Merry with a Brewmaster (The Love Beach Holiday Collection)

3. Vienna

3

VIENNA

O f all the people in all the places, Wells Reiser has to show up in my town at my damn bar. My blood feels like it’s boiling when I replay the conversation in my head because he knew I’d be here.

And he still didn’t tell me.

Snatching my phone off the counter, I type out a message to the little brother I never wanted.

VIENNA: 911

JACE: I just got off a 48-hour shift

VIENNA: Perfect timing

JACE: No

JACE: I need to sleep for like a week

VIENNA: I’ll pick up coffee

JACE: No

VIENNA: And that Danish thing you like from Cakeology

JACE: Fine

VIENNA: That’s why you’re my favorite

JACE: I’m telling Reece

VIENNA: You wouldn’t dare

JACE: No but it’s fun to pretend

VIENNA: Unless it’s about orgasms

JACE: It’s too early to deal with you

VIENNA: You say the sweetest things

VIENNA: (kiss face emoji)

JACE: Okay no more talking until I get coffee

VIENNA: xoxo

True to my word, I don’t text Jace again as I swing through Love Beach’s newest bakery, Cakeology. The owner, Marigold, had become fast friends with my best friend, Reece, and by default, got me too. The place is slammed this early on a Thursday and I’m happy for her as I breeze in and out with a smile and a wave.

I’m not in the mood to put on a happy face for the general public. But Jace is different. I’d met the twenty-one-year-old firefighter at the beginning of the summer when I’d tried, and failed, at my first paddleboarding attempt.

People in my hometown of Blackstone Falls, Tennessee, did it all the time on Cedar Lake, but it had never appealed to me. But Love Beach was supposed to just be a vacation, time away from teaching for Reece and me to rest and recharge, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

It wasn’t such a temporary hobby anymore and neither was our stay in Love Beach.

Instead, she’d rekindled a smokin’ hot romance with her high school boyfriend, and I decided it was time to make my dream of owning my own flower shop a reality.

“Southbound” by Carrie Underwood blares through the speakers, and it makes me smile as my hair blows all around as the ocean flies by. I’ll run my wine-colored Jeep Wrangler with the top and doors off for as long as I can.

It’s sexy and well-loved and mine.

This thing was the first real purchase I made after graduating from college. The gas mileage is terrible and it does zero things to help tame my hair, but it makes me happy.

And that’s all that matters.

Pulling into the vacant lot of Passion Cove, I park and let my head fall back against the seat. I can hear the water lapping against the rocks and shore in equal measure. I like being here and getting out on the water—it’s simple.

Uncomplicated.

Because I don’t need any complications.

And Wells Reiser is definitely a complication.

The sound of an engine pulls me from my thoughts as Jace parks next to me. Even from here, I can tell he’s tired, and I almost feel bad for dragging him out here.

Almost.

“Looking hot today, Jace Sullivan,” I say, grabbing the coffees and pastries from the floor and hopping out.

“I thought I told you no talking,” he grumbles as he takes his drink and the white paper bag. I’d probably try to fight him for it on a different day, but I barely slept and I don’t need any more sugar or caffeine as it stands already.

“How about now?” I whisper once he’s downed half his cup and is wiping the remnants of breakfast from his mouth.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go.”

One by one, we take our boards to the water, ditching our flip-flops and grabbing our shoes before pushing out into the water.

I smile, thinking about how far I’ve come since I started. I hadn’t intended to fall in love with it, but that’s how the best things happen.

The water ripples around me, the breeze gentle as it blows the flyaway hairs around my face, and I take my first full breath since seeing Wells yesterday.

“What happened?” Jace asks, turning his head to look at me as we float. This had become our thing. An unlikely friendship, considering our six-year age difference, had stemmed into what we talk about on the water, stays on the water.

And right now, I need it.

“The guy I was hooking up with?”

“Wells?”

“Yeah.”

“What about him? Things ended when he took some new job, right?”

“Oh, he took a job all right,” I stare at him pointedly. “At Love Beach Brews. He’s the new brewmaster.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Nope, and,” I say dramatically, “of course Isaac didn’t know that until today when the three of us were standing in the middle of the bar, but he’d said that the new hire needs a nanny.”

“Is he married?” Jace asks, outraged on my behalf.

“Divorced.”

“He’s still a dick for not telling you,” he says vehemently, and this is why I love this kid. He’s young but loyal to a fault with the biggest heart in the Lowcountry.

“I mentioned that.”

“And? You’re not nannying for him, right?”

“I made a scene and stormed out.” Worrying my bottom lip, I add, “Wells chased me down the street and told me he didn’t know—that he planned on contacting me once he was settled. I guess the job he originally had fell through but…”

“But you’re still not watching his kid, right?” Jace huffs and shakes his head. “I’m sayin’ right now, it’s a mistake.”

“I told him I’d think about it.”

“Of course you did.”

“It makes sense for opening the shop. I won’t have as many hours at the bar, so this will supplement what I’m losing.”

“Are you gonna live with him?”

“Why? Jealous?”

Jace snorts, and if I didn’t feel the same way about him, I’d definitely be offended. “No, just trying to gauge how much of a raging bitch you’re gonna be tryin’ to hold out and not have sex with him.”

This time I gasp.

The audacity.

Also, he’s probably not wrong.

“I don’t like you very much right now,” I sniff which only makes him chuckle.

“Worse things have happened.”

Dipping my paddle into the water, I splash him, and because he’s still like the little brother I never wanted, he splashes me back and it’s an all-out war.

It’s childish, but I need it to help wash away the feelings that seeing Wells has awakened just by walking into my bar.

Dropping down onto my board, I surrender, and he laughs.

It’s an easy concession, especially when I still have the upper hand, “So,” I say, giving him the side-eye, “wanna talk about the cougar you’re chasing?”

“Not even a little.” He snorts. “And don’t call her a cougar.”

“Well, she is.”

“Let’s handle one headache at a time, okay? Right now that’s yours.”

“And they say chivalry is dead.”

“You know it, babe.”

Snickering, I stand and point with my paddle. “Let’s get around the cove before it gets busy.”

“Lead the way.”