Chapter 31 Ronan
THIRTY-ONE
RONAN
BUTTONED UP TIGHT
“Quit grinning like a lunatic. We’re counting.”
“Yep, got it. No grinning.” But I was still smiling as I dug through every case in the storage room.
While we were double checking everything, we took the time to sweep and mop, then rearranged the stock to make things easier on the staff. We’d had the materials on site for a key swipe to get in and out of the room, but we hadn’t set it up yet since things were still a little chaotic.
But that was no more.
Key swipes needed to be used for the registers anyway, so it was time for everyone to get used to them. We also set it up at the front door, but the back door was open most days and evenings, so that wasn’t foolproof in the least.
By the end of the night, we’d counted the entirety of our stock and even found a box of moonshine tucked near the back door.
That, alone, made me suspicious. It would be easy to stash and grab at the end of the night while people took out the trash. We didn’t have parking near the dumpsters, but we also didn’t have cameras over there.
I checked in with Beckett and he sent Justin out to install two of them before he went home for the day.
Beckett was even quieter than usual when he checked in with us, but I knew the orchard was more family than business to him in some ways. Unfortunately, I knew more about theft in the industry than I did about trust.
Recipes for beer could run in the millions for the larger corporations.
And while I had no delusions about my ciders, I knew it was something Beckett would need to think about for the future.
If Brothers Three Orchard was serious about distributing, then it would be a much higher dollar figure involved than a few hundred cases for a taproom.
In the long run, these actions were to cover our asses, not because we had to be mistrustful of everyone.
I did a walkthrough of the entire taproom after the cleaning crew finished up and met Matt and Annette at the front door with two swipe cards.
“Here you go. Keep these on you at all times. It’s for swiping in for work from now on and for your time cards.”
Annette frowned. “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize we were doing these.”
“Yeah, we have them for the registers anyway. That’s how you’ll swipe in and out for the day. But now there’s no open access for the back door to the dumpsters. You’ll need your card to swipe in and out.”
Her eyebrows went up. She glanced at Matt who took his and stuffed it in his pocket. “Guess it’s getting really real now, huh?”
“I guess,” Matt mumbled.
“I wanted to ask you if you’d seen anything odd in the last few weeks? Anyone in the storeroom that shouldn’t be there?”
Annette blinked at me. “What do you mean? Like…taking stuff?”
I knew Kira trusted Annette. She’d been with her from the start and had known her the longest. I hedged my bets and nodded. “We’re missing some cases of cider. We think we managed to save a case of moonshine today. Found it where it shouldn’t be.” I didn’t want to give specifics.
“No. I can’t think of anyone. We’ve all been working hard to make sure everything is ready for the party and for the opening.”
I gently patted her arm. “It’s okay. I’m just asking. If you see anything, let us know, okay?”
“Absolutely. There’s nothing worse than a thief. I can’t imagine anyone who would betray Kira and Beckett—and you, of course.”
I smiled at her. “Of course.”
“Not after all the hard work we’ve all done.”
“We’re hoping it’s just a mistake, but we have to take precautions.”
“Yeah, of course.”
I glanced at Matt, who was quiet. “Did you see anything?”
He shook his head. “I just come in and do my work, man. I gotta go, Annette. You good?”
She frowned. “I thought we were going to dinner.”
“Yeah, maybe next time. I’m tired.”
“Okay.” She frowned as Matt swiped his card at the door, then pushed it open and hustled down the stairs. “This sucks.”
“I know. We don’t want to think about anyone stealing.”
“Are you sure someone did?” Her dark eyes were shiny as she looked up at me.
“We’re pretty sure. And you can’t think of anyone?”
“I mean, Janice and Sherry are kind of annoying, but they’d probably backstab you before they’d steal a case of brew.”
“Good to know.” I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Do we need to talk to them?”
She snorted. “I can deal with a few girls with more looks than brains any day.”
“I’m sure you can.”
She paused at the door, then swiped her card. “This really sucks.”
“I know.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I stayed at the door and watched her go to her car, then locked up. I went to the storeroom to check on Kira, but she’d already shut off the lights. I double checked things for my own peace of mind and slipped a bottle of Firefly out of its case.
The label was in the same carved linocut style of the owl logo for the orchard.
It was a little cleaner than actual linocut work.
I was familiar with it from my mom, since she’d tried every form of art during my childhood.
But the same graphic look here was sharp and masculine with a bit of softness in the colors the artist had chosen.
