Page 55 of Trusting You
“Nope, never.” You could always count on my brothers to carefully catalogue every embarrassing moment of my life and continue to bring it up, even twenty-eight years later.
“Guys, it’s too early. We are friends, and she is my employee. We hooked up, and she’s planning on leaving after the holidays. We have a good thing right now. It’s casual.” I kept telling myself that. I thought if I repeatedly used the word “casual” then eventually my heart, brain, and dick would get the message. So far, it had not been successful.
My brothers exchanged “can you believe this guy?” looks.
Callum walked behind the bar and helped himself to a refill. “Don’t talk like that. That woman is beautiful and smart and the daughter of your mother’s best friend. You need to get your shit together.”
“Plus she listened to the Captain drone on about his boat. That was awesome. We didn’t get one lecture about varnish and viscosity.”
“Good point, Dec.”
Callum shook his head at me. “Cecelia Leary is rare and special. She is the type of woman you marry. If you don’t marry her, I will.”
“Or I will,” echoed Declan.
“Or I will.”
“You too, Trent?” That one stung.
My best friend shrugged at me. “Sorry, dude, I’m with the brothers on this. I don’t think you can see how much she has changed this business and changed you. You would be an idiot not to lock that down.”
“Trent gets it.” Declan clapped him on the shoulder and they clinked glasses.
“I was married and so I know firsthand how hard it is to find an amazing woman. You will never get this lucky again in your life.” Callum almost looked regretful. I only knew bits and pieces about what happened with Becca, but I know it wrecked him.
“Get out of my head, guys. I am an adult and I have no intention of screwing it up.” I was really not in the mood for getting picked on by my big brothers tonight. I knew they loved me and I knew they meant well but I could not deal with their judgment tonight. I just wanted to work on brewery business and obsess about Cece.
She was in my head. And my dick had taken a liking to her such that he perked up at the sound of her voice—even, inconveniently, during staff meetings.
I was a prideful idiot, but even I could admit she had changed things at the brewery. Hell, I could admit she had changed things for me. I could not imagine this brewery without her, and I could not imagine my life without her. Having a strong, sassy woman to challenge me, support me, and put me in my place when I deserved it was the best gift I’d ever been given. And I didn’t want to give her up.
“You say that. But do you have a plan?”
“Yes. You need a plan, since you are obviously in love with her.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
I felt like I was being cross-examined. I needed to do something. The thought of losing her made me nauseous and dizzy. I had to tell her how I felt. How I really felt. I was in love with her. I was crazily, madly in love with her and I needed her in order to function. I needed to wake up next to her and work alongside her every day.
“Are you going to tell her? Are you going to ask her to stay and get serious?”
I knew in that moment, looking at the faces of Trent and my brothers, that I had to man up, acknowledge my feelings, and tell her how I felt. “I hate to say this, but you guys are right. I need to talk to her.”
“Ok, but don’t go in half-cocked. Make a plan.”
“I’m working on it. I want to get through Gourd Fest this weekend, then we can talk and figure things out.”
Declan was clearly a bit tipsy and feeling emotional. I made a mental note to stop drinking so I could drive him and Ginger home. He stood and we all raised our glasses. “To love and may we stubborn, idiotic Quinn brothers find it someday.”
“To love.”
29
Cecelia
The 33rdAnnualHavenport Charity Gourd Festival was in full swing. The streets were shut down, and vendor tents and tables lined the cobblestone sidewalks headed down toward the ocean. HavenFire, our local folk band comprised of members of the Havenport, West Haven, and Havenfield fire departments, was tearing up the town square with an acoustic version of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” while revelers warmed their hands at strategically placed outdoor heaters to take some of the early November chill off.
People were dancing, eating, drinking, and shopping. It was chilly but not cold, and the sun was just beginning to set. Business was booming at the Binnacle Brewery tent. Liam and I were pouring beers from the taps we had hooked up to the keg refrigerators, and Trent was changing kegs stored in one of the refrigerated trucks. We had Gourd Fest T-shirts with the brewery logo on over our fleece jackets.
