Page 81 of Whiskey Kisses

“I want to thank you for being here,” I begin, sliding my hands into the pockets of my slacks. “My name is Tristan Kelly, and I’m Doyle Whiskey’s new CEO.” I pause as a wave of surprise ripples across the room. “Mr. Randall Doyle has transferred ownership to myself and Evie Kelly, his daughter and my wife. I know this probably comes as a shock to you, seeing that this distillery has been in the Doyle family since itsinception, but I assure you that we have nothing but its best interests at heart. Evie is on the new board of directors, and this is still a family business.”

Evie clears her throat. “Good morning, everyone. Daddy was no longer in a position to lead, regrettably, so we’ve taken over to ensure that the distillery continues to live up to its prestigious reputation. I’m sure y’all have a lot of questions, so don’t hesitate to email me or speak up at the end of this meeting.”

A somber, tense silence fills the space as the reality of the situation settles in. A few people nod, but most of the managers just stare blankly back at us. I don’t blame them. Scott told me yesterday that some of these men and women have been with Doyle Whiskey for decades. A sudden changeover like this is understandably shocking, although Scott did say that there have been issues over the past couple years.

I gesture to Scott, who’s sitting across from us. “I’ll be liaising closely with your GM over the next few months to make sure this transition is as smooth as possible.”

He nods, hands clasped on the table as his dark eyes scan the expectant faces turned his way. “I’m sure many of you are concerned about your job security,” Scott begins. “But our first priority is to stabilize the business, not make cuts. We’ll make necessary adjustments as they arise, but you know we’ve always been about loyalty and longevity around here. That hasn’t changed.”

“Thanks, Scott.” I return my attention to the group. “Over the next few weeks, we’ll have meetings with each department to discuss what’s been working so far and where improvements can be made. This isyourdistillery. It only works when we’re a team.”

It’s a little corny, and a couple people still look skeptical as we open the floor, but overall, there seems to be a sense of cautious optimism. And despite her initial hesitation, Evie proves to be a natural at connecting with the staff, confidently addressing their concerns alongside Scott. She just needed to be given a chance.

I can relate.

“That went betterthan I thought it would,” Evie admits as we climb into the back of Alex’s Suburban. “I was afraid they’d think we were …”

“Usurpers?”

She clicks her seatbelt with a little smile. “Something like that.”

I squeeze her thigh. She’s got on a gray, pinstriped pencil skirt, white silk blouse and heels that make me want to bend her over the first couch I see. “You were incredible, by the way. I brought you along for support and you ended up stealing the show. I’m glad I made you come.”

“You didn’t make me do anything,” she says, threading her fingers through mine. “I wanted to be there for you.”

“But it wasn’t just for me, you know that, right?” I rub my thumb over hers. “Doyle Whiskey is a big deal around here. It’ll be mutually beneficial for you to take some ownership, however that looks.”

“You know what Scott told me? Just now, when we were talking in the break room?”

“What?”

“He said he was relieved,” she says quietly. “It’s been stressful for them, Tristan. Daddy had gotten in the habit of holing up in his office, neglecting a lot of the distillery’s day-to-day operations. Scott said it got to the point where a lot of the more critical decisions were left to him and management team, and it was starting to affect morale.”

I nod, thinking about the faces of the people I just met. “I bet. How are they supposed to focus on their jobs when they’re handling high-level shit?”

“Scott said that when he first started at Doyle Whiskey, Daddy was always on the floor. Talking to people, checking on things. They’d have company meetings twice a month, Christmas parties, stuff like that. And then, over the years, all that just kinda stopped. He said Daddy’s been withdrawing over the past few years.”

“That’s probably when he started drowning in debt.” I squeeze her hand. “Look, I’m no shrink—you’d have to talk to my sister-in-law for that—but I’ve been impulsive my whole life, so I know it when I see it. Your dad’s reckless as fuck, and honestly, he acts like an addict. He makes decisions without considering the consequences, which I can relate to, but it’s different when you’re running a company. When you have a family … people depending on you.”

“Heisan addict,” Evie says, looking out the window. “He’s addicted to gambling, in every sense of the word.”

She falls quiet, and I pull my phone out, trying Randall’s number again. The call rings and rings, eventually going to voicemail. I’m guessing his phone is on, but he’s choosing not to answer. Which I’d have expected before, but then why agree to today’s meeting and then stand us up? Guess this was his finalfuck you.

“Still nothing?” Evie asks, watching as I set my phone aside. She seems troubled.

I shake my head, drumming my fingers on the seat’s leather.

“Do you mind if we stop by my old apartment?” she says suddenly. “I want to see if my manga collection is still in the closet.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, I still have my key,” she says, digging around her purse. “Daddy never asked for it back.”

“I guess.” It’s not like we have anywhere else to be. Leaning forward, I give Alex the address to plug into his navigation.

Fifteen minutes later we pull up to the Doyle mansion. The grounds seem even shabbier since the last time we were here, like Randall let it all go after Evie left. Or maybe she was the only one keeping it up to begin with, and now that she’s gone no one cares.

“Be right back,” I tell the guys as we slide out of the back seat. “Call me if you see anything.”

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