Page 9 of Merry with a Brewmaster
Instead, she’d rekindled a smokin’ hot romance with her high school boyfriend, and I decided it was time to make my dream of owning my own flower shop a reality.
“Southbound” by Carrie Underwood blares through the speakers, and it makes me smile as my hair blows all around as the ocean flies by. I’ll run my wine-colored Jeep Wrangler with the top and doors off for as long as I can.
It’s sexy and well-loved andmine.
This thing was the first real purchase I made after graduating from college. The gas mileage is terrible and it does zero things to help tame my hair, but it makes me happy.
And that’s all that matters.
Pulling into the vacant lot of Passion Cove, I park and let my head fall back against the seat. I can hear the water lapping against the rocks and shore in equal measure. I like being here and getting out on the water—it’s simple.
Uncomplicated.
Because I don’t need any complications.
And Wells Reiser is definitely a complication.
The sound of an engine pulls me from my thoughts as Jace parks next to me. Even from here, I can tell he’s tired, and I almost feel bad for dragging him out here.
Almost.
“Looking hot today, Jace Sullivan,” I say, grabbing the coffees and pastries from the floor and hopping out.
“I thought I told you no talking,” he grumbles as he takes his drink and the white paper bag. I’d probably try to fight him for iton a different day, but I barely slept and I don’t need any more sugarorcaffeine as it stands already.
“How about now?” I whisper once he’s downed half his cup and is wiping the remnants of breakfast from his mouth.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go.”
One by one, we take our boards to the water, ditching our flip-flops and grabbing our shoes before pushing out into the water.
I smile, thinking about how far I’ve come since I started. I hadn’t intended to fall in love with it, but that’s how the best things happen.
The water ripples around me, the breeze gentle as it blows the flyaway hairs around my face, and I take my first full breath since seeing Wells yesterday.
“What happened?” Jace asks, turning his head to look at me as we float. This had become our thing. An unlikely friendship, considering our six-year age difference, had stemmed intowhat we talk about on the water, stays on the water.
And right now, I need it.
“The guy I was hooking up with?”
“Wells?”
“Yeah.”
“What about him? Things ended when he took some new job, right?”
“Oh, he took a job all right,” I stare at him pointedly. “At Love Beach Brews. He’s the new brewmaster.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Nope, and,” I say dramatically, “of course Isaac didn’t know that until today when the three of us were standing in the middle of the bar, but he’d said that the new hire needs a nanny.”
“Is he married?” Jace asks, outraged on my behalf.
“Divorced.”
“He’s still a dick for not telling you,” he says vehemently, and this is why I love this kid. He’s young but loyal to a fault with the biggest heart in the Lowcountry.
