Forbidden Fling (Wildwood Book 1) (32 page)

“The owner of Java on the Wild Side wants to talk about replacing her current pastry and sandwich supplier with me, and she’s opening up three more shops in the county within the next two years.”

“Promising.”

“And I’ve gotten half a dozen inquiries about catering, another half-dozen women interested in wedding cakes, two restaurants wanting to know if I can provide their desserts—” She cut herself off, out of breath. “Oh my God. I think I’m having a panic attack.”

“That’s called excitement, and you deserve it. You’ve worked a long time to get this business up and running. And you did it all on your own. You’ve
totally
got this.”

“I wish I was as confident as you and Phoebe. Speaking of Phoebe, I know you don’t plan on staying in town once the bar is finished, and I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m really hoping you could help me get this up and running—if I decide to do it, I mean. It’s already way bigger than I’d anticipated, and the more Phoebe talks, the bigger it gets. I kinda need someone to rein her in, and I really need your big-picture business view, you know? I don’t even know what a business plan
looks like
. You’ve got the whole project management thing down. I’m strictly small time, small town, and this feels . . . ridiculously overwhelming.”

“Take a deep breath. You’re going to be fine.”

Listening to Avery loosened all the stress in Delaney’s shoulders, and she slumped against the wall, smiling.
Smiling
because she was being asked to stay somewhere she’d never even planned on setting foot again. So ironic.

“Small town doesn’t always equal small time. Some of the biggest names in commercial baked goods started out of their own home oven. And, yes, I’m here as long as you need me. We’ll get you on your feet before I make any decisions on where I go next.” She glanced around the partially finished bar. “You know, the money from the sale of this place could really give your business a leg up.”

“Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank—” Avery suddenly went silent, and Delaney heard boisterous voices in the background. “Oh, Jesus. I better go. I’m pretty sure Phoebe’s got me hosting bridal and baby showers now . . . I’ll see you at home tonight?”

The flash of the three of them at home tonight—Phoebe, Avery, and her—all atwitter about Avery’s success over wine in front of the fire, laughing, gossiping, and making plans, made Delaney’s heart swell. “I’ll be there.”

She disconnected and sat there, forearms on her knees, smiling into the dimly lit, empty space imagining Phoebe networking the hell out of that room in hopes of bringing Avery the success she deserved.

“Man,” Delaney murmured. Restaurants, coffee shops, catering, weddings, showers . . . in Sonoma County, wine country. “She could really go big.”

If Avery did it right, there was no limit to the breadth of her business. If she had the planning, the backing, the finances, the staff, the space . . .

The space.

Delaney focused, her gaze running over the changes in the bar, her mind drifting to the open space above . . .

“Oh my God. This would be
perfect
.” A flash of excitement burned through her body. Delaney could visualize it in an instant—Avery fluttering around behind a glass counter stuffed full with her confections. Lines of customers out the door waiting for a seat in her breakfast restaurant. The phone ringing off the hook to book the room upstairs for events or to order specialty cakes.

“Wow . . .” The grin that filled her face leaked into her chest, and Delaney exploded with a giggle. Having Avery using this place for a business of her own was better than renovating and selling it. It was what Delaney had always hoped would happen. It was the reason Delaney had continued paying all the property taxes, kept the business license, held on to the—

Liquor license.

Her smile dropped, right along with her stomach, and all her joy leaked from her chest.

Ethan.

The way Avery was feeling right now must have been the way Ethan felt about his brewpub. All those years Avery had perfected her pastries, Ethan had crafted his beer.

Now Avery was getting her shot at the entrepreneurial dream, while Ethan’s dream had been squashed.

Delaney squeezed her eyes closed, lowered her head to her hand, and groaned.

“I feel your pain.”

Ethan’s voice shocked Delaney’s heart. She jerked her head up and focused on the door, her shields already in place. But, God, she was so sick of fighting. Too tired to go another round with him.

She opened her mouth to tell him exactly that, then focused on his worn T-shirt and jeans and the tool belt slung over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“I saw the lights, figured you’d be working.”

