Written in the Stars (19 page)

“You didn't let her to do anything you didn't want deep down. I know you better than that. Quit being such a girl.” Danny went behind the bar. “What beer do you want? Or should I get you something with an umbrella?”

“Ha, funny.”

“So what will it be?”

“Belgian strong ale...Oh wait.” He looked up at the chalkboard. “Under My Spell.”

“Comin' right up.”

After Danny slid the glass his way, Mason took a swallow and then put it down, since the flavors of this strong ale opened up as the beer sat. “Did you know that Grace is offering scoops of vanilla ice cream to add to the milk stout...Oh wait. Witch's Milk.”

“I think that a scoop of vanilla ice cream sounds awesome with the full-­bodied, roasted flavor. I want to try it, and so will everyone else. Ha-­ha! My kind of milk shake. Come on, dude, you know you want to try it too. Did you forget this is handcrafted beer? You're supposed to be creative.”

Mason made a face.

“When did you become so damned boring? Do you need to winter in Florida with Mom and Dad?”

“And when did you become so metrosexual?”

“Yeah, right.” Danny pointed to his camo hat, faded jeans, and scuffed work boots. “That's me, all right.” Danny took a swallow of his ale and then leaned his elbows on the bar. Rusty chimed in with a bark as if agreeing with Danny. “You know what?”

“No, but I think you're about to tell me. When did everybody decide to stick their nose into my business?”

Danny pointed a finger at him and jabbed. “This really isn't about the witch theme. It's about Grace leaving. Now that this is all running smoothly, you're worried that she will move on. Admit it.”

“It's not...Wait—­did she say she was leaving?” Mason felt his heart plunge to his toes. “When?”

“I meant from the beginning, Mason.”

Relief flooded his brain. For a minute he thought he'd chased her away. “And you're the jackass who told me to take a chance and give her a reason to stay.”

“Being a dick to her isn't part of the plan. But I get it.”

“Really? What do you get?”

“Getting her pissed at you solves all of your problems. Push her away and you don't have to put your stupid-­ass heart on the line anymore. You're a big chickenshit.”

“It was my initial plan, but that went out the window a while ago. So you don't know everything.”

“Then what's your deal? Have you lost your mind?”

“Hey, you'd better watch out, baby brother. I can still take you.”

“In your dreams.”

Mason looked down at his beer, knowing full well that Danny had hit the damned nail right on its stupid head.

“So are you going after her?”

“I have things to do!”

“Yeah, and first on the list is to go after the girl you're crazy about and tell her you were being a total shithead.”

“Look, I know you're right.” Mason sighed. “But you know what, Danny?”

“What?”

“Sometimes I see her staring off into space like she's daydreaming of where she'll go next. As soon as this is up and running full speed, what is there to keep her here? I'm guessing that Becca will head back to London and that Sophia will return to her job in New York.”

“
You
, bro. Why the hell can't you get that through your thick skull?”

Mason shook his head. “Right. Even if I have the ability to keep her here, it would suffocate her to stay in one place. She said that she needs constant change and challenge. Where is she going to find that in Cricket Creek? I shoved all of that worry under the rug, but it's still there.”

Danny raised his arms akimbo. “Expand. Make this brewery into something way bigger than what you even intended.” He held up his glass. “Mason, you have a knack for brewing beer. It's like Spidey sense when it comes to combining just the right ingredients. Grace is right. You could go way beyond the restaurants in Cricket Creek and even the baseball park.” Danny pointed to the window, where the brewery could be seen. “Your production brew house can produce close to a thousand gallons of beer a day. That's a hundred and eighty kegs or, like, ten thousand twelve-­ounce cans of beer. And you situated the equipment so you could double the production if you want to expand. Mason, you had big dreams in the beginning. Why change now?”

“It changed when I found myself in way over my head. That's not a cool feeling. Danny, the stress I was feeling was keeping me up at night. It sucks to feel that way. I don't want to live each day wondering how the hell I'm going to pull it off or go under. You know how it felt when we were just scraping by with the marina. It was driving Dad to an early grave. I don't want to live like that. I won't live like that.”

“Yeah, but we saved Mayfield Marina. We all put our lives on hold, including Mattie and especially you. I know you don't talk about it, but it cost you your fishing career.” He held his thumb and index finger apart. “You were this close to making it to the top, and the hiatus you took cost you big-­time.”

