Mainland vs. Island E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Who knew moving on could be so hard? 
It’s been years since I lost my wife, and I’m ready. To move on, to start over, to see my dreams come true. Our dreams. The brewery we always planned to start is finally up and running, and I’m ready for someone to share it with. 
Scarlett caught my eye the day we met, but the timing was off. We were both working too many hours, and even though we had chemistry, it wasn’t enough to pull us away from survival mode we were both in. 
Now, things are different. We have time, and the Hawaiian nights aren’t the only things making me sweat. The curvy, sexy, redhead who tears me up day and night is making it hard to imagine a life without her in it. 
As long as I don’t screw it up.

Leseprobe

MAINLAND VS. ISLAND

OPPOSITES ATTRACT, BOOK FIVE

MARY E THOMPSON

Mainland vs. Island

Opposites Attract, book five

Copyright © 2019 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2020 Mary E Thompson

Cover Photo from depositphotos, Copyright © DesignPicsInc

Chapter header vector from depositphotos, Copyright © 100ker

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-944090-62-3

Print ISBN: 978-1-944090-63-0

Created with Vellum

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

The Big Island of Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s a fantasy to visit there, but a few lucky people get to call it home. They get to walk out their front door and be in paradise every single day. But that doesn’t mean it’s all perfect all the time. There are still curves ahead, and not just the women these men fall head over heels for.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Order vs. Chaos

Better vs. Worse

Boy vs. Girl

Devil vs. Angel

Mainland vs. Island

Big & Beautiful Ever After is a subscriber exclusive short story that takes place after Mainland vs. Island.

SUBSCRIBE NOW AT MARYETHOMPSON.COM

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

About the Author

To everyone living life to the fullest, never stop dreaming.

CHAPTER1

MACK

The crowd at Laughlin’s was three deep and rowdy. They wanted their drinks and weren’t afraid to push each other out of the way to get them.

“Sunrise Pale Ale,” one guy said.

“Sunrise Lager,” said another.

“Sunrise IPA,” a third said.

I handed them all over and grinned. My dream of owning my own brewery was coming true right before my eyes. Russell was helping to promote Sunrise Brewery and let me put signs up advertising it as a local beer. The regulars were starting to come over to Sunrise, and the visitors were quick to try something local. It was a win-win for me.

It was a damn good feeling, but doing it by myself wasn’t what I wanted. All those years ago, Stephanie and I planned to build Sunrise Brewery together. She was gone, so I was doing it for both of us, but I didn’t want to do it all alone. I didn’t want to do everything alone anymore.

The crowd finally faded, leaving us with something closer to normal for a Friday night. Exhaustion set in hours ago and I was barely staying alert enough, and working with one of the new guys wasn’t helping. He was too quiet.

“How’s it going?” I asked him.

Takeo nodded. “Good. Busy night.”

“Yeah, it can get like that on the weekends. Especially if someone who likes us is working at one of the local hotels. They send the visitors our way.”

“That’s cool. They seem to be dying for your beer.”

I nodded, smiling. “Yeah. Seeing it’s local helps bring in the tourists. We’re slowly converting the locals.”

He grinned but didn’t say anything else. He wiped down the counter and helped another customer, ignoring me.

Working with Alvin was always easy. We chatted the whole time we worked, but this guy was clearly not around to make friends. I talked to customers and cleaned up the bar when customers left and kept myself busy. If I wasn’t busy, I was afraid I would fall asleep standing there.

Then a familiar redhead sat down in front of me. A redhead I hadn’t seen in far too long and who made me want to rush to her and ignore everyone else in the bar.

I was mixing a drink for someone else so I winked at her and held up a finger. I couldn’t take the chance she thought I wasn’t aware of her being there. She grinned back and nodded.

I handed the drink over to the customer and nodded as she stuff a few bills in the tip jar, then turned to Scarlett, only to find Takeo talking to her.

“I got her,” I told him, moving right next to him.

Takeo looked up at me from six inches shorter and shook his head. “I’m good.”

I narrowed my eyes. “She’s mine. You can go back to your side of the bar.”

His dark eyes narrowed. “Why…”

“Because she’s here to see me.”

Takeo finally got it and slunk back to his end, forcing a grin for the customers waiting for him.

