Page 8 of Bad Luck Club

His expression turned serious. “Is he hurting?”

She nodded.

“Then I think you already know the answer.”

She did. But she wasn’t so sure how she felt about it.

Chapter Three

After lunch, Lee had gone back to the brewery with Adalia and spent the afternoon with River, learning about their beers in detail, everything from the subtle flavor notes to the history behind the older brews created by his grandfather.

Lee had never been a big fan of beer, and he hadn’t picked up a newfound appreciation for it over the last month, although, to be fair, he hadn’t tried. The brewery and the house they’d inherited with it were his Hail Mary, the perfect solution to his immediate problems—a place to live. An income, even if a small one. Love and support. And part of him resented the hell out of it.

He didn’t want to be here. He wanted his life in New York, even though he now knew it had been as fake as a three-dollar bill. It had been a pretty illusion, though, and he’d tried to believe in it until the moment the curtain was pulled away.

The thing was, if Georgie had still been in Boston and Adalia in the city, like they had been up until last summer,he’dstill be in the Northeast, trying to put the pieces of his life back together somewhere familiar. Somewhere that felt like home.

But he was here and nothing felt right.

Still, his sisters were happier than he’d ever seen them. He’d never begrudge them that, nor did he want to take it away from them. It was illogical to blame a business for his unhappiness, but it was easier than to dwell on what he’d done to end up here.

So he’d never tried any of the Buchanan beers. Adalia had tried to set up tastings for him a few times at the Buchanan house, but he’d always refused. Just like he’d refused Jack’s offers to try this beer or that. They’d both finally stopped asking.

So Lee had spent three hours with River, taking notes about beers he’d never drunk in one of Georgie’s many notebooks. (It wasn’t a surprise she’d had a spare to give him. She often had at least two on her at any given time.) River had offered to set up a tasting to go along with the lesson, but Lee had claimed he was worried he’d get drunk. He wanted to be in full possession of his faculties so he wouldn’t miss anything.

River had given him an arch look that suggested he saw through Lee’s bullshit, but he didn’t call him on it. They’d settled into an uneasy truce, and both of them seemed inclined to keep it that way. It wasn’t that Lee disliked River. It was more that River seemed to represent the heart of the Asheville vibe. Laid-back. Mellow. Live and let live. He was a nice enough guy, but he was a surprising match for Lee’s high-strung, overachieving, uber-professional sister. Lee couldn’t help but think she deserved someone as equally driven. But it was her life, and River was the man she’d chosen. She seemed happy, so who was he to judge?

Okay, so he did. He just kept it to himself.

At least Adalia had chosen well. Finn was successful and grounded enough to be an anchor for her craziness. Why couldn’t Georgie have found someone more like him?

After work, he headed straight to the YMCA, which he’d joined after realizing he’d be living here for the foreseeable future, and worked out even harder than usual. Everything felt like it was building up inside of him, and working out was the pressure valve that helped ensure he didn’t lose his cool. His near-constant anger was like a volcano full of molten lava, and if he didn’t release the pressure, he’d blow up, destroying everything and everyone around him.

So he’d lost the barely there love handles Victoria used to chide him over, and now had a well-defined six-pack and biceps that filled out the sleeves of his shirts. But more importantly, he hadn’t sniped at his sisters, the only two people who’d stood by him. Three if he counted Jack, because Lee had to grudgingly admit that Jack was more accepting than he would have been under the circumstances.

When he got back to the house that night, he headed straight to his room to check his email. A couple of days ago, he’d put out one last feeler to a fraternity brother who sold cheap condos in Miami—Miami!A true sign of his desperation—and he was eager to see if he’d responded. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a message in his inbox. He clicked through, one last ember of hope burning in his chest.

We aren’t hiring right now, but even if we were, there’s no way Herman would hire you after you and your dad made national news. Sorry, Lee. Wish I could help you, but you should probably consider a different career path, because I imagine you’re going to face the same thing no matter where you go, and if you find someplace that wants to hire you, that’s the first sign you should turn and run.

I wish you luck, man.

Tucker

And just like that, the last of Lee’s hope was snuffed out.

Adalia and Finn were making dinner at the Buchanan house tonight, and Maisie was coming over with Jack and Iris after Iris’s volunteer shift at Maisie’s dog shelter. Lee wanted nothing more than to be alone, but Adalia wasn’t the sort to let the people she cared about steep alone in dark feelings. She called his name up the staircase twice, and when he didn’t respond, she burst into the room and threatened to drag him downstairs to help her and Finn finish dinner.

“Come be with your family,” she said, giving him a pointed look.

He just grunted noncommittally as she flounced back down the stairs.

Family? Adalia was the only one of the five of them who was truly family. While Jack was technically his half-brother, Lee couldn’t bring himself to form a significant relationship with him. Iris had nicknamed him “the grumpy old man,” something he’d heard her say more than once despite Adalia’s attempts to hush her, and Maisie seemed to barely tolerate him, which he suspected was largely because he hadn’t fully warmed up to Jack.

And then there was Finn. He was like a Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy—he refused to believe that he and Lee would be anything less than best friends. To Lee’s chagrin, he wasn’t immune to his frenetic energy.

Finn was stirring something on the stove. His face lit up as Lee walked into the kitchen.

“Something sure smells good,” Lee said, his stomach grumbling. He hadn’t even realized he was hungry.

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