Page 25 of Feel It in the Air

I nod.

Gus mimics my nod for a second, then reaches for my pint glass. “You’re gonna need another drink.” Sniffing my glass, he makes a face like he wasn’t expecting the result, then flags down the gal at the tap. “Brenna, we need another Silver Lining Sour and a… actually, make that two Silver Linings, please.”

“You make it seem like I’m about to be put up in front of the firing squad,” I say with a laugh.

Taking the beer from the same brunette who blew through Bronwyn’s office the other day, Gus hands me one. I take a sip, letting the tart flavor roll over my tongue, and relax into the moment. I don’t know how much time Gus and I are going to get just the two of us before we’re interrupted again, and I want to savor every second of it.

“You might prefer that,” he jokes. I playfully smack his arm, and he laughs, the sound like the perfect background music. “It’ll all come down to who is in what mood, and how much they want to embarrass me. Willa should at least be on her best behavior while here. She wouldn’t do that to Milo⁠—”

“I dunno, isn’t this where she got into that catfight?” a female voice cuts Gus off.

My head whips around to find a curvy blonde, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, looking at Gus like he’s going to know the answer. Standing next to her is a tall, dark-haired man who looks enough like Gus to tell me he’s another Hayes, although that’s where the similarities end. His scruffy face looks more like he simply hasn’t shaven in a couple of days, rather than he chooses to keep a beard. His arms are covered in tattoos, and there are even small gauges in his ears.

“Forgot about that,” Gus mutters.

“And we’re absolutely going to embarrass you,” his brother adds. The blonde elbows him, but all that does is make the burly guy chuckle, his smile growing even wider. His very disarming smile. That must be a Hayes special.

“Hi, I’m Dolly McLain, and this oaf is Hux.”

“Huxley Hayes. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” He takes my hand, lifting it and kissing my knuckles gently, as if we were back in the 1860s and he were being presented at court.

I can all but feel Gus roll his eyes next to me, and it takes everything in me not to look over at him. Instead, I keep my focus on Hux and the adorable, bubbly blonde next to him.

“Margeaux Finnegan. But I bet y’all knew that.”

“Nope, but we have a picnic table outside. Come join us!” Dolly grabs my hand and yanks me off my stool before I can object.

I look back over my shoulder at Gus, who is already grabbing our drinks, nodding at me to follow. Okay then. I let Dolly lead the way, weaving us through the crowd and out the large garage-style door to the backyard area of Pour Decisions. A long open-air picnic shelter-like structure spans the open field between the bar and the brewhouse, a little more than a dozen wooden tables spread out underneath the covered area. From what I was told at the office, Southern Brothers finished up construction on this addition over the summer, creating the new outdoor space for the brewery.

“Look who I found!” Dolly announces.

“Margeaux!” Willa exclaims. Pushing to her feet, she rushes over and wraps her arms around me. Her gesture catches me off guard, but I embrace her back, enjoying the camaraderie.

“Willa…” a low warning voice calls from the table, but she doesn’t let go.

“Retract the claws there, Wills,” Gus adds from behind us.

I can’t help but chuckle as Willa pulls back, sneering over my shoulder. Brandishing her nails in a mocking cat swipe, she looks back at me and shakes her head.

“Probably can’t convince you to ignore him, huh?” she whispers so only I can hear.

“Not a chance,” I respond.

“Good.” She winks. “Now come meet everyone. Well, almost everyone.”

Ten minutes later, my head is spinning as I try to remember all the names and faces.

Willa and Bronwyn quickly introduce me to their partners—all but identical twins, Nash and Noel Keller. Other than telling them apart, I think they’re the only ones I might remember. The rest? Forget it.

No, that’s not true, because Willa did apologize multiple times that Kenzie and Dustin Wilder—who is also apparently country mega star Dustin Wild—aren’t in town this weekend, but assured me that I’ll meet them at some point. That fact left me a little dumbfounded.

As did the discovery that Hux and Dolly apparently are not a couple, despite my assumption based on how they were acting when they introduced themselves. That ring on her hand belongs to someone else. Ooops.

By the time I park myself on a bench next to Dolly and across from Alice Evans, who I met the other morning when I stopped by Oh, My Lard! for a cup of coffee, and a gal named Emily—whose last name I already forgot—I feel like I’ve been introduced to the whole damn town. All I can do is pray there won’t be a test later. Because clearly, I’m going to fail.

My nerves ease as Gus slides into the open spot next to me, resting his hand on the small of my back. I lean into it, letting the small connection between us be enough. It has to be. I can be part of this circle, a member of this tribe, but nothing more. Not as long as he’s the boss.

“Overwhelmed yet?” His breath tickles the shell of my ear, making my pulse jump. I fight the urge to lean into him, wanting nothing more than to be just like these other couples at the tables.