A fresh wave of confusion stirred her anger. “I’m working because you bailed and cost me a couple grand. I don’t even know how long it’s going to take to get another inspector out here. By the time we can start up again, I may have lost half my crew. I have to recoup as much of the loss as I can by working on my own. You really fucked me over, Ethan.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.” He scraped one hand through his hair, looking sincerely apologetic. And for the first time, Delaney noticed he also looked exhausted, with shadows beneath his eyes, lines carved at the corners of his mouth. “I also know that doesn’t make any difference now. I know it won’t put the money back in your budget or reschedule your subcontractors. It was wrong, and it was my fault.”

Ah, crap.
That just took all the anger from her belly. Her shoulders dropped, and she shook her head. “It’s over.” She darted another look at him with a stern, “Just don’t do it—”

Delaney cut herself off, realizing her poor choice of words too late.

“Again?” he finished, sauntering toward her. “No, that certainly won’t happen.”

“Look, I didn’t mean to get you in trouble, but this has to move forward, and I couldn’t—”

“I told you once before,” he said, now standing over her, his voice soft, his gaze warm. “Don’t apologize for taking care of yourself or your family.”

He stepped to the side, turned, and sat next to her. Shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, he was warm and strong, and he smelled
great
.

“Then you shouldn’t be apologizing either. Harlan is a great man.”

“And you are a great woman.” He shook his head. “You were up front, played by all the rules. I, on the other hand, seem to have more Hayes ingrained in me than I’d like to believe, because from the beginning I cut corners and traveled through side alleys, and when things got tough, I have to admit, I was drawn to the dark side.” He released the belt hanging on his shoulder, reached out, and covered her hand with his. “And for that I am
very
sorry.”

The regret filling his voice twisted Delaney’s gut.

He threaded their fingers, his gaze on their hands. “I know I can’t change the problems I’ve caused, but I’d really like to offset as much as I can by helping. And I’ll admit right up front—it’s partially selfish.” He paused, lifted their joined hands, and twisted them to draw hers to his lips for a kiss. “While I do want to help, and I’ll work my ass off, doing anything you say, the way you want it done, no questions asked, I can’t deny that I also want to spend time with you before you leave, and I know this is the only way you’ll even consider being in the same room with me.”

Either Delaney was going seriously soft or she’d completely fallen for this guy, because under any other circumstances, he’d have been out on his ass after he’d gotten two steps in the door. Now she tilted her head and leaned into him as he pressed kisses to her hand.

“I appreciate the gesture, and I’m glad you see the error of your ways.” She said the last dramatically, making his lips curve against her hand. “But you don’t have time, and it would still be problematic for you, even if we do use a different inspector.”

His smile grew, his gaze went distant, and he covered her other hand as well. “Nope, none of that will be a problem.” He turned to her, and his eyes were filled with a kind of wonder. “I quit.”

“What do you mean you quit?”

“My job. I’m no longer the Wildwood Planning Department.” He laughed as if he couldn’t believe he’d actually done it. “Man, I don’t know why it took me so damn long.”

Panic coiled in Delaney’s belly. She pushed off the wall and shifted toward him. “You quit? You just quit? Why? What happened? You can’t quit. You need that money for the—”

Dread bottomed out in her stomach. He didn’t need the money if he wasn’t going to have a brewery.

“God
dammit
.” She squeezed her eyes closed and pressed fisted hands against them. “Why does everything have to be so complicated?”

Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap. “It’s called life. Gets like that sometimes. With my family, it gets like that most of the time. And I didn’t quit because there’s no future for my brewery. I quit because I didn’t like who I’d turned into trying to get it. I quit because I refuse to be controlled by my father anymore. I quit because I can do a better job of choosing my family than the one that was chosen for me at birth.”

“But
quitting
?”

“Knowing my father, it was the only way.”

She exhaled, and her shoulders slumped. “What are you going to do? What about Harlan and retirement?”

