Page 53 of The Distiller's Darling

“Yes, that’s right.” His dad’s jaw ticked, and his face grew red. “This business has been in our family since eighteen twenty, and you are the first Brennan to ever try to break it up.”

Iain shot out of his chair and paced the perimeter of the room. “Oh, come off it! You know as well as I do the second my shares are available, you’re going to pick them up. The only one breaking up this family is you!” He turned to face his father, his chest sawing in and out with anger. “If you had just let Maeve and I do this our way, the way you promised we could, none of this would have ever happened. We’d still be two happy Brennan Family Distillers employees. Every single part of us leaving Ireland and buying a distillery here in America is on you.”

His dad shot Naomi a quick look, and his eyes raked over her bare legs to the tops of her cut off shorts. “Is it because of this one? She’s a trifle thin for my liking, but I guess there’s no accounting for taste.” He snorted and rolled his eyes.

Immediately, Iain saw red. Blood boiling, vein popping, all-his-patience-going-up-in-flames red. “How dare—”

Judith Klein stepped in front of Iain and leaned down to poke his father in the chest. “I don’t care what sort of family drama you have going on with your son, but you will not speak about my daughter that way. She is more than her looks, which I’ll have you know, are absolutely gorgeous. She is a talented, award-winning artist, and your son would be lucky to be with her. No! More than lucky. He should drop to the floor and kiss the feet she walks on!”

Iain turned away so neither of them would see the smile tugging at his lips. This was a very serious moment, but the righteous indignation coming off Mrs. Klein in waves was a sight. He suspected Naomi had never heard so many kind words about herself from her mother. No, he knew she hadn’t. The startled look on her face confirmed it. She looked like a wee bunny that had been surprised mid-carrot by a stampede of dogs.

Cathal flattened his palm on the tabletop and pushed to his feet, crowding the elder Klein. “If it weren’t for your daughter, my son wouldn’t be throwing his future away!”

“Do you not listen? No, of course you don’t. You’ve proven that! He just said it was your fault he’s moving to America. Not that I’m surprised. An hour with you and I’m ready to relocate to the moon. You insufferable, pig-headed—”

Naomi put her fingers to her mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle. When their parents fell blessedly silent—Cathal’s eyes pinched with distaste, and Judith’s jaw hanging open in surprise—Naomi held up her hand. “Enough already.”

She turned to Iain’s dad. “Personally, I don’t give two shits what you think of me, but you’ve really got it wrong here. Your son—your amazing, intelligent, awesome son—would have worked himself to the bone for your precious family business, if only you’d ever shown him a modicum of respect.”

She turned to her mom. “And you! Well, thank you.” Her cheeks turned pink, and she glanced away. Iain could tell she was uncomfortable with her mother’s praise and wasn’t exactly sure how to take it. It was apparent the two women had much to discuss.

As did Iain and his dad. And doing so in front of one another was a recipe for disaster.

He moved to Naomi’s side and squeezed her shoulder. “Thank you for calling me. I’m going to grab my dad and head out.”

She glanced up at him, her lip trapped between her teeth. “Are you going to be okay?”

Quickly, he stole a glance at his father. His irate, very troublesome father. “Somehow, I’ll have to be.”

“Call me later and let me know how it goes?”

His eyes flicked between hers. “Is that what you want?”

She nodded, and for a brief second, he thought he saw her eyes begin to shimmer with tears, but then she took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

That was the understatement of the century. “Yeah, I think we do.” And he had no idea what the outcome of that conversation would be. Or even what he wanted it to be.

Iain turned to his dad. “Come on. We have a lot to discuss, too.”

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