Chapter 13
Rowan
We were actively planning the grand opening, intending to host a family party at the brewery first as a trial run. It was a way to test that everything ran smoothly.
We decided to run the event as if it was a real day, so we didn't have it catered. We'd hired a few employees and trained them.
The brew bath was a separate part of the building with dressing rooms, robes, and slip-on shoes. There were towel warmers at each bath with privacy walls so that people could rent out an entire bath for their party or gathering. Or they could reserve the space as a couple.
"Is everything ready to go?" Beck asked me.
I sighed. "You've asked me that like five hundred times this morning."
"I just want to make sure that everything is perfect."
"This is the soft opening for our family and friends. There's no pressure, and we can tweak anything that comes up. You were the one who said we could work the kinks out, and we didn't have to be perfect yet."
He let out a breath. "I've never opened a business like this before. I've only ever worked on my own, which is online."
He ran a consulting company and occasionally invested in some of the businesses he worked with. But he'd never been this hands on before. "Relax. It's going to be fine."
"How are you more relaxed than I am?"
"We went through this with the restaurant, and after watching Malcolm lose his shit every five seconds, I've realized that it's better to remain calm."
"That's really good advice." Then he paused and looked at me. "How do you do that exactly?"
When Clara walked by, I waved her over. "Can you talk to Beck? He's freaking out."
Clara smiled and grabbed her boyfriend's hand. "Why don't you come with me?"
"I just wanted to make sure that everything was running smoothly." Beck's voice trailed off as they walked away.
Hattie appeared at my side. "Everything looks amazing. I love the handcrafted furniture, the bar is gorgeous, and the framed photos of you guys as kids…so adorable."
I grimaced. "Adorable?"
She pulled me over to the one where we were having a picnic in this building when we were kids. Clara had brought a tea set that we'd filled with water, and I was holding one of the cups with my finger pointed up in the air. We must have been pretending to be pretentious or something.
"This is amazing," Hattie said.
"I prefer amazing to adorable." We moved from one to another, and with each one, I told her a little bit about the day that was pictured.
At the last one, we paused. "It sounds like you had an idyllic childhood."
"We had the run of the property. Yeah, there were guests from the inn too and hikers on the trails, but we found plenty of space to play.
At some point, we got more interested in sports, but I remember the days when our imaginations were everything.
We'd build a fort, play pirates, or pretend we lived in this building. It was fun."
"I love that you had that," Hattie said, and there was no censure in her voice.
By the time I was friends with Hattie, we were playing more with friends and less with our younger siblings. So she hadn't experienced one of the days depicted in the pictures. "It was nice."
"I assume that your siblings will get married and have their own kids, raising them here as well."
"That's the idea. We wanted to build a business that would sustain the family for generations."
She waved a hand at the wall of pictures and the one with our family's story on it. "I think people will see that you're building something based on family and love and will relate to that."
Beck approached, looking a little more put together. "We're going to make the speech outside now that everyone is here."
We went outside and gathered around the front door. It was cold, but I was excited to share the brewery and the brew baths with my family.
Beck gestured for me to stand next to him.
We'd planned for me to start the speech.
"It's hard to believe that we're finally here.
After years of planning and dreaming, Malcolm invited Beck to evaluate the businesses and decide if this was even feasible.
Not only did he love the idea, he invested in the business, staying to help us build it from the ground up.
When we were kids, playing in this building as if it were our house, we could never imagine what would come later.
That our dreams would only get bigger. I know each one of you has dreams, and I want you to know that we're open to hearing them and expanding our business in even bigger ways in the coming years. "
Callum whistled, and everyone cheered.
Beck stepped forward. "It was an honor to be invited, and I feel lucky to have this opportunity. I believe in Hart's Brewery and Bathhouse and know it will be a success."
I grinned. "Welcome to Hart's Brewery and Bathhouse."
Everyone cheered, and we opened the doors for them to walk inside. They'd all seen various stages of the construction process, but only a few of us had seen the finished project.
Mom ran a hand over the nearest table. "This is a gorgeous set. I love seeing all of them in the space."
"Thanks, Mom," Boone said, pride evident in his voice.
"It was the right move to use Boone for the wood projects," Dad said.
"We delayed the opening to give Boone the time he needed to build all of this, and I think it was worth it," Beck said.
"The family's story and pictures on the wall combined with Boone's handcrafted furniture give the brewery a unique feel," I said.
We moved slowly around the space, sharing stories about hiccups in construction, or the arguments we had over design details.
"Are we able to get in the bath?" Clara asked. "I want to try it out."
Beck put his arm around her. "We did try the bath out that one time."
I closed my eyes, remembering when Beck asked if he could have the space to himself for the night. I tried not to think about what they were doing. "Please stop talking. Clara's my sister."
Clara laughed.
Beck directed everyone to the changing rooms. "I guess we're serving people in the brew bath tonight."
Even though it was just my family, I was nervous. I wanted everything to run smoothly. It was our first test.
"I'm going to change into my suit." Hattie hugged me and said, "I'm so proud of you."
