Page 47 of The Rookie
“Damn, dude. She’s not kidding. That’s good as fuck.”
A wide smile breaks out across my brother’s face. I haven’t seen him smile like that since before we lost Dad.
“Now just think of how much better it’ll be when you finally let me buy you those pricey fermenter tanks,” I say.
He responds with an exaggerated scoff, but unlike every other time I’ve mentioned it, he doesn’t immediately shoot down the offer. I may actually convince my stubborn brother to let me do something nice, not just for him, but for our whole family.
Before I can push the point any further, he selects another growler from the shelf and unscrews the lid, topping off Summer’s glass with a fresh pour of a slightly darker beer.
“I have to know what you think of the IPA. Are the hops too much?”
She takes a small sip and her eyes widen. “Oh, that’s yummy.”
I chuckle and watch as my normally stoic brother basically melts under her attention.
Summer takes another sip, savoring the flavors on her tongue. “Do you grow the hops here?”
Graham nods, clearly proud of this fact. “We sure do. The two main elements of beer that you can grow yourself are grains and hops. Barley is probably the most popular of the grains, and it does provide a base flavor for the beer, but hops are where it’s at.”
“Oh?” she asks, enjoying another sip.
“Yeah, hops are what give beer a distinct, complex bitter flavor. Plus, it’s a natural preservative, which was why it was added to beer in the first place.”
I try not to gape at Graham. Those are probably the most words I’ve ever heard my brother string together at one time.
“But if you really want to get fancy with your brewing process, you can add fresh herbs from the garden, fruit, and other edibles to create new flavors.”
Summer grins. “So you’re telling me CBD beer could become a thing?”
Graham leans one hip against the table, nodding. “It absolutely could. Beers are pretty versatile already with their flavor profiles, but I was thinking more along the lines of orange or grapefruit or even raspberry.”
“Raspberry?” Summer makes a pleased sound at the idea of a raspberry infused beer. “You know ... another thing you could look into to monetize your beer-making is to create take-home beer-brewing kits. People like to grow something with their own two hands. Harvest it. Make something out of it. You know?”
Graham’s smile widens. “That’s actually a great idea. Thanks, Summer.”
“You could supply them with all the seeds, soil, little planting pots ...” Summer ticks off these items on her fingers while Graham nods along at her brilliance.
While Graham and Summer talk marketing ideas, I join my other brothers over by the picnic table. Austen is nursing a tall glass of amber ale while Matt is dusting off his rusty guitar-playing skills, alternating between strumming chords and adjusting the gold tuning knobs.
“Are you taking requests?” I ask.
Matt shakes his head. “Nah, man. I’m the one who has a request for you.”
I frown. “What are you talking about?”
He and Austen exchange a knowing look, both of them smirking like a couple of idiots. “I’d like torequestthat you make sure Summer doesn’t set foot outside of Lost Haven.”
As if on cue, Summer’s laughter bubbles up from the other side of the barn. It’s sweet and vibrant, like a sip of that shandy, and just as intoxicating.
“Why?”
Matt’s eyebrows jump up and down his forehead suggestively. “I think you know why.”
“Dude. Stop trying to hook up with my counselor. It’s not funny.” I wince at the memory of those comments he made about her on our hunting trip.
“Not what I meant,” he grunts. “Quit acting like you’re not insanely into her. Anyone in a two-hundred-mile radius could see that you are.”
I turn toward Austen, who is nodding along with every word Matt says. My stomach twists in my gut. I guess I haven’t built my walls as high as I thought.
