Then, much to River’s surprise, she simply padded past Adalia and Georgie and entered the house, her pace as slow as you please, tracking sardine oil everywhere.
River made it up to the porch and clapped Finn on the shoulder. He had a goose egg on his head, but he looked like he was probably fine. “Hi, Adalia,” he said. “Like your new cat?”
Adalia’s eyes went wide, and at first he thought it was a natural reaction to finding out that she was expected to coexist with a creature like Jezebel, but instead she looked back and forth between River and Georgie.
“Oh,” she said. “I see. You’re the mystery guy. Of course you are.”
Which meant Georgie hadn’t yet gotten around to telling her, but she’d figured it out nonetheless, from the situation maybe, or the energy between them. He was okay with that. He wanted people to know. Keeping things on the down-low made sense for the moment, but he didn’t want to sneak around with Georgie, and he felt pretty sure she didn’t want that either.
Finn cleared his throat, and Adalia’s gaze shot to him.
He was still rubbing at the bump on his head, cringing every time he did, which begged the question of why he kept at it, but there was a strange look on his face, like maybe he was at a loss, something not typical for someone who always seemed to know how to charm people.
“Sorry I scared you,” Finn said. “And for”—he motioned to the mess of sardine oil and the cloth pet carrier, which now had claw marks scored down the sides. “I know River and Dottie have been looking for her, and I figured I couldn’t risk letting her get away. Not that I helped much, I guess.”
“You didn’t scare me,” Adalia said. “I’ve lived in New York City for years. I know what to do with an intruder.”
“Hit them with a crystal?” Finn asked, giving her a wry smile. “That seems more like behavior reserved for people who have a close, personal relationship with River’s aunt.”
“Hey,” Adalia said, shrugging, “she gave it to me before I left and suggested I keep it on me. She’s a lady who knows what she’s doing when it comes to crystals. And apparently she was right.”
This didn’t seem to be going anywhere fast, so River figured it was time for him and Finn to make their exit.
“We should both probably go,” he said. “It’s late. I didn’t mean to drop in on you either”—he met Georgie’s eyes, silently apologizing—“but Finn told me he was on Jezebel’s trail, and I didn’t want either of them to catch you off guard.”
“Oh, no, you’re not leaving us with that cat,” Adalia said. “I expect protection.” She shifted her head to grin at Georgie. “And so does my sister. Come in. You guys can have some of this wine Georgie bought.”
Finn made a rude sound, and River and Georgie exchanged a glance. She smiled at him and nodded, telling him it was okay. Maybe she didn’t want to be alone with Jezebel either, which, fair enough. He’d have to tell Aunt Dottie she’d made it home. She’d spent the last week knitting Jezebel a welcome home sweater, but he figured he could convince her to hold off on the inevitable trauma of attempting to put it on her by reminding her, gently, that it was summer.
“And you are so cleaning up whatever horrible fish thing is now sprayed all over our porch,” Adalia added.
“Fair enough,” River said, following them in. He wondered if Finn was going to leave, but instead he trailed them into the house, which made River wonder what, exactly, he had to say. It had to be pretty compelling if he was willing to drink wine with a stranger who’d just clocked him over the head.
When they entered the house, Jezebel was stalking slowly through the downstairs, taking in the new—and very empty—landscape.
“Oh no,” Georgie said, glancing back at him with something like horror, “what if she’s mad that I changed it?”
And because Adalia apparently already knew about them anyway, he stepped forward and took her hand, squeezed it, while they watched the cat stalk around.
Jezebel returned to the kitchen from the living area, pausing in every corner and examining the new appliances, the painted cabinets. Finally, as if passing judgment, she leapt atop the refrigerator and settled into a contented ball.
“I think she approves,” River said.
“Why, exactly, are we treating this cat like a deity?” Adalia asked.
A fair question, and one he thought it best to let Georgie answer. Except Finn hadn’t gotten the memo. He’d been looking around the house, something hard about the set of his lips, but he shifted his gaze to Adalia at that comment. “Because this was Beau’s house, and Jezebel was his cat. Take the house, respect the cat.”
Hell, when had he last seen Finn with such a chip on his shoulder?
Adalia just sniffed and took out some wine glasses.
“Dude,” River said. “Tone it down. We both know Jezebel is a creature of evil. Beau himself called her that. He just happened to like her that way.”
“Didn’t hesitate to make yourself at home,” Finn said, ignoring River’s comment and shifting his glance to Georgie. Something ugly played in his gaze.
“What the hell?” River said, tugging Georgie a little closer. “You don’t have any call to talk to her that way. In her house, no less.”
“Yeah,” Adalia agreed. “I might have to rescind your part of the invitation. More wine for us.”
Finn sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture that suggested something was preying on him. His eyes had circles under them too.
“Sorry. You’re right. I’m going to head out… It’s just…River, can I talk to you for a minute before I go? There’s something I need to tell you.” His gaze lowered to River and Georgie’s linked hands. “And I’m starting to think it really can’t wait.”
“Whatever it is, just say it,” River said. “You can talk freely in front of them.”
“I really don’t think I should.”
Adalia had been pouring wine, only three glasses now—she’d dramatically pushed the fourth away—but she stopped, watching them.
“Well, I’m not leaving right now,” River said, sick of being jerked around. “So if you want to talk to me, this is where it’s happening.”
“Just remember that you’re the one who made that call,” Finn said, fidgeting a little as he stood there.
Georgie’s hand suddenly felt clammy within his, and a feeling of foreboding stole over River. It occurred to him that maybe he’d made a mistake, that they shouldn’t talk about this here, in front of Georgie and Adalia, or maybe it would be better not to talk about it at all, but it was too late, Finn was already opening his mouth to speak.
“Look, man, I’m not happy to be the bearer of bad news, but I’ve been using Henry Manning’s office to look over the Big Catch papers, and someone connected to the office—not naming names here—told me something you deserve to know.”
A little gasp escaped Georgie like a sudden exhale of air.
“Turns out Beau was going to leave it all to you—the brewery, even the house—before your girlfriend here showed up in Asheville and convinced him not to. And there’s a clause in the will that gives the brewery back to you if Buchanan doesn’t place in the top five at Brewfest next spring.”