Make You Mine, page 7
part #1 of Fireweed Harbor Series Series
“Are we walking or driving?”
Rhys glanced down as we stepped through the doorway. I turned to close it and double-check that it automatically locked.
“I thought we’d drive. It’s still a little chilly out.”
He tapped his key fob as we approached his black SUV. He drove a nice vehicle, but it was very practical. Four-wheel drive was a must in the winters of Alaska. Between the long winters and being tucked in the foothills of the mountains, it wasn’t a wise proposition to try to go through winter without the option of four-wheel drive.
“This is the shortest drive ever,” I said.
He grinned down at me. “It’s at least a mile.” He held the door for me, gesturing to the passenger seat.
“Wow, you’re going all out,” I teased.
“I usually hold the door for you.”
“True.” One of my feet was still on the edge of the inside of the door when he placed a palm on my knee. His touch was warm.
“Wait.”
I turned to look at him, and he leaned forward, sliding his palm over my knee, just under the edge of my skirt. My core clenched. Sweet hell. This man.
His intent silver-smoke gaze held mine, and my belly fluttered. “I meant what I said.”
“What’s that?” I rasped.
“We’re going to get it right this time. We’re going to take it slow.”
My pulse galloped along, careening out of control, and my breath came in shallow pants. “Haven’t we already skipped a few steps?” I managed to ask, trying to tease because I was nervous.
“Maybe so. We can’t go backward, but we can build a stronger foundation this time.”
“Okay,” I whispered just before he dipped his head and brushed his lips over mine.
He teased his lips over mine in a slow, gentle kiss, barely letting his tongue tangle with mine.
When he drew back, I leaned forward, near desperate for more. His eyes darkened as he held my gaze, whispering gruffly, “More. Later.”
Rhys made sure I’d buckled in before closing the door. I sat in the passenger seat, arousal slick between my thighs as we drove the short distance to Fireweed Winery.
He parked in the back of their main offices, next to the winery. He looked over at me, reaching his palm across the console to slide along my thigh.
I glanced over, instantly caught in his gaze, the look there sending a shower of sparks through me and heat pooling in my belly. He slid his palm up my thigh, teasing his fingers over the damp silk between my thighs. I bit my lip, letting out a whimper when he slid one finger under the edge of the elastic and teased it into my dripping wet folds.
“Just checking,” he whispered.
A moan escaped when he drew his finger out.
I nearly combusted on the spot when he lifted it to his mouth and sucked my arousal off.
Chapter Eighteen
Rhys
I walked into the winery with Haven’s hand held firmly in mine. My body was taut with need. I’d miscalculated. I’d wanted to tease her to distraction. While I hoped I’d succeeded, I’d left myself deeply aroused. I was willing the need beating with two fists on the door in my body to abate.
I was relieved when I heard my mother’s voice. Not because I wanted to see my mother specifically at this moment but because her voice instantly knocked my body back to sanity.
I turned, seeing her approaching from the back hallway that led into the private area of the building. She smiled when she saw Haven. “Hi, dear,” she murmured as she stopped in front of us, reaching over and lightly squeezing Haven’s shoulder. As her hand fell away, she added, “You look lovely, as always.”
Haven smiled. “It’s nice to see you, Clara. You look great, as always.”
My mother shrugged. “I try. Tonight is a busy one.” She looked around the room.
My gaze arced about the space. “In addition to the tasting, they have the quarterly show from Midnight Sun Arts.”
That was a local gallery that had locations scattered about Alaska. They’d opened one in Fireweed Harbor, and they coordinated with our winery for events. It was a mutually beneficial relationship where they showed off local artists and brought new customers to our restaurant.
“Well, it’s good to see you both,” my mother said. “I’m going to make the rounds.”
“Good to see you, Mom.” I leaned over and pressed a kiss on her cheek. She gave a little wave as she began to weave her way through the crowd
“Where should we start?” I asked, glancing down at Haven.