“Why’d you have to make him feel bad?” Scarlett asked with a grin. “He’s a cute kid.”

“I’ll make sure I tell him you said that.”

She swatted my arm. “You’re bad.”

“Did you come here to see him?”

Scarlett ducked her head and looked up at me through those endless black eyelashes of hers. The first time I saw her, she was sitting on that same bar stool. A guy bought her a drink and made her uncomfortable, so she sat and talked to me until we closed. From that night, Scarlett Boyer had me captivated. We went on a date, but work got in the way of a second one and we never connected again. She came to Laughlin’s every so often, but always with her friends. She hadn’t been in alone since the night we met.

But she was back. Sitting on a bar stool, looking up at me. Not Takeo, me.

She finally shook her head, and I grinned.

“That’s what I thought.”

She huffed a laugh. “You’re too cocky. I need to take you down a peg. Maybe I should go flirt with him. What’s his name?”

“Mack,” I said.

She raised a strawberry blonde eyebrow. “His name is Mack, too?”

I shook my head and grinned. “No, but I’d love to have you go call him that.”

She threw her head back and laughed. That juicy neck of hers had me aching to stretch across the bar and take a nibble. Her jade green eyes were bright and glassy when they met mine again. She shook her head. “You’re dangerous.”

I grinned. I couldn’t help it. She made me smile. “It’s been months since you’ve been in here alone. I’m not taking any chances that you talk to him all night instead of me.”

“I think we already established I didn’t come here because of him.”

I grinned again. Damn, I liked her. “Can I get you a drink?”

She nodded. “The Laughlin’s Special?”

I glanced around the room, murder in my veins. If any man in the room fucking touched her, he was dead. “Who was it?” I growled.

She put her hand on my arm, drawing my attention. “I’m safe, Mack. No one tried to hurt me. I’m just not in the mood for alcohol tonight. I’m tired and worry I’d fall asleep right here on this stool.”

I drew in a breath and tried to calm down. I threw a few glares at men checking out her ass, then set to fixing her drink. When I slid it in front of her, she pulled out her wallet.

“On the house,” I told her.

She lifted one eyebrow and pulled a few bills out and stuffed them in the tip jar. I glared at her but she just grinned. “Thanks for the drink.”

She made a move to slide off the stool and I stopped her. “Where are you going?”

“I figured I’d make some room for anyone else who needs a drink.”

I shook my head. “Fuck them. Keep your perfect ass right there where I can see you the rest of the night.”

The pink in her cheeks said my words made her feel good. Mission accomplished. She positioned herself on the stool again and settled in while I took orders and delivered drinks.

Scarlett was long done with her drink by the time I got back to talk to her again. She was also fading fast if the droopy look in her eyes was anything to go on.

She was still stunning. Every man in the place had looked at her at least twice, and a few were dumb enough to try to talk to her when I wasn’t standing next to her. She blew them all off, which made me happier than I should be.

Almost as happy as the knowledge that she came to me. After months of barely speaking, she showed up at Laughlin’s and perched on a stool right in front of me. If that didn’t say she was interested, I didn’t know what did.

“Are you okay to drive home?” I asked her an hour after she sat down.

She nodded and blinked up at me. “Yeah. I’m not far from here. I shouldn’t have come.”

Well, damn. That was a blow.

“I have so much work to do. I told myself I was going to go home and get it done, but I saw your truck when I drove by and wanted to see you.”

I couldn’t have stopped my grin if I wanted to.

“Don’t get all cocky on me again,” Scarlett said with a matching grin. “You know you’re easy on the eyes. And a good guy. Any woman would be a fool not to want you.”

I needed to get her talking when she was tired more often. She was damn good for my ego. “Continue.”

She slapped my forearm again, then left her hand there and rubbed my skin. Her hand felt good on me. Of course, if I had my way, she’d be rubbing a different part of me.

“I’m glad you came by. I’ve been thinking about you lately,” I admitted.

“Yeah?”

I nodded. “I have. I was hoping to see you at Kiana and Sawyer’s wedding.”

She smiled. “I’ll be there. I made her dress.”

“Then she’ll be the second most beautiful woman there.”

She laughed softly and said, “Continue.”

