Page 25 of Dandelion Sighs

Jasper, your ass looks so good in jeans, I just want to take a chomp out of it.

Heeey, do you know how long I’ve wondered what you kiss like?

No, thank you. I wouldn’t be doing more than tasting.

I smiled at him as I climbed in and soaked up how good he looked in a hat. The way it shaded his eyes created a mysterious glint that gave a girl ideas. I grew up in this area. Guys who worked on ranches and farms weren’t any different than my ex, who thought I couldn’t fight my way out of a paper bag, but he’d gladly let me pay for everything.

Jasper was different, and that made him even more attractive.

On the drive to the brewery, we chatted about work, and I kept telling myself this wasn’t a date. He felt sorry for me. I hadn’t gotten out much, and I was working so hard at the resort that I didn’t have time to wind down. I was a social charity case for the charming cowboy turned handyman. It wasn’t like he’d tried to touch me or get closer other than dragging me out for an evening.

When the brewery came into view, I sat forward with a gasp. A majestic brick building sat in the middle of the prairie, not far from an old set of railroad tracks that were now grown in with wild grasses. The brewery was tall with narrow glass windows that hinted at the aesthetic inside. It was simple but breathtaking. “Oh, wow. That place is gorgeous.”

“It used to be an old train foundry and repair shop. Isla used a trust fund to restore it and fix it up, but it was important to her to keep the character of the place with the brick and the big doors. She hired McCoy to help do that and get the brewery set up. Before he did that stuff, he’d run his own successful brewery.” He grinned like he’d helped build Reservoir Barrel, but he’d said before that it was like a proud jewel tucked into the countryside for everyone to enjoy.

“He wanted to help others do the same?”

“I think the ex got it in the divorce.”

I laughed, but I was incensed for a man I’d never met. “Dang.”

“Yeah. His mom did industrial construction-type work before him. Now he just helps run the brewery and raise their kids. He’s a good guy.”

“He’s a Barron now?”

He laughed. “Basically. The three of our families are so intertwined, it’s like having a town full of cousins.”

Wistfulness wound through me. A big, supportive family and so many of them weren’t related by blood or marriage. Just common connections that they turned into family.

After he parked, I was out of the pickup before he could run around and open the door. He was chivalrous, and I couldn’t get the wrong idea. I’d get silly fantasies and end up with a broken heart for no reason. All the while, he’d be oblivious.

Inside, the tables were mostly full and a casual din from their chatter filled the space. He didn’t rush me to a table but let me take in the high ceilings with lazy fans circulating air. I could easily picture a giant train engine sitting in the middle of the room, waiting for maintenance. The concrete floor gleamed with a resin coating, and a short wall of taps ran behind the bar. Behind that were tall, shiny steel tanks. Pipes ran from them to elevated mash tuns.

“I’ve toured exactly one brewery before,” I said to Jasper as I led him to a table by the far wall where I could enjoy the view of the train tracks and open pastures out of the arched window while also admiring the interior. “It was nothing like this.”

“There are a few in old train stations and repair shops.” He pulled out a chair at a tall table for me. The move was so automatic, I could not read into it. He was a gentleman. He was who I wished all my exes were. He was…a friend. “Isla said she studied quite a few before taking the jump.”

A college-aged girl came over and put two napkins with the logo on the table. “What can I get you?”

I ordered a tasting flight. That was all I planned to do anyway. Jasper ordered a beer made from mushrooms. When he saw my lifted brows, he grinned. “I’ll let you try it.”

The tall tables made me want to swing and kick my feet. This was the most fun date I’d had, and it wasn’t even a date.

A tall man wove through the tables. He was older than Jasper, his hair lighter, and he had scruff on his face that showed a little gray. While the man was striking, he didn’t make my heart race like the guy across from me.

Jasper’s mouth spread into a wide smile. “There’s a McCoy in his natural environment.”

McCoy laughed and lines winged out at the corners of his eyes. “You recognized me without kids and pumpkins around?”

“Just barely.” Jasper stood and gave McCoy a handshake and backslap. “This is Sheridan Bishop, from Bishop’s Landing. She hadn’t been here yet, and I needed to remedy that.”

McCoy turned to me, hand extended. “Nice to meet you. Welcome to Reservoir Barrel.” His grip was strong and quick.

“Beautiful place. I’ve seen the flyers we have at the front desk, but I haven’t had a chance to get away.” Except for last weekend, when I had dinner at Jasper’s.

“And it’s a short drive,” McCoy said. “Your first flight is on the house because you’re with this guy here.”

“I’m good for it,” Jasper joked.