“I’m in the mood for a mead or wine.”
While we had a regular production schedule for wine, beer, and mead production, we had seasonal flavors and annual limited runs. It was a way to keep things fresh.
“According to Blake,” I murmured as we began making our way toward the bar at the back, “there’s a delicious new gooseberry wine. I haven’t tried it yet, though, so I can’t vouch for it.”
Haven smiled up at me when we stopped at the corner of the bar. “I can honestly say I’ve never tasted anything here that wasn’t delicious. Even the beer is good, and you know I’m not a huge beer fan.”
I chuckled. “I’m glad we make wine and mead.”
Blake caught my eyes from where he stood behind the bar, filling a pint glass for a customer. “Be right over,” he mouthed.
I nodded and glanced around the space. Blake had been renovating this entire area. He’d started in the back by modernizing all of our brewing equipment, which had been a significant investment. It had already paid off with substantially increased earnings in the past two years. Over this past winter, while business was quieter without the cruise ships, he’d renovated the public-facing areas himself. We’d all pitched in to help get it done faster, but he had done much of the work himself. Maybe our family had moved up in the world from when we started this place, but we were still very hands-on with the business.
Blake had kept the original bar. He had sanded down the wide wooden slab and refinished it to make the wood grain visible. It gleamed under the lights from above. Removing the low ceiling had exposed the old wooden beams. New lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling in small glass globes cast a pleasant atmosphere.
The side windows offered a view of the harbor, while the front windows offered a view of Main Street. Round tables, wooden to match the bar, were scattered about the space. The seating area for the restaurant was through a large archway. Blake had eschewed hardwood flooring in that area, insisting he wanted people to enjoy a quiet meal. According to him, we didn’t need the “false atmosphere” of loud flooring creating more noise. As it was, the restaurant was always busy. He kept the hardwood flooring where we had the tastings and bar seating because the risk of spills in this area was greater.
David, the restaurant's main chef, and manager, had a lot of input into the planning. He’d insisted we expand on one side to add a stage for occasional local bands. He wanted this to become a destination for music as well as wine and beer.
I knew we could do it. Blake had plenty of cash flow to work with and was motivated. He didn’t want to ride the coattails of the established success and hoped to take things up a notch for the business.
Haven’s voice reached me. “This place looks really good. Blake has done a fantastic job.”
I smiled down at her. “Agreed.”
“You’d better agree,” Blake teased as he stopped in front of us, hearing Haven’s comment.
“I’d like to take some credit,” I teased in return, smoothing my hand over the bar. “I helped sand this.”
“That you did.” My brother grinned. “What do you want to try tonight?”
“Rhys says there’s a new gooseberry wine and a limited run of wild blackberry mead. I’d like to try both.”
Blake charged a fee for everyone coming in, so they got one free glass of whatever they wanted to try, and then after that, they had to pay. It worked out well enough because almost everyone got more, and plenty of people stayed for dinner in the restaurant.
I slid my credit card across the counter to Blake. “For our fees tonight.”
“You know you don’t have to pay.”
“I’m paying. It’s better for business.”
Blake shrugged and quickly ran my card through his handheld reader. “Try the gooseberry wine first and then the mead,” he said to Haven. “What about you?” He looked toward me.
“I’ll try the new porter.”
I’d already scanned the handwritten chalkboard with a list for this week’s tasting. A few minutes later, he’d served both of us and had whisked away to attend to others.
Haven lifted her gooseberry wine and took a sip, closing her eyes as she swallowed. When she opened them, she smiled. “That is tasty. I’ve never had gooseberry wine, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
Blake handed a customer a glass and paused in front of us, waggling his eyebrows. “Well?”
“I love it,” Haven said with a wide smile.
His sharp gaze shifted to me. “Excellent porter.” I took another swallow.
“Are you two staying for dinner?”
“Definitely. This is a date,” I replied.
“Emphasis on date,” Blake teased.