I chuckled at her repeating my words. “You just can’t tell Kiana that. It will be her wedding day, after all.”

Scarlett grinned. “It’ll be our little secret.” She yawned widely. “Oh, jeez. I should probably head home. I have to get some sleep so I don’t sew myself to Kiana’s dress.”

I laughed. “I don’t think that would go over well with her.”

Scarlett shook her head. “Nope.” She slid off her stool. “It was good to see you.”

I walked out from behind the bar and wrapped an arm around her waist. She snuggled against me just enough that my hand notched at the top of her hip, telling everyone who could see us that she was with me. “I’m really happy you stopped by.”

She let me lead her to the door. “Me, too.”

We stopped just before the door and she stretched up on her toes to kiss my cheek. I thought about turning to catch her lips, but I wanted our first kiss to be because she was dying for it, not because I snuck one in on her.

“Do you want me to follow you home? The kid can watch things for a bit.”

She shook her head. “I’ll be okay.”

“Text me when you get home.”

She nodded. “Good night, Mack.”

“Good night, Scarlett. I’ll see you soon.”

She grinned. “I hope so.”

I watched her until the door closed behind her. I served drinks and checked my phone every ten seconds until her text popped up saying she was home safe.

And I would see her again soon. I was going to make sure of it.

* * *

The next night, I couldn’t help but think about Scarlett as I headed to a party for Kiana and Sawyer’s friends. If she was going to the wedding and making Kiana’s dress, hopefully she was going to be at the same party and I could get some time with her again. Maybe some place a little quieter and more intimate.

Alvin mentioned Sawyer’s friends from New York and said they were pretty cool, but walking into a room full of strangers was rarely an easy thing to do. A sure way to win people over was always to bring booze.

I rang the bell at the beach house they rented for the wedding and waited for someone to let me in. When a guy almost as tall and wide as me opened the door with raised eyebrows and a nod, I held out my hand. “I’m Mack, a friend of Sawyer and Kiana’s.”

“And you brought beer. I like you already. I’m Graham. Nice to meet you.”

Graham grabbed two of the cases of beer and left me to grab the other two.

“Beer’s here!” Graham announced to the loud group when we walked into the living room. “This is Mack. He brought it.”

“Mack!” Sawyer said, standing up from a loveseat he shared with Kiana and another couple. The other guy looked similar to Sawyer and I wondered if that was his brother, Noah.

“You didn’t have to bring all that,” Sawyer said when he got closer.

I shrugged. “Easier to meet people when you give them free beer.”

Sawyer chuckled. “Put it on the wedding bill. You didn’t have to do that. They’d like you without the beer.”

“We’ll still drink it, though,” another guy said, joining us with an open bottle of lager. “It’s good. Where’d you buy it?”

“He makes it,” Sawyer provided. “He’s supplying it for the wedding.”

The guy looked at the bottle and nodded. “Nice. I like you even more now.”

Sawyer snorted. “What Ethan’s trying to say is thank you.”

I grinned. “No problem.” I glanced around the room. “This is a hell of a crowd.”

Ethan shook his head. “This is only half of us. More are coming next weekend. Not everyone could get off two weeks.”

I nodded. I could understand that. I barely took off a day, let alone a week or two. “Nice vacation.”

Ethan nodded. “My wife always wanted to come here. The kids just want to see the beach. We’re going to chill and surf and do whatever the hell we want for a couple weeks. And I’m going to watch my sexy wife in a bathing suit.”

Ethan stared across the room at a beautiful brunette with a bright smile and plenty of curves. He was a lucky man, but the woman next to her was the one I couldn’t take my eyes off of.

Scarlett.

“Kiana is so excited to have everyone here. She tried to plan stuff for the two weeks, but I made her tone it down,” Sawyer said.

Ethan nodded. “Good. We need downtime.”

Another guy walked over and joined us. “Good beer,” he told me.

“Thanks.”

“Did you say downtime?” the guy with the shaved head asked Ethan.

Ethan nodded. “I plan to get my wife naked as much as possible. I’m hoping with all these parents around, someone will keep an eye on the kids.” He nodded at me. “That’s Brady.”

I jerked my head at him in acknowledgement and he did the same. Introductions made, their conversation continued.

