Page 5 of Small Town Firsts
The man in question straightened and came farther inside. His dark-lensed glasses were shaded so I couldn’t read him.
I leaned against the freezer and waited him out.
“I filled the freezers with all the apples we have left from last year. I know frozen isn’t ideal for everyone, but we flash freeze a healthy batch for us to play with through the winter and summer. You should be able to thaw and ferment them at the same time.”
I nodded. “Actually works great for the kind of dry cider I like.”
Hayes came closer and his glasses transitioned to clear lenses. “Same. At least until you can get some fresh product to use. I made sure you had an initial supply of all our apples to test. The far freezer includes some local orchards we work with as well. The one on the other end includes flash frozen berries and pumpkins we grow on site too.”
The little hairs on my arm lifted.
Testing.
Open options.
Not worrying about what was actually available to distributing centers in mass quantities.
Hayes’s mouth tipped up in the corner in a grin. “I’ll leave you to it. I know how it is to want your own space, Ronan. We want you as comfortable as possible. Between me and Kira, you should be able to work by tonight.” He paused for a moment, his gaze direct. “If you want.”
I wanted that.
It was hard not to look as eager as a puppy, but when his grin widened, I resisted the urge to curse. “I thought so. There are crates at the back of the room with older gear. I didn’t want to throw anything out?—”
“No.Don’t throw anything out. I like using older bins, barrels, and steel for their different flavors.”
“I’m more on the spirits side of the operation, but I damn well know a barrel can make all the difference for flavor for both of us. We have lots of different woods at our disposal and can pretty much get whatever you need.” He raked his fingers through his short, choppy hair with a wince. “Within reason. Kira Webb is head of the taproom and she’s hell with a budget.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, the obsidian beads of my bracelets clacking together mirroring my annoyance. “I thought I had complete autonomy.”
“State your case and Kira will comply most of the time. She’s fair, but she won’t spend needlessly. You’ll have to have reasons for any specialty item. At least until you turn a profit.”
I lifted my chin. “Oh, you’ll see a profit.”
“What I like to hear. I’ll let you settle in.” As he was turning away, he thought better of it and faced me again. “Oh, we have a few cabins on the property if you want to use one of them until you find a place.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want something like an apartment. I wanted something for the long haul. “I’m good there. I found a rent to own place out on Route 40.”
“Even better. That one actually gets plowed.”
At my blank look, Hayes laughed again.
“What do you mean actually gets plowed? Doesn’t everywhere get plowed?”
“One would think. I’ll make sure to order chains for your truck when I get them for the staff.”
“Jesus.”
“You lived in Chicago. You’ll survive.”
Chicago was wind and city snow. Not chains on the road snow. “Do you really get over one-hundred inches of snow?”
“Yeah. Sometimes almost two.”
“Holy shit.”
“You’ll get used to it. You’ll find out the summers will test you too. Supposed to be over ninety-seven tomorrow. It’s pretty hard to cool the barns, but we have large fans.” He pointed up at the propeller-sized trio of fans overhead. “And you can open both barn doors for some cross breeze.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
