Page 74 of Any Luck at All

Georgie had spent the last few years reevaluating her parents’ marriage, and she’d come to the realization that her mother had known about Prescott’s indiscretions. His affair—or maybe affairs. Their relationship had always been so mercurial—days of silent treatment, followed by a shower of gifts and attention. A yin and yang of happiness and despair. It was a sharp reminder that the people you thought you could love and trustalwayslet you down. Her father had let down her mother. Her father and brothers had let her down. Her mother had broken her heart when she’d died.

But then, Georgie was sure she’d let down Adalia too.

Something was going on with her sister. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she knew it with certainty. Dottie would probably have told her it sprung from her womanly intuition. She kept trying to reach out, but Adalia persisted in brushing off her concerned texts, saying everything was fine, she was just busy getting ready for her show. But this morning, Georgie had video-called her to update her about the upcoming parties and ask if she was interested in helping with designs for merch, labels, and a new logo. Adalia had answered, her eyes red as though she’d been crying. When Georgie asked her what was wrong, her sister had shrugged off her concern and offered some excuse about her allergies giving her grief.

“But you don’t have seasonal allergies,” Georgie said.

“I’m fine,” Adalia said in a tone that made it clear she didn’t want to discuss it.

“Can you come to the closing parties?” Georgie asked. “Jack’s still being cagey about whether or not he’ll be there, and we both know Lee won’t lower himself to come.” Which was probably for the best. If he came, Victoria would come too, and she’d be attached to him like Velcro. She hated to admit she’d rather he not come.

Adalia had looked away. “I don’t know…”

“Buchanan Brewery can pay for your trip,” Georgie had added a little too quickly, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to see her sister. Seeing Adalia would help remind her there were other things to focus on besides a man. Like rebuilding her relationship with her sister, something she’d always wanted and, to her shame, hadn’t found the time for. “The business can buy your plane tickets and you can stay at the house with me. I’m moving back in tomorrow.”

“I still can’t believe the house caught on fire.”

“Yeah, neither can I.” She’d told the others about the fire, but she’d described it (only somewhat accurately) as an electrical problem, the kind of thing that would happen in any old house. Equally, while Adalia and Lee knew the brewery would be closing for a couple of months so they could update the facility and brew new beers, they didn’t know about the whole pee pots incident. She and Jack had agreed they were on a need-to-know basis given they’d chosen to be silent partners. And since they’d figured out how to make the most of the unanticipated delay, there was no real need for them to know.

As far as the house went, everything in the living room had been destroyed, but thankfully the damage had been localized. Georgie would be moving into a house that had an empty first floor other than a kitchen and dining room table and chairs, but that didn’t matter. All she needed was a bed. She could buy more furniture after the closing parties were out of the way.

“Has that crazy cat turned up yet?”

“Not yet.” Yet another reason to move back in ASAP. Jezebel was still missing, and Georgie suspected she’d be more liable to come home if someone was living there and putting out food regularly. Thinking of Jezebel made her think about River, which wasn’t saying much.Everythingmade her think about River. “Can youpleasecome? I really need you, Addy.”

Adalia was silent for a moment. “Are you having second thoughts? Jack was so insistent we keep the brewery, but he caught the first flight out of Asheville after signing the papers.”

Georgie started to say it hadn’t happened like that but stopped herself because it had been pretty darn close.Wasshe having second thoughts? She’d felt plenty of fear and anxiety when she’d started Moon Goddess, but those emotions had been dwarfed by the excitement and exhilaration of doing somethingnew—of making something. All of those emotions were present now, but Georgie couldn’t shake the overall sadness that enshrouded her, and she was smart enough to know it stemmed from sleeping with River.

How had she been so stupid?

This was what happened when you let your heart lead you. She hoped she remembered the lesson.

But she was also smart enough to know she’d still feel this sadness if she hadn’t let herself have one night with him—it just wouldn’t be this deep.

Was she sorry she’d agreed to raise Buchanan Brewery from the ashes? She wasn’t sure she had an answer yet.

Which was why she’d felt compelled to come here, to Beau’s grave.

Except she wasn’t the only one who’d felt that tug.

The look of longing and sorrow on River’s face tugged at her heart, but he quickly stuffed it away and gave her a tired smile. “Looks like great minds think alike.” He got to his feet. “I’ll leave you to pay your respects.”

He started to walk around her, and it took everything in her not to reach out and take his hand like she’d done before he signed that paper. She’d taken his touch for granted.

“Don’t go,” she said softly, the words almost lost in the gentle breeze, but he must have heard her because he stood stock-still, as though waiting for her to give him another order.

Order. Because she was the boss and he was the employee.

Tears stung her eyes.

He stirred, as though about to reach for her, then stopped.

“Is everything okay?” he asked gently.

His question only induced more tears. She loved that about him…how he could be so gentle and supportive. How he cared about her feelings.

Why had she agreed to greenlight that stupid addendum and the noncompete? Because part of her wanted to fire him on the spot and throw herself at him, yet she couldn’t do that to him. What kind of monster would she be if she took him away from his dream job at his mentor’s brewery? They wouldn’t be able to be together anyway, because the noncompete clause would force him to leave Asheville and Dottie and his friends, everything that had given him the stability he’d needed after his mother abandoned him.

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