“I know how you feel,” Brady said. “Sam’s all self conscious and won’t let me leave the lights on anymore. It makes me crazy.”

“Olivia doesn’t get a choice. Lights are always on. But for us that means if one of the kids comes downstairs, they know we’re still up and will knock. I love them, but I need to worship my wife without interruptions once in a while,” Ethan said.

“We’ll take your kids. Just let us know so we can get outside,” Brady said.

Ethan nodded. “Every chance I get.”

The men all chuckled.

“Who are you checking out?” Ethan asked, his voice gruff.

“The redhead,” Sawyer answered for me. “He’s got a thing for her.”

“The dressmaker?” Ethan asked.

Sawyer nodded.

“She’s cute,” Ethan said. “Kiana was going on and on about the dress she made.”

I nodded, finally feeling like I could add something to the conversation. “She works like crazy.”

“And you don’t get any because of it. That sucks,” Ethan said.

I shook my head. “Nah, it’s not like that. We’re still getting to know each other.”

“And you can’t get to know her without clothes on?” Ethan asked.

I laughed. “I’d like to. Just haven’t had a chance to yet.”

“Weddings are always a good time to pick up a woman. Sam’s a sucker for them. We always have a good time after a wedding,” Brady said with a smirk.

“I’m not that lucky,” Sawyer said. “Kiana’s always too tired.”

“That’s because she’s working. If she’s not working, she’s thinking about your wedding day or planning her wedding and she’s all emotional and horny. Weddings are awesome,” Ethan said.

“He’s not trying to screw her once, guys. He wants her,” Sawyer said.

Ethan shrugged and took another sip of his beer. “Then just tell her what you want. It worked with Olivia. I told her I wanted her, and we got together.”

“It was a little more complicated than that,” Brady argued.

Ethan shrugged again. “Not really. Not when you both want the same thing. Getting her to agree to marry me was a little more difficult, but that worked out, too. She just needed to know I was serious about her.”

I narrowed my gaze at Ethan. He didn’t seem like the type to get sentimental or emotional. He was straight-forward and bordered on crass. But when he talked about his wife, it was obvious how much he loved her.

“Nothing is easy when a woman is involved,” Brady said.

“Ain’t that the damn truth,” Graham said as he rejoined us. “Abby makes everything more complicated than it needs to be.”

“But you do everything she asks you to do,” Sawyer teased.

“Hell, yeah, I do. She has me wrapped around her little finger so tight I can’t move without her permission. And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he answered.

The others nodded in agreement. Four guys all completely gone over the women in their lives.

I wanted to be one of them.

“So, you make this beer?” Graham asked me.

I nodded.

“This is good stuff. Any chance we can bring some back to Winterville?”

“I don’t ship outside the state. I’ve been working on something to distribute on other islands, but it hasn’t gone through yet. There are a lot of hoops to jump through,” I explained.

“Guess we’ll have to drink more while we’re here then. Is it in the stores?”

“Bars and a few restaurants. And I sell out of the brewery,” I told him.

“No, shit? When can we go?” Graham looked at the rest of the group. They all nodded.

“Uh, Monday?” I suggested since I had the day off.

“The women are doing the dress thing so that should work. Awesome.” Graham waited for the others to nod, which they did, then grinned at me.

“Graham’s buying lunch,” Sawyer said. “Since he’s invading your workspace.”

I shook my head. “No need.”

Ethan clapped me on the back. “Doesn’t matter. We take care of our own. You’re one of us now.”

I smiled and nodded. I wouldn’t mind being included in that group. Especially if I ended up with the sexy, curvy woman across the room. I’d be damn lucky to be a part of it.

CHAPTER2

“Hey,” Scarlett said, sliding next to me at the kitchen counter, which doubled as the bar.

“Hi. Having fun?”

She nodded, her bright eyes shining with excitement. “This is great. It’s been a long time since I’ve been at a party like this.”

“Yeah? You like it?”

She nodded again. “I do. I spend a lot of time alone, so having a bunch of people around is a lot of fun. You don’t?”

I shrugged. “I work in a bar. I’m around a lot of people all the time.”

“True, but not like this. These people are all friends and they’re funny and not begging you for drinks.”

I chuckled. “You’re right. This is a lot more fun than working. And they do seem pretty great.”

