Deliciously Bitter (Naked Brews Book 3) Read online

  We walked across a small parking lot. Walsh stopped beside a golden yellow, old rusty truck. He threw my luggage over the steel cage built around the bed—what the fuck did a truck need that for?—and then opened the driver’s side door as I stood there, staring at the truck, stupefied.

  When Walsh tilted his head at me from inside the cab, I finally opened the passenger side door, but I didn’t get in. Not yet. I knew he’d gotten a new vehicle, but... I backed away from the door and looked at the derelict truck again. No, it didn’t look any better than it had before. “Seriously, you traded Desiree for this?”

  Desiree had been a special order, a golden yellow, 2016 Corvette Stingray Z07. She’d been a gorgeous mix of power and man-made precision. This...wasn’t.

  “Hey,” Walsh protested. “Don’t badmouth Eugene.”

  I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. “Eugene? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  “It suits him. He’s dependable, reliable, and doesn’t put me in a ditch. Eugene is like a reliable flannel shirt, always a good choice in the mountains.”

  I nodded as if Walsh’s twisted logic about cars made sense, but since Desiree had put him in a ditch the first time he’d driven her in snow, he probably had a point. “You realize,” I mused, “without Desiree, I’m not sure this weekend would even be a thing.” I climbed into the truck, ignoring the tightness in my chest when faced with the enclosed space. I immediately rolled down my window.

  Walsh did the same as he twisted his head in thought. “You know, you’re right. I never even considered that. It was only because I got stuck here while she was getting fixed that I got to know Lake as more than a pain in my ass.”

  We pulled out of the parking lot, and I gripped my hands into fists. Despite my discomfort about being inside a moving vehicle, I grinned. “And look at you now...getting married.”

  To say Lake and Walsh hadn’t gotten along at their first meeting was putting it lightly. I’d actually been on his Bluetooth with him when he’d wrecked. He’d been ranting about the sexy, infuriating brewer, who had more than gotten him hot under the collar, when he’d spun out on the icy roads.

  Luckily, we didn’t have to deal with slick roads today. I took a deep breath and tried to take in the town. I looked down at my fists and concentrated on pressing the pressure points inside my wrists and centering internally rather than externally to stay focused. That was the only way to keep a panic attack from coming on.

  “You doing okay?” Walsh asked, his voice low. He knew how bad I could get. One time, I had become so panicked I’d literally tried to throw myself out of the moving car.

  I nodded and swallowed. “Yeah, just peachy. So, tell me more about the plans for the next two days. What does the—” I took a couple of steadying breaths and consciously willed my racing heartbeat to slow. “What does the schedule look like?”

  “Only a couple more minutes,” Walsh murmured, and then he kept talking like I wasn’t having a complete meltdown on the other side of the truck. He’d learned how to handle me years ago. “The rehearsal dinner will be tonight at seven. Don’t worry, there’s going to be less than a dozen people there, and they’re all our best friends and family. It should be very relaxed and laid-back.”

  Said the guy with the normal face. He wouldn’t have to deal with the curious looks and questions. The automatic “hero” label often came up when all I wanted was my four friends back, not to be lauded for simply surviving something horrific. I shuddered but concentrated on Walsh’s words again. My stomach rolled, and I blew out a slow breath.

  “You know the details about the wedding. I get shackled tomorrow, and after, there will be a reception.” He quieted for a moment. “I know that none of this is going to be easy for you. It means so fucking much that you’ve come, that you’ve made the effort just to be here. If it ever gets to be too much, though, I get it and won’t blame you for bowing out.”

  The truck came to a halt, and he turned it off.

  I opened eyes that I hadn’t even realized I’d shut as I had concentrated on his voice. Then, I looked over to him. He studied me. I knew what he was looking for—signs of a panic attack, a mental breakdown. The signs that I was going to turn coward and run.

  “I’m doing better. I can do this. I want to do this.” I lowered my voice. “I owe you everything, Walsh.”

  If Walsh hadn’t been there for me on those nights when the nightmares had gotten to be too much, the pain too unbearable, I wouldn’t be alive today. We both knew it. But we didn’t talk about that, and it was time to lighten things up.

