Didn’t mean he wouldn’t be there for her.
He hit the button and called rather than texting back that he could talk.
“Hi, Baker. I’m not bothering you, am I?”
Always a stupid question when she knew he was at work. It’s not like he had a desk job and could goof off and socialize.
“Just eating lunch now. You caught me on a break. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” his mother mumbled.
And when Jennie Hansen mumbled it meant that she was close to tears. And that meant he was close to putting his fist through the wall again.
With frustration. Annoyance. And no fucking patience for this anymore.
“What did Dad do this time?”
“Everything is fine.”
“It’s not. He’s doing it again, right? Has someone else on the side and you found out?”
“He can’t help himself.”
“Mom,” he snapped. He wasn’t sure why the hell he let this bother him so much. His mother made her decisions in this no matter how many times he and his sister Brittany tried to tell her to leave.
“I know. You don’t want to hear excuses. I’ve been distracted lately. I haven’t been giving him the attention he needs.”
He growled. Loudly. His fingers clenched into fists on the desk. His feet flexed on the floor in his boots as if he was going to take off in a dash to give his father a piece of his mind.
Not that it’d change a damn thing.
He barely spoke to the guy for this reason alone and if he was told one more time that his parents’ marriage was theirs to deal with, then it might be the last time he ever talked to the guy again.
Because the truth was, his father was right.
His mother put up with it, and that was on her.
“So now that you found out he’s seeing someone else you’re going to work even harder to make all his special meals, ensure there isn’t one speck of dust in the house, then maybe pick his feet up at the end of the day and rub them for him.”
“Baker, that’s not nice. You make me sound like a servant.”
“Aren’t you to him?”
“I don’t see it that way. I love him. You don’t understand what it’s like to love someone so deeply you can’t see a life without them. I can see past his flaws and he can see past mine.”
Bullshit.
“Then why are you calling me all upset? If you can live with this, what’s the big deal?”
The silence on the other end didn’t help when he heard her choking back the tears. Just like always.
He didn’t want to feel like shit that he might have caused them, but the truth was the truth and he was sick of pretending it wasn’t there.
“I just needed someone to talk to.”
He wanted to tell her to talk to her friends about it, but his mother didn’t have friends. She cut all those women off when they told her the same as he and Brittany had been doing for years.
Maybe if she didn’t get so upset and heartbroken every time she found out her husband had a new sidepiece most people would just accept his parents had an open marriage... on his father’s side only.
“You’re talking and now you’re more upset and got me pissed off. Is that what you really wanted to do?”
“No.” His mother’s voice was soft enough that if he were standing in front of her, he was positive her head would be down as if she were getting disciplined for talking back.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Mom. Or do. I’ll offer again for you to move out and I’ll help you.”
“I can’t leave your father.”
“You can. You choose not to. I get it—you’re afraid of living on your own. You’re afraid you can’t afford it. You’d be able to because he’d have to give you at least half of everything. That means the value of the house.”
“There isn’t much in the savings.”
“What the fuck,” he said. “Don’t tell me that.”
“I can see the savings. It’s not as high as it used to be.”
His parents weren’t that frivolous with money. His father might be cheating, but he wasn’t lavish with gifts. Nothing like that.
“Have there been problems in the house that I don’t know about? Repairs that need to be done? Things like that? Anything else you’re not saying?”
“No. Not that I know of.”
“Did you ask Dad why the savings is less? And how much less?”
“There is fifty thousand missing. I noticed it a few months ago.”
His shoulders sagged. His mother only ever worked part time her whole life. It was her spending money. His father had a decent job. He was a finance manager for a large car dealership. Working a lot of long hours and weekends. A perfect cover for a guy who might have a woman on the side.
“Ask him where it is,” he said.
“I suppose. Maybe when things calm down.”
“Find out, Mom,” he said. “Or I’ll make the call.”
“Please don’t,” his mother rushed out. “It will only make matters worse.”
Then why the fuck call him at all? She had to know he’d react this way.
“I don’t know what you want from me.”
“Just a shoulder to lean on.”
“Yeah,” he bit out, “but when I want to help, you don’t want it, so all it does is frustrate us both.”
