Page 31 of Dirty Ginger

Amelia agreed with a quick nod then sent her smile onto Mason. “For you, buddy, since you love Christmas so much, I thought we can do a Christmas Ale, with flavors of candy canes, honey and light spice.”

Mason grinned big. “Does that mean I can drink it?”

“No,” Sullivan and Clara said in unison.

Mason pouted at them but said to Amelia, “I love candy canes.”

“I know you do,” Amelia replied. “You can eat all the extra pieces.”

“Did you hear that, mom?” Mason asked. “Auntie Amelia said I can eat all the pieces.”

“Within reason, of course,” Clara said.

Mason gave a little glare. “All the pieces, Mom.”

Laughter followed again, and Amelia smiled at the sweet sound.

“What about my beer?”

Amelia met Beckett’s gaze, consumed by how he watched her. How maybe he always watched her, and she never noticed because her focus had been elsewhere, in the wrong direction. “You’re a dark ale. Chocolate, coffee and caramel.” Her three favorite flavors.

His sweet smile said he knew it too.

“I think this is an amazing idea, Amelia,” Clara said, scooping up more beans on her spoon. “Each one of those beers sound incredible. I’ve got no doubt that Ronnie will be thrilled and they all will, as Sullivan says, hit it out of the park.”

Sullivan gave her a kiss for that.

Amelia nodded. “At least we have a way forward now. We’re competing against some talented Brew Masters to get that spot, but I feel good about it.” Or at least felt good about having a plan since she’d been running on empty for ideas.

Maisie smiled. “Sounds like a good plan.”

Mason asked, “When do I get my candy cane?”

Clara pointed her fork at his full plate. “How about you worry about this food instead?”

Mason shrugged and began digging in. Sullivan smiled at his son before he said, “It’s really amazing what you’ve done. The three of you. Pops would be so damn proud of you all and your brewery.”

Clara smiled and nodded, pride bursting out of her. “He truly would. I don’t think he ever could have imagined when he left us his inheritance and the property that we’d ever get this far with his favorite beer.”

Maisie beamed with light, as always. “Nah, I think he knew. He always seemed to know what a force we were when we put our minds to something.”

“I think you’re right,” Amelia said. Her gaze slipped away from her sisters landing on Beckett. His gentle smile greeted her. She smiled back, knowing that while the brewery would make Pops happy, her spending time with Beckett again—a guy that Pops truly loved—would delight him even more.

* * *

Long after thekitchen was cleaned up and the house was quiet, Beckett inhaled Amelia’s vanilla scent before he wrapped his arms around her from behind. So many wonderful memories were held in his house. Amelia’s grandfather, Pops, had been the best man that Beckett had ever known, other than his own grandfather. Pops had accepted Beckett into the family with open arms and put him in his place whenever he deserved that too. Sometimes, life simply wasn’t long enough, and Pops deserved more time. “Thank you for dinner.” He dropped a kiss on her neck and smiled against her soft skin when she shivered. “You’ve really become quite the cook.”

“You’re welcome.” She spun in his arms and pressed her hands against his chest. “It was nice having you here for a big family dinner.”

“It’s been a while,” he agreed. While he did see Amelia whenever the group got together, he skipped family dinners whenever she and Luka were around. He hadn’t trusted himself not to slam his fist in the prick’s face. Hayes had told him the stories of how Luka talked to Amelia. How they fought. How he treated her with little to no respect. Beckett wouldn’t have been able to handle that. “So, Miss Amelia, what would you like to do this evening?”

She gave him a cute look. “Actually, I have a really fun idea.” She took his hand and he followed her out of the kitchen and up the staircase.

When she entered her bedroom, he grinned. “I’m liking where this is going.”

She laughed softly. “That’s not my idea.”

He took a step toward her. “Bet I can change your mind.”

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