“You did the same thing, Danny.”

“I quit school, but I wasn't on the brink of achieving my dream,” he said, but shifted his gaze.

Mason pointed to the handcrafted bar. “Danny, you also have a talent for woodworking that needs to be pursued as more than just a hobby. Just look at this bar. And the addition to the bistro is amazing.”

Danny shrugged. “Not enough hours in the day. We all wanted to save the marina. I have to ask, though; if you could go back in time, would you have had it any other way?”

“No. And if I'm honest, being on the road was becoming such a grind. I like it here,” Mason said. “I'm not a traveler, a wanderer, like Gracie. I mean, sure, sometimes I do wonder how much I could have achieved in pro fishing. But whatever. Maybe it's a thank-­God-­for-­unanswered-­prayers kind of thing. I have given it some thought, though.”

“I hate to ask, but does that wondering-­what-­if include Lauren?”

Mason inhaled deeply. At one time thinking about her caused a hot rush of emotion. “What she did to me hurt like hell and kept me from wanting another relationship.”

“And now?”

“Now I realize we weren't right for each other.”

“Because being with Grace feels different?”

“She drives me crazy,” Mason said, but chuckled. “But yeah.” He looked around the brewery and shook his head. “Is this really happening? I can't really believe it.”

Danny pushed back from the bar and pointed at Mason. “This is your time to shine. Don't let fear hold you back. This can be something special. I can feel it.”

“You're talking about the brewery, right?”

“Not entirely. Look, if Grace is the woman for you, go after her, no-­holds-­barred, just like I said. Let her decide whether she wants to stay or hit the road after she's done here. You're already past the getting-­hurt stage, so what do you have to lose?”

“Yeah, but I just hurt the hell out of her already. And I feel sick about it. Danny, I might have done more damage than I can repair.” The thought made his stomach churn. “God...”

“Just get her back down here and enjoy the night together. You both deserve it. Sometimes you gotta risk it for the biscuit. Go for it, Mason. Tell Grace you're on board with all of this and more.”

“I can't go that far. Right now I'm perfectly happy to use the pilot system to perfect the hops and additives and use the small-­batch brew house. I'm telling you, I don't want to grow too quickly. Let me get used to the witches thing first.”

“Okay, I get that, and trust me—­I don't want you to feel the stress that Dad did.”

Mason felt a lump of emotion form in his throat. “But I didn't need to take my frustration out on Gracie that way.”

“Dude, she's been working nonstop.”

“I know.”

“Go get the girl before it's too late.” Danny pointed to where Rusty slept on the cool floor. “Even Rusty knew when to make the big move and go after Abigail.” Rusty lifted his head at the mention of his name. The Irish setter looked over at Mason with eyes that seemed to agree with Danny.

“Are you both trying to make me feel worse?”

“Yes. Is it working? Mason, everyone has been looking forward to tonight. Don't mess it up. Just look around at how sweet this place is. If you didn't own it, I'd still come here. You'd be here too.”

Mason sighed, knowing his brother was right.

“And Mom's been watching Lily so Mattie could work on the menu for tonight. Becca has pitched in big-­time too. A hell of a lot of thought has gone into all of this.”

“Uppity stuff like finger sandwiches.”

“Are you kidding me? I had, like, ten while they were making them, and they are awesome. I tried some Vermont cheddar dip that's kick-­ass. Shane McCray smoked some fall-­off-­the-­bone ribs that are ready to roll. They've got crisp shoestring fries and onion rings. It's going to be awesome. You should be having the time of your life today, and celebrating the moment with Grace. You're fucking up something that's pretty hard to wreck. I don't even think I could do a better job, and you know my track record at being a screwup.”

“Shit.” Mason closed his eyes, remembering what he'd said to Grace about sharing moments with her. “I'm such an idiot.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“You didn't have to agree with me.”

“Mason, you've always been the king of moodiness. Getting you to smile is a major feat.”

Gracie makes me smile,
he thought. Made him laugh.

“What's up with that?”

“Because I'm the oldest.” Mason tapped his chest. “I worry. It's in the job description.” After taking another swig of his ale, he nodded. “This is some damn good ale.” He thought that the Vermont cheddar dip was going to go perfectly with the flavors. Pairing food with craft beer was becoming as popular as pairing wine with food. Grace was right and so was Danny. What he was fighting, he should be embracing.