He hung up a minute later, finished his lunch while he ran shit through his head.
Should he walk away or try to do something about it?
The lesser of the evils was to call his sister.
“I know,” Brittany said. “I got the call today too.”
He leaned back in his chair and blew out a breath. “What the fuck is wrong with her?”
“Don’t ask me. I’m a lesbian for a reason. I can’t understand men and after what Dad has done to Mom for years, I’m scarred by it.”
His sister’s dry humor always made him laugh.
“You’re not the only one.” He had his own demons, but ones he’d rather not share with anyone.
“I know,” Brittany said. “I get it. No one has a perfect relationship.”
“Theirs isn’t even close. She should have left him when we were teens.”
“Her excuse back then was she wasn’t doing anything while we were home. Then it was he promised to do better. Now it’s she doesn’t think she can afford to live on her own.” His sister’s voice was mimicking his mother’s tone and words pretty accurately.
“Did you record that and play it back right now?”
Brittany let out a hoot of laughter. “I wish. Or maybe I wish I could record my response to her every time she calls me over this stuff so I don’t have to listen to it anymore. Just kind of hit the button to replay and go back to what I was doing.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me. What do you know about the money that’s missing?”
“What missing money?”
His sister sounded as confused as him. “Mom said that there is fifty thousand missing from the savings. She noticed it a few months ago but has said nothing.”
“Good lord,” Brittany said. “Dad put that money in Mom’s retirement fund.”
His shoulders sagged with something of relief.
Yep, his father was a lying, cheating dick, but maybe he cared for his wife in his own odd way. Or it was guilt.
Probably guilt.
“You’re positive about that?”
“Yes,” Brittany said. “You know Dad lets me know what is going on with their investments. He can retire in two years, but said he doesn’t plan on it. He likes his job but might cut back to three days a week.”
Which could still be full-time hours. “Mom would love that.”
“I’m more worried about Mom right now. She gets this way. She’s all paranoid he’s found someone else and he’s going to leave her.”
“She should leave him first,” he snarled.
“I’ve said it as much as you, but it’s not going to happen. I don’t think Dad will leave Mom either. He’s taken advantage of her for years and now it’s probably more companionship for them both.”
“Their life, their marriage.”
“That’s what I said. But Dad is taking care of Mom.
I’m not sure if he’s making sure I know so I don’t hate him as much when he does this shit all the time, but Mom is listed everywhere on all their investments and he even set one up for her fifteen years ago.
It’s just got her name on it. He’s been putting ten thousand in it every year and forgot for a few years. He put fifty in this time to cover it.”
“For his penance,” he said.
“Most likely. Sorry she ruined your day.”
“She didn’t. Just winds me up for a few minutes. She won’t bug me now for weeks after that.”
“She won’t call, but she’ll text,” Brittany said, a laugh bubbling out. “The same with me. I told her about Emme.”
“Who is Emme?”
“My girlfriend. She just moved in last week.”
“Be careful.”
Brittany let out an exaggerated sigh. “Thank you for asking about Emme. She’s really sweet. She’s a middle school teacher and lived in the same complex as me.”
“Then why did she have to move in with you?”
“No one is taking advantage of me, Baker. I get it. It happened to you. I’ve witnessed just as much shit as you have, but I go into relationships with my eyes open. Both our names are on the lease, we are splitting all the costs. She wanted that as much as me. I’m good.”
At least one of them was. “How long have you been dating? You haven’t said a word.”
“Eight months. I haven’t said anything to anyone until I knew it was going somewhere.”
“And Mom got mad?”
“You know she thinks I’m going through a phase. So yeah, now she won’t bug me for a bit.”
He laughed. “Well, if you’re happy, then I’m happy. I mean it.”
“I am. Maybe if you get some vacation time, you can take a trip and visit and meet her. Or I can come see you?”
“I’ll let you know. It’d be nice to see you at least.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Brittany said. “Baker?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad I’ve got at least one sane person in this family to talk to.”
“You think I’m sane?” he asked, positive his eyebrows were lost in his hairline.
“About as much as I am.”
“I guess it puts us ahead of the people who raised us.”