“We did,” Dean confirms, folding his arms on the table. “I had the OSHA guy out there right after we found it.”
“I don’t think it’s been cleaned,” Lauren muses. “God knows what’s in there.”
Coop looks thoughtful. “We’ve got a full custodial team in place now. I bet they could have it whipped into shape in a day or two.”
“I’d like to see it before we start planning.” Once again, it’s my job to rain on everyone’s parade. “Safety issues aside, if the setup leans too heavily on mocking cult members, it’ll come off as mean-spirited.”
“Good point,” Lana says as she picks up a muffin. “Plus we’ll lose viewers who love cults.”
Lauren sips her coffee. “I’m good with trusting Mari’s assessment on that one. You think you could go over and check it out by the end of today?”
I open my mouth to reply when the café door swings open. Griffin strides through, his gaslight eyes sweeping the room until they land on me. No, not me—my siblings, our table, this whole meeting, which he’s apparently joining.
“Hey there.” His voice is liquid silk, and I can’t help wondering if the others feel it like a caress. “Sorry I’m late.” His eyes hold mine as he approaches the table. “Had to reach a good stopping point with the decoction mash.”
“You’re right on time,” Lauren assures him.
I pick up my tea and take a sip, doing my best impression of a woman who hasn’t locked lips with the man. Who has never met his ex-wife or done anything at all that could be perceived as unethical.
“Can I grab you—” That’s all I get out before I choke on my tea, because hello, speaking and swallowing don’t mix.
Griffin lifts a hand like he might whack me between the shoulder blades, but he seems to think better of it. “Grabbing me—uh—won’t be necessary.”
Great. He’s been here ten seconds, and I’ve sexually harassed him. “Tea,” I manage to wheeze, blinking as my eyes water. “Or coffee. Can I grab you a drink?”
“Oh. Nope.” His smile is meant only for me, or maybe it just feels that way. “I’m good, thanks.”
Big brother comes to my rescue. “Griffin,” Dean says. “Things going okay at the brewery?”
“Definitely,” he says. “The equipment is all top-of-the-line. I’m still a little blown away.”
“That’s the goal.” I force a smile, desperate to look…um, less desperate? Instead, I sink into those blue eyes and forget how to breathe. He’s looking at me, and I know I’m supposed to say something else. “Blowing you—”
“Hey!” Lana shoots me an apologetic smile. “Sorry. You paused so long I thought you were done.”
“I was.”
Cooper cocks his head. “That was it? Just—‘blowing you?’”
I’m very much wishing our parents had stopped at four children. My two youngest siblings look at me with perfect innocence, so maybe my sex-fueled foot-in-mouth disease is all in my head. I look to Dean for another lifeline, but he’s working hard to cover a laugh.
“Lauren.” I focus on my older sister, praying her rescuer nature kicks in. “Did you want to talk about the bunker?”
“Sure.” Her smile is less shark-like this time and more I totally know you’re perving on this guy. “Right, so Lana had an interesting idea about a venue for the mixer.”
Griffin leans back in his chair. “You mean it’s not happening at the brewery?”
“Is that what you’re wanting?” Gabe asks. “We can roll with it if you’d prefer to have the airtime.”
“Actually, no.” He scrubs a hand over his chin. “If it’s all the same to you guys, I’d rather restrict how many people are running around when I’ve got open fermentation going on.”
“Of course.” I want to ask what open fermentation is, which seems like a sign I’ve gone loopy. Since when do I care about beer? “Lana had an idea for another venue.”
He turns to my sister, and I wonder what he’s seeing. Honey blond hair, clear blue eyes, a body men would crawl naked through hot glass to admire. “Where’s the venue?” His voice is perfectly even, like he’s talking to a woman and not a goddess.
Lana looks downright giddy, and not about Griffin. “There’s an underground bunker on the far edge of the property,” she says. “The BONK members—”
“Benevolent Order of the New Kingdom,” Dean supplies. “The cult that built the place.”
“Right, so they also built a bunker,” Lana continues. “And it’s massive. Big enough to hold hundreds, I’d guess. So what if we held the event there?”
“Sort of a hat-tip to the property’s origins,” Gabe adds when Griff doesn’t answer right away.
Lauren jumps in next. “We think it’d make good television. Test audiences have shown a strong interest in the quirkier aspects of Juniper Ridge.”
Griffin’s gaze swings to me, knocking me back with the force of those blue eyes. He doesn’t say anything right away. Just looks deep into my eyes until one edge of his mouth tugs up. “What do you think?”
I force myself to breathe. To answer like a normal human. “I think the idea has merit. I’d want to be conscientious about not coming off as scornful or judgmental of people who build bunkers. Doomsday people or survivalists or whatever. We don’t want it to play like we’re judging anyone.”
“Good point. I hadn’t thought of that.” He folds his arms over his chest and my brain flicks to one of my last sessions with Gabby.
“My husband, he’s always judging.” She mopped her eyes with a tissue as one hand balled up the edge of her sweater. “Like I’ll be telling him something about a scene I’ve shot, and he’ll cross his arms and just stare at me.”
In my mind, I thought I knew that look. One of scorn, maybe outright disdain.
But that’s not the look Griffin’s giving me now. The man my patient described bears little resemblance to the one studying me now, the one whose blue eyes hold mine as he thoughtfully considers my input.
“Well.” He uncrosses his arms and breaks the spell as he swings his gaze to Lana. “What’s the timeframe on this?”
“Today, if possible.” She gives me her sweetest smile. “Mari volunteered to take you out there to look over the space. If you both approve, we’ll get the ball rolling right away.”
I start to correct her, to clarify that I didn’t volunteer to be his tour guide. The last thing I need is Griffin thinking I’m tripping over myself to be alone with him again.
But as his gaze swings back to mine, he smiles. “I’m ready anytime. And I trust Mari’s judgment, so…how’s now?”
I swallow hard, wishing I could grab him by the shoulders. Wishing I could scream the words bouncing like jumping beans in my brain.
Don’t trust me! For the love of God, don’t trust me!
But I can’t say any of that, and everyone’s staring at us.
“Okay,” I breathe. “Let’s go now.”