Love In Secrets (Love Distilled #3) - Scarlett Cole Page 0,18

up her glass and took a long drink.

It was Jake. Her childhood friend. And the thought of him with someone else shouldn’t bother her anywhere near as much as it did.

Instead of answering, he smiled.

Jake looked across the table and grinned.

Knowing she was single had perked up his spirits immensely. And, sure, she’d asked the question in a straightforward manner, but the way she fiddled with her wine glass told him there may be a chance she needed to know the answer to whether he was single.

“No girlfriend, except Patience, Constance, and Melody.”

“It sounds like you’re dating the Golden Girls.”

Jake laughed. “You’ve forgotten the names of the stills?”

Cassie laughed. “Oh, God. Yes. Their names haven’t changed?”

He shook his head. “Since Dad died and all the issues we’ve had, I’ve been at the distillery every day. There was someone I was dating, before Dad died, but she couldn’t handle the increase in my workload when he passed away.”

“That sucks. So does working every day for fourteen long-ass months. It’s not healthy, Jake. Even Christmas?”

“I went in Christmas morning to crank out some extra production before going to Connor and Emerson’s for turkey.”

“I knew things had been tough. I mean, when I called Emerson, she’d update me on some of the stuff going on. How demand was always tight and there were some financial things you had to deal with. But I always got a sense it was under control.”

“I think you’d have to define what you mean by under control. The last year has been a perpetual roller coaster where you can’t see what curve is coming up. You’re rushing ahead at a million miles an hour, hoping you don’t fly off the rails. We’ve barely had time to breathe. I had to ask Connor to take Emerson away to Mexico as a surprise. Because I couldn’t leave, she didn’t feel as though she could, either. Liv was the same when Anders asked her to go to Sweden. She was going to turn him down, at first. But we all need a break. It’s just harder for me to go.”

“Geez. I’m going to have a word with Em when I see her about downplaying things. How’s the reno going?”

Jake put his knife and fork down neatly and took a sip of wine. He’d been enjoying their easy conversation, their flirtatious looks. The more time he spent with her, the more he felt the flicker of interest, and wondered when either of them would act on it. He really didn’t want to dampen the evening with shop talk.

“Spill it, Jake. What’s going on?”

“It’s for your dad to tell you what he wants you to know about his business, I guess, but from our perspective, he’s having some troubles of his own.”

Cassie looked as though a concrete block had been dropped on her chest. “What kind of problems?”

“Our reno is behind. So are a couple of other projects. Some big construction firm opened in Denver and siphoned the talent from your dad. Some folks were loyal and stayed, but the packages at ArCon were so good, several key people left. Your dad has been doing it all by himself.”

“I know of them. They’re huge, and irritatingly good to work for. They take care of their employees, have a really solid health and safety rep.”

Jake nodded. “Yeah. Your dad realized he couldn’t really stop people leaving. But I think the lack of loyalty hurt him. He really struggled when Paulo, the distillery’s construction project manager, quit. Never heard him sound so dejected.”

“It’d be like Mom leaving, I guess. They’ve left him for something they perceive to be better.”

“It’s not for me to tell you what you should do, but if you're the project management whiz your dad says you are, you might want to throw him a bone while you’re here. See if there is anything you can do to help while he’s down.”

“I have a flight arranged for Friday,” she confessed. “I booked it after I spoke to Brandon. I can’t stay here forever. I need to go back. My boss isn’t taking me being away well because of the stress on my projects. And Marianne has made it clear she doesn’t want or need me here.”

Jake’s gaze fixed on hers, surprised she wanted to head back so quickly. “Only you can make that call, but I can say this. I’d give my right arm for my dad to be here and need me. I know how you feel about Marianne, but she