“They are. And they’re all so close. I can’t even imagine being as close to as many people as they all are. It baffles me the way they talk.”

“About what?”

Her pink cheeks gave me a clue. “Just everything. They know what’s going on with each other. It must be nice to have so many good friends. I feel like I have Bri, and that’s about it.”

I nudged her with my shoulder. “I’d like to think you have me, too.”

She looked up at me. “Do I?”

I nodded and was rewarded with a wide grin.

“Good.”

She nudged me back then rejoined the group of women talking and laughing. I smiled at the pure joy on her face. She was always beautiful, but when she smiled, she made everything around her better.

“I thought you two were together?” Ethan asked.

I glanced at Scarlett again then shook my head.

“But you want to be.”

It wasn’t a question, and we both knew that. “We went out a few months ago, and we’re starting to talk again, but not enough for me to say we’re together.”

“She’s crazy talented according to Olivia.”

“She really is. It’s impressive. She’s overworked, though. She doesn’t take time off.”

“Do you?”

I chuckled. “No, but I work two jobs.”

“So?”

I shrugged. “I worry about her.”

“When Olivia was pregnant, she decided to work right up until she had the baby. She refused to take any time off. Her boss is the guy over there in the blue shirt. Wyatt and I both tried to talk her into taking some time. She was older for a pregnant mom, and with two other kids, she didn’t have any downtime.”

I nodded, wondering where he was going with the story.

“Me telling her to take a break didn’t do a damn thing. She ignored me. The harder I pushed, the harder she pushed back. All I could do was rub her feet and her back and run her baths and help out with the other kids. She went into labor at work. But I couldn’t be pissed at her because we had a healthy baby boy. And she was fine. She knows what she’s capable of. No matter how much I wanted to force her to sit on her cute ass and do nothing, she knew what she could handle. I’m guessing yours does, too.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I imagine she does. That doesn’t make it easy.”

“Just wait until she’s pregnant with your kid. You’ll lose your fucking mind,” Ethan said.

I sucked in a sharp breath, the thought of Scarlett pregnant and building a family overwhelming me. Her round belly filling up with our child. I wasn’t sure I’d ever look at her again without imagining that.

“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself,” Ethan said, bringing me back to reality. “If you’re not sure that you’re together, you can’t start picturing her pregnant.”

I grinned. “Am I that obvious?”

He clapped me on the back. “Only to a man who did the same thing. From the day I met Olivia, I knew she was going to be mine. It took her a little longer, but I convinced her.”

“Oh yeah? How?” I asked with a smile.

He grinned back. “I showed up at her house with sushi and forced my way inside so I could get to know her. I didn’t realize she had kids until I came face to face with them turning up their noses at my choice of seduction food.”

I snorted. “You didn’t.”

He nodded. “I did. But I paid for their pizza and charmed the kids and it all worked out in the end.”

I laughed softly. “Well, Scarlett doesn’t have any kids I can charm. I think I’m stuck charming her.”

He grinned. “Judging by the number of times she’s looked over here since she walked away, I’d say you’re well on your way.”

My gaze snapped to Scarlett and caught her watching me. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away quickly. The other women said something to her, and half of them turned to look at me. I glanced back at Scarlett and grinned when I saw her cheeks were even redder.

“See what I mean?” Ethan said.

I couldn’t help my shit-eating grin.

“Yeah, you’ll be fine.” Ethan clapped my back and walked away to pull Olivia out of the crowd. He nuzzled her neck and said something that had her cheeks turning pink. She nodded and tilted her head up for a kiss.

I wanted to be able to do the same to Scarlett, to claim her as mine, but I couldn’t. Not yet. Not until she was really mine and I was really hers.

One day.

* * *

I scrambled Monday morning to make sure Sunrise looked presentable for Sawyer and his friends. They said they’d be there late morning so they could all sleep in a little, but I didn’t want to be in the middle of something or neck deep in a mess when they showed up.

Just before eleven, someone pounded on the door. I rushed over to open it, and found seven men on the other side. Sawyer walked in first, followed by the guys I met the other night. Ethan, Brady, Wyatt, Graham, Hunter, and Joey.

“Welcome,” I said, wondering if they expected the professional or the friend.

