Love In Secrets (Love Distilled #3) - Scarlett Cole Page 0,14

a nap before he spent any more time with Cassie.

On the drive to the distillery, he thought about the day ahead. Unfortunately, Patience, his most fickle still, had chosen yesterday to act up, and in between following Chris to the hospital and making plans to get Cassie from the airport, he’d been unable to catch up the lost production. Constance and Melody, the two remaining stills, hadn’t been able to pick up the slack.

“Morning, Liv,” he said, popping his head into the distillery tasting room being set up for the afternoon wedding reception of eighty people. The large glass doors were wide open, but the room still smelled strongly of the fresh flowers currently being worked into a giant flower wall by a florist.

“Morning, Jake. Be the best brother in the world and make me a coffee.” She focused on pressing a white cloth over an ironing board.

“Don’t we pay someone to bring those cloths in pressed?” He stepped behind the bar and grabbed two mugs.

Liv wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “We do, but these four slipped when they were put in the crate and were creased as all heck when I got them out.”

His sister’s engagement ring flashed in the light, and he smiled. It did his heart good to see her happy. As he made them both Americanos, he thought back to the period a year ago when her depression had overtaken her. He would have given anything to see her doing something as mundane as ironing. “Do you need any help from me with the setup?”

Olivia walked over to the bar and took a sip from her cup. “I don’t know why coffee from this machine always tastes better when you make it rather than when I do. And no, thanks, I think we’ve got everything covered.”

“Perfect.” Jake took a large gulp of the coffee. It was too hot and scalded the side of his mouth, but he took another gulp regardless. He needed something to take the edge off his mood. “I’ve got a lot of production to catch up on, but I don’t intend to stick around any longer than I need to. I didn’t get to bed until two.”

“That’s Anders’s usual bedtime. I have no idea how he does it.”

“He naps, Liv. He’s a man who has napping every day in season practically written into his contract.” Jake envied the hockey player the luxury.

Liv smiled at him. “How is Cass? How is her dad?”

Jake took another large sip of coffee. He certainly couldn’t tell Liv that Cassie looked as good as he’d ever seen her. “As well as can be expected, I guess. She was tired by the time she landed. Concerned about her dad, obviously. We were able to get someone at the hospital to talk to her.”

“Thanks so much for getting her and taking her to your place. I wouldn’t have minded doing it, but I’m glad I wasn’t up until two.”

Jake shook his head. “It wouldn’t have made any sense. The hospital is much closer to my place than yours. Plus, I didn’t want you driving around late at night.”

“You know I’m a grown-ass woman, right, Jake?”

“Obviously, Liv. But I can still be the one to do the late-night pickups without you calling me sexist, right?”

Liv raised an eyebrow, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a half-smile. “It’s a fine line. I’m perfectly capable of driving late at night. But I do appreciate it, seeing I’ll be here until one in the morning.”

“How are you getting home tonight? I didn’t see your car in the lot.”

“Fortunately, my fiancé has the same overly protective instincts you do. He’s coming to help me clear up once everyone has left.”

“Oh, free labor. I approve.”

“Part free labor, part nostalgia. It’s almost eight months ago since he kissed me for the first time right where you are standing.”

“Blergh. I don’t need that visual, thanks.”

Olivia laughed and placed her cup on the bar. “Cass hasn’t been home since Dad’s funeral. That’s over a year. It’s getting longer and longer between visits. I know Emerson really misses her. Is she okay?”

“Hard to say. I got the impression she’s under a lot of pressure in New York. I can’t imagine the kind of people who invest to build skyscrapers are easy to work with. She mentioned she had a bunch of shit she was in the middle of dealing with. Not so much she was unhappy to be here, just that it couldn’t