32. Someone In His Life
SOMEONE IN HIS LIFE
“You’ve got my wife walking around on cloud nine tiptoeing like she’s some miracle worker ready to soar with wings.”
Baker turned from where he was on the floor five days later to see Gavin standing there smirking. “Are you sure it’s not tap dancing around in a victory lap?”
Gavin came over and slapped him on the back. “That too. You just made her day not only admitting it but thanking her.”
“Hey, anything to keep her happy,” he said drily.
“That’s the motto in my household. But I’m glad it’s working out.”
“Seems to be,” he said. “Coming to work today or to chat?”
“No reason we can’t do both. I heard a rumor that you’ve got a new mixed drink you’re testing out today?”
He laughed. “No rumor. Going to try out a Tom Collins. I’ve got to say I love that Mason has given me free rein to test things.”
“He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t trust you. And so far this leg of the business is blowing up more than he imagined.”
It was the kind of pride he’d always wanted to hear from a parent. Something he’d never heard in his life at home.
His father worked all the time, nights, weekends, even around holidays. The times when people were out looking for cars. Connor Hansen would be right there trying to sell you everything to go with it.
He often wondered if his mother had fallen for the salesmanship in his father. Or if that was what all the other women did.
He supposed it didn’t matter, nor that he couldn’t ever seem to get the drama with his parents out of his head.
Could be his mother texting him again over the weekend, giving him an update on how his father was handling his medication. More like complaining.
What did she want him to say?
Brittany was probably right—his mother was trying to get the two men in her life to reconcile.
“I’m glad it’s going so well. I’ve got to admit, all those friends of mine who bitched about their jobs… You won’t hear me doing it. Not unless stuff doesn’t taste right, but I still love coming in daily.”
“I always said the same thing,” Gavin said. “It’s a lot of work running a business. Dealing with the public even, long nights, weekends. Not really a life for a family either.”
“You two seemed to make it work just fine. The same with your kids.”
“It’s all about how you make use of the time,” Gavin said. “Including everyone when you can and making the right moments count. Brody and Aiden, they work the hardest, or the longest hours daily. They were both night owls and luckily found the right women in their lives who felt the same.”
“That makes a difference for sure.”
He remembered back at his old job, when he started in the brewery and then slid over into the distillery. He’d been working long days into the night, weekends also. He filled in where they needed him because it wasn’t nearly the operation here.
Though the Fierce distillery was still only a few years in, he had twenty-five staff working for him, a manager under him to deal with scheduling and staff issues, and he was left to do most of the producing, testing, and formulas.
Talk about a sweet deal without too much responsibility.
And all those extra hours he put in, that was on him to make Mason proud. To not have him regret giving him the shot.
But now that he had someone in his life—not just one person, but two—he didn’t want to always work those late nights. Or run in on the weekends. Not to just kill time because he was lonely.
He did if it was required, because he’d never slack off on his job.
And Tasha, she understood. She never once complained.
She never once asked him to rearrange anything.
Guess it was what Gavin said—making the time together count.
“What about you?” Gavin asked. “Sounds as if things are working out well with Tasha?”
“They are.” He measured out the lemon juice, then the sugar for his batch, added in the gin and hit the button for it to mix together.
“Are you going to let me try that?”
He laughed. “As if you’d listen if I said no. I know where my paycheck really comes from.”
Gavin wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ll get the club soda ready.”
“It’s on the counter over there,” he said, nodding his head. There were several glasses lined up next to it.
“Is Mason coming down to try it?”
“If I think it’s good enough,” he said. He moved to his laptop and punched in the measurements he used. Not a big batch, but enough to see where they could work on it before it hit the production line.
“I’m sure it’s going to be just fine,” Gavin said.
They had to wait for the process to finish, but he knew damn well it wouldn’t be in silence.
“Did your wife send you in here to grill me? I didn’t think you did her bidding.”
“I volunteered once I heard what you were working on.” Gavin stood up straight to his six-foot-five height, his chest puffed out some. “Anything to get out of the house.”
“And you have a hand in this. So it was worth quizzing me like a chick?”
“I always did like you, Baker,” Gavin said. “I’ll let that comment pass because you’re right. That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Gavin looked around as if he might be fearful his wife was close by. “If I come home with something, she’ll be off your back for weeks. Maybe months.”
He had to weigh his words.
The visit with Tasha’s parents had gone well. Better than well.
He’d done a damn good job hiding his nerves. With the way she was acting, the last thing she needed was to know he was feeling the same. Maybe even worse.
And when Ron pulled his daughter outside for a chat, he wasn’t sure what the hell was happening, nor what would come out of Gillian’s mouth leaving the two of them inside.