“This goes beyond Grace leaving, doesn't it?”

“Danny, you know I've kept my guard up after Lauren. Like I said, I know now that she was all wrong for me, but having her cheat put me in a dark place that had me losing friends and worried my family. And yet I'm stupid enough to fall for a woman who never planned on staying here...Oh yeah, and she lives on the other side of the damned ocean. I don't want to visit that dark-­ass place again.”

“Last time I looked, she lived in a cabin out in the middle of the river right here at Mayfield Marina.” He angled his head toward the door. “Now, get your ass over there and say you're sorry and make her not want to cross that ocean.”

“I hate it when you're right.”

“I'm right a lot more than I get credit for.” Danny grinned, but being the youngest and always a daredevil, his little brother probably wasn't taken as seriously as he sometimes should have been. “Now, would you just go!”

Rusty barked and trotted over to the door.

Mason raised his hands in surrender. “Yes!”

About a Boy

“
M
UM
,
QUIT
GIVING
ME
YOUR
WORRIED
-­
MOTHER
LOOK
.
I told you I'm perfectly fine.” Grace picked up an artfully displayed tray of cheese, fruit, and crackers. She put it in Mattie's new delivery van before turning to give her mother a bright smile.

Becca fisted her hands on her hips. “Right, that's the biggest fake smile I've ever seen.”

Grace kept the smile in place and pointed to her lips. “Totally real.”

“You can't fool me, Gracie. I've had to put enough fake smiles on my own face to know what's genuine or forced. And yours is forced. So what's bothering you? Everyone seems to be ready for the tasting party. And super excited, I might add.”

“Ha, except for one important person.”

“You? Whyever not?”

Grace turned away from the van. She needed to go inside for more food, but she paused to answer her mother. “No, I was referring to the broody brewmaster himself, Mason Mayfield.”

“Oh, so we have boy trouble.” Becca pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Mum, I'm twenty-­eight years old. I no longer have ‘boy trouble,'” she said, using air quotes.

“Okay, but I can see in your eyes that something is terribly wrong. Please tell me, darling.” Her worried-­mum look intensified.

“I can't, Mum. I have to get that food down to the brewery.” If she started talking about Mason, she feared that she'd start crying and ruin her carefully applied makeup. She'd gone back to her cabin and changed into black palazzo pants and a white tank sporting the Broomstick Brewery logo along with a black silk blouse open but knotted at the waist. Then she'd quickly headed over to Sophia's flat just in case Mason decided to pay her a visit and give her a much deserved
I'm sorry for being a jerk
, because Grace certainly wasn't ready to accept his apology. “I don't want the appetizers to spoil,” she said just as Jimmy Topmiller walked out of the bistro with another tray of food. She'd met him one afternoon when he'd stopped by the brewery for a tour.

“Jimmy, would you mind delivering the appetizers to the brewery?” Becca asked.

“Not at all,” Jimmy replied, and then smiled at Grace. “You can relax for a few minutes, Grace.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Grace said, liking his Southern charm.

“No problem,” Jimmy added and leaned forward slightly, as if he was going to kiss Becca on the cheek, but then pulled back.

“Thank you, love. You're a dear,” Becca said. Her gaze lingered on him and the soft expression had Grace wondering what was going on between her mother and Jimmy.

Once Jimmy drove away, Grace turned to her mother. “Mum, are you seeing him?”

Becca put a hand to her chest. “No...well...of course, I
see
him. He does live directly across the lake, you know.”

“Mincing words, are we?” Grace grinned in spite of her crappy mood. “When you mince, that always means yes. Confess.”

“I dunno, really.” Becca shrugged, and then bit her bottom lip and blushed. “I...we...”

“Are a thing,” Grace provided for her tongue-­tied mother. It was rare to witness Becca Gordon flustered, and Grace thought it was cute that her mother was blushing bright pink.

“A thing?” Becca nodded hard. “Yes, I do suppose...a
thing
is a good way to put it.” She motioned to the brick-­paved patio at the side of the bistro. “Come have a chat with me, darling. You can spare your mum a few minutes.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Of course you do,” Becca said in her polite way, but she really meant no, you must tell me what's going on.

