Page 20 of A Little Bit Whiskey
“I’ve thought about that. But she’s never gone after you anonymously. She’s always been up front and in your face. If it was her, she’d want you to know.”
Weezer nodded. “She does like the attention more than I do.”
Carter laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Noir
Noir had never once thought about living in the cottage or anywhere near the winery in all his thirty years. He’d kept his family at a safe distance, and for what? As he stood on the front stoop, watching Tamsyn’s patrol car ease down the long, windy dirt road, he couldn’t think of a good reason.
While his parents’ divorce never made sense to him, it did to them. They had always been there for him, showing him love and kindness. They encouraged him in school. To find those things that made his heart sing, but he never had the will or the courage to step away from his twin and live his life.
Until now.
Tamsyn had made everything possible. She was everything he wanted to be.
Strong. Confident. And didn’t give a fuck about what anyone thought—except for one thing. She cared about her mother, leaving a dark mark on her psyche a mile long.
In many ways, Tamsyn was like his mother. Everyone in Candlewood Falls madly misunderstood them both. They both carried the burden of someone else’s decisions—and mistakes. And they both loved as passionately as they judged.
Her vehicle rolled to a stop and she stepped from behind the wheel. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”
“I saw you coming, so I thought I’d greet you properly.”
“If you wanted to do that, you’d be naked in bed because I’m oddly turned on by the fact I might get laid on The River Winery.” She reached into the back of her patrol vehicle and snagged her overnight bag.
He burst out laughing. “There’s no might about it. I’d say you’re at a hundred percent.” He pressed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her into the cottage. “I brought over half my stuff last night, thanks to Merlot.”
“That was nice of him to help on his wedding night. I take it he’s the one who drove my car over.” She stepped through the door.
“He did.” Noir nodded. “I enjoyed hanging out one-on-one with him.”
“I’m so happy to see you getting along so well with your family.”
“It was a long time coming.”
She shimmied out of her parka and handed it to him before she undid her gun belt and held it up. “I need a secure place to put this.”
“Since I know how you need that thing close, I made sure the right nightstand was empty, just for you.”
“Aww, now that’s a good boyfriend.”
He took her into his arms, heaving her to his chest. “I like the sound of that.”
She rolled her eyes. “When I got back from patrol, everyone in the office knew. How does shit like this spread like wildfire in this town? We only told your family.”
“Who hired a local photographer.” He pressed his finger over her lips. “Just because my dad paid him an extra couple of hundred to keep his fat trap shut, doesn’t mean he did and I don’t mean to be a dick, but I wouldn’t put it past Anna to stir the pot by already either giving that note to the Holiday Showcase committee or dropping little juicy bombs about us where she can.”
“Anna’s a lot of things, but she won’t want to deal with what she perceives as a scandal. She'll keep it to herself if she thinks it will make her look bad.”
“Except we’re outing ourselves.” Noir untucked her shirt, running his hands up her back, enjoying the way she arched into his body. Her skin felt like the finest silk, not that he’d ever had that between his fingers, but he could imagine it would be similar to Tamsyn.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. All I want to do is get naked with you, sleep for a few hours, and then go face the music with Fred and Anna.” She patted Noir’s chest. “I was hoping you’d come with me tonight.”
He cocked his head. “Are you serious? After she showed up here, warning me off? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You’re just chicken.” She inched back, unbuttoning her shirt and tossing it to the side. Quickly, she shed her uniform slacks, and he raced to the bed. Carefully, she unloaded her weapon, doing what she needed to do for safety, before placing it in the drawer. She pulled back the sheets and jumped in.
He ripped off his sweatshirt and running pants. “It’s not that. I have no problem speaking my mind with Anna. Nor Fred. And that’s the real issue. I might not be able to bite my tongue. I don’t want to cause problems for you or us.”
