Page 21 of Bourbon and Lies

Lincoln turns, wearing his ‘Grill Daddy’ apron. Ridiculous, but it was a Father’s Day present from the girls a couple of years ago and he won’t grill without it. “No animals, Lily. But there will be carnival rides during the day, and then we’ll have a movie projected on a big screen on the great lawn of the distillery.”

“Sounds like fun,” Laney adds with a wistful smile. “I used to watch movies in the park every summer. Wednesday nights with a blanket and some wine. And there was always the most delicious food. My favorite was when Taiyaki would do a pop-up.” She smiles at Lark and starts using her hands to describe it. She’s frustratingly captivating. “They do soft serve ice cream, but in a fish-shaped, soft waffle cone.”

“Yum,” Lark says back with her chin resting on her fist.

“So much yum.”

“Dad, can we get Taiyaki to come here for our festival?”

Lincoln gets cut off by Griz when he says, “Lark, the important piece is the anniversary batch we’ll be releasing.” Griz sits back in his chair from the head of the table, opposite Ace. “The whole point of it is to release some barrels that haven’t been sampled sincemygrandpa started this place.”

“Griz, of course, we know the most important part is the bourbon, but you do realize that if we don’t make a big-ass deal, nobody else will. Also, Taiyaki sounds delicious, Laney.” Now, he’s winking at her.

Laney clears her throat, her eyes shifting to me briefly, as she plays with a braid underneath her hair that still has wildflowers woven into it. “What about fireworks?”

Her eyes meet mine again.Yeah, there’re fireworks. I can’t help but study the way she interacts with my family. She’s fucking beautiful, but there’s something not right here. I can feel it in my gut, and I refuse to ignore it. Maybe it’s that she has no problem with eye contact. I don’t intimidate her, which is new for me. Not many people have balls enough to keep looking or to follow it up with a smile. She just keeps looking. And dammit, I like that about her.

“The Fourth of July jamboree is coming up. There’re fireworks then,” Ace interrupts. “Laney, you’ll have a chance to go to the largest fair in all of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Craft tables as far as the eye can see. There’s tractor pulls, fireworks, and—” He looks at Lincoln. “What bands are coming?”

Lincoln shrugs.

“Not sure who the bands are this year, but there’ll be some dancing, too.”

“Save me a dance, Laney?” Lincoln says from his seat.

A growl escapes my throat as I watch her smile at him with a nod. I wipe my mouth and throw my napkin on my plate to play off the noise.

Lincoln looks at me with his brow furrowed, likewhat the fuck?

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.

“Me too, Dad?” Lily says.

“Always, Lily. You too, Lark? You’ll save one for me too?”

With my eyes trained on my brother, I ask, “You still planning on being here by the 4th?” But the question is aimed at Laney. I turn my head, focusing on her, just realizing I’ve shifted my attention. “Or are you planning to be gone by then?”

She shifts another quick glance at Ace.

Everyone at the table halts their side conversations, rolling out a nice stretch of silence for her to answer. She looks immediately uncomfortable. I watch her rub the tips of her fingers on the arm of her wicker chair, funneling some of that nervous energy. She’s working hard to keep her facial expressions neutral. But then she clears her throat. And I may have just discovered her tell. The nervous energy moves quickly, though, as she raises her chin and keeps her eyes on mine. “I’ll be here for a while.”

My mouth ticks up on the right side, challenging her to keep going. “You know, I never got your story, Laney.”

With seven pairs of Foxx eyes on her, she stalls by taking a bite of my bacon.

Griz interrupts, “Laney, can you pass me that plate of biscuits in front of you?”

She passes the biscuits down, but I have another question. “Where was it you were living before here?”

“Colorado,” she clips out, clearing her throat. Again.

I push for more. “Whereabouts? I’ve got a few friends who run a winter sports business out there.”

“Laney, that bowl of sausage gravy too, if you wouldn’t mind,” Griz interrupts again. She gives him a tight-lipped smile, passing the bowl down. He’s trying to keep this less awkward, but I thrive in these moments. Truths always trickle out one way or another when someone is on the spot.

I sit back, taking a sip from my cup as I wait for her to answer. She plays with that piece of braided hair and some of the small white flowers drop as she does. That’s when she lets out a small yelp. Julep barks in response from her spot on the patio, just adding to the attention. Laney pulls her phone from her back pocket. Whoever it is, she’s not happy about it, because while she may be able to school some of her features, the wayshe’s staring at her phone makes it obvious that she wasn’t expecting whatever is waiting for her on that screen.

“Laney?”

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