Chapter 25

Brooklyn

We part ways eventually, and it's not easy but it has to be done.

Our daughter will be back soon and we both have a busy day ahead. We don't want to get caught just yet when all of this has only just happened and we're navigating our way around it.

It's a surreal feeling getting into my truck and driving home, knowing exactly where I've been all night, and how good it felt being back with Eden again. It feels kinda new and exciting, but also like we've never been apart at all.

I know a lot of time has passed, but it didn't seem like it last night and this morning.

It's everything I ever imagined it could be. I know I need to curb my shit-eating grin when I get to work because my nosy family will be all over it.

I wonder if anyone has heard about me punching Kirk in the nose yet — that kind of stuff always travels fast around here. One thing is for sure, he better have turned that shiny Mercedes around and high-tailed it back to Georgia.

I can't even begin to believe he showed up in the first place. Did he really think Eden would take him back after what he did? I'm just glad I was there and got to give him a piece of my mind. He certainly showed his true colors in the end.

And I guess in some ways I showed mine; a trip to the hospital and then spending the night in my wife's bed, making love to her all night long. It's the last thing I ever expected to be doing. But I sure am glad because we have definitely still got it, things only got better.

I just hope Eden doesn't start thinking too hard about it all at once, like I know she tends to do. Then she gets cold feet because she's worried about us not making it for the third time. Things are different for both of us now; we've grown up a lot in the last decade. The things I thought I wanted back then don't seem as important now.

The thing I've always been missing is her. Plain and simple.

I try to put my best poker face on before I get to work.

Knowing I'm meeting Georgia this morning to look at the Moonshine logo and do some tweaking means that I can't give an inch. I'm just not ready or prepared to go into any of the details about me and Eden yet. And it wouldn't be fair to do so.

I do my usual when I get home, grabbing a bite to eat and checking on my