Page 50 of Bragg's Love

“Anger isn’t going to save your business.”

“What do you know about saving a business? You have no idea how it feels to try to carry on your mother’s legend and fail.”

“I have more of an idea than you know. Why do you think I want to expand the business?”

At his quiet words, I pause in my tirade. “What do you mean?”

He scratches his neck. “Do you want to do this now? Don’t we have a shit ton of work to do?”

As if any work is happening before he explains himself. “We do. But we’re doing this now.”

He blows out a puff of air. “The reason I want to expand the brewery is to show everyone I can build a successful business without my father’s help.”

My brow wrinkles. “Didn’t you set up the business with your father’s money?”

“Winter Falls,” he mumbles.

I shrug. “There are no secrets here.”

“Winter Falls got this one wrong. Elder and I used the money from our inheritance to secure a loan. We didn’t use the actual inheritance money to build the business.”

“Okay,” I draw out the word since I’m confused. “I don’t get what this has to do with expanding the business. The brewery is successful, the restaurant is always crowded. You’ve proven you can be successful to everyone.”

He frowns. “Dad would have saidNaked Falls Brewingis a passion project, not a real business.”

“But—”

Miller grabs a box from the back of the truck and walks to the barn. Guess he’s done talking. “Where do you want these?”

I check the clock. Shit. Less than three hours to decorate all the tables. I file the information about Miller proving himself to his dad away for later perusal.

I’m afraid we might have more in common than I thought. But now is not the time to have some big revelation about my enemy and me having stuff in common.

“Let’s do one table together. If it works out, we’ll use it as an example of how to finish the rest of the tables,” I suggest. “We’ll start with the burlap.”

Fifteen minutes later I step back from the table and smile at the creation. It looks better than I’d expected and way better than I’d hoped. Thank goodness. I can’t let Juniper down. Not today.

The table runner is a strip of burlap. On top of the burlap, running down the middle of the table are alternating potted plants and hurricane glasses with candles in them. In front of each place setting is a pine cone with a place card.

“Why do the pots say thank you on them?” Miller asks.

“Because they’re gifts for the guests to take home with them after the end of the evening.”

He grunts in response. And here I thought the grumpy grunter had left the building. Guess not.

“Can you work on the rest of the tables while I do the bride and groom’s table?”

Another grunt. Awesome. The grumpy grunter has definitely not left the building.

Two and a half hours later, my t-shirt is clinging to me and I can feel sweat on my brow. My arms are aching and I probably stink but we’re done.

“We did it!” I squeal before I fling myself into Miller’s arms in celebration. He picks me up and whirls me around. I tilt my head back and throw my arms out while I giggle.

Before I realize what’s happening, I find myself flat on my back on one of the tables. “You’re beautiful when you’re happy.”

I should probably protest. Push him off of me and walk away. Too bad I’ve never been good at doing what I should.

I bat my eyelashes. “Only when I’m happy?”

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