toward her before I took a sip, tasting it in the same way I’d shown Ruby Grace. She followed suit, and she couldn’t hide the smile on her face when she tasted it the right way, indulging on all the notes of the fine alcohol while her husband-to-be grimaced against the shot he’d taken.
“Wow,” he said, face still twisted up. His eyes watered a bit as he handed his empty glass back to me. “She really does have great taste.” He sniffed, putting his arm around her and tugging her close. “Such a thoughtful wedding gift. I’m glad I got to be here to taste it at the unveiling. Thank you, sweetheart.”
She smiled, but before she could answer with a you’re welcome, Anthony dipped her back, kissing her possessively.
Ruby Grace was stiff as a board in his arms, and when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, she pressed against his chest, breaking the kiss with a glare of disapproval masked by a forced smile.
“My parents are right over there,” she whispered, not bothering to look at exactly where her parents were to make her point clear. She cleared her throat, instead, turning to me with the same tight smile. “Thank you for the tasting, Noah. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to get back to the party.” She rested her hand on Anthony’s chest — the hand that shone with the diamond he’d given her. “So many people to introduce Anthony to. You understand.”
I swallowed past the thick knot in my throat, forcing a smile that was just as tight as hers. “Of course,” I said, waving my hand toward the rest of the crowd. “Enjoy your evening, and let me know if I can be of service to either of you.”
Ruby Grace rolled her eyes, though Anthony didn’t see, and I smirked a little at that.
“Will do,” Anthony said, shaking my hand. He held it in his vise grip a little too long, letting Ruby Grace walk a few steps away before he lowered his voice. “You enjoy your evening, too. Somewhere far away from my fiancé, preferably.”
I tilted my head to the side, smile not wavering. “I’m sure I don’t understand what you’re implying, Mr. Caldwell.”
“And I’m sure I don’t need to repeat myself to make my point clear.”
He dropped my hand, wiping his palm on his jacket like I’d given him some sort of disease before he turned, offering his arm to Ruby Grace and toting her off to the next victim.
I tucked my hands back in my pockets, watching them go with a sense of jealousy settling over my chest like a hot, wet, suffocating blanket.
And I knew I wouldn’t find relief until I kicked my way out from under it.
Ruby Grace
The Scooter Whiskey Single Barrel Soirée had always been a grand event in Stratford. I remembered attending as a child with my parents, hanging out in the kiddie area where there were endless games and blow-up slides to crawl all over. As I got older, I’d come with my friends in high school to dance and sneak illegal sips of whiskey — of course, I never drank the whiskey, because I had always been told by Mama that it was a man’s drink.
I hadn’t tasted it at all until the day Noah Becker showed me the barrel I’d purchased for my fiancé.
He was still on my mind as Patrick Scooter gave his welcoming speech, relaying a short history of the distillery and his family’s legacy before he launched into the details that made all the barrels in our presence tonight so special. While those of us who purchased barrels were the only ones who could taste those specific ones, there were three barrels of single-barrel whiskey that were cracked open for the town to indulge in. Considering how poor most of Stratford’s residents were, this was a special occasion. Everyone was dressed up, smiling, and celebrating.
And somehow, on our town’s most joyous night, with my fiancé’s hand on the small of my back, I felt more numb than I had in my entire life.
“You okay over there, sweetheart?” Daddy asked in between one of his conversations.
I smiled, assuring him with a squeeze on his upper arm. I knew it wouldn’t be long before someone else would pull him aside and need his ear, whether to pitch an idea for the town or to lobby for his support on an issue. “I’m fine, Daddy. Just a little tired.”
His eyes softened. “I know this can