“Okay.” Grace nodded, not only because she really needed to talk to her mother but also because it would buy her more time before she headed down to the brewery. They sat down at a teak bistro table beneath a pretty violet-­striped awning. Mattie had an abundance of flowers overflowing from window boxes, and the view of the river was simply gorgeous. “It is really so pretty here,” Grace said, and Becca nodded her agreement. “There's just something about a marina and boats, you know?”

“You really aren't very good at attempting to beat around the bush.”

“I thought I'd give it a go.” Grace leaned forward. “So tell me about your
thing
with the handsome, helpful fishing guide.”

“He is a bit handsome, isn't he?” Becca waved a dismissive hand. “But we're just, you know, hanging out,” she added quickly. “That kind of...
thing
.”

“Right. He was totally going to plant a kiss on you and then remembered I was standing right there, and he had a maybe-­I-­shouldn't moment.”

“No, he wasn't.”

“Mum...”

“Hey, you're just as rotten at changing the subject as you are at beating around the bush. This is about you, darling. We'll talk about me later.” She folded her hands, leaned back in the chair, and waited.

Grace closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. “I don't know where to begin.”

“Are you in love with this boy?”

Grace thought about denying it, but her mother would see right through her. “Yes,” she answered softly. “I suppose I am. I mean, I've never felt this way before. I must say, it's a bit overwhelming.”

“And does Mason love you?”

“I...I think so.” Grace rolled her eyes up to the light blue sky and studied the puffy white clouds, thinking one looked just like Winnie-­the-­Pooh. “I thought he wanted me to stay here in Cricket Creek,” she said absently.

“Why would you think otherwise?”

“By the way he treated me this afternoon.” Grace frowned up at the sky. “He did everything in his power to push me away. Why would he do that to someone he has feelings for?”

“Open-­house jitters? You've been with me at fashion shows when I'm going crazy. Maybe you need to cut him a bit of slack.”

“Mum, you're the queen of making excuses for men who don't deserve it.”

“I suppose you're right.” Becca looked at her for a long moment and then inhaled sharply. “Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't ever—­and I do mean
ever
—­want you to be talked to or treated in any other way than with the utmost respect. Did he disrespect you?”

Grace shook his head. “No, never, but he just let me know how much he hated the Broomstick Brewery logo and said that I forced the whole thing upon him.”

“Did you?”

Grace raised her hands skyward. “I didn't think so...but maybe a little bit. But this is what I'm good at. Drawing in a demographic that's being ignored in the marketplace. And I know I'm spot-­on. Women—”

“Gracie, you don't have to explain. But don't you get it? This was his dream, and you swooped in and took over. This all happened very fast, and his head is probably spinning.”

Grace gasped and flattened her hands against the table. “Um, I swooped in and saved the day, I'll have you know.”

“Something Mason had to swallow his pride for him to allow you to do.” Becca reached over and patted Grace's hand. “Put yourself in his shoes, or should I say
boots
?”

“He had an excellent product, but no feasible marketing plan.”

“Mason probably didn't know he needed one.”

“Mum, the market is saturated. Just like with cosmetics. You have to stand out! Do something clever. Smart.”

“Oh, darling, I agree, but that's not the issue here. His beer is named after witches and he doesn't like it. He's probably been too busy to even think about it until today was suddenly here.”

“Well, it's too bloody late to go back now.” She toyed with the tail of her braid, close to tears that she didn't want to spill. “I wish to hell I'd never gotten involved.”

“As you said, it's too late now.”

Grace groaned. “I know. Now what am I going to do?”

“Are we talking about the brewery or Mason?” Becca asked gently.

“The brewery!” Grace raised her hands skyward and then shook her head so hard that her braid flipped back and forth. “No, you know what?” she asked, with more than a little heat behind her words, but didn't pause for an answer. “If I hadn't been at the right place at the right time for Mason, he was going to likely go under. And even with my investment, if not marketed well and promoted in the right way, in the end the money wouldn't have mattered. So like the logo or not, it was necessary, so I refuse to feel guilt. Sod that!”

“And you shouldn't. I wasn't suggesting fault on your end, only shedding light on how Mason might be feeling right now.”

