Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“Morning, Trudi,” I say, walking past the bar.
“Morning,” she replies, wiping everything down.
I poke my head in the kitchen and see Griffin busy prepping for the day ahead. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
He continues to cut up limes as he replies, “Can’t complain. How’s everything with you?”
That’s a loaded question, so I lie. “Great, looking forward to this tour today.”
“Yeah, I’ve got a good menu planned for you.”
“Perfect, thanks. I’ll let you get back to it.”
I walk into the brewhouse and see Brock hosing down the floor.
“Hey, brother.”
He turns his head, giving me a nod. “What’s up, man?” He drops the hose and grabs a towel, drying his hands. “I heard there was a fire at Hartford’s house. Everything all right?”
I run my hand through my hair as I nod. “Yeah, there’s a lot of damage. Thank fuck, she didn’t get hurt.”
“Damn, that’s lucky. So what’s she going to do now?”
“She’s staying with me until the repairs are done.”
He tries hiding a smile. “Oh, yeah, that’s not going to lead to something.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Pax, I heard Hartford had a fire,” Tripp interrupts us. “Is she okay?”
“She’s good. The house wasn’t as lucky.”
“Ask where she’s staying,” Brock says with a smirk.
I sigh, gripping the back of my neck, massaging it roughly.
“What? Where’s she staying?” Tripp asks, raising a thick brow.
“With me. She’s staying with me. It doesn’t mean anything. She needs a place to stay, and I am her best friend. Christ, I would do it for any of you guys.”
They both nod as Tripp places both hands on my shoulders. “You’re a good guy, Pax.”
I shrug his hands off and step away. “No shit.”
“Paxton, is Hartford all right?” Callum asks, stepping next to Tripp.
“Yes, she’s fine. She wasn’t injured. The house needs repairs and before you ask, she’s staying with me while it gets fixed.”
He looks around as Brock and Tripp laugh. “Okay, good. She needs someone right now,” he says, slapping my back. “You ready for the tour today?”
This is why Callum is the brewmaster. He’s levelheaded and doesn’t feed into the drama. All business, no play. He’s always been this way. As long as I can remember.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
“Wait?” Tripp holds his hand up to interrupt. “Where’d she sleep? You don’t have a couch.”
Fuck. I didn’t want to get into the sleeping arrangements with my nosy brothers. But they won’t let up, so I decide to just tell them the truth. “My bed.”
They all shake their heads.
“You sure you don’t need to go take care of the blue balls you’re more than likely sporting?” Callum says.
“Fuck all of you.”
Callum is just as bad as the rest of them. Levelheaded my ass. I walk out of the back and see Anya talking to Trudi.
“Hey, Anya,” I say and give her a quick hug.
“I haven’t heard from you, Pax. You promised you would talk to Callum,” she says.
“It’s so good to see you too. Have I mentioned how happy I am to always be surrounded by my amazing family?”
“Have you talked to Callum or not?” She stomps one boot against the hardwood floors with her hands on both hips.
“Shit. Sorry I haven’t had a chance. I’ve been busy.”
Anya’s amber eyes catch mine as she raises a brow. “Busy with what?”
I scrub a hand down my face. “Things.” I can’t tell anyone what I’m busy with, especially not my little sister.
I walk away from my sister and Trudi. I’ve got a few minutes until the potential clients get here for the tour and I need to make sure everything is perfect. These brewery tours are incredibly beneficial for engaging potential customers. They get an inside view of the process. Plus, I make them feel like royalty.
I’m near the door when Mark and his wife stroll inside Atta Boy. Mark owns The Smokehouse, a popular restaurant with multiple locations. Getting this sale would be huge for us.
“Mark, great to see you again,” I say, shaking his hand. “This must be your beautiful wife.”
“Tara,” she says, extending a hand.
“I’m excited to have you both here.”
“We’re thrilled to be here. Thank you for the invitation,” Mark says, looking around.
“Let’s get started.” I nod for them to follow me. “This is our bartender, Trudi.”
After introductions, Trudi tells them she’ll send over samples after the tour. We continue on and I explain the history of Atta Boy and how it’s a family-run brewery. We make our way downstairs, as I show them how the walls of the building were finished with old beer barrels. Giving the place a nice rustic-woodsy vibe.
Once downstairs, I show them the whole process of how we make the beer.
“This here is the malted barley we use to start the brewing process,” I say, showing them the small grain. “There’s many steps to brewing beer, and I’ll show you around. If you have any questions you can always ask.” I continue showing them around, telling them the process of how we brew our beer.