Page 84 of Bourbon and Lies

I’m flattered at what he’s proposing. “Why?” I clear my throat. “I just mean, if hosting a wedding here for a family friend is something we can pull off, sure. But if you’re talking about creating a space here that feels like a destination for weddings, well, I think it would be amazing.”

He nods, not offering anything else. Just a clipped nod, like that was that.

“Alright. I’ll make sure Prue chats with you directly, then. Work up some numbers for costs associated and we can see if it’ll fit into her granddaughter’s budget.”

“Um, sure.” I wipe my hands off quickly. Just before he reaches the door, I call after him. “Ace?” He must hear the question in my tone.

“It seems like you’re staying. So, I want you to have something here. This is yours if you want it.” He gives me a tight-lipped smile. “You deserve good things, Laney. I don’t know the details, but I’ve seen enough to know that whatever you ran from, it was ugly. And I’m telling you, from one hardened heart to another, that no matter what happened, you’re allowed to find good things.”

You can do hard things.

“And you’ve brought my brother back.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard. “I recognize him again. I know that’s got a lot to do with you.”

He leaves a few beats later, and my eyes well up with tears. I don’t bat a single one of them away as they roll down my face. I stare at the door and let myself feel this. The sense of belongingand care that I’ve found here isn’t something I plan on taking for granted. I glance around the small cottage and toward Julep cozied in the corner sleeping. I feel like I have a home.

The loud whinny of a horse snaps me out of my head. I look out the front window and can see the outline of Grant brushing Tawney, wearing that damn blue baseball hat backwards. He went into the cooperage this morning and then for a ride after lunch. It’s a typical Sunday for him, I’m learning. There haven’t been any days when he’s not at the distillery in some way or another. He loves being there and I understand it.

A text message alert from my phone dings over the speaker and interrupts my music.

BEA

Laney, call me.

I’ve got colleagues asking me about Fiasco. Someone’s been poking around.

My stomach bottoms out.

I look out at Grant. And I know right then, this is my fault. I waited too long to tell him. I turn off the timer for the cinnamon buns and pull them out of the oven, working through what this could mean. It’s not good. I know that much.

Instead of calling Bea back, I walk outside and across the lawn, speaking before I’ve even approached him. “Have you been looking into my case? Asking questions?”

He turns from brushing Tawney, the smile quickly disappearing from his face. It’s the way a realization takes over that stops me in my tracks.

“Dammit. What did you do?” I whisper. The repercussions of what this could mean—danger, relocating, leaving. My hands start shaking and my mouth runs dry.

He drops the brush and comes closer. “I messed up.”

I take a step back.

“Before you told me everything...” He rubs at the back of his neck. “Baby, I knew you were tangled in something the second you mumbled Bea’s name. When Ace confirmed that she was the one who brought you here, I eased up. But that night at Midnight Proof, when Waz said something about New York, it had me on edge. Guys like that are never up to anything good.” He reaches for me, but I don’t want him to hold me. I want him to talk, so I back away.

Dragging his hands through his hair, he releases a heavy sigh. “I had Del do some digging. He has a lot of friends in the FBI and U.S. Marshall service in offices up north.”

Shit. My eyes widen, almost not believing this. Why didn’t I just tell him sooner? He was a fucking cop, of course he could have handled it!

I spin around and start walking toward my cottage. I need space and I need to call Bea.

As I hear him following me, something has my steps coming to a halt. “How would Waz...”

“I don’t know. But Del didn’t find anything about you. There was nothing that stood out. So he left it alone. And I waited for you to tell me when you were ready.”

Oh god. There’s no reason for Fiasco to be on anyone’s radar unless a retired cop was looking into a woman who randomly showed up. I close my eyes. A roster of worry revs up within me. If I had only told him sooner, he wouldn’t have tried to dig into it.

I only realize I’m basically running when he calls out to me, “Honey, wait!”

“Don’t call me that right now.” I hold up my phone. “You asked too many questions, to too many people, and it might have put me in danger, Grant. It might have put YOU in danger. Ace, Griz, Lincoln, the girls,” I shout, my whole body shaking fromthe inside out. “Just asking has puteveryonein danger.” A sob lets loose as he steps closer, trying to hold me. There’s too much emotion coursing through me to think about anything logically.

He rests his hands on my shoulders and then bends his knees so I’ll look him in the eye. “Baby, tell me what happened?”

---