“And, Mum, I wanted to help. After all, Mason is Mattie's brother. But I'm not going to
not
make the most of my investment either. He's just going to have to get over himself.”

“Oh, darling, I think he can do that.” She pressed her lips together and gave Grace a level look.

“You have more to say...so say it.”

“All right, then. I think Mason's worried that he won't be able to get over
you
.”

Grace ran her hand over the smooth teak, trying to keep her tears in check. After clearing her throat, she said, “And that's why I shouldn't have gotten involved with Mason in the first place. I knew it was a mistake, and because we're having this discussion, it only proves that I'm right...or wrong, depending how you look at it.” She took a shaky breath. “I knew it was bloody stupid. What's wrong with my brain these days?”

“Ah, Gracie, we can have control over lots of things in life, but not our feelings. You can fight what's in your heart, but it doesn't change the fact that it's there. You can't stop yourself from loving...from caring.”

“I understand, but I should have never given in.”

“And let love win?”

“No! Now I'm one hot mess, and I don't have a clue what to do about it.”

“You could move here, you know. After selling Girl Code, there's nothing to keep you living in London.” She pointed to the view. “And Cricket Creek is a lovely town with a lot to offer. Sports, theater, shopping, restaurants; not to mention everyone you care about is here. At least for now.”

“No doubt, but you know I could never settle down in one place.”

Becca shook her head. “I don't know that at all, and quite frankly, neither do you.”

“Mum...come on, now,” she protested, but her mother merely shrugged.

“Sometimes the things we believe about ourselves are the furthest from the actual truth.”

“Did you read that from a fortune cookie?” Grace joked because her mother was hitting way too close for comfort.

Becca smiled. “No, but worth putting in one, I'd say. Actually, it's from experience.”

Grace mulled that over while she watched a delicate sailboat glide across the water. Rusty, Mason's Irish setter, ran across the lawn chasing a bird. “Poor thing, he's never going to catch that bird.”

“Ah, but it's in his nature to give it all he's got.” Becca pointed to Abigail, his little beagle-­mix lady companion, who sat in the grass watching Rusty, waiting for his empty-­handed return. “I see them frolicking around the marina all over the place, even up by me. I know he belongs to Mason, but he can't seem to leave Abigail's side, and so he stays down here most of the time. Look at them. So very different, and yet inseparable.”

“Mum...” Grace shot her mother a look. “What are you getting at?”

“Just an observation.” She pressed her lips together and then lifted her chin. “Okay, I'll just come right out and say it. Different like you and Mason.”

Grace tapped her cheek and then arched an eyebrow. “Hmm, country boy and city girl like you and Jimmy?”

“Changing the subject again, are we?”

“I'm curious about you and your
thing
.”

“Oh, Jimmy and I are more alike than what you might imagine. And, darling, don't forget that your mum came from working-­class London.”

“So do you think there's a chance for you two?”

Becca glanced away, as if not willing to be in the hot seat. But she surprised the hell out of Grace by looking at her and nodding. “You know what? He might not think so, but, yes,” she said firmly. “Yes, I do.”

“You don't say.” Grace leaned back in her chair, a bit stunned.

“I think I just did,” Becca said with a slow smile. She splayed a hand across her chest. “Oh wow, Gracie, I do believe I'm...in love.” Her eyes widened a fraction, and then she laughed with pure delight. “Can that be so?”

Grace's heart pounded with joy. “Of course! So...so what are you going to do about it? Tell him?”

“Oh heavens, I dunno. Isn't the man supposed to say those three little words first? And isn't it far too early for such sentiments?” She looked at Grace and shook her head. “And when did this discussion become about me?”

“Just now,” Grace said and smiled at her mother. “And it's about time that you thought about yourself and your happiness.”

Becca's eyes misted over and she put a hand to her mouth. After a hushed moment, she looked over at Grace. “I do believe you're right.”

“Mum, for the record, I don't think any of those rules apply anymore. Didn't you just say that you can fight it but not change what's in your heart?”

“Well, this discussion certainly took a turn I didn't expect.” She said it lightly, but there was a punch of emotion behind her mother's admission.

“No, I think you needed to tell me. I want you to be happy, and you should follow your own advice.”

Becca brushed at a tear. “You know what? I think that holding Lily just opened up my heart to look at my life from a different angle and to embrace love again.”