Page 92 of Love Is Brewing

“This is so stupid. Remember how I told you I hired someone that used to work here?”

“Yes,” he said. “Let me guess. She found out we were dating? I have to say it’s much slower than I thought it’d be.”

“I was surprised my staff just found out too. But she said she still talks to people here and that someone overheard you and Talia talking about your mother surprising us for a visit on Saturday. It just felt very specific.”

He frowned. “Yeah,” he said. “I know I can sit here and say I don’t like that shit but not much I can do about it. I can’t monitor every conversation and it’s more important to me to make sure other facts are out.”

“I should have realized that too before I drove here. Normally I would have.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he said. “Do you want a tour? Get some tongues wagging even more.”

“Would you find it funny if I told you that part of the reason I wanted to come was that I thought maybe it’d shake some trees? I know it was all probably just an innocent mistake with things before, even the online beer forum.”

“But you’re feeling like it’s not?” he asked.

He hadn’t been able to find out who posted the information.

“I don’t know what I think,” she said. “Give me that tour if you want and then we can both keep our eyes out.”

“Then let’s have some fun.”

“Fun seems to be the name of the game for me lately,” she said, laughing.

“Do I want to know what that means?”

“My secret,” she said, smirking.

29

OUT TO SABOTAGE YOU

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Elias said a month later.

“What?” Phoebe asked. She was putting the last of her toiletries in her bag and they were heading to the airport to catch the flight to JKF for Laken and Jamie’s wedding.

“Work,” he said. “And Kyle wouldn’t have just texted me if it wasn’t important.”

“So you know what it’s about?” she asked when he put the phone to his ear.

“No,” he said. Kyle picked up, but he started talking before his head brewmaster could utter a word. “What’s going on, Kyle?”

“It’s like a full moon here,” Kyle said.

His heart sank. That meant more than one thing.

Daily, something could go wrong and in some people’s eyes, there was always something.

But they were minor and other management dealt with it.

Being called minutes before he had to fly out of state for his sister’s wedding had to be huge.

“Don’t drag your feet telling me,” he said.

“The mash you’re doing for Fierce,” Kyle said.

“Yeah,” he said. He’d gone there hours ago and set it up to go. It would look odd if he wasn’t the one to set it up and brew locally for it to be transported to Fierce to mix with theirs.

That was what he was telling everyone.

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