  I forced a grin. “Besides, you need me here just in case you get cold feet and need someone to drive the getaway car.” I could drive. It just felt slightly less torturous than a million fire ants taking up residence on my balls.

  Walsh laughed. “That’s totally not going to happen, asshole. I happen to love Lake and cannot wait to make her my wife.”

  “Of course you do,” I said in my most patronizingly tone. “But I’m just saying...just in case...” I pointed at my chest. “I’m your guy.”

  “Yeah, you are. Come on. Let me show you where you’re going to be living.”

  I jumped out of the truck and took my first look at the timber and rock cabin he’d rented for me. Nice. Although nestled among the aspens and pines like it had always been there, it looked new. A set of stairs led up to the large timber-frame porch where a wood swing swayed slightly in the breeze.

  It was two stories and looked perfect. There were just enough details like hand-forged, outdoor lights and carriage-styled doors on the double garage to make it really interesting. I raised my eyebrows at Walsh. “And how long is this rented for? You may have to evict me to get me to leave.”

  Walsh rubbed across the back of his neck uncomfortably as we walked up the stairs.

  I got a sudden bad feeling low in my belly.

  “Well, actually I kind of wanted to talk to you about that.”

  “O—kay. What?”

  “I... We need to ask you for a huge favor. And know right now...I realize how much this is asking, but you’re the only one who we can trust to do this, because Lake and I don’t have any more ideas.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the fire?” A few months back, there had been an explosion in the brewery. It had later been classified as arson, but they’d never discovered who’d done it.

  “Yeah, but it’s bigger than that. Piecing it all together, it looks like someone has been trying to sabotage the brewery for a while now. With the opening of Ice’s Brew Pub in a couple of weeks, we’re afraid something else is going to happen. We need outside eyes and ears to watch over things. The only thing we can conclude is that Lake and I are too close to see who’s doing this. It has to be someone who works at Naked Brews because too much has happened that no one besides an employee could sabotage. I’m hoping you’ll work at the brewery while we’re on our honeymoon and watch over everything. See what you can find out. We need help, Double R.”

  Double R. He just had to use my nickname from our military days, as if to remind me of the guy that I used to be. The guy who would face any challenge for one of my friends no matter the risk. Not the guy who had panic attacks from walking out the front door and having someone look at him. Such a fucking coward.

  But I had made it here, already faced down that excruciating flight and sequence of car rides. And the fact of the matter remained, I owed Walsh, so turning him down wasn’t really an option I could even consider.

  “Okay, I’ll do it,” I said.

  Walsh stopped dead still. “What?”

  “I said I’d do it.”

  His eyes were wide. “Seriously? I thought I’d have to promise you my firstborn to get you to agree to this.”

  I shoved at his shoulder even as my stomach lurched. I tried not to let Walsh see how the very idea of doing this terrified me. “No way. Can you imagine me with kids?” They’d cry in fright every time they looked at me. I knew t
hat from experience. No, thanks. “If you still had Desiree, I’d probably demand her, but maybe I’ll let you fill up the beer fridges at the Denver house when you get back.”

  “You have a deal.”

  “Cool. Now I’m going to go find the master bedroom. I need a shower.” I plucked my damp shirt off my chest and bounded up the stairs, hoping I’d covered my need for escape okay as the panic at what I’d just agreed to rolled over me.

  Luckily, I found the bathroom before I managed to puke up everything I’d eaten today.

  Chapter Three

  Alex

  “Here, Mrs. Ryan.” I grabbed a glass of wine off a serving tray as it passed by. “Why don’t you enjoy another glass before we sit down to eat?”

  The Treehouse restaurant was all ours for the evening, and the amazing twinkling lights and live trees growing inside did not disappoint. Everyone else at the rehearsal dinner was milling around, enjoying the appetizers, and having a good time. Everyone except Emily Ryan.

  Lake’s mom took the dry red wine, but it did nothing to erase the scowl on her face. “I don’t know why we’re bothering to have a rehearsal dinner when there wasn’t even a rehearsal.”