Someone called my brother’s name, and he flashed us a quick grin before spinning away. “Enjoy dinner. The steak special is really good,” he tossed over his shoulder.
Haven took my hand after we finished our drinks. “Let’s walk around and look at the artwork before we go into the restaurant.”
We began to move slowly through the crowd. “It is really busy,” she commented. “Busier than usual.”
“Well, we’ve had two cruise ships this week. That means summer is officially here, even if the calendar doesn’t say so.”
She smiled up at me. “It’s almost May.”
“Rhys and Haven,” a woman’s voice said.
I knew that voice very well. Aside from Hazel and Phyllis at Spill the Beans Café, only one other person basically served as the town’s circuit center. In the case of Hazel and Phyllis, while they were both very well informed, they also had location and coffee on their side. In the case of Mimi Smith, no one really knew how old she was, but she knew all. She had been born and raised in Fireweed Harbor and somehow knew everyone and every detail.
I turned, smiling blandly. “Hi, Mimi.”
Her gaze dipped down to where my fingers were laced with Haven’s. Those piercing blue eyes lifted to mine again. Despite her weathered face and such a slight build that a hard gust of wind might blow her away, Mimi nearly vibrated with vitality. She was sharp, intelligent, and had a sly sense of humor. You wanted to stay on her good side, and she wouldn’t hesitate to let you know if you didn’t.
“I see you two are finally back together,” she said, nodding firmly as if in agreement with the state of our relationship.
When I glanced at Haven, her cheeks were pink, but she chuckled. “We are.”
I squeezed her hand.
Mimi pursed her lips, her gaze arcing about the crowded room before landing back on us. “You’re a smart man.”
“I hope so,” I said, meaning it.
“Well, I’m sure you know that. In spite of your family’s finances, I always liked you. I’m not inclined to like people who have too much money. But life has thrown other difficulties your way.” Her gaze softened slightly, and I knew she was referring to Jake. I imagined she also knew the full story of our grandfather's actions. “I never liked Clint. Asshole,” she said pointedly.
Haven made a choking sound. I shrugged when I glanced her way. “That’s an accurate description.” I looked back toward Mimi.
“I hope you can steer the ship on this other news,” she added.
Comments like this were why you had to brace yourself when encountering Mimi. No topic was off-limits for her. I knew she was referring to Cathy, and I had no doubt that she already knew I was not the father.
She clucked, shaking her head. “Never stop being a good man.” She looked at Haven. “And you’re scrappy. You came back broke. I know you’re getting your business going again, but I don’t want you to leave the café. I like seeing you there every day.”
Haven’s eyes widened. “It’s always good to see you there, Mimi.”
“Ha! I doubt that, but feel free to bullshit me.”
Haven burst out laughing. “I mean it! I have to prepare for what you may not be afraid to talk about, but I can handle it.”
“I know you can.” Mimi patted her on the shoulder. “Now, good luck.”
With that, she was off.
“Good luck with what?” Haven asked as she glanced up at me.
“Hi, Rhys,” a voice said smoothly from my side before I could reply to Haven.
I instantly knew why Mimi had wished us good luck. I almost let out a groan of frustration, but I took a breath, pasting the blandest smile I could on my face as I turned to see Cathy stopping beside me.
“Hi, Cathy,” I said politely. “Have you met my girlfriend, Haven?”
I could feel Haven’s tension. Her hand tightened incrementally in mine, and her shoulders stiffened slightly.
Cathy studied Haven for a moment before she nodded, just the littlest bit. Just enough to seem snooty, which put me off. “I think I’ve seen you before.”
“Probably at Spill the Beans Café. I think you came in the other day,” Haven said.
“Mmm. That must be it.” Cathy glanced at me. Her look was hopeful, but I had no idea what she was expecting.
“Yes?” I prompted.
“I was hoping we could talk,” she said, leaning closer as if imparting something private.
