Chapter 9 #2
"Remember your responsibilities," Malcolm said as he walked away.
Irritation bubbled to the surface. The brewery was my part of the business.
Everyone got a say in decisions, but now that we'd decided to go forward with the project, it was really mine and Beck's.
No one else's opinion mattered in the day-to-day.
They were only involved when we were deciding whether to open it on the property with the brew bath.
I waited for my drinks and carried them outside where Hattie was curled up on one of the couches, the furthest away from the party. I set the drinks on the coffee table and slid under the throw with her.
"You got spiced hot chocolate?" Her voice was laced with surprise as she grabbed the mug.
"I thought you'd prefer a hot drink, and what’s better than hot chocolate?”
She blew over the steaming liquid. "This is perfect. Thank you."
I rested my arm over the back of the couch. "I'm sure it's not as good as yours."
She smiled weakly. "Mine is missing the kick. What did Malcolm have to say to you?"
I glanced over my shoulder to see her direct line of site to the bar. "You saw that, huh?"
"You looked upset with whatever he was saying. Is he mad that we're engaged?" She set her mug down without taking a sip.
"Why would you say that?" I asked, scrambling to figure out why she would come to the conclusion that she was the problem. According to Malcolm, she was the issue, but not in the way she was thinking.
"I'm sure it came as a surprise to everyone, and I'm not exactly the kind of girl your family sees you with." Her voice was matter-of-fact, but I was even more confused.
I frowned. "Are you saying I'm not good enough for you?"
She shook her head, her brow furrowed. "Not at all. It's the other way around. You're small-town royalty. Your family owns several successful businesses, and I'm just the town drunk's daughter."
I sucked in a breath at her harsh words. "I've never thought of you like that, and no one else ever has either."
She frowned. "You can't know what everyone is thinking."
"I can say what I think, and I definitely have never thought that about you. Your dad struggled with a disease, and you're his daughter. But that's not all of who you are."
She dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry. I was just—I was worried that Malcolm warned you away from me, and if so, that's understandable. I can step aside if this engagement is making things worse for you."
Since Hattie was jumping to crazy conclusions, I decided just to tell her the truth. "He thinks I'm losing focus because he assumes I'll be spending a lot of time with you. As if you can't have a relationship and run a business."
"Is that what he thinks about himself? He can't be a good dad and have a relationship? He can't run the restaurant and be involved with a woman?"
"I mean, he's never said so before, but I suppose that makes sense.
He certainly hasn't been serious with anyone in a long time.
" If he was dating anyone, he kept it quiet.
It appeared that he was solely focused on his business, and maybe he wanted me to do the same.
It was fine when we were single but not now.
"It sounds like he needs to deal with his own issues and not project them onto me. "
"Maybe he's onto something. We wanted to keep the focus on the brewery, but I'm creating more drama in your life that you don't need. You're getting up early to clear the lane of snow and stopping by at night to help me pack up. It's not necessary. You should be focused on the brewery and not me."
I grunted, because I hated that she might be right. "Malcolm doesn't get to dictate my relationship."
"But this isn't a real relationship. You can spend more time on the business. I promise I can handle the truck. I've been doing it for a while on my own."
I raised a brow. "You'll call if you need me?"
"If it means you'll get more time to work on your business, then yes. I don't want to create problems for you."
"Don't worry. You're not. But I'll make some adjustments to get Malcolm to back off. Once the brewery is open, I can relax and focus on what really matters." Hattie was right. I had gone out of my way to help her when it wasn't exactly necessary.
The snow fell around us, and the only light was a string of them that hung above us, creating a magical feeling. "It's so beautiful out here."
She was talking about the snow, but I was watching her face. Her eyes were bright with wonder, and her lips were curved into a relaxed smile. This was what I wanted for Hattie. I wanted her to be happy.
I didn't want her to be weighed down from her past or consumed with thoughts of what people thought about her and her family. I wanted her to let go, even if it was only for one night.
I'd like to think that I was special, that I was different from everyone else in her life.
But I was just a blip. Once the brewery was open, our engagement would be over.
There wouldn't be a need to pretend anymore.
And the fact that I was falling for her more every day would need to be dealt with.
Because I was almost one hundred percent positive that there wasn't a place for me in Hattie's life.
She didn't see me as someone she could be with. That kiss was feeling further away every day. It was probably an anomaly, or I was remembering it wrong. It clearly hadn't affected her. I had to follow her lead.
For now, I'd focus on the brewery and showing Malcolm that I was serious about this new endeavor. This thing with Hattie could wait.