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“Just trying to reach you. I think your father would be over the moon about doing a bourbon batch together.” There’s something in his voice that reeks of desperation.
I make a mental note to have Beau look into the financial situation of Mr. Fitch’s distillery. It’s privately owned, like mine, so I’m not sure if anything is on public record.
I act like he’s right. “I’m sure he would be open to it. But I’m concentrating on finding him. I have a team of people trying to locate him.”
“He’s probably off gallivanting around with some nice looking woman. I wouldn’t worry. He’s been gone for a few weeks before; so there’s really nothing to worry about. Let me know if you change your mind? My door is always open.”
“Yes, sir. I will.”
My dad has been gone for a couple of weeks in the past, but he didn’t leave me in charge. Didn’t name me CEO. Didn’t tell me to make my own decisions.
Jessie stares while I lean against my bookcase, lost in a maze of thoughts.
Mrs. Potts brings in an envelope and lays it on my desk, winking at me. “I wish I was young. You girls talk about stuff that my mother would have washed my mouth out with soap for.” She giggles and it sounds like a cat coughing up a fur-ball.
I wish she was my mom. I have a feeling she would keep me in stitches. Okay, back to business. I eye the contract between our distillery and Rome Lennox, and it gives me a genius idea.
“Can you and Maverick have dinner with Rome and me at the Two Fourteen tonight?”
“Sure, who’s Rome? And what time?”
“Eight. Just a guy I know from college. We’re partnering up on some business.”
I’m going to show our charming little town that Vanessa Barron is more than the girl they used to know. I’m more thanBeauNessa. I’m going to make Barron’s 12 the brand of the elite—move over Papi Van Winkle, there’s a new CEO in town.
It’s time I embraced life instead of dreaming of living it with someone that doesn’t want me.
Beau can protect me from the shadows because no one is taking my legacy away from me. I’m a damn good businesswoman. Since Beau left for the military, I’ve not been motivated to be anything, but today is the day I start over. I’m going to put this town on the map, and not for the Love Lock Bridge, where dreams of love are locked away.
I pull up my calendar and pop in myafter-hoursdinner reservation along with the people invited. The calendar on my laptop automatically updates Mrs. Potts as well as Beau. I bet she’ll be in here asking for details tomorrow.
A call with the largest liquor store chain in the country pops up; it’s yet another meeting to prep for. There are some products we work on two years in advance. Things happen, like when I fell into the vat of bourbon mash. Yeah, I’m trying to erase that from the employees’ memories.
The sound of a siren has me jumping into action, running down to the first floor because someone called an ambulance. It’s official, Beau has become my silent shadow. One of the women that works in accounting may have had a heart attack, so the EMT slides her into the ambulance and whisks her away to the hospital.
The chatter dies down, and everyone returns to work. Beau is on the phone with someone as he follows me to my office. When he hangs up, he asks, “Where do you want the employees relocated since the heavy construction starts tomorrow? I think you should work from home.”
“What do you feel is in the best interest of my safety? Because I have to weigh it against what is good for the company.”
He cracks his knuckles, which I know is a sign of nervousness. He must have started doing it when he went into the Navy. He always had nerves of steel. Championship game? No nerves. Answering the winning question on the Quick Recall team? No nerves. Seeing me kiss his brother? No nerves; he just walked away and didn’t look back.
“We’re minutes away from the office. I won’t ask anything of you but to let me keep protecting you. Your house is the best option. It’s a smaller, more controllable environment.”
The calmness in his voice has a hint ofI fucked upin it. I lean my head back, resting it on the leather.
“Done. Now, I have a date with Rome tonight. Did you see the calendar update?”
Heat fills his eyes. “Yep.”
A tornado of desire rips through me as his blue eyes turn dark. I’m squeezing my knees under the desk as I see jealousy flash across his face.
Beau calls Mrs. Potts into the office. “We need to move everyone off of this floor for the next week or so.” He gives us the once over. “The Triple Crown Barn is empty, right? It has offices with all the necessary outlets, lighting, and HVAC, so we can just move the desks and equipment.”
He asks my secretary, “Can you figure out how many people we can fit over there? And we can squeeze the rest onto the first floor.”
She pats him on the arm like he’s her grandson. “Such a leader. I’ll send maintenance over and let you know.” I roll my eyes so far back in my head, someone may mistake me for the walking dead. “Where will you be, Ms. Barron?”
That’s better—it’s my company. “I’ve decided, given my dad is still missing and no clues have been uncovered, it’s best to work from home. But I’m an email or phone call away.”
