Page 42 of Any Luck at All

With a mock scowl, he said, “Hops, how did you get out of your kennel?”

She laughed. “I didn’t know you had a puppy.” But then she felt foolish. How would she have known he had a puppy? She barely knew him, yet for some reason, she felt like it would have come up in conversation during their multiple discussions about Jezebel the night before.

A grin lit up his eyes. Had she ever met a man with more expressive eyes? His were always so full of humor and kindness, even at the brewery today when everything had gone to hell. But she shouldn’t notice things like that. Especially given their professional relationship. She told herself that good bosses made sure their employees were happy, but she knew that was a stretch.

No good boss made her employee happy the way she wanted to make him happy.

Boy, was she in trouble.

“I didn’t until this morning.” River balanced the fluffball’s belly on his palm and turned the puppy to face her. “Georgie, meet Hops; Hops, this is Georgie.” The puppy’s feet began to paddle as though it were swimming. River laughed and held the puppy close to his chest. “Hops is a foster. Maisie caught me at a weak moment this morning and twisted my arm into taking him.” But as Georgie watched him rub the puppy’s head, she wondered how much arm twisting had really been involved.

“And you named him Hops?” She couldn’t help grinning. Somehow it fit.

His gaze darted to the puppy’s head, and he looked slightly embarrassed. “It’s kind of a tribute to Beau.”

Guilt nipped at her momentary happiness. It felt like she was stealing River’s inheritance. Still, she’d made a promise to Jack, and that was important to her too. She didn’t want to break her word to him, particularly not when things were still so fragile between them.

“Hey,” he said, misinterpreting her sudden somberness. “I didn’t mean to upset you about Beau. After this afternoon…” He grimaced, then gave her an earnest look. “It’s going to be okay, Georgie. I won’t let you fail. I promise.”

His words and his tone, so earnest, brought tears to her eyes. How could she keep this from him? “Um…can I use your bathroom?”

“Of course,” he said, worry crinkling the bridge of his nose. “But I’m concerned about what you’ll find there. If he pulverized all of the toilet paper, there’s some under the sink. I’m going to take him out anyway, so that will give you a moment to yourself.” River grabbed a leash off the kitchen table and headed out the front door, the puppy still cradled in his strong arms.

Like she wanted to be.

Don’t be a fool, Georgie.She went to the restroom, smiling a little as she changed out the toilet paper, and when she washed her hands, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. If she could see the guilt in her eyes, would he?

When she returned to the living room area, River still hadn’t come in, so she took a moment to survey the space. He definitely couldn’t be accused of buying his pieces from a furniture showroom floor, but while his furniture was obviously older, each piece looked well-worn and loved. He was a man who found value in things others might discard, and she sensed he had a deep loyalty to those he cared about. More guilt washed over her.

She needed to get a handle on that or she’d never make it to the Brewfest Competition next March.

Torn, she ran her hand over a cracked leather side chair, letting herself think about River sitting there, reading one of the books from the case. Multiple photos lined the fireplace mantel—Dottie and Beau with a mountain view behind them. River with a man around his age, both beaming. They stood in front of a banner that said Brewfest Competition, and River was holding a blue ribbon. An older photo of a beautiful woman with long blond hair and River’s eyes, only hers looked troubled, taken in what appeared to be a jungle. But it was a photo of River with a cute woman with curly red hair that triggered an unexpected surge of jealousy.

Georgie was falling for him, something she couldnotdo. Coming here had been a bad idea.

The living room and dining area were strewn with the puppy’s mess, so she started picking up the ripped tissue and fluffy batting. She had a good portion of it scooped up when the door opened.

“Georgie, you don’t have to do that,” River said apologetically as Hops trotted in next to him on the leash. They were a funny sight—the six-foot-tall River walking a puppy who was all of nine inches tall. He looked all kinds of adorable…and the puppy was cute too.

“I was just standing around,” she said, giving him a nervous smile and a shrug, her hand full of stuffing and damp toilet paper. “Figured I might as well help.”

River squatted next to Hops and unhooked the leash. The puppy bolted for Georgie and zeroed in on the bow on her right shoe.

“Apparently he has a thing for shoes,” River said with a chuckle.

Georgie picked him up with her free hand and giggled when he nibbled on her fingers.

River quickly took the trash she’d picked up and then cleaned up the rest and dumped it. After he examined the carrier, he declared it defective and murmured something about Maisie setting him up. Georgie wasn’t sure if he was teasing or not, but he seemed good-natured about it, so she supposed it didn’t matter.

She loved that about him. He’d found the place a mess, and instead of blowing up or getting frustrated, he’d taken it in stride. She could only imagine the reaction her father or brother would have had. Or even her past two boyfriends.

Turned out all of the men in her life had perpetual sticks up their asses. Maybe Asheville had more men like River. Only when she thought about dating men other than River, a heaviness settled on her chest. An overall wrongness.

That wasn’t good.

“So,” she said, stroking the puppy. “About making beer. You’re gonna teach me?”

“Sure am,” he said, washing his hands at the kitchen sink. “How about we head back to my office, and I’ll start gathering what we need to make our first batch.”

---