  I took a deep breath and plastered a practiced smile across my face. “Good point, Mrs. Ryan. But do we really need a reason to enjoy an evening with friends and family? Plus, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to get to know Walsh a little better.”

  Lake caught my eye from across the restaurant and gave me two thumbs up. Despite her protestations, she looked radiant in a burnt orange dress that made her sky blue eyes pop in contrast. Her mom had been nothing but a pain in my ass since she got here, but putting up with her was worth it to make Lake’s night amazing.

  Emily sipped at her wine and made a face. I let out an internal scream. I knew for a fact the wine she was drinking was no less than two hundred dollars a bottle and some of the best cabernet produced in Colorado. “Well, it’s kind of hard to get to know him better. All I know about him is his name and that he spent the first month I knew him lying about that.”

  I flipped to an empty page on my clipboard and made a note to apologize to Lake for every time I gave her grief for talking bad about her mother. “You know what, Mrs. Ryan. I know just who you need to talk to.” I laid my hand on her shoulder and steered her to the other side of the room. “This is Jeannie Sheridan, Walsh’s foster mom. If anyone knows Lake’s guy, it’s this lovely lady. I bet you two have dozens of embarrassing stories to swap.”

  Jeannie lit up like a Christmas tree as she turned in her sensible skirt and light sweater. “You absolutely must be Lake’s mom. Why, she’s your spitting image.”

  Without waiting for Emily to protest, I slipped away from them and sent a mental apology to Jeannie for saddling her with the Grinch who stole happiness. Things had been better between Lake and her mom since Emily had stopped trying to make her quit brewing and signed over ownership of Naked Brews. But that didn’t change who Emily Ryan was as a person. In her over-the-top, designer pantsuit, she stood out among the other guests, and not in a good way.

  “Alex, I need you.” Melissa grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me into a conversation with her boyfriend, Anthony, and his parents, Lauren and Tony. “ Please tell Anthony he’d be silly to pass up a new endorsement deal.”

  I pressed my clipboard to my chest and narrowed my eyes at the man who’d swept Melissa off her feet. “Wait, I thought you’d retired from snowboarding. Does this mean you’re back?”

  “No,” Melissa cut in. “He’s still retired, but it’s not like people forget who he is. Plenty of athletes pick up new contracts after they retire.”

  “I don’t need another contract.” Anthony pulled Melissa into his side, making her look like a toddler compared to his towering body. “My investments are all doing well, and we can live off the interest without any worries.”

  “You might not need the money,” Lauren said in her very best mom voice. “But think about your kids. What could the high school team do with a cash infusion like that? Lift passes, new gear, competition fees. It’s worth at least considering.”

  Tony grabbed his wife’s hand and kissed it. “Stop pestering the boy. So he doesn’t want to have his butt plastered all over national magazines.”

  “What?” I looked from Melissa to Anthony, trying to get a hold on the discussion. “I feel like I missed something.”

  Melissa giggled next to me. “The client is Cavinfield.”

  “The underwear company?” I looked to Anthony for confirmation, and he gave me a terse nod. Holding up my hands, I backed away. “And that is where I tap out of the conversation. Pretty sure best friend of the girlfriend does not get a vote in booty shots.”

  “I’m telling you Anthony, you have an adorable butt...”

  I turned on my five-inch heels and booked it to the kitchen. Weighing in on underwear print ads and discussing the adorable level of Anthony’s butt were not on the agenda for the evening. Searching among the white-coated cooks and servers, I found Chef Luke testing the soup that was minutes away from being served.

  “Good evening, Chef Luke.” I swallowed a yawn and flashed him my best smile. “Are we almost ready?”

  “Alex, right on time.” He grabbed a clean spoon from a container on a shelf and dipped it into the large pot of soup. “Would you like to try?”

  I took the offered spoon and sampled the creamy goodness that made the entire kitchen smell like heaven. “It’s perfect. Your team exceeded even my expectations.”