“It’s not what I had planned for myself, but I’m going to take over the farm. I worked the hops every summer during high school, which was when I determined it was the last thing I wanted to do with my life. But considering my options, it’s the only logical answer. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to get closer to the hops, learn more about Pops’s crazy hybrids. When the time is right, we’ll still start Wildcard. I don’t know if we’ll keep the land in town or sell it, but if the farm is still running, that decision isn’t urgent.”

There was a certain Zen about him now. One she’d never seen before. One she liked. “You’re really okay with this, aren’t you?”

He grinned and laughed at himself. “Shocking, right? Sure never believed I’d ever say I was okay being a
farmer
. But, yeah, as soon as I quit, I knew it was right. And as soon as I figured out this path to keep Pops afloat and off the tractor, a ton of stress lifted from my shoulders.”

She smiled and cupped his jaw, aching to kiss him but knowing she couldn’t. Shouldn’t. Mixed messages.
Right?

Then he slipped a hand under her hair, around her nape, and caressed her jaw with his thumb, his heavy-lidded gaze on her mouth. “I know you don’t want to stay in Wildwood. And I know you won’t be here long.” He lifted those pretty eyes to hers. “But I meant it when I said I was crazy about you. I want you more than ever. And I’ll take as much or as little as you are willing to give while you’re here. Even just this. Even just working together. And if after all this, you still want me to go, I’ll go. I know I don’t deserve you. And I don’t expect you to forgive me.” His gaze roamed her face, achingly hungry. His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb moving over her bottom lip. “But I miss you, baby.”

Delaney let gravity pull her forward. Let Ethan fold her into his arms. Let her mouth move against his. And sighed. She wanted more, so much more, and he opened, ready to give it. But Delaney pulled back, dragging her lip between her teeth.

“Things have . . . um . . . changed some for me.”

Worry crept into his eyes. “Okay.”

“Avery had a tasting party tonight at Wildly Artesian, and evidently it went amazingly well.”

“That’s great.”

“It is. She has all kinds of offers for business. So much so it looks like she’s going to need an industrial kitchen, retail space, and possibly even event or restaurant space.”

“Wow, really?” He stroked her arms.

She nodded. “I just got off the phone with her, and we’re going to talk it all over tonight. There’s a lot of planning involved. Well, you know.”

He smiled and nodded. “I do.”

“She’s asked me to stay in town to get her up and running. Help her develop a business plan, line out all the details. And it’s really what I’ve always wanted for both her and Chloe, so I said yes. I’ll take one out of two and hopefully we’ll eventually get ahold of Chloe.”

His brows shot up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. So, I thought you should know that I’m probably going to be here longer than you think.”

“I’m good with that.” He squeezed her arms, and his eyes danced with excitement. “Okay, I’m actually thrilled with that.”

She laughed, and wings fluttered against her ribs. “And I was thinking that this”—she gestured to the bar—“could be the perfect space for her. I’d have to beef up the kitchen, do a little redesign on the seating, the interior finishes, that sort of thing, but it could be everything she needs and more—a bakery, a restaurant, and upstairs could be an event space.”

“That’s so cool. Is she excited?”

“She doesn’t know about it yet. I just thought of it when she called and told me about the tasting.”

“Jeez, she’s going to freak.”

Delaney laughed. “Probably. But”—she drew out the word—“if we turn this into a bakery-slash-restaurant for Avery, the liquor license is wasted. I can’t promise anything yet, but I’d put a pretty good bet on having that license come available soon.”

“Mmm, nice thought, but I’ve already twisted my finances upside down and sideways, and I can’t afford it.”

“I don’t know about that.” She feathered her fingers through his hair. “I’ve seen some creative business deals in my time. If we’ve come this far, I bet we could work something out.”

His arm tightened on her waist, drawing her up his thighs until she straddled his lap. “You’re incredible.”

He didn’t give her time to respond before he kissed her. She opened to him, took his tongue, and stroked it slowly. His groan rumbled through her mouth before he pulled away abruptly. “When do you need to be home to talk to Avery?”

“I don’t know, why?”

“I was hoping to sneak you back to my house for a few hours first.”

She smiled. “Avery can wait.”