Page 18 of Eternal Hoptimist

I opened a cooler and refilled the rows of IPAs while he tackled the lagers in the next cooler.

“I have tons of experience serving, but I never considered brewing before. I dig being a floater here. It keeps things interesting. Back on the cruise ship, it was the same thing every day. Serving sloshed tourists who always wanted extra booze in their pre-mixed daiquiris.”

That was the most I’d heard him talk about his time on the cruise ship. “Do you think you’ll be sticking around here for a while?” I risked a glance at him.It had to be difficult returning to his hometown out of necessity rather than because he’d wanted to like Ty and Austin. I loved living in Dahlia Springs. The way people welcomed Dom and me and supported our business earned the town a special place in my heart. It was more a home than my actual one in Kansas ever had been or would be.

He looked thoughtful as he adjusted a row of cans so the logos faced forward. “Honestly, I thought I’d be back working on another cruise ship, but after—” He shook his head. “Not interested in going back to that life. I’m enjoying this for now.”

“We’re happy to have you. It’s been great to have help giving your brother shit.”

He laughed.

“I know you’ve got your own friends, but if you ever want someone to listen who’s not as opinionated about the way you live your life as Ty or Austin, I’m always here.” Ty cared deeply about his brother and was borderline overprotective, and Austin cared too as Seth’s cousin, but they had skin in the game in a way I didn’t. Sure, I cared about his well-being, but I didn’t have thoughts about how he should live his life.

His mouth lifted in a half-smile. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

Seth was a great guy. A little quirky, but I thought that might be because Ty always teasingly pointed out those quirks.

“Did you hear Austin is moving in with Caleb?”

“Yeah, Ty mentioned something about it.”

“We’ll have a bedroom at the house coming open. I know you probably love your mom’s cooking, but if you want to revisit the joys of living with your brother, I could talk to the guys about you taking Austin’s room.”

Seth’s eyes went wide. “Seriously?”

“Totally. Think about all the pranks we could pull on your brother. With Aus leaving, I need an ally.”

Seth smiled as he turned back to the cooler. “I’ll think about it.”

I bet Ty would pitch the same idea soon anyway, but maybe if someone else mentioned it to Seth, he might be more willing to consider it as something beyond his overprotective brother trying to keep a close eye on him. Selfishly, I wasn’t excited about the prospect of Austin’s room sitting empty.

Once we restocked the retail area, I watched Seth complete the opening process. He’d been pitching in long enough to understand it, but with Parker’s work fundraiser coming up, I needed to make sure Seth could handle things without me there to step in.

It’d been the four of us for so long. Hustling to open the brewery, grinding to keep it open, and now in our second year, trying to grow it. We were all probably perilously close to burnout. Not that Dom and Ty worked any less hard than Austin and me, but they had schedule flexibility that Austin and I didn’t.Austin had to maintain production, so there were no vacations for him. Anytime our taproom was open, I had to work. It wasn’t just serving either. It was watching usage to tell Austin when we were getting low on something, whipping together snacks in our small kitchen for customers, keeping the taproom clean, and monitoring when we would need to order more supplies, among a hundred other things.

My job included getting to know the locals and trying to be the face of the brewery to those who came in. Austin, Dom, and Ty spent a fair amount of time in the taproom and helped carry that weight, but it was different. They could leave. I couldn’t.

After the lunch rush, Seth insisted I take a break, so I retreated to the empty office. When I pulled my phone from my pocket, I saw Parker had texted.

I smiled.

Parker:I’m heading to town tonight for family dinner. Do you want to get together after and we could talk about Rosie? I can come to the brewery.

Ethan:Perfect. Come by whenever you want. If we’re not busy, I can talk to you until we close. After, we could hang here or head to The Lucky Tongue.

Parker:Looking forward to it. [smile emoji]

Ethan:Me too [smile emoji]

My mind had been wandering to Parker a dangerous amount since we’d made our agreement. Hell, since we met. Despite my brain insisting countless times that there was nothing romantic or sexual between us, my heart and dick were staging a revolt. Thank god my brain held its ground. Even though my dick kept sending naughty images of what Parker would be like in bed. He was probably all bossy and needed to be in control. What I would do to have him under my control as I learned what turned him on so I could give it to him. My skin heated at the thought.

“How’s Parker?” Austin asked.

“Fuck you. What makes you think I’m talking to him?”

“You’re smiling at your phone like you’re watching cat videos, but it’s not as gooberish as usual.”

“Gooberish? Nice.”

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