Page 12 of Shelter from the Storm

“Never had any surprises that were good,” she said softly.

He wasn’t sure what to make of that, and it was apparent Gretchen hadn’t meant to say something so revealing.

“I mean, um…” she stumbled.

“Sounds like we might have to work on that while you’re here.” He gave her what he hoped was another friendly smile that might set her at ease.

“I was only kidding,” she hastened to add. Given the way her eyes darted away from him as she spoke, he could tell she was lying.

He pointed to the chairs in front on his desk. “Please. Join me. I’m glad you decided to surprise me with a visit.”

Gretchen walked in, sinking down into one of the chairs, though he noticed she remained perched on the edge, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice.

Theo sat down as well, keeping his large desk between them.

“So you made it to Gracemont alright. What do you think of the town so far?”

“I haven’t seen much of it, but it’s very quaint.”

“That’s a nice word for extremely tiny. I assume you took a room with Edith?” Theo had been the one to suggest Millholland House, so he figured it was a safe assumption.

Gretchen nodded. “I did. She’s a wonderful woman. I can’t thank you enough for the recommendation. Her house is amazing. It’s like living in a museum or an antique shop.”

“Yeah, it really is. And I swear she’s got a story for every single stick of furniture.”

“I might have heard a few of those yesterday.”

“Edith is a character, but she’s really great,” Theo added. “She and my grandma were thick as thieves when they were younger, so she spent a lot of time here on the farm when I was growing up. After my grandmother passed away, Edith sort of stepped in as a surrogate grandma, never forgetting to send birthday cards and stopping by from time to time to see how we’re getting on. Truth is, there are probably quite a few people in Gracemont who feel the same way about her. She’s adopted a lot of locals, treating them like family.”

“Manny mentioned she’s quite popular, and I can see why. She’s a natural at taking people under her wing.”

Theo grinned. “She’s already claiming you as her own, isn’t she?”

Gretchen shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but she used the word ‘roomies’ to describe us.”

Theo barked out a laugh, amused by Edith’s contemporary slang. He’d been told the only other Storm who possessed a more obnoxiously loud laugh than him was his cousin Remi. However, he cut it short due to Gretchen’s reaction.

She jerked—and if he had to guess, he’d say his boisterous laughter startled her.

Shit.

He studied her face, keeping his smile in place, trying not to let her see how her response concerned him.

Theo was good at reading people, something that helped him succeed in his job because—in a lot of ways—he was the face of the brewery. While Jace and Sam worked behind the scenes, brewing the beer, he was the one working with the employees and chatting with their patrons, making them feel comfortable at Rain or Shine Brewery. Mom said he was blessed not only with an abundance of charm but also a deep-seated empathy that allowed him to read people better than they could read themselves and put them at ease.

Right now, that empathy was telling him that there was a storm raging beneath the surface of the beautiful woman sitting in front of him. She was uneasy sitting here, but she was facing that discomfort with a determination he admired.

He adopted a quieter tone when he spoke again. “I give it one week before Edith starts introducing you as her bestie. She loves using current slang, probably for the humor factor.”

“She claimed her nephew has no game, and that’s why he’s still single.”

Theo snorted because that was a fair description of Manny. “I can almost imagine her sitting up at night messing around on Urban Dictionary, searching for new words to spring on the unwitting Gracemont citizens. Just for shits and giggles.”

Gretchen winced. “I don’t even want to think about that.”

Theo was tempted to laugh at what was clearly a joke on her part, but instead, he winked. “Edith’s a regular at the winery and the brewery, making an appearance at both at least once or twice a month. Sam, my brother, claims she’s ‘holding court,’ and damn if that’s not what it feels like because by the time she leaves, every single patron has made their way to her table to chat. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched her draw a crowd, everyone jostling to hear one of her tall tales. She’s a regular one-woman show, and I’ve toyed with the idea of putting her on the entertainment schedule.” He held his hand up as if reading a marquee. “‘Gracemont Gossip with Edith Millholland. One night only.’”

“I’d pay money to see that show,” Gretchen said.

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