Actually, they did want to move. They wanted to carry him out the door and across the street to his house, where he could be alone to process the news his heart was going to be broken sooner rather than later.
But he still had furniture to move, and as much as he wanted to be alone, he couldn’t let Lane down.
“We can do this another night,” his cousin said, as if he could read his mind.
“No.” Case tried to shake it off. “Tomorrow night’s not going to be any better than tonight. Let’s just get it done.”
They worked until it was almost time for Case to be in bed, Boomer watching from the doorway of the taproom with his head propped on his front paws. He’d been with Jack and Eli until Mallory called it a night to get them to bed, and Ellen had gone in at the same time. Rather than go home alone, he was waiting for his person.
But as soon as the tables and stools had been placed and rearranged several times until everybody was happy with the placement, Case was done. “That’s it for me. Five-thirty comes early.”
“Thanks for helping,” Gwen said, her eyes on him.
“Not a problem. I’ll see you all tomorrow after work.”
Just before he turned to leave, he saw the flash of hurt across her face, but he didn’t stop and try to make it better. Hecouldn’tmake it better. And as he walked out, Boomer at his side, he couldn’t make sense of why she should be hurt at all. She hadn’t even brought up the possibility of visiting each other—of continuing on even after she went back to Vermont, until they could figure out what they wanted. No pressure, he thought. Just enjoying each other’s company.
But if their relationship wasn’t important enough to her to merit a conversation about her leaving before she announced it at the dinner table as a done deal, then it wasn’t important enough to be sad about.
The next two weeks were as bad as that night. The only bright spot was all of them taking a break to watch Jack and Eli race their derby cars at summer camp, where the pain of watching Gwen laugh with her family and nephews was almost too much. Otherwise, he worked his ass off all day and then helped out at the tavern at night. His time over there was coming to an end, though. The heavy lifting was done. All the historical brewing items and memorabilia David had collected over his lifetime had been displayed.
The paving company finished the parking lot, so he and Lane had fixed the landscaping that was impacted by the work. They’d mounted the Sutton’s Place Brewery & Tavern sign on a granite pillar.
They were down to the final touches, with Lane focusing on the brewing and the Sutton women finishing the kitchen and stocking the food they’d need, while Mallory also juggled the boys going back to school. They didn’t need him for any of that, so he started spending more time keeping Jack and Eli busy in the yard with Boomer in the evenings.
Gwen hadn’t been over since the night Evie revealed the glasses. Case wasn’t sure if it was because everything had changed between them that night, or if it was just a case of being so tired she just went to bed early, but it was a hard adjustment.
He already missed her and she hadn’t even left yet.
Chapter Seventeen
Tonight is the grand opening of Sutton’s Place Brewery & Tavern! Stop by and see how they’ve transformed the carriage house into a taproom, drink some beer and raise a glass to David Sutton! Ellen and her daughters, along with Lane Thompson and Case Danforth, have worked hard, so let’s show them some support. And don’t forget that Stonefield House of Pizza will deliver to the brewery, so let’s eat, drink (responsibly) and be merry!
—Stonefield GazetteFacebook Page
“Is it a bad look if we close early the first night we’re open?” Mallory asked in a low voice, so nobody else could hear.
Gwen laughed, feeling almost as exhausted as her sister sounded. Mallory might be used to being on the move—what with working at the thrift shop all day and having two young boys—but Gwen’s days used to be about desk chairs and comfortable recliners. She wasn’t accustomed to being on her feet like this.
Ellen stood in the middle of the taproom and did a slow turn, giving everything a final once-over. Gwen tried not to roll her eyes, but they’d gone over everything so often she could probably describe every aspect of the brewery with her eyes closed. They’d made a few adjustments about who was doing what, though.
Tonight Gwen would be floating to wherever needed, if she was needed at all. They’d finally taken her seriously when she told them to plan around her, and the only specific task assigned to her was keeping the popcorn machine they’d bought after Old Home Day popping. And Mallory had put her foot down. Her boys going with the flow and enjoying some relaxed rules over the summer was one thing, but they were back in school and needed structured meals, homework time and bedtime. She would rather be with them herself, but she knew that wasn’t practical. She was, however, adamant that their grandmother be with them in the house.
Even though they were still hoping not to hire anybody until closer to the end of the year, Ellen had looked visibly relieved when Mallory made that declaration. Taking care of her grandsons would be a lot easier on her after a day at the thrift store than being on her feet in the tavern. But they’d had to let Lane know in no uncertain terms that brewing the beer was his primary job, but he was going to pull his weight upstairs, too.
For tonight, though, Mallory had hired a sitter and it was all hands on deck.
Mallory was going to run the kitchen, while Evie took care of the tables and helped Lane behind the bar. They all knew Ellen would spend most of the night talking to their customers. It wasn’t ideal, but it should be sustainable for the three of them. They just didn’t sit that many people at a time.
Right now, though, there was chaos. Gwen ran up the stairs to the storage area to grab a box of napkins, and almost ran into Case. A box fell out of his arms as he reached out to steady her and, just like that, she was in his arms. He tightened them around her and pressed his cheek to the top of her head, and she breathed in the scent of him.
Her fingers pressed into his back, holding him close to her, and when she spoke, her voice was muffled by his chest. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
“Everything has been so out of control and I’m so tired.”
“I know.” He pressed a kiss to the spot his cheek had been and then rested his chin on her head. “Everybody’s tired. But once it’s open, everybody will find a rhythm and relax.”
