Page 114 of Small Town Firsts
Hayes’s eyebrows shot up as he took a larger sip.
I went on, listing the ingredients for them. “It’s a pear and apple cider hybrid. Definitely a limited run for the taproom only right now since the pears are scarce.”
Beckett was still not showing any of his cards.
I lifted the third pitcher. “This is Porch Swing. It’s the base of Firefly with just some honey sweetness to cut the dry. Not everyone likes dry hard ciders.” Like Kira. I’d definitely made this one with her in mind, same as I’d done with Firefly.
All of them were because of her.
It was a big risk to cater the naming to her. No matter how hard she wanted to hide her head about us, this would call us out to anyone who paid attention.
And there was no way she could ignore it. I went back to the fridge for the last batch as they tasted it.
Justin was refilling his glass with abandon. He’d broken into the cooler and had a picnic of cheese and bread spread out in front of him with three flight glasses. “These are so good, bro. I was pretty sure Beck had lost his mind when he went to find a beer guy for this, but he was right.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Thanks, man.”
Justin held up his glass. “Cheers.”
I brought over the last pitcher, then unearthed the final set of glasses. My hands were slick with unease. There was no mistaking this one was for Kira. I was pretty sure the tips of my ears were on fire as I poured.
Hayes popped a wedge of sharp cheddar into his mouth. His blue eyes were clear and direct as he lifted the glass.
He wasn’t quite as good as Beckett with the poker face, but he was giving very little away. I knew he was the most discerning of the palates between the three brothers.
“This one is Sunshine.”
Beckett’s glass stopped just before his lips. His eyes narrowed before he tasted. But I saw the flare of surprise just before he banked it.
It was the sweetest of the ciders, but it was also the perfect blend for bottling. Honeycrisps were one of the signature apples at Happy Acres. They were the highest seller, as well as the fastest to sell out. Making cider with the the “ugly” apples that weren’t ideal for selling was also a good way to mitigate waste.
Not that the bakery wouldn’t make good use of them, but according to Beckett they’d increased the plantings since they were such a stellar seller. So, why not use them for this new branch of the company?
“It’s perfect for the hot summer days and into the fall for the taproom. Easy to pasteurize for kegging and bottling. It’s also a great mixer for signature cocktails in the taproom.”
Hayes actually finished off his glass and reached for the pitcher again. “The marketing for this one and The B3 would make them fly off the shelves. Especially with the logo Zoe’s friend created. The hand carved style is perfect.”
I folded my arms this time, trying to keep my nerves in check.
Beckett looked at his glass and did another swirl of the buttery soft cider. It wasn’t quite as clear as The B3 because it was sweeter. He reached for the champagne colored dry cider and took another sip of that before reaching across the bench with his hand. “I knew you were the guy, Ronan. But this is even better than I’d hoped.”
I clasped his hand and gave a surprise grunt when Beckett dragged me across the bench for a hard hug.
He moved his face close to my ear. “You’re a genius, but if you break her heart, I will personally kick your ass off this property. Your body may or may not be found.”
I gripped his arm. “Understood.” Though if anyone was in trouble of getting their heart broken, it was me. I was in it for the long haul when it came to Kira.
Beckett let me go and lifted the freshly filled B3 for a toast. “Now, we are toasting to what is going to be a beautiful relationship.”
Justin lifted two glasses with a laugh. “I can drink to that. Goddamn, we are gonna kill it on opening night.”
Hayes stared down at the array of ciders in front of him and went with Sunshine for the toast. “To a very successful Brothers Three Orchard reveal.”
I went for a glass of Firefly for myself. “To Brothers Three Orchard.”
We clinked our glasses together over the workbench then drank deeply.
Kira had unlocked this entire line and should be here. “Kira should be here. In fact, let’s get the whole crew here for a taste today, yeah?”
