those days in years. It had been difficult to leave the good times behind, especially once I got back to LA and realized what kind of future I was walking into… one where I ended up playing second fiddle to my mom and her new husband.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you leave?”
Usually I wouldn’t get involved in a deep conversation with a stranger, but I’d been struggling with my feelings about heading back to Tennessee for weeks, ever since I got the call that my cousins expected their granddad to pass anytime. Maybe because Tori reminded me so much of the family I’d left behind, for some reason I felt comfortable talking to her.
“It’s a long, sad story, but I’ll spare you the details. When I was eight, my dad split and let’s just say my mom didn’t handle it too well. I ended up moving to Beaver Bluff and living with my aunt and uncle for a few years.” Saying it out loud made the memories swirl around me and pull me back.
“I’m so sorry.” Tori pulled her hand out from under the dress and rested it on my arm.
The heat of her touch warmed my skin through the thin cotton of my shirtsleeves. Uncomfortable with how much I’d shared, I tried to downplay it. “It was a long time ago.”
“We probably crossed paths. Maybe even met each other at the swimming hole on a hot summer day.” Her smile chased the ghosts of my past away. “Who are your cousins? I probably know them.”
Yeah, she probably did. Everyone knew everything about everyone else in Beaver Bluff. Even as a kid, I understood the way a small town worked. Though coming from LA, it took me a while to catch on.
“You know the Bishops?”
“The Bishops as in the Bishop family who owns the distillery?” Her eyes widened, and she pulled her hand away from my arm.
“Well, a third of it.” I shrugged.
“That’s right. A third.” She nodded.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine, it’s just… my sister’s having her wedding at the distillery this weekend.” Her eyes took on a glossy shine. “It’s been a little crazy trying to work with two event planners to get the details right.”
“I bet you’re working with my cousin Ruby.”
“We’ve been working with Ruby a little, but mainly running things by Sawyer.”
“Sawyer?” The name didn’t ring a bell.
“Yeah, Sawyer Stewart. She’s been working as the event manager and is my sister’s best friend. I’m not sure who does what, but it’s been a little confusing trying to finalize details. You’d think with both of them working for the same company they’d actually talk to each other once in a while.” Tori rolled her eyes. “It’s about time that feud between the families came to an end, don’t you think?”
The feud… I hadn’t paid too much attention to the generations-old feud that had been going on between the Bishops and the Stewarts when I was a kid. Uncle Russ said to stay away from the Stewarts, and since their oldest boy was a couple of years younger, it hadn’t been a problem.
With their granddad passing, all the Bishop kids would take a more active role in the distillery. That was one reason my cousin Cole had asked me to come—to be there when his grandfather’s will was read and make sure the Stewarts didn’t take advantage of a bad situation.
It wouldn’t hurt to get Tori’s take on the generations-old battle that waged between my cousins and the co-owners of the distillery. “What do you know about the feud?”
“Everyone within a hundred miles of Beaver Bluff knows about the feud between the Bishops and the Stewarts. I’m sure you know the details better than most, seeing as how you’re family.”
“I’ve heard stories over the years, but it’s all been one-sided.”
She shook her head. “It’s ridiculous. No one can even remember what started the dumb fight in the first place. Are you coming in town for the funeral?”
“Kind of. My mom and their mom are sisters, so I’m not technically related to their granddad who passed. But I wanted to be there for support and to help navigate whatever business issues might come up.”
“What kind of business issues?” She cocked her head. “There won’t be any problems with the distillery, will there?”
“No, nothing like that.” I’d probably already said too much. Without knowing what the will specified, it wouldn’t do any good to speculate. In a town like Beaver Bluff, the more tongues wagged, the worse things