“You researched her?” River asked, incredulous.
Finn grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I had to see who hired you out from under me.”
“You mean from under Bev Corp,” Georgie said as she took his hand. “And yes, I’m one of the owners.”
“You and your two siblings,” he said, still holding on.
She cocked an eyebrow, ready to take on whatever challenge he threw her way. She hadn’t gotten where she was by backing down to blowhards. “Three, actually, but I’ll be the one running things.”
Which was true enough. Jack would come back at some point and help, or at least that was the idea, but she was in charge for now.
He gave her an appraising look, and she would have thought he flat out didn’t like her if she didn’t also see the worry in his eyes. Before the fallout of the Big Catch sale, Finn had been one of River’s closest friends, and it was obvious he still felt that way. Finding Georgie and River in a compromising situation like this was bound to make him worry that she was taking advantage of his friend, and damn if that didn’t burn, because in a way, she was.
Taking a step back, she said, “I’ll let you two chat while I go inside and grab my things. River, I’ll meet you out front.”
She was prepared for him to stop her, but instead, he glared at Finn.
Once she was in the already-open back door, she heard River light into his former partner. “What the hell, Finn? Why did you treat her like she was the enemy?”
“What the hell did I just walk into?” Finn countered. “Are you sleeping with her?”
“That is none of your business,” River countered.
“River, look. I’m worried. We both know Buchanan Brewery wasn’t very solvent before Beau’s death, and after the fiasco on Friday…yeah, I heard about it. Everyone heard about it. Lurch himself has told two dozen people. You’ll have to close down for at least a couple of months, I expect. Can you survive that? What if the Buchanans don’t make it? What will you do then?”
“This isn’t Big Catch, Finn. What happens to Buchanan Brewery is none of your concern. That’s for Georgie and her siblings to decide.”
“But where are they getting their advice, River?” Finn paused. “Do the Buchanan siblings know anything about running a brewery, let alone making beer?”
River shook his head, sounding exhausted. “Go home, Finn.”
“River, listen…”
Georgie heard the frustration in Finn’s voice. She wondered if she should stop eavesdropping, but the cold hard truth was that this concerned her too. So she stayed in the kitchen, watching them through the open window, hoping the darkness concealed her.
“No, you listen,” River said. “You know how much this brewery means to me. How much it would kill me to see it sold off to the devil too.”
Neither of them spoke for a moment, and Georgie held her breath, sensing they were on the cusp of something. Then Finn said, “Are you sure you’re not holding on to it because Beau was like the father you always wished you had?”
“What is the matter with you?”
“River, please,” Finn pleaded. “This is all coming out wrong, but if you’d just listen—”
“Listen to you insult me?”
“I’m not insulting you, River. We both know you have blinders on at times, and I think between Beau’s death and the bad timing of the sale of Big Catch—”
“Bad timing? You think I’d feel differently about the sale if it had happened a few months from now?”
“No, I think you’d be just as upset, but it’s a lot, River. A whole lot. Your life was just turned upside down on multiple fronts, and I’m asking you to take a breath and think this through.” Then he added, “And that includes whatever it is you have going on with Georgie Buchanan.”
“Excuse me?”
“She called me for a reference on Friday, River. After you and I talked.”
“Did she? Good. Unless you bad-mouthed me to her too. Did you warn her I’m emotionally damaged?”
“No,” Finn said, outrage on his face. “Of course not! I gave you the glowing recommendation you deserve, but think this through, River. Do you really think it’s a good idea to start a romantic entanglement with one of the owners? You don’t exactly have a great track record of staying with your girlfriends for very long. What’s going to happen when you end things with her? Haven’t you ever heard that you don’t shit where you eat?”
Georgie sucked in a breath. She’d never gotten a player vibe from River, but surely his best friend would know better than she did.
“How much is she paying you?” Finn asked. “It can’t be much. The brewery was in the red, and with no income for the foreseeable future…”
“There’s a reserve,” River said. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Of course it’s my business if it directly affects you. You’re like a brother to me, and this disagreement isn’t going to change that.”
River glanced down at his feet.
Finn pushed out a groan, running his hand over his head as he took a few steps away. When he turned back, he wore a look of determination. “Look, promise me this—don’t let your personal relationship with Georgie get in the way of what she pays you. Bev Corp was going to top what you were making at Big Catch and then some, and you could go just about anywhere else and make more than you’re likely to at Buchanan.”
River started to say something and stopped. Was he having second thoughts about working for her? She had to admit that Finn had some very valid points. She already knew she was going to have to dip into her Moon Goddess profits to cover the employees’ salaries during the closure, and she’d be a fool not to modernize the facility and the equipment while they were closed. River had indicated he’d accept less than he was worth, but she wouldn’t agree to that. She refused to make Finn right. Which meant she’d need to dip a little deeper for his salary.
Georgie grabbed her purse off the kitchen table, then hurried up to the room she’d chosen to stay in, gathering the items she’d left there on Saturday morning. When she headed back down, she used the flashlight on her phone to survey the damage in the living room. While the ceiling and walls were black from smoke, it looked like the majority of the fire had been contained. Still, she had no idea how long it would take to repair the mess.
Perhaps she should look into staying in a short-term residence.
When she brought her things out front, Finn was gone and River was standing in the yard, staring at the house with a look that broke her heart. Like he’d lost his best friend, his father, and his job, which wasn’t far from the truth.
She walked straight to him, dropped her things on the ground, and took both of his hands in hers. Not a great place to start given what she’d decided, but she needed to touch him. Needed to comfort him. Right now, nothing else mattered.
“I heard a good part of your conversation with Finn.” Cringing, she forced herself to continue. “It was wrong to eavesdrop, and part of me is sorry, but the rest of me isn’t. I want you to know I’d never take advantage of you or your talent. I’ll pay you every cent you’re worth, River.”