Page 30 of Hot for the Jerk

“Jagger,” he said, holding out his hand to Effie.

“Oh, we know your name.Lenora told us.So we had to go take a look at the young man who worked so hard to make sure the rest of us stayed warm.”Effie’s wrinkly cheeks turned pink, which triggered her husband to clear his throat.She shot him a quick glare, then settled into her seat and began flipping the puzzle pieces over, picture-side up.

“Where are you two from?”Bernie asked, after he’d already assembled six pieces to make up a corner in less than five minutes.

“San Camanez,” Jagger replied.“You?”

“Oh, we love San Camanez,” Effie said.“We love the wine there.”

I beamed and glanced at Jagger, a little too full of myself.He rolled his eyes.“I’m actually one of the owners of the Westhaven Winery,” I said.“I have a few bottles in my car.”

“Well, share the wealth, young lady,” Bernie said, a twinkle in his blue gaze.“It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

Snorting at his cheekiness, I stood up and hightailed it out into the rain to my SUV, bringing back four bottles of our merlot.Then I popped upstairs and brought down the remaining bottles of white as well.“Here we go.”

Bernie and Effie’s eyes widened and the other guests in the sitting room rose from their spots and flocked into the dining room.Lenora came out of the kitchen with wine glasses, and I played sommelier for ten minutes, pouring everyone some vino.

“This is delicious,” Bernie said, swirling the merlot around in his glass.“I love the earthy overtones of vanilla and clove.”

“I’m tasting mocha,” said another man.

I nodded.“You’re both correct.”

“We’re from Seattle, but make our way to San Camanez whenever we can,” Effie said, finishing off her Moscato.“Bernie drags me to the brewery too, but I’m not much of a beer drinker.”She patted her belly.“Makes me feel bloated.”

With a snort, I snagged Jagger’s gaze as he sat at the table and continued to search for matching puzzle pieces.“Well, one of the Brew Brothers from the brewery is right here.”

Bernie’s interest piqued, and he turned his head with the thinning gray hair toward Jagger.“Really?We’ve got two island celebrities staying with us right now?”

Now it was Jagger’s turn to snort.“Not quite.But I’ve got beer in the truck, and upstairs.Hang on.”With far less enthusiasm in his step, he bounded upstairs, grabbed the beer and brought it back, setting it on the dining room table with the wine bottles, before ducking out to the cube truck.He brought back an entire case of mixed bottles.“I’m still haggard from tying one on last night.So I think I’ll refrain, but you lot have at it.”He sat back down at the table while the guests all dove into the beer and wine.

I had to agree with my roommate.I was still feeling a little queasy after binge drinking last night, and the idea of beer or wine in my belly made bile coat the back of my tongue.But the older guests seemed eager to get sloshed and forget about the lack of electricity, and crummy weather.Within an hour, the laughter roaring from the sitting area was enough to drown out my thoughts.

Effie and Bernie had also abandoned us to go hang out with the cool kids who were drinking, leaving us nerds to work on our puzzle.

I had no idea what time it was, but around the time Effie knocked her wine glass onto the floor with a crash, my belly started to rumble.

Lenora—who was also drinking wine, but not nearly as much as the rest—was quick to grab a towel and broom and tidy up the mess as Effie simply stumbled into the dining room to fill herself up another glass.“Whoops,” she said with a slow, drunk smile.

“This lot needs food,” I murmured.“Otherwise, we’re going to have a whole bunch of drunk senior citizens on our hands soon.”

“I think they’re all already drunk,” Jagger murmured, gasping when he found two pieces that fit together.“Booyah!”

“I’m going to go get some of the food from upstairs,” I said.“You want anything?”

“The salad?”he asked, not bothering to look at me.

“Sure.”

I nearly bowled over a headshaking Lenora as I was about to cross the threshold from the dining room into the sitting room, but the look of frustration on her face had me following her into the kitchen—after making sure she didn’t topple over—instead.“What’s wrong, Lenora?”I asked.

“This is a bed-and-breakfast,” she said, still shaking her head and visibly flustered.Even her curly white hair seemed frizzier than it did earlier today.“Normally, I only have to worry about one meal for guests.But now I have to worry about lunch and dinner too.”

“Okay,” I said, taking the dustpan from her and setting it on the tile-topped island before gripping her gently by the shoulders.“That’s not a problem.Let’s make a big pot of soup, or chili, or something.Do you have a bag of frozen vegetables?Canned beans?”

She nodded.

“What about some buns or rolls in the freezer?”

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