Page 46 of Love Is Brewing

“It’s not like she could go out and get a job when she had you still home.”

“She worked part time for a bit when I was in school,” Talia said.

“She did. When she could. I think it was to feel as if she could provide too.”

“I know,” Talia said. “Where I’m going with this is that I’d like to learn more about that. Maybe give back. At one of my other jobs they had funds for local families and I would read theapplications of those in need. It was depressing. I wanted to help them all. I asked if I could.”

He smiled. “I’m sure they didn’t have the funds for everyone.”

“No,” she said. “But I donated one of my paychecks so that I could help more.”

“Talia,” he said softly. “That was very sweet of you.”

“I wanted to do another one and they told me I couldn’t. I don’t know why.”

He didn’t either. “It could be a touchy thing,” he said. “Sometimes being an owner or boss you’ve got to weigh the bigger picture. We spent all the funds we collected for the holidays. I don’t want to do any kind of drive now since we raised so much at Christmas. Even those that donated have limits and I have to know when to not push at that.”

Her shoulders dropped. “I know. I get it. But as sad as that was, I enjoyed doing it. I know you donate to a lot of things in the town.”

“I do,” he said. “I want the town to thrive. I pick businesses to support and help where needed.”

“Could you do a volunteer day?” Talia asked. “Another place I worked made their employees volunteer one day a year at a place of their choice. They got their full pay, but they had to do it. It was fun.”

He needed his staff to work all he could get but was raised to give back just as much.

“Not a bad idea,” he said. “And if it’s something you want to work on, I’ll let you come up with a plan.”

“Like a business plan?” she asked with a pained expression on her face.

He laughed. “Talia. You can’t just throw things together in the world. You need policy and procedures and rules. You needto line it up how you want it to work. I will not make it like a formal presentation as West would.”

“Thank God,” she said, shaking her arms out. “I don’t want to feel as if I’m in school again.”

“Let’s walk the building. I want to show you the packing process. How orders are filled. You know how they are taken.”

“I do,” Talia said. “I sat with your customer service staff yesterday. It was boring, but I get it. I need to know it all. I didn’t realize how much beer people bought.”

He snorted. “Good thing for me, isn’t it?”

“I suppose,” Talia said. “I only really like that one beer.”

It made him think of Phoebe. “I’ll make another for you since that was a good seller.”

“Will you name it after me?” Talia asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll call it Brat.”

“Not nice,” she said, laughing and lightly punching his arm.

“I’ve always been the nicest to you.”

His phone went off in his pocket and he pulled it out quickly, noticed the text from Phoebe, and put it away. He’d reply later.

“Is that a woman?” Talia asked.

He looked up sharply and saw the grin on her face.

“What? Why do you ask that?”

---