Chapter Twelve
J ane
Jane paced her kitchen, heart thudding with a mix of nerves and resolve.
Zachary Norton would be pulling into her driveway any minute now for their date.
Yes. A date. After two weeks of radio silence from Brady—not one single word—she’d finally given Zach a when .
No more stalling. No more waiting around for a man who wouldn’t choose her.
She’d avoided the brewery like it was nuclear.
She’d told Rex she’d been busy. And she had been.
Plus, her brother had been traveling. But in the past, no matter how hectic her schedule was, she always found time to swing by Dog Tired—even just to say hi.
That changed the moment Brady restacked the bricks around his heart.
The few times she’d stopped into the brewery, Brady had kept himself tucked away in the office. Their interactions, brief and polite, were like cold splashes of reality—each one chipping away at her heart a little more.
She glanced at the clock on the microwave. Any second now.
She stared at her reflection in the kitchen window. She’d almost canceled. Almost texted Zach to say she wasn’t ready. And maybe she wasn’t. But how would she know unless she tried?
What’s that saying? The only way over a man is under another.
She snorted. Not that she planned to sleep with Zach. But maybe letting someone new into her life might help push Brady further out of her heart. Or at least help her remember who she was without him.
She watched as Zach’s black Toyota 4 Runner turned into her driveway and rolled to a stop.
The door opened and he hopped out, casual confidence in every step.
His chestnut-colored hair looked freshly trimmed, cropped short like he’d just buzzed it that afternoon.
A mustard corduroy jacket, buttoned to the top, hugged his torso.
The dark denim jeans he wore clung to his hips like they had no intention of letting go.
He looked good—stylish, put-together. Handsome.
But he wasn’t built like Brady. Brady’s muscles contoured his frame like something chiseled out of stone. Raw, real and impossible to forget.
Ugh. Stop it, Jane. Stop thinking about him .
She forced a breath, pressed a smile to her lips and stepped toward the door.
She opened it. “Hi.”
Zach’s gaze took her in as he climbed the two stairs to her front porch. “Hi, yourself.” He leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her cheek. “This color looks incredible on you.” He touched her cherry red blouse that she also paired with dark jeans. “You look incredible.”
“Thank you.” Heat rose on her cheeks. It’s not the first compliment she’d received but it was nice to get one. She gave him another once-over. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.”
He smiled.
“Let me grab my purse and we can be on our way.” She turned to grab her clutch on the console table in the entryway and bounded out the door, locking it behind her.
They ate dinner at a southern contemporary restaurant in Thorton Park.
The menu took the classic southern comfort food like chicken and dumplings or meatloaf and spun it with some lobster or panko onions.
The food was delicious. Zach was easy to talk to and very interested in her.
He asked a lot of questions. He listened.
He made her laugh. By all intents and purposes, it was a great date.
So, why could she not stop thinking about Brady?
Damn it.
Brady wasn’t thinking about her. He was likely back at Dog Tired, flirting with some woman at the bar, flashing his crooked smile, handing over a free pint of their winter ale with the promise of something more. She’d witnessed that scene plenty of times over the years.
Her stomach twisted into a knot.
She turned to Zach, forcing casual into her tone. “Did you want to swing by my brother’s brewery?”
Even as the words left her mouth, she knew it was a petty move—a look-what-you’re-missing kind of play.
But she didn’t care. Or maybe she did care.
Either way, she wasn’t going to tiptoe around the place like she didn’t belong.
Rex co-owned the brewery, and she had every right to go.
Brady didn’t get to take that from her too.
“I love Dog Tired. Sure.” Zach smiled.
They pulled up to the brewery and found a spot in the back of the parking lot. Dog Tired usually hosted a local musician or band for a few hours of live music on the weekends.
Zach held the door open for her. The strum of a guitar greeted them. The singer’s voice floated through the space like bubbles. Sounded folky—a chill vibe. People sat at the long maple tables sipping their beers, listening to the music or chatting up their neighbor.
Rex stood at the bar talking to a guy she didn’t recognize. When he looked up and saw her, he smiled and waved her over. Zach followed her through the table maze with his hand at her low back.
“Janey, what brings you in tonight?” He stepped around the bar and enveloped her in a hug. He’d been calling her Janey since she could remember. It made her feel like a little girl. No one else could use the nickname, but she made an exception for her brother.
She gave her brother a squeeze. “Zach and I went out to dinner and thought we’d swing by here to see what was happening.” She pulled back. “Zach’s a big fan.”
Zach stepped forward and held out his hand. “Zach Norton. So good to meet you.”
“Rex Bancroft.” Rex shook his hand. “Glad you two could swing by. The musician tonight is great. Can I grab you a beer?”
They ordered their beers and stood at the bar chatting with Rex. Rex and Zach had a love of sports, which led to some intense discussions of the Super Bowl and the predictions for this year’s Stanley Cup.
“Hey,” Taylor said, slipping behind the bar from the brewing room. He lifted his chin in the direction of Zach. “Who’s the guy?”
“Hey, T. That’s Zach. A friend from the yoga studio.”
Taylor’s eyes flicked toward the office, then back to her, one brow arched.
“What?” she asked. “You’re looking at me strange.”
“I am?” He pulled his lips into a tight line.
“Yes.” She nudged his shoulder with her own. He couldn’t know. Brady wouldn’t have told him. He wouldn’t have told a soul.
“Do you honestly think this is wise, Jane?”
“What do you mean?”
He put his arm around her shoulder and lowered his voice, “With Brady here?”
She froze. Oh, God. He had told him. “He-he told you?”
“I don’t think he meant to. But he looked wrecked, so I asked. He’s punishing himself. Seeing you in here with someone else will drive him insane.”
“I didn’t come here to torment him.”
Taylor gave her a long look, tilting his head. “Didn’t you?”
“I didn’t,” she repeated, but her voice was quieter. “He told me we can’t be together. He doesn’t want to even try. I can’t stop living my life.”
“You know I love you like a sister. I’d never expect you to put your life on hold because he’s a stubborn blowhard. But come on, Jane—do you really think dating someone this soon after sleeping with the love of your life is helping?”
“It’s been two weeks since he left me. He left me.” Her voice broke on the last word.
“And he hates himself for it.”
“He’s not the love of my life either,” she huffed, blinking hard.
Taylor gave her a soft smile. “Jane, the fact Rex hasn’t noticed the way you two look at each other—or how you’re always pulled toward one another—means he’s either blind, stupid, or pretending not to see it. My money’s on the third.”
She grimaced. So much for being discreet. She’d really thought she’d kept it together—kept herself together.
“You’re right,” she muttered.
“I know I am.” He chuckled.
“I’m going to go to the restroom and then Zach and I will head out.”
He nodded. “I’m here if you want to talk. I didn’t plan to be in the middle of all this but since I’m here, you might as well make use of me.”
She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, T. I love you.”
She told her brother and Zach she was going to the restroom before slipping down the hallway.
She ducked into the women’s restroom. Placing her hands flat on the counter, she stared at herself in the mirror.
What was she doing? Yes, her brother was part owner of this brewery and she wouldn’t agree to never bring a date in here.
But she’d allowed her emotions to make this decision.
Stick it to Brady. Get a reaction out of him.
Maybe even hurt him as he’d done to her.
She shook her head. She didn’t like this side of her. Pushing off the counter, she entered a stall. Now she had to think of a plausible reason for them to leave.