PARKER
“It’s a big inn.” I tossed Beck a beer. It was his night off, and the last thing he wanted to do was go back to O’Malley’s. “We can make ourselves scarce.”
As usual on a Thursday night, we were in the kitchen sitting on stools around the island.
“Scarce,” Mason muttered. “As if he’s ever heard the word before.” He nodded to Beck.
“Hey,” Beck started to defend himself.
“There are six of them, all but two are single,” Mason added.
Beck closed his mouth, knowing better than to argue. If Pia was having friends over for a wine tasting—single friends—Beck would be anything but scarce.
“And itisa big inn,” he said to me. “But we only use the house portion for ourselves, as you know.”
“I do, but the reception room would be perfect for a wine-tasting night.”
Part of the original structure, which was more mansion than house, the reception room had been turned into a full-blown banquet hall. Part of the renovations had been to add space to host parties and, come this summer, even small weddings, something Mason’s father had always fought against. He’d wanted to preserve the quaint experience for existing guests, but just before he died suddenly of a heart attack last fall, Mr. Bennett had hired Pia to turn the inn around. Hosting events had been one way to bring in some much-needed cash.
“Not ‘cozy’ enough. Pia’s words, not mine.” Mason pulled a beer from the fridge. “So where we headed?”
“Not O’Malley’s,” Beck said, understandably.
“Cedarwood?” I asked.
Of all the bars in town, besides O’Malley’s, Cedarwood Bar and Grill was one of my favorites. It was within walking distance, unpretentious, and typically attracted a more mature crowd.
Which is exactly the reason Beck made a face.
“You’re gonna have to start dating women out of college at some point,” Mason said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Pia swung open the kitchen double doors at that precise moment.
“Stop teasing my guy,” she said, literally walking right up to Beck. For some reason, despite the fact that Pia was an intelligent, independent woman, she’d taken a liking to him. The two of them had a brother/sister relationship almost from the start. At least, after he stopped hitting on her after realizing Mason was interested.
“Thank you, Pia,” he said with a wink.
“Your guy wants to stay here and drink,” Mason pointed out.
“Sorry, Beck.” Pia turned on “her guy” just like that. “No can do. It’s strictly a girls’ night.”
“Who’s coming?” he asked, not masking his interest in the topic.
Pia made a face but answered, “Jules, Delaney, a friend of hers from the gym, a woman I met from the chamber of commerce—who’s married—and someone she works with. Don’t know her name since we haven’t met.”
“Is she hot?”
“The one I haven’t met?” Pia asked, crossing her arms.
“No, the friend from the gym.”
“I suppose. But she’s also getting over a bad breakup, like Delaney.”
“So it’s a therapy session?” he asked.
“You are impossible. So where you guys going?”
“Cedarwood.” Mason reached for Pia, pulling her next to him. “Will you miss me?”
