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Hammer hits Liam on the shoulder roughly, “I’m just trying to get you to say it again. Never thought I’d hear the word girlfriend uttered out of your mouth.” Hammer turns his blue eyes on me, “No offense.”
“None taken,” I say, holding out my hand. “I’m Birdie.”
He half-smiles at me. “Nice to meet you, Birdie. I’m Hammer. Welcome to my humble abode.”
I look around the space. It’s not a huge distillery, but it’s a decent size. The space is all wood and has a very modern southern vibe about it. Bourbon memorabilia peppers the walls, as well as a few tasteful pictures of nude bodies, which surprises me. Not something I’d think a guy like Hammer would have up on the walls.
“My wife paints those,” he chortles. “I told her this is a distillery, you can’t have naked paintings on the walls, but you’d be surprised how many she sells when people come in here and get sloshed.”
“She’s a smart woman.”
“That she is. Now have a seat, Liam mentioned you have a love for bourbon.”
My eyes find Liam’s. He’s looking at me like I’ve hung the moon, and I have to stop from blushing. I can also tell he’s happy to be here. I have no idea where he met this guy, but it’s clear they’re close. I get why he chose this place now; he trusts Hammer not to tell anyone we came here.
I flick my eyes back to Hammer and nod. “That I do.”
“Well then, you’ve come to the right place.”
Liam moves closer to me to press a hand to my back, then leads me toward a table near a window. Outside it’s a nice summer day, and green grass blows in the breeze. The sky is blue with fluffy clouds and green trees line the property. In the distance I see some horses out in a pasture, enjoying the delicious grass.
Once we’re seated, Hammer hands us both a drink menu and a tasting sheet. “I’m going to get some things started for you, I’ll be back out in a few minutes.”
Hammer’s large form retreats to the back of the bar some distance away, and I turn my attention to Liam. “Now I understand why you brought me here.”
Liam nods. “Hammer and I go way back.”
“How do you know him?”
“He’s my cousin actually.”
Shock colors my face, “I didn’t know you had a cousin.”
“Mom has an older sister. Hammer is her son.”
My eyes find Hammer and I watch him for a second. I can see a little resemblance. Liam and Hammer have the same wide shoulders and sharp jaw. They also share the same tall height.
“I can’t believe out of all the things you could have; you have a cousin who owns a distillery in Nashville.”
“I’m just full of surprises,” he says gleefully.
“That you are.”
After a few moments, Hammer returns and sets down a tasting flight full of several amber colored liquids. “Here we are.”
“These look great,” I smile up at him. “I actually haven’t done a lot of bourbon tastings.”
He holds his hand over his heart like he’s wounded. “A bourbon drinker who doesn’t do tastings? You’re hurting my heart.”
“I don’t have much free time, but I’m excited to try all of yours.”
He nods like he understands. If he didn’t know who I was before Liam told him we were coming, I’m sure he does now.
Hammer starts explaining the different kinds of bourbons, and how he makes them. It’s clear by the joy on his face that he enjoys what he does. He also makes sure that while we’re tasting each one, he explains the notes on every bourbon and why they’re special.
After a few tastes, I feel Liam’s eyes on me. He’s smiling at me with a warm expression, but he’s lost in thought. From Liam’s own words I can gather that not many women, if any, have met Hammer or even know he has a cousin. My stomach flutters at the importance of this moment, especially since he looks so glad that I’m here with him.
“Any you’d like to have a glass of?” Hammer asks once we’ve tasted them all.
