He fidgeted a little, fighting the sudden hotness behind his eyes. “I didn’t know it was going to be this hard. I feel a little lost again, Beau, and I’m not sure what to do. I’m worried if I do anything, I’ll push her away.”
He sat there for several minutes, feeling the sun on the back of his neck. It started to feel a little stupid, waiting here, as if he thought he’d get an answer if he stayed long enough, when someone cleared their throat behind him, and he turned and saw Georgie.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Georgie’s breath caught when she saw River sitting in front of Beau’s grave, warmth spreading through her at the sight of him, just like it did every time she’d seen him since…when? Their night together? No, it had been longer than that. Since the first night at Beau’s.
Why had she gone and hired him? If she’d found another brewer, she could still be sleeping with him…yet she knew that wasn’t completely true. She probably would have closed the door on him forever after that night, because what she felt for him scared the crap out of her.
For the first time in her life, Georgie had found a man she was sure she could love, and the only acceptable course of action was to run. The way she’d been thinking about him—what he was doing, what he was thinking—was almost…not obsessive, exactly, but it was the kind of fixed attention she’d never given to another person. By design. She was haunted by the pain on her mother’s face every time Prescott Buchanan had ignored her or demeaned her, even if Georgie hadn’t understood it when she was younger…
Georgie had spent the last few years reevaluating her parents’ marriage, and she’d come to the realization that her mother had known about Prescott’s indiscretions. His affair—or maybe affairs. Their relationship had always been so mercurial—days of silent treatment, followed by a shower of gifts and attention. A yin and yang of happiness and despair. It was a sharp reminder that the people you thought you could love and trust always let you down. Her father had let down her mother. Her father and brothers had let her down. Her mother had broken her heart when she’d died.
But then, Georgie was sure she’d let down Adalia too.
Something was going on with her sister. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she knew it with certainty. Dottie would probably have told her it sprung from her womanly intuition. She kept trying to reach out, but Adalia persisted in brushing off her concerned texts, saying everything was fine, she was just busy getting ready for her show. But this morning, Georgie had video-called her to update her about the upcoming parties and ask if she was interested in helping with designs for merch, labels, and a new logo. Adalia had answered, her eyes red as though she’d been crying. When Georgie asked her what was wrong, her sister had shrugged off her concern and offered some excuse about her allergies giving her grief.
“But you don’t have seasonal allergies,” Georgie said.
“I’m fine,” Adalia said in a tone that made it clear she didn’t want to discuss it.
“Can you come to the closing parties?” Georgie asked. “Jack’s still being cagey about whether or not he’ll be there, and we both know Lee won’t lower himself to come.” Which was probably for the best. If he came, Victoria would come too, and she’d be attached to him like Velcro. She hated to admit she’d rather he not come.
Adalia had looked away. “I don’t know…”
“Buchanan Brewery can pay for your trip,” Georgie had added a little too quickly, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to see her sister. Seeing Adalia would help remind her there were other things to focus on besides a man. Like rebuilding her relationship with her sister, something she’d always wanted and, to her shame, hadn’t found the time for. “The business can buy your plane tickets and you can stay at the house with me. I’m moving back in tomorrow.”
“I still can’t believe the house caught on fire.”
“Yeah, neither can I.” She’d told the others about the fire, but she’d described it (only somewhat accurately) as an electrical problem, the kind of thing that would happen in any old house. Equally, while Adalia and Lee knew the brewery would be closing for a couple of months so they could update the facility and brew new beers, they didn’t know about the whole pee pots incident. She and Jack had agreed they were on a need-to-know basis given they’d chosen to be silent partners. And since they’d figured out how to make the most of the unanticipated delay, there was no real need for them to know.
As far as the house went, everything in the living room had been destroyed, but thankfully the damage had been localized. Georgie would be moving into a house that had an empty first floor other than a kitchen and dining room table and chairs, but that didn’t matter. All she needed was a bed. She could buy more furniture after the closing parties were out of the way.
“Has that crazy cat turned up yet?”
“Not yet.” Yet another reason to move back in ASAP. Jezebel was still missing, and Georgie suspected she’d be more liable to come home if someone was living there and putting out food regularly. Thinking of Jezebel made her think about River, which wasn’t saying much. Everything made her think about River. “Can you please come? I really need you, Addy.”
Adalia was silent for a moment. “Are you having second thoughts? Jack was so insistent we keep the brewery, but he caught the first flight out of Asheville after signing the papers.”
Georgie started to say it hadn’t happened like that but stopped herself because it had been pretty darn close. Was she having second thoughts? She’d felt plenty of fear and anxiety when she’d started Moon Goddess, but those emotions had been dwarfed by the excitement and exhilaration of doing something new—of making something. All of those emotions were present now, but Georgie couldn’t shake the overall sadness that enshrouded her, and she was smart enough to know it stemmed from sleeping with River.
How had she been so stupid?
This was what happened when you let your heart lead you. She hoped she remembered the lesson.
But she was also smart enough to know she’d still feel this sadness if she hadn’t let herself have one night with him—it just wouldn’t be this deep.
Was she sorry she’d agreed to raise Buchanan Brewery from the ashes? She wasn’t sure she had an answer yet.
Which was why she’d felt compelled to come here, to Beau’s grave.
Except she wasn’t the only one who’d felt that tug.
The look of longing and sorrow on River’s face tugged at her heart, but he quickly stuffed it away and gave her a tired smile. “Looks like great minds think alike.” He got to his feet. “I’ll leave you to pay your respects.”
He started to walk around her, and it took everything in her not to reach out and take his hand like she’d done before he signed that paper. She’d taken his touch for granted.
“Don’t go,” she said softly, the words almost lost in the gentle breeze, but he must have heard her because he stood stock-still, as though waiting for her to give him another order.
Order. Because she was the boss and he was the employee.
Tears stung her eyes.