Chapter Nineteen
Haven
I told myself I shouldn’t feel threatened by Cathy. It didn’t matter if she looked like a model. It didn’t matter if she was conventionally beautiful and thin and willowy.
Rhys’s hand held mine, and I could sense his frustration. “Anything we need to talk about, you can discuss in front of Haven,” he finally said, his tone pointed.
Cathy’s pretty blue eyes slid to mine, calculating and assessing. “I would like to speak privately. Obviously, you can choose to discuss whatever you want with her, but—”
Rhys took a quick breath. “Cathy, what do you need to talk about?”
“Your family wants a relationship with my son—” She began.
He cut right in, his tone icy cold. “Yes, Matthew is your son. He’s also Jake’s son and my nephew, and you chose to hide that information from us for his entire life. I would like to think you’re not out for the money, but it sure seems like it. Lucky for you, we’re willing to pay even though it won’t be directly to you.”
Two red splotches appeared on Cathy’s cheeks, and she looked flustered. Her hand tightened around the small handheld clutch she held in front of her waist. “I understand why it might seem like that,” she finally said. “I’ll just repeat that I’d like to speak with you privately at some point.” She cast me what could only be described as a glare. “You can let me know when that works for you.”
I knew I was being baited into this, but I didn’t want to drag it out. I gestured toward Cathy, saying to Rhys, “I thought I saw Tessa. I’ll go find her and check in.” I looked at Cathy. “You can chat while I’m gone.”
Rhys glanced down. “Haven—” He began.
I tugged my hand free of his. “Just have the conversation. I'll come find you if I don’t see you in a few minutes.”
Not giving him a chance to reply, I slipped away. Conveniently, a server passed by with a tray full of wine glasses. He paused beside me. “Is that the gooseberry wine?” I asked, leaning close.
He nodded. “Help yourself.” He held out the small piece of paper to mark my account for the bar.
After lifting one of the smaller glasses, I filled out my name for the bar tab. “Thank you.”
I took a fortifying swallow before scanning the room. I forced my gaze to slide quickly past Rhys and Cathy. The lines of tension on his face were evident even from here. While he was trying to hold himself away, she was leaning close and placing her hand on his forearm. I was starting to get the feeling Cathy was after more than money.
A few minutes later, I found Tessa. “Hey, you!” She gave me a side hug, careful to keep her glass of wine out of the way. “Are you here with Rhys?” she asked after she stepped back.
I nodded before taking another swallow of my wine, about to finish off the whole glass. “He’s talking with Cathy. She wanted a private conversation.”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “I ran into Blake the other day. He was at the store when I was there getting supplies for class.” Tessa taught first grade at the local elementary school. “He was catching me up on the whole situation. He thinks she’s after Rhys.”
I gritted my teeth. “I think Blake might be right.”
“Blake says there’s no chance Rhys wants anything to do with her. The whole family is pissed off that she hid Jake’s son from them for all these years.”
“I can’t say I blame them. I remember what it was like for them when Jake died. It was so sad. They were devastated when it happened.”
“Heartbreaking,” Tessa agreed.
Just then, I felt Rhys’s presence before he reached me. I glanced over my shoulder to see him approaching from the side. He stepped around a couple and then stopped beside me, sliding his arm around my waist. “There you are.”
Tessa smiled at us. “Here she is. How long has it been?”
Rhys chuckled. “Five minutes tops.” He glanced down at me. “I’m going to run to the restroom. I thought we could grab a table after that.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll wait right here.”
He brushed a kiss on my cheek. I nearly shuddered at the hot shiver that raced through me. I watched as he threaded through the crowd toward the restrooms on the side of the room. When I looked back at Tessa, my cheeks were burning.
She gave an exaggerated brow waggle. “I don’t think you need to worry about Rhys wanting anyone other than you. Aside from the scoop on Cathy, Blake told me Rhys missed you like crazy, and he’s swearing up and down he’ll get it right this time. That man is totally into you.” Her gaze softened. “And you deserve it.”