“This place is fucking awesome. I’d never get anything done if I had beer around all the time,” Ethan said, answering my question.

I chuckled and nodded. “It’s a temptation, but I’ve worked too hard to screw it up by enjoying the fruits of my labor.”

They all nodded. “Makes sense. You do this all on your own?” Brady asked.

I shook my head and moved toward the kettles. “I have a guy who manages the day to day for me. My wife and I always talked about starting up our own brewery, so it was a while before I brought him on, but Wilson’s invaluable to me.”

“You’re married?” Graham blurted. “I thought you were trying to get together with the dressmaker. Shit, what’s her name?”

“Scarlett,” Wyatt provided.

I nodded. “I’m a widower.”

“Fuck, dude,” Ethan said. “I can’t even imagine.”

I nodded slowly. “You don’t want to, trust me. Anyway, Stephanie and I got to know each other over beer. We always tried new ones, went to breweries for dates, and dreamed of making our own. When she died, we hadn’t started this place yet, but we talked enough about it that I knew what to do when the space became available.”

“How long have you been here?” Joey asked.

“A couple years. Long enough to know what to do but not so long that I’m killing it yet. Wilson makes it possible for me to keep my day job and still make enough product to start to grow.”

“He started selling at Laughlin’s, and Alvin brought Sunrise to Opposites Attract. A lot of the mainlanders like to try something local,” Sawyer said.

“Mainlanders?” Ethan said. “Like you’re not one of us anymore?”

Sawyer laughed. “I’m an honorary local these days.”

“Marrying in,” I said with a grin. “We adopt them once they stay here and set down roots.”

“I can’t say I blame him,” Brady said. “It’s gorgeous here. Sam would never leave her friends, but if she ever wanted to move, I’d be in favor of coming here.”

The others nodded.

“All right,” Sawyer said. “Enough talk about invading my world. Let’s try out the beer.”

I grinned and led them on a tour of the brewery. They asked a few questions, but it was obvious they were mostly there for a tasting. I set them up at the makeshift table I had for tasting. Visitors seemed to like things rustic. To know they weren’t in a polished place with a full bar, but a small, local brewery. The table was a few planks of wood on top of a couple of barrels that supplies came in. Nothing fancy at all, but functional.

“This place is a hidden gem,” Wyatt said after a few minutes. “I don’t know how you aren’t much bigger than this.”

“I haven’t had the time to promote it much. I love what I do, but I don’t want to be too big. It’s only me running things. Wilson makes the beer, but he doesn’t handle the business side of it.”

“Have you thought about hiring others?” Ethan asked.

I nodded. “It’s something I might have to look at soon. That or quit my other job.”

“Why would you keep a second job and hire someone to run your dream?” Brady asked.

“I like working at Laughlin’s. It gives me a chance to keep a finger on the pulse.”

“Of only one bar, though,” Ethan said. “If you only worked here, you’d keep all the profits and you’d be able to work with multiple bars instead of just one. And restaurants and distributors and even festivals.”

“Like we have,” Wyatt chimed in.

“Whoa, guys,” Sawyer said. “Give him a break.” He turned to me and smiled. “They know a lot about business, but they also think the way they do things is the only way.”

“Not the only way,” Ethan said. “Just the best way.”

I laughed. “It’s fine. I’m still trying to figure out how to be a business owner. I’ll take any advice they want to give me.”

They grinned and dove in. They talked about anything from expansion to product development to hiring. It was obvious they knew what they were talking about, even without knowing their backgrounds.

“Things don’t always work the same way here as they do at home,” Sawyer said. “Hawaii is much more laidback.”

“It’s still a business,” Ethan said. “The most important question is what’s your goal? What do you want this to become? If you want it to stay a small, local place, then do everything you can to protect that. If you want it to be a nationwide company with distribution throughout the states, then you need to take steps to get it there.”

I drew in a breath. Stephanie and I always wanted a small, local brewery. Something local and crafty and detached from all the pressures of running a huge business.

Without Stephanie, I wasn’t sure anymore. Nationwide distribution held some appeal, but it only appealed to me when other people were talking about it. When I thought of everything that went into it, I started to second guess the idea.