Purples and buttery yellows reminded me of the field of fireflies from that night. It was hard to believe so much had happened in less than two months. Even with the annoyance of the theft, I felt nothing but pride for the cider I’d created with Kira.
And I could only imagine how many other things we’d do together.
I slid the bottle back into the case, then looked around the room one more time before locking that up too.
I found Kira in her office. The papers had multiplied on her desk and she was poring over each one.
“Sunshine, it’s time to wrap it up.”
“I just want to review it one more time.”
“Babe.” I took her hand and pulled her out of her chair, then clicked the light off over her desk. “Enough.”
“How did I not see it?”
I sighed. “Because they probably took a case at a time.” I drew her out of the room and grabbed her bag, which was hanging on a hook near the door. “Oh, hey. I’ll grab the trash for you.”
“Who would do that, though?”
“We’ll figure it out, or we won’t.”
She frowned up at me.
I lifted a shoulder. “Maybe the new security will make them think twice.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like the thought of someone I can’t trust working for me.”
I brushed a kiss over her forehead. I didn’t either. “We’ll just do the best we can. And we’ll give Hayes one helluva birthday party.”
She gave me a small smile for that one. “Yeah, we will.”
The ride home was dark and quiet. Both of us had been going hard all day. Trying to find answers and tighten up any holes for the future. Nothing was a guarantee, but I knew my girl hated that more than anything else.
The first wisps of coolness on the breeze spoke of fall coming.
August nights were my favorite part of the summer.
We rolled down the windows of my truck and listened to the night sounds of the orchard.
The tree frogs and crickets created their unique symphony with the owls out for their evening meals.
As we traveled through Turnbull, then turned down her lane, she looked over at me. “Thanks for keeping me from freaking out.”
I parked in the small lot beside the old Victorian. “You would have figured it out, but I’m really glad you let me in.”
“You’ve been getting in since Lucky’s bar, pal.”
I unclipped her belt and dragged her over to my side of the truck. “Is that right?”
“Yeah. Defending my honor from the first moment I met you.”
“Huh. I guess when you put it that way, you owe me a little something.”
“Is that right?” She placed her hand on my thigh and moved it up. “What did you have in mind?”
“Think that tub of yours can fit us both?”
“Definitely not.”
I laughed. “Okay. Guess we’ll have to make sure we have a bonus sized tub in our house.”
“Our house?” Her laugh filled the cab of the truck.
“C’mon, Sunshine. You know you’re gonna live with me, marry me, and make all of the babies.”
She poked me in the chest. “And just where is this house going to be?”
“What do you think Kain’s been working on so diligently?”
“I don’t get a say?”
With everything going on, I didn’t even think about the fact that Kain hadn’t given me the go ahead about telling Kira about him. Well, a man told his woman everything, didn’t he?
“Since it’s been a day of revelations, I suppose I should tell you about Kain.”
“I knew it. He’s an ex-con.”
A belly laugh rolled through me. “Oh, man. He’ll get a kick out of that one.”
She pinched my side.
“Ow. Okay, okay.” I brought her hand up to my mouth for a kiss along her wrist. “Kain is not just a chef.”
“Duh.”
“He’s hiding out because his dad died recently.”
“Oh.” Instantly contrite, she turned into me to cup my face. “I’m so sorry. Why didn’t he tell any of us?”
“They didn’t have a great relationship and he’s pretty messed up about it. The thing is, Kain is kind of…”
“Kind of what? Famous? He’s a model.”
“What?” I laughed again. “No, not a model. Don’t say that shit to him. He’s got enough of an ego.” I laced our fingers. Mostly so she wouldn’t hit me. “He’s rich.”
“Rich?”
I winced. “Like eight figures rich.”
“What?” Her voice went shrill. “A billionaire is cooking at our taproom?”
At least she called it our taproom. “Yeah. He loves it. And it’s helped him a ton. Kain’s actually a pretty famous architect, so the famous isn’t that far off.”
“And he’s making you a house?”
“Pretty sure it’s going to be our wedding present.”
“You do realize you haven’t even asked me yet, right?” Her eyes were suspiciously shiny in the dark.
“I know. But you’re going to say yes.”
She leaned across me and opened the door and pushed me out. “Go. I’m starving and you’re going to feed me, then we’re going to have some really hot sex. Then I’m sleeping until I wake up.”
I stumbled out onto the pavement and saved myself from landing on my ass by grabbing the door. “Why you gotta be so rough?”
She scooted out of my side of the truck and slammed it shut. “You like when I’m rough.”
I scooped her up and tossed her over my shoulder. “You’re damn right, I do.”