But Tasha’s mother was excited, polite, maybe even a little over the top asking how things were going with them, but nothing that he found too intrusive.
When Tasha came back in with her father smiling, and Micah ran to him to sit on his lap, the vibe changed in the room.
Not just with her parents, but with him. The environment.
The family they were becoming.
He saw in that moment a future.
One with her and Micah and maybe another child.
Yeah, he wanted at least one of his own someday. He was positive Tasha would too.
Not that they’d talked about it much. It was too soon.
Just not there for either of them regardless of how much it was crowding space in his brain.
There was no reason to scare her off with pressure.
Nor scare himself with thoughts he’d had once that Alexa couldn’t handle.
But Tasha wasn’t Alexa.
Tasha was strong. She was independent. She was open with him even if she wasn’t with others.
He knew where he stood and, under it all, it was what he craved the most.
“Anything to make Jolene happy,” he said. The buzzer went off, and he hit the tap on the batch for the mixture to pour into his glass, Gavin right there holding his glass next.
They both took a sip. Gavin, having run a bar for decades, would know exactly how the best cocktail should taste.
“Not bad,” Gavin said, taking another sip.
He did the same, let it settle on his tongue for a second.
“More lemon and more sugar,” he said.
“Agreed,” Gavin said. “The gin content is good. Try the lemon first.”
“That was the plan.” He measured out a small amount, updated it on his computer, then hit the button to spin it.
“Have you thought about a touch of cherry juice in it?” Gavin asked. “Saves people from the garnish with the cherry. Not everyone thinks to pick them up. The truth is, most don’t eat it, just like the little hit of tartness.”
“I hadn’t thought of it. I will though. We’ll get this squared first, then once I get it to the point it’s good, I can test a batch with that.”
“You know I’m here to help,” Gavin said.
They tested it with the additional lemon. He still wasn’t sure, but looked at Gavin who nodded his head. “Good? You’ve got more experience with this than me.”
“Perfect. Now for the sugar,” Gavin said.
They went back and forth for thirty minutes and got it to where he felt it was damn spectacular, poured it over the club soda next with ice and gave it a sip.
“I think it’s time to call Mason down,” he said, pulling his phone out and sending the text.
Ten minutes later, Mason walked in and shook his head. “Why am I not surprised you’re taking part in this, Dad?”
“Hey, Baker needed my help.”
He let out a snort very close to a laugh. “Your father isn’t wrong. Give it a try with and without the club soda.”
Mason took the glass and tasted it, wrinkled his nose, then took another.
Maybe he was getting ahead of himself. “I’m going with my dad on this. I’m not a fan of lemon and gin isn’t my favorite, so if you guys think this is good, you can start working on the measurements for the production, then we can get bottling and labels set up.”
He looked at Gavin. “I say give it a whirl and see how it goes.” Gavin drained his small glass, then got some more and held it up. “Here’s to Baker, getting me out of the house, and able to return and make my wife happy at the same time. She won’t even care I was here drinking.”
“Dude,” Mason said, looking at Baker and smirking. “Really? You’re making this way too easy for them. I’m disappointed.”
He laughed. “Whatever works,” he said.
“You’ve been gone a long time,” Jolene said when Gavin walked in the door four hours later. “You better have gotten some damn good information out of Baker and not been drinking the entire time you were there.”
“Don’t be a nag, Jolene.”
He knew saying that would cause her back to rise. He’d never grow tired of her feisty side.
“You love it when I am. Fill me in and I won’t nag you for drinking while you were there. I know Baker was working on something new. Jessica told me.”
“He was and he did. Got a good one coming out that I had a hand in. You know these things take time. I had to warm him up to get him to talk.”
All lies and the look his wife sent him said she knew he was hamming it up.
“And what did he say?”
“Not much,” he said.
Jolene whacked his arm. “In four hours, you didn’t get much at all?”
He laughed and pulled her in, tucking her under his arm. “I got enough. I also told him if he gave me something good, you’d leave him alone for weeks. Maybe even months.”
“Months?” she whispered. “I don’t think so.”
“I think so. Because he met Tasha’s parents and things are going well. Knowing that, let them find their way. Like I said, some things take time.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said, her voice full of all the grouch she could muster.
“I’m always right, but you don’t like to admit it. Consider this a win so far and take a break from it. You’re running out of candidates.”
“No, I’m not. There are always staff.”
“There are, but not anyone you’ve really grown attached to. You know as well as I do, it’s hard if you don’t feel some kind of personal connection to them.”
He couldn’t fault his wife for wanting to set up Baker. He liked the kid the minute he met him. It was actually surprising it’d taken this long.
But again, time for the right person to come along.
“I know. I’ll take a break after this... maybe.”
His wife’s laughter said maybe not.