“My company makes toys,” Ethan said. “Old style wooden toys. We have a factory in Winterville, and we sell right there out of the store. But most of our sales come from our website. We distribute to retailers, but we don’t work with big box stores. We’re a multimillion dollar company, but we operate like we’re much smaller. All of our operations are based out of Winterville. It’s possible to operate on a larger scale while remaining small.”

I nodded and thought about it. That sounded like exactly what I wanted. A small feel with a big reach. “I think that’s in line with what I’ve been hoping for.”

Ethan nodded. “It’s the best of both worlds. I’m not going to say there aren’t headaches, but there are with small businesses, too. We’ll talk more while we’re here. For now, I want to try more beer.”

I laughed and opened another bottle. “This is my favorite. She’s got a lot of flavor and a sweet taste at the end. The Redhead is one of the beers I am working on, but she’s ready for distribution. I haven’t tried her out at the bar yet.”

Sawyer shook his head. “Don’t. You have to bring this to my wedding. Kiana will love this.”

“You think so?”

He nodded. “Absolutely. It’s great.”

“It is,” Graham agreed. “I’d take a case of this home if I could.”

“Me, too.”

“Are all your beers named after women?” Ethan asked, examining the bottle.

I nodded. “They are. Nothing gets a guy to try a new beer better than a curvy bombshell on the bottle.”

“Genius.”

“Thanks.”

“A beer that’s like a woman. Robust, full of curves, and delicious. Damn,” Brady said.

“Shit, I want one, and I have a woman like that at home,” Wyatt said.

“You talk her into marrying you yet?” Ethan teased.

Wyatt shook his head and scowled. “No. I keep hoping she’ll say yes one of these days. Hell, we have a kid. She still isn’t sure.”

“Maybe she’ll say yes while you’re here,” Graham said.

Wyatt shook his head. “I’m not asking again for a while. I’m not going anywhere, and she has to trust that. If I keep pushing her to get married, she’s going to run.”

“I just don’t get why she won’t,” Joey said. “She has pictures of you all over the office. You and Leo.”

Wyatt nodded. “I know. She knows I love her, but she’s anxious about it ending, or not being perfect.”

“Don’t give up on her,” Sawyer said. “Peyton wouldn’t know what to do with herself if it wasn’t for you.”

Wyatt nodded. “I’m not ever giving up on her.”

I busied myself cleaning up while they chatted about the women in their lives. I had nothing to add to the conversation since I didn’t know the women and didn’t have one of my own.

Until Ethan said, “We’re figuring out your business, but what about your personal life? We need to get you and Scarlett together.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m good.”

“What’s your plan?” Joey asked.

“I don’t have one.”

“Then how are you going to get her to fall for you?” Graham asked. “I fucked that up plenty. Trust me, you don’t want to leave it to chance.”

“You need to show her you’ll always be there for her,” Ethan said.

“And that you need her, too,” Brady said.

“And that you want the same things she does,” Joey added.

“Talk to her about everything,” Sawyer added. “Even if you hate the idea of talking about it.”

“You always have to support her dreams,” Hunter said.

“And rub her feet when she’s exhausted,” Wyatt said.

“Of course, that’s assuming you want her forever and not just for right now,” Sawyer said.

I shrugged. “We’re still getting to know each other.”

The seven of them looked closely at me. Finally, Ethan spoke. “I knew I wanted Olivia to be mine the first time I saw her.”

“Me, too,” agreed the others.

“So, if you’re not sure, then maybe you two won’t be together. Is that why you aren’t? You don’t know?” Ethan asked.

I thought about life without Scarlett in it and knew that wasn’t going to work for me. I wasn’t in love with her, not yet, but it wasn’t hard to imagine falling for her.

“Okay, he’s good,” Wyatt said with a laugh when I didn’t answer.

“Huh?”

They all grinned. “The look on your face says you want her, and not just for a night.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then you need to see her. Every chance you have,” Ethan said.

“He’s right,” Wyatt agreed. “Peyton and I started hanging out as friends, but the more time we spent together, the more I wanted her. Until I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her and touching her and being with her.”

“I’m trying to take things slowly,” I said.

“Slow is for pussies. Show her you want her. Don’t hold back. Kiss the shit out of her and make her feel like the beautiful woman she is,” Graham said. “I almost waited too long with Abby. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost her.”