Page 42 of Truck You

“I guess I need to try harder.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder and tucks me into his side.

“No, you really don’t.” I push against his chest, but he doesn’t budge.

“How about we get you a drink?” he asks. “Do you like beer?”

“Yes, I could drink a beer.” I glance around at the nearby food trucks. “Where’s the booth?”

He tosses his head back in laughter. “Sweetheart, this village is dry. There is no booth.”

“Dry?” I furrow my brows.

“Yeah, you know? When it’s illegal to sell alcohol within the village limits.”

“I know what dry means.” I push against his chest again, and this time I manage to extract myself from his embrace. “How is it a German village with an Oktoberfest is dry? I thought Germans loved their beer.”

He shrugs. “I didn’t make the rules, but I know where we can find the beer so we can break them. Come with me.”

He takes my hand and leads me off the street and onto the sidewalk behind the row of booths. He doesn’t stop until we reach a house with a sign out front that reads Family Practice, Dr. Aaron Koch.

“Are you related to this doctor?” I ask.

He nods. “Aaron is my older brother. He makes sure to have the Beer Garden stocked every year during Oktoberfest.” Tanner opens a gate to the fence blocking off the yard next to the doctor’s office. “Normally this is BYOC, but since you’re new in town, I got you covered.”

“BYOC?” I raise a brow.

“Bring your own cup.” He winks and his flirty smile returns.

* * *

“Here, you can use this cup.”Tanner hands me a black tumbler with a lid. Unless anyone gets close enough to smell what’s inside, they’d think I had coffee in here.

“Um, thanks.” I give him a tight smile. “Will this get me in trouble?”

He tilts his head and gives me a quizzical eye. “Why would it get you in trouble?”

“You said Beaver is dry. What if someone catches us out there with beer? Isn’t that like breaking the law?”

“Nah.” He winks at me again. “Everyone knows we drink it. We just can’t sell it.”

He takes my arm and leads me toward a wall of kegs along the fence. I glance around, and the Beer Garden is just a fenced-in backyard. The patio doors on the back of the house are open, revealing a tidy kitchen and dining area. It looks more like a house than a doctor’s office. Maybe his brother lives here as well.

Plastic furniture litters the yard and patio area. Several people I’ve never seen before occupy the chairs. There’s a grill on the patio, tables filled with food, and people laughing and drinking in almost every open space.

“It’s all Budweiser. I hope that’s okay?” Tanner says as he fills the tumbler to the top.

“Sure.” I take the beer and glance around again. “Who are these people?”

Tanner smiles and steps closer to me. “Friends of ours. By hanging out with the Mutters, you’ve missed out on meeting some of the best people in town. Have you met my brothers?”

“Not officially, but I know who most of them are.” I point to where Linden and Aaron are talking with an older man who looks like he could be their father. “Those two are your older brothers, right? Linden and Aaron?”

“Yep.” He points in the opposite direction where a younger version of him is sitting with a group of girls. “And that’s Jason. He went to school with Ash. Everyone says he’s the nicest, but I think they’re wrong.”

“And that’s your sister over there, Amelia?” I point toward the dark-haired beauty who’s staring at me with a worried expression on her face. “She doesn’t look pleased that I’m here.”

Tanner waves off my comment. “She worries too much. Always trying to keep the peace. Where’s the fun in that?”

His smile widens as his gaze fixates on something behind me. Then he wraps his arm around my shoulders and tugs me closer. His action catches me off guard, and I stumble over my feet, drop my beer, and face plant into his chest. I grab at the skirt my dress, tugging it down to make sure my ass is still covered.

---