Page 115 of Love Is Brewing

“Yeah,” Skip said. “Sure.”

The guy looked close to tears and he told him to take a minute.

No way Skip did it, but who the hell did?

36

SMALL TOWN LIVING

“Iheard something happened at the brewery,” Kayla said to Phoebe later that afternoon.

“What?” she asked.

“You didn’t hear?” Kayla said. “I thought for sure you would have.”

“No,” she said.

Phoebe would never admit she knew.

“Bummer,” Kayla said. “I thought for sure you could tell me.”

“How do you know something even did?” she asked.

“Mason Fierce was supposed to be there today and it was canceled.”

She laughed. “That means nothing,” she said. “Maybe he had an emergency.”

“Your brother would have been there too, right?”

“Not always,” she said. “But even if he was, I wouldn’t know that. I don’t have anything to do with the brewery. Not sure why everyone always thinks I do. Or why you are so concerned about it. Can I ask why?”

Since she knew what happened with Elias and Skip, she thought she’d do some of her own sleuthing right now.

It never hurt to ask questions. Something attorneys did all the time.

It’s just she never asked personal questions, nor did she like them asked of her.

“I loved working there. I’d want nothing to go bad or wrong. It’s such a great business for the community even though some don’t like it.”

“Like who?” she asked. “Other than those who don’t like alcohol.”

“There are always those,” Kayla said, grinning. “But the previous owners were from the area and still live here. They like to run their mouth. They are jealous because they couldn’t do what Elias is doing. Their beer sucked too.”

“I’d think you’d be too young to have had their beer when they were in business,” she said, smiling.

If she kept the conversation fun like this, Kayla might say more.

“Hey, didn’t you ever drink before you were twenty-one?”

“You don’t think I’d admit that do you?” she asked, winking.

“It’s so nice to see how laid back you are now,” Kayla said. “That’s the thing about the brewery that I loved. Everyone had a good time. Lots of relationships there too so it had its drama.”

“Oh, really?” she asked.

“Think about it. It’s a small area. Hundreds of people work there. It’s easy to flirt and all when you’re on the floor working or joking with people.”

She had to play her words carefully. She wasn’t even sure how to lead into this.

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