Page 81 of Better Luck Next Time

“There’s only one way to find out,” he said. “But yeah, I don’t see why not. It would be to everyone’s benefit. If you’re agreeable to the proposal, I can make the initial contact with River and Georgie. You might want to use someone else to approach the other brewers, but I knew them personally.”

“A lot of good it did you last time,” she said. Though her remark was tongue in cheek, it still stung.

“Fair enough. Let’s see if I learned my lesson.”

Because he really, really hoped he had. He’d changed, hadn’t he? Hefeltlike he’d changed, but the measure of a man was in what he did more than what he said or felt.Act like an ass, and you better start braying, because you’ve become one, his grandfather had once said to his father, which had made a seventeen-year-old Finn burst out laughing.

“Okay,” she said. “Yes, talk to him. If Buchanan steps on board, it’ll help ease the way for the others.”

“Thanks, Gretchen. I think this is going to work.”

A pause, then she said, “I think it will too. You’re good at this, and I don’t say that lightly. Let me know how it goes.”

After they hung up, he texted River, asking if he could get together tonight or sometime tomorrow. Of course, right after he sent the first message, he realized River was going to think he wanted to talk about Adalia, which he didn’t really, or at least not in the same conversation in which he pitched the Bev Corp event. So he added,Not about Adalia.But he also didn’t want to give River the impression he wasn’t serious about Adalia, so he added:Not that I haven’t been thinking a lot about Adalia, because I have, but it’s not about her. It’s a business thing. Georgie should probably be there too. Nothing horrible. I promise.

What about tomorrow night?River asked.You can come over for dinner.

It might infringe on his tentative sleepover plans with Adalia, but this was important too. Hell, maybe she’d want to join them at River and Georgie’s place.

Sounds good.

Finn set his phone aside, not wanting to badger Adalia while she was doing the whole brother-sister bonding thing with Jack, and he found himself thinking of what she’d said a couple of days ago. Something about him being a creator too, only he created businesses. He hadn’t given it much thought at the time—he’d neverfeltcreative—but maybe she’d seen something in him he hadn’t seen in himself. Gretchen had said,You’re good at this. And Sean, earlier, had asked him about consulting.

He took out his laptop and started working, and before he knew it, it was after midnight.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Finn’s texts had made Adalia feel like she was floating in a happy bubble, but the bubble burst midafternoon when Lee texted saying he’d gathered some information and wanted to video chat with Adalia and Georgie so they were all on the same page.

Okay,she’d texted back,but give me a few minutes to catch Georgie up to speed.

Hurry. My window of availability isn’t very wide.

Meaning Victoria and/or their father might swoop in at any moment. Lee was like a prisoner in some ways, but she couldn’t feel too bad for him given it was a prison of his own making.

After Adalia’s meltdown the week before, Georgie had moved her desk out to a small room beneath the stairs—too large to be just a supply closet but not quite large enough to be anything else. Adalia fondly called it her cupboard under the stairs. Right now she felt reluctant to leave its safety, but she forced herself to get up and head to her sister’s office, clutching her phone in a death grip.

Why was she so nervous? Georgie knew about the whole Alan mess, so this wouldn’t come as a total surprise. Still, she knew Georgie would be hurt that she’d held back.

Adalia stopped at the partially open door and knocked on the wood trim. Georgie was staring at her computer, her brow furrowed, but she glanced up and smiled brightly when she saw her sister.

“How’s Tyrion?” she asked, pushing her chair away from her desk a few inches. “He’s such a sweetheart. Hops was so worn out he didn’t ask to go out in the middle of the night. We’ll have to set up another playdate soon.”

Adalia’s eyes bugged out. “Puppies need nighttime bathroom breaks?”

Tyrion had slept through the night, climbing up onto the bed next to her at some point and cuddling with her. The dog was a furnace. He’d definitely come in handy when it got cold.

She walked into the office and sat in a chair in front of the desk. “I guess it’ll help break you in for when you and River make gorgeous babies.” She made a face. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Georgie gawked at her, seemingly stuck on the making babies comment.

“Surely you and River have discussed babies.”

Her face turned an adorable shade of pink. “Sort of…”

Adalia gave her a stern look and lowered her voice. “Do I need to give River a talking-to about his intentions?”

Georgie laughed, but it sounded forced. “I know he’s saving for a ring, although I have no idea how since the brewery’s still not making a profit and he refuses to accept the full salary in his contract. I suspect that’s why he’s looking into setting up an online class to teach hobbyists how to make beer or improve their technique.”

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