Page 37 of Something’s Brewing

“Do you get along with all of them?”

“Yes. Somehow.” Garrett smiled. “Nick enlisted in the Army⁠—”

“I was going to ask if he served,” Madison interrupted, then caught herself. “He has that presence.”

Garrett nodded. “He does. I went the U of M route. Minneapolis. Cole and Chloe both stayed close. Cole is dating a traveling nurse, Tory. She’s working in Hawaii right now. After Chloe finished her degree, she came home and opened Rural Chic Boutique.”

“I like Chloe. She asked me what my intentions were. If I liked the small-town feel.”

Garrett chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Chloe.”

She glanced at him, catching the way the soft lighting warmed the edge of his jaw, the ease in his stance as he scooped a bite of pasta salad for himself.

They ate in silence for a while, comfortable in each other’s presence. Outside, the lake reflected the dusky sky in soft shades of blue and rose gold. A loon called in the distance, the sound beautiful in the hush.

Garrett leaned against the counter opposite the island. Madison took another forkful, savoring the tang of vinaigrette and ripe peaches dancing on her tongue.

“This is really good,” she said.

He raised a brow. “You sound surprised.”

“I mean, you said you cooked, but I didn’t expect it to be this good.”

Garrett huffed a soft laugh. “You wound me.”

She smiled into her bowl. “You’ll survive.”

He didn’t answer right away, just looked at her for a second longer before reaching for his water.

An easy quiet settled again.

Madison looked toward the windows. “You’ve done something really special here, Garrett. With the brewery. With this place. It feels like home.”

His eyes followed hers to the view outside. “That’s the goal,” he said softly. “To build something that lasts.”

She nodded slowly, her fingers trailing over the rim of her bowl. “Well . . . it shows.”

Another long pause.

“Madison?”

Her stomach flipped. She looked at him, not sure what she expected to find in his expression—but whatever it was, it made her forget how to breathe.

“You want to finish the rest of this?” he asked.

She laughed. “In my family, offering the last mouthful is practically a marriage proposal.”

He grinned. “Good to know.”

Her heart stuttered. He hadn’t said it with any kind of weight, but still. It lingered between them.

She took the last bite, rinsed her bowl at the sink, and set it on the counter.

“I should head back,” she said. “Big day tomorrow.”

Garrett walked her to the door. She stepped out onto the patio, pausing to take in the view of the lake one last time.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said, not turning around.