Page 89 of Better Luck Next Time

“I’m so glad we did this,” Blue said, reaching for her purse. “We definitely need to do it again.”

“Let’s get together at my house sometime,” Adalia said. “Then I won’t have to get a sitter. And if you have a taste for beer, I have access to a free stash. River always brings over the new stuff he’s working on.”

“Sounds good to me,” Blue said.

“It’s a date,” Maisie said.

Adalia waved goodbye and headed out to Bessie. As she got into her car, she briefly considered going by Finn’s. But Maisie’s assessment of him had left her unsettled. In one breath, she had said that Finn had a short attention span and never stuck around anything for long, and in the next she’d threatened Adalia with bodily harm if she broke Finn’s heart.

She was more confused than ever.

She couldn’t help thinking that just seeing him would alleviate some of her concerns, but she didn’t want to be one of those insecure women. Besides, if she stopped by, she was worried she’d lack the willpower to leave later. As much as she wanted to sleep with him, she wasn’t ready. Not yet. She felt too unsettled. She had no rule about when to sleep with a guy, but she knew the sex with Finn would be special. And besides, she had Tyrion to think about now.

The house emanated a warm glow when she pulled into the driveway, and she liked the thought that Jack and Tyrion were inside. It made the house feel fuller and more welcoming, more like a home. Only they weren’t inside. She found Jack on the back porch, tossing a toy for Tyrion to chase.

“Have a good night?” he asked, sounding subdued. He’d been like that since he’d come back from Chicago, leaving Adalia to wonder what or who he’d left behind. Because he still hadn’t offered that information. During their dinner last night he’d insisted he was single, so she had to wonder if he was suffering from the pangs of unrequited love, like Maisie.

“I did,” she said, sitting on the bottom step.

Tyrion came running and nearly toppled her over as he raced in tight circles, as if his excitement was so great it needed to be released physically. She laughed and rubbed his neck and head as he showered her face with kisses. “Did you miss me, boy?”

“He’s a good dog,” Jack said. “I’m glad you got him.”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “Me too.”

Turned out, all teasing with Maisie aside, she was one of those dog people she’d always made fun of. She’d purchased a kennel, food, treats, and a few toys for him on her lunch break on Monday (putting a good dent in her already threadbare bank account), after going to see the artists in the morning. And she’d stuck around to play with him for a bit before heading back to the brewery. She’d come home for lunch again today, plus she’d left work over an hour early so she could spend time with Tyrion before she left to meet Maisie and Blue.

Her branding and marketing plan had been more effective than she’d expected. She’d made a couple more posts this week, photographing customers and asking them what they were drinking and why, and now people had started spontaneously posting their own Buchanan stories and tagging the brewery. Georgie had taken notice and asked her to keep it up.

She nodded to the porch railing on the other side of Jack. Jezebel sat there quietly, watching them. “Do you happen to be Dr. Dolittle? Because that cat isneverthis calm with anyone other than you.”

He smiled. “I think she’s stalking me like prey.”

“I don’t think so. She would have attacked by now. In fact, she doesn’t even hiss at you. Like ever.”

Jack released a long laugh, and Adalia felt good that she’d been the one to instigate it. He needed to laugh. She might not know what troubles were weighing him down, but she understood what it was like to have them.

“Speaking of wild beasts, I hear you’re embarking on a safari tomorrow,” Jack said in a teasing tone. “I had no idea Asheville was populated by murderous goats.”

She shrugged. “Just goes to show you never know a place until you live there.” She couldn’t remember exactly what her cover story had been, so she improvised. “Someone needs to corral them so they don’t terrorize the population. I’m just doing my part to make the world a better place.”

“And are you going with a special someone?” he asked, his brow raised.

“Maybe…” she said in a mysterious tone, but her mood shifted as her gaze landed on the shed. She still hadn’t used it, and she hadn’t been to Dottie’s place either. The call of Blue’s studio had grown stronger. She’d considered asking her earlier if her offer to use it was still good, but she hadn’t felt comfortable bringing it up in front of Maisie. There was safety in a text.

She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and sent Blue a message before she could change her mind.

Is your offer to use your studio still good? I’d be happy to pay you rent to use some of the space.

Blue responded right away.Yes! Want to come by tomorrow?

Part of her longed to say yes, but the pull to Finn was stronger.

Can we make it Thursday? I have the day off tomorrow, but I have a date.

Ooo, an all-day date with Finn? Thursday it is!

Was it an all-day date? She couldn’t say without knowing what he had planned, but she knew she’d missed him the past two and a half days. Absence really had made her heart grow fonder, even if she was scared about what that might mean. Even if she now had doubts.

---