Page 75 of Best Kind of Trouble
“But, Miss Ann?—”
“I enjoy a little grass sometimes. Your grandma does too. You can tell me all about that dating app you kids are on.”
I huff a laugh. “He’s only interested in our dear leader.”
He shoots me a look of betrayal that makes me feel like an asshole—and, worse, a hypocrite.
“Oh, baby,” Ann says, smoothing a hand down his arm. “You got to change that tune. That woman’s looking for a wolf, not a lamb. But don’t you get down on yourself. There are plenty of women who’ll go for a full-grown sheep. My Rufus was a sheep everywhere but in the bedroom.”
The look on the kid’s face nearly makes me laugh, but then I check my phone and find a string of messages from Briar:
Please don’t be upset.
I was going to tell you.
I just didn’t want to mess with your focus. I know how hard you’ve been working.
I ignore them, not ready to answer her.
There are also a couple of texts from an unknown number:
Hello, Liam. This is Don Sterling. I do hope Briar passed along my invitation to dinner tomorrow evening.
What can I do to convince you to come?
I pause, staring at the messages, wondering what this jack-off’s game is. He’s going behind Briar’s back, obviously. Undermining her. Again.
I’m still pissed about the ginger beer, but there’s only one answer I can give him.
I won’t let her face him alone.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
BRIAR
“Oh my God, please don’t stress about my brother,” Hannah says as I tuck my phone back into my pocket after texting Liam. “He’ll get over it.”
We’re outside, watching the delivery drivers as they finish unloading the kegs of ginger beer. They’re bringing them around the back, thank God, not through the tasting room. Liam would only get more pissed off if he had to watch them get shuttled past him.
“He’s always been a big baby about his beer,” Hannah continues, zipping her coat up over her sweatshirt. “But you made a wise decision. He’ll realize that as soon as he gets his head out of his ass.”
Nora nods. “Never let a man talk you out of a sound business decision. I say this as someone who let José name one of our ginger beers after his ex.”
“Was it you?” Hannah nudges her arm. “Were you the ex?”
Nora laughs, but Sophie’s watching me closely. “Are you okay, Briar?”
No. I can’t stop thinking about the look of betrayal in Liam’s eyes. It feels very important for him to forgive me, andI know it has nothing to do with preserving a comfortable work environment. He’s important to me, and not only because he’s the genius I need to make this place work. I care about him.
“I’m fine,” I say with a forced smile, watching as the delivery guys disappear around the corner and through the back door. “He was right, though. I should have told him.”
“Well, he knows now,” Nora says practically.
Sophie checks her watch. “Are we going to have a drink? I need to get to the airport in a couple of hours.”
“Me too,” Hannah says with a sigh. “I don’t have high hopes for Travis’s mother. She calls everyonedah-lingand tried to book me Botox for Christmas.”
Nora laughs. “At least she’s generous. I’d go for it if I were you. You’d have a built-in excuse for not smiling. Maybe I’ll start pretending I just had Botox.”