Before I could respond, she'd moved toward the changing room and disappeared inside.
Dad stood next to me. "I'm proud of you too. We weren't sure about the baths, but now that I see them, it was a good addition. It fits here, you know?"
I nodded toward Malcolm, who had a sour expression on his face. "Malcolm still has his doubts."
Dad made a noncommittal sound in his throat. "Malcolm wants proof that things are going to work out before he does them. But that's not how life works."
"He wants a guarantee of success before he starts something," I said.
He nodded. "He's always been the most stubborn."
"Opening the restaurant was risky."
"He opened it after years of debate. He still worries every day that the customers will stop coming, and he will go out of business. That's no way to live. Try to enjoy this. Not make it all about numbers. I'm glad you have Hattie. She will keep you grounded."
"Malcolm thinks she's a distraction."
Dad shook his head. "She's going to be your wife. There is no greater pull on your life. She will always come first."
Dad had never given me advice like this before. "Is that how you've treated Mom over the years?"
"The business is important but not if it's hurting our family. I worry about Malcolm. He has McCoy, but he's more involved in the restaurant than ever. Sometimes I wish he'd take a step back."
"Is something going on with him?"
"He's talking about getting a nanny for McCoy so he can work nights at the restaurant. I don't like it."
"I didn't realize he was doing that." In the past, he worked evenings every other week, when McCoy's mother had him.
"He feels like sales are slipping, and he could do more if he worked longer hours."
"You don't like how he's handling it," I observed.
"I worry about McCoy. He'll only be a kid for so long."
"I'd say I'll talk to him, but he's the one telling me to focus solely on work and not my personal life. I don't think he's going to be open to listening."
"I'm hoping he'll realize that it's a mistake not being there for his son whenever he can. That work will always be there, but your kid is going to grow up, and eventually you're going to be alone." Dad sighed. "But enough about Malcolm. Today's about the brewery and your dreams."
"Thanks for supporting this and believing in me," I said to him, unable to shake the unease from the conversation.
My gaze moved to Hattie, who was walking toward me. She wore a robe, but it fell open to reveal a green bikini and tons of skin. My brain short-circuited. I wasn't prepared for this tonight. I was supposed to be focused on running the brewery. Not fixated on my fake fiancée's body.
I stepped toward her. "Which bath do you want?"
"Which one will you be in?" she asked.
I nearly groaned out loud. "I'm supposed to be working tonight."
She scraped her nails over my chest. "Maybe you'll have time in a bit to join me?"
I swallowed hard. "I'd love to."
She grinned and walked toward the first bath. She hung her robe on the hook and dipped a toe in the water to test the temperature.
Callum stood next to me. "You're not supposed to ogle the guests."
"She's not a guest. She's my fiancée." I was feeling very possessive of her. I didn't want my brothers or any other men seeing her in the bikini, which was ridiculous. Because she wasn't mine. Not really.
"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd settle down."
"You thought I'd be last?" I asked him, managing to pull my gaze away from Hattie, who was fully submerged in the bubbling water now.
He snorted. "Of all of us, Malcolm will be last. I didn't think you'd be the first brother to fall. I didn't even know you were looking for a girlfriend."
"I wasn't. It just happened." And that made it that much better. Everything that happened between us felt natural.
He raised a brow. "You're a lucky guy."
I frowned. "Why do you say that?"
"Hattie's a great girl. She's grounded and sweet, obviously hardworking. You know how hard it is to start a business, and she's doing it on her own. I'm sure her father's addiction affected her too."
"I wish I could have been there for her."
He clasped my shoulder. "You get to be there for her now."
The thing was, it wasn't really true. Hattie wasn't mine to protect or to support. When the brewery opened, there wouldn't be a need to pretend anymore. Her apartment would be fixed, and she'd move back. We'd break up. That was always the plan.
I only had a few more short weeks before the brewery opened. It wasn't enough time to win her over, but I was going to try. "I am a lucky guy."
"Mom said you bought a ring and are going to ask her again to marry you."
"Yeah, I want to do it right this time," I said, a little surprised by the tenderness in my voice.
He tipped his head to the side. "You could do it tonight."
"I already have something in mind." I wanted to declare to everyone how I felt about her but I also wanted it to be somewhat private. I didn’t want her to say that it was fake or that she wasn't feeling anything.
This relationship was everything for me.
Maybe it was unorthodox, but the feelings I was experiencing were real.
I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if it was real, if we were engaged and she was part of my family.
I'd get to come home to her every night.
We'd talk about our business, and eventually we'd plan on expanding our family.
Building onto my cabin and raising our kids on the property.
We'd make our own memories that we could document in picture frames.
My chest tightened.
"You plan on working tonight?" Malcolm asked when he walked by.
He didn't bother to stick around, but I got the message and got to work.
I was supposed to be serving the brews and talking to the guests about the ingredients and process.
Tonight was a dry run, and I was not focused on the right things.
Hattie would still be there when the night was over. She wasn't going anywhere yet.