  Chef Luke smiled and clapped his hands sharply. “Let’s start plating, people. It’s show time.”

  I hurried back out of the kitchen, a huge smile on my face. Lake had told me a million times she didn’t care what was served for dinner so long as she actually got to sit down and eat it. I couldn’t wait for her to taste the night’s dinner. It would be a sneak preview of everything we were planning to serve at the brew pub. And every course incorporated a different beer from Naked Brews, starting with beer cheese soup featuring Hard Knocks, our special bitter.

  “Okay, everyone,” I called out over the room. “If you can please take your seats. Dinner is about to be served.”

  Jeannie pulled Emily Ryan with her to a seat on the opposite end of the room from Walsh and Lake. She caught my eye and winked. I flipped to the back page of my clipboard and added a note to send her a nice bouquet of flowers. Scratch that. A nice bottle of wine. No wonder Walsh was such a great guy. Jeannie was my new personal hero.

  The evening was going even better than planned, and with dinner on its way, I could finally relax a little. I headed over toward an empty chair near Melissa and Anthony and tossed my clipboard on the floor. Another server walked by with a tray of cabernet, so I grabbed a glass and kicked my shoes under the table.

  Except my left shoe didn’t quite come off all the way. When I stepped down, the heel hit the edge of my clipboard and slid, stretching my legs apart in ways they haven’t moved since high school gymnastics. I grabbed for my chair to keep from falling but overshot and grabbed the arm of the server instead.

  For a split second, I could see everything about to happen and thought I could stop it. But I was wrong. The server’s arm came crashing down, bringing the entire tray carrying several hundred dollars worth of delicious wine down onto the lap of the guy next to me.

  He jumped up from his seat and shot me a look spilling over with hatred.

  I flew into action, grabbing napkins and blotting at his jacket, even though there was no way the dark red stains would ever come out of the very expensive gray suit coat that hugged his thick arms and that broad, hard chest.

  “Don’t touch me.” He spit the words from clenched teeth and turned his face away from me.

  “I am so unbelievably sorry.” I made this mess, and I needed to fix it, pronto. “That was absolutely entirely my fault. If you’ll give me your jacket, I can have this sent over to the Astonian right now. They have twenty-four hour laundry servic
e and are experts at getting out difficult stains.”

  “I don’t care about the damn jacket,” he growled, turning his back on me and bumping into Walsh, who appeared out of nowhere. “I have to go.”

  Without another word, he threw his napkin on the table and stormed out of the restaurant.

  I looked to Walsh in shock. I had plenty of practice dealing with spoiled celebrities. I’d witnessed much bigger blow ups over much smaller infractions. But those outbursts were almost always for show. A way to get attention and the sympathy needed to keep the moment from being embarrassing. But this was the opposite. Good suit guy hadn’t made a scene, and he’d hightailed it out of here before I even had a chance to turn on my charm and make it better. I didn’t know how to deal with that.

  “What was that?” I asked Walsh. “I know he’s upset about his suit, but it was an honest accident.”

  Walsh sighed and ran a hand over his head. “He’s not upset about the suit, and it was an honest accident. But you drew everyone’s attention to the one guy in the room who would have preferred to blend in with the walls.” He gestured toward the door. “Alex, meet Damian Thorne.”

  Well, shit.

  Chapter Four

  Damian

  I texted my apologies to Walsh as I jogged away from the restaurant, appreciating the dark night to hide my scarred features from anyone who might be walking around town this late.

  Me: I’m so sorry. I’m going to walk home. I need the fresh air.

  Walsh: Are you sure? I can give you a ride.

  Me: No way. Enjoy your evening. I’ll see you when you get back. Tell Lake I’m sorry I ruined the dinner.

  Walsh: Hardly anyone even noticed. It was fine. You could have stayed. Alex feels awful.

  Alex. The leggy, gorgeous brunette. From the moment I’d stepped into the restaurant, I’d been aware of her, watching her as she flitted from one person to another with her ever-present clipboard. Why I was drawn to her, I didn’t know. I shouldn’t be. She reminded me of my mother, handling people like a pro.