Page 107 of When We Break

“Uh, sorry, I have to take this.”

“No problem.”

I step outside and accept the call. “Hello?”

“Um, hi, Beckett, this is Juliet. Brooks’s ex.”

The hell?Why is my brother’s ex-girlfriend calling me?

“Of course, I know who you are, Jules. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised to hear from you.”

Brooks is going to blow a gasket when I tell him.

“Yeah, I know, and I hope I’m not making this too awkward, but I have a couple of questions for you.”

“Okay.” I shove my free hand in my pocket and stare at the moose still standing in the field. “What’s up?”

I have no idea why she’d be callingme.We weren’t particularly close when she and Brooks were together, and when they broke up, there was no question as to where our loyalties lay.

And it wasn’t with her.

“Well, I’m going to be opening a new eatery in Bitterroot Valley, and my specialty is going to be farm-to-table food. Organic, gluten-free, with a clean kitchen.”

“Shouldn’t all kitchens be clean? I mean, I’m no restaurant expert, but?—”

She chuckles. “I mean that it will be safe for people with food sensitivities like celiac disease.”

That grabs my interest. Does she know that Birdie was diagnosed with celiac earlier this year?

“I want to use as much local food as I can,” she continues. “And I’m making a list of vendors to buy from. I’d like to buy all of my dairy products from you.”

“I don’t see why that would be a problem.” I always have enough on hand for new customers, and with enough notice, I can adjust accordingly.

She’s quiet for a moment, then lets out a gusty sigh. “You don’t think Brooks would freak out if my restaurant serves Blackwell Dairy products?”

“Brooks is a grown man, Jules.”

There’s another pause.

“How is he, Beck?”

I remember how angry Brooks got at his garage when I mentioned her.

You’ll keep her name out of your mouth.

He’s not okay where she’s concerned, but that’s not my story to tell.

“Brooks is great,” I reply because aside from the shit that went down between them, it’s not a lie. “But I won’t tell him you said hi. When are you moving back to town?”

“In a few months. I need to come home.”

“Well, good luck with the new business. When you can, let’s meet up and work out quantities and delivery schedules and all that stuff. My guess is that you’d need to give about a thirty-day heads-up so I can have everything you need on hand. But we can fine-tune that when we get closer.”

“I can do that. Thanks, Beckett. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Jules.”

I hang up and let out a breath. Jesus, Brooks is going to be a dick about this, but I have to let him know.

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