Page 42 of Kiss and Tell

“Understatement of the century,” Miles muttered.

“Trudy is the one who discovered you, right?” Lucy asked Miles.

He nodded. “That’s her.”

“Anyway,” Joey continued. “Trudy started talking to the bartender aboutManPower, and the next thing she knew, the bartender was dragging her home to meet her husband. It must have been an impressive ranch because Trudy decided to film a show there while they’re making homemade apple butter. Apparently it’s a weekend event, with lots of people chipping in to do the work.”

“Sounds like some realLittle House on the Prairieshit,” Miles added.

“Maybe so, but I think it still sounds amazing.” Lucy sighed. “God, I’m so jealous of you guys, getting to travel all over the country, meeting different people, experiencing all these cool things.”

“You’ve really never traveled anywhere?” Miles asked.

“One time, when I was seven, my mom insisted that my sisters and I needed to see the ocean. She talked Dad into taking a long weekend and we drove to Ocean City. I can remember standing there at the edge of the shore, the waves lapping around my ankles, thinking I’d never seen anything so big. I’d love to go back one day.”

“You’ve only seen the ocean once?”

She nodded sadly. “You can’t just take a vacation when you live on a farm because the chores still need to be done. One day, though, maybe I’ll take off on a grand adventure.”

It sounded to Miles like Lucy had inherited a bit of her mother’s wanderlust.

“Maybe?” Joey asked.

Lucy seemed uncomfortable that Joey had picked up on that word. “It’s not a good time for me to leave.”

“Why not?” Joey pressed.

Given Lucy’s silence, it was obvious she didn’t have a response. In the end, she just shrugged.

Joey leaned forward, reaching for Lucy’s hand. “You know what I think? You should come with us when we leave tomorrow.”

Lucy laughed, thinking Joey was joking. Miles didn’t even crack a smile—because he could see the light that had just gone on in his best friend’s head.

Shit was about to go off the rails.

Lucy’s laughter died when Joey said, “I’m serious.”

She shook her head. “Joey, I can’t just take off.”

“Why not? You know, most employed people get vacation leave, and it sounds to me like you’re owed a lot of it.”

“I’m not just an employee. I’m part owner of the brewery.”

“And you have many very capable people working for you. Plus, Sam and Theo are there to keep things rolling.”

“Yeah, but?—”

Joey cut her off. “Think about it, Lucy. We’re offering you the chance to knock a city off that list of dream trips. I’m not kidding. You’ll love Nashville.”

“Yeah, but aren’t all your travel arrangements made by the production company? I’m not even sure how?—”

“We’re road-tripping it,” Joey said, interrupting her again. “I hate flying. Had a terrifying experience with turbulence once. Swore after I got my feet back on the ground, I was never stepping in one of those death boxes in the sky again.”

“You drive everywhere?”

Miles sighed. “Yep. Joey is a firm believer in that old saying, it’s the journey, not the destination. The producers have gotten better at setting our schedules, always padding in a few extras days for us to get from point A to point B. Becausethisguy,” Miles jerked his thumb toward Joey, “loves stopping at random places he finds on the way. And he refuses to eat from chain restaurants, only eating at local places along the road.”

Joey took a sip of wine. “Some of the best meals I’ve ever had have come from off-the-beaten-path, run-down diners.”

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