Until the Tequila (The Killers #3.5)(4)

What I did not do was go to work for my family, who has been in the horse breeding business for generations. That irritated my dad, but since he’ll do anything to make my mom happy and she didn’t give a shit, he got over it. I finished college, not because I was learning anything practical, but because I knew someone with a big stick up their ass would someday value me more because I have a piece of paper in a leather binder stuffed away somewhere in my old room at my parents’ house as proof that they overpaid for a degree at a private university.

Since then, I worked my way into the tasting room. The last owner was a dumbass and caused a lot of people to quit, so I was promoted to the tasting room manager—for no other reason than there were no other choices. That was right before Addy bought the place. I’ve seen the vineyard change hands three times, but all the owners were hobbyists who thought a winery would be a pretty accessory in their portfolio. That is, until they lost money hand over fist. That’s never a fun hobby.

But the new owner, Addy Wentworth, actually has more brains than money and has turned the place around. We’re making more than we’re spending, which is a modern miracle. Everyone is happy about it because Addy is cool as shit to work for and making money means we get to keep our jobs.

Working here is more fun than working for my namesake, so I decided to learn wine and it stuck. I like the people here and, even though it doesn’t pay what my father would if I were managing his breeding business, it’s a good place to be. I don’t need the money anyway. I have a trust from my grandparents that I’ve never even touched.

The winery has been an even better place to be since Mary started coming around. Addy claims people as her own—hell, I’m one of them. Since the day she took over, our odd-as-hell group has become a close-knit clan that would rival any weird holiday movie.

“I’ve been waiting for you. How did it go?”

Speak of my boss, she’s stalking straight for me in a way that has nothing to do with wine. I shrug off my jacket and toss it onto the bar. Pushing my hand through my hair, I try not to think about watching Mary sleep in my bed last night because I have no desire to have to hide my hard-on in front of my boss. “Last night? My steak was good.”

Her eyes go big. “You know what I mean.”

I turn away from her and start to dig through my bag for my tablet. “You should ask your friend.”

“I tried!” Addy is edging on desperate which is odd for her since she usually has her shit together. But her new neighbor, Crew Vega, has been hanging around and she seems off her game. “Mary’s not answering my calls and I know her car was parked here all night.”

I turn back to her and shake my head. “She had a lot to drink and couldn’t drive home.”

Addy processes that for a hot second before throwing her next words at me in a way she’s never done before. “Where did you take her?”

I consider Addy a friend and I’m pretty sure she considers me something like a younger brother. Even so, I know for a fact she and Mary are tight and based on girl code alone, she’d fall on the side of Mary every time, should there ever be sides to fall on, even though I don’t plan on that happening. Still, I don’t like her tone and frown. “You think I’m that kind of asshole?”

Her expression blanks and, when her hands hit her hips, her eyes narrow. “You know I don’t think you’re an asshole. Mary and I are tight. Besides all of you here at work, she’s the best friend I have in Virginia. As close as we are, I know there are things she holds back from me. If you plan to pursue her, you have to promise it’s because you want more than a fling. She might come off as tough as nails but she’s not. Don’t ask me how I know this, I just do. I feel it.”

My guess? Addy doesn’t have a clue how close she is to the truth.

Mary has done her best to avoid me, which has only piqued my interest. She’s been dancing around me with nervous energy, pretending she hates me and doesn’t have a bit of interest. Even though last night didn’t go as I planned, it couldn’t have gone any better because she let loose. The sexual tension I know I’ve felt all this time is there—it’s real, tangible, and, once she let the tequila settle into her bones, the words flowed straight from her soul.

I still don’t know everything about her, but I know a hell of a lot more than I did yesterday at this time.

I thought I wanted her before last night.

I had no fucking clue.

But today? Today, I need her in a way I can feel in every cell of my body. The petite girl with the mermaid hair who used to make me smile, now makes me ache.

I look to my boss and tell her the cold, hard truth. “I learned a lot last night and all I’m going to say is you’ve never been more right. She’s not tough as nails and she’s not fragile—she’s broken.”

Addy’s face falls.

“Yeah,” I confirm the thoughts written all over her face. I take my tablet and grab my jacket, leaving her with a promise before I head to the office in the back room. “But I’m going to be the one who helps put her back together. Starting today.”

“Evan?” I’m almost out the door and cringe when Addy calls for me again. I’m not in the mood to have my motives questioned.

I sigh and look back one more time. “Yeah?”

In the time I’ve worked for her, I’ve never seen Addy more serious and that’s saying something because she’s a smart and shrewd business woman. “Do whatever you have to do and don’t give up. She doesn’t know it but she needs you. Promise me you’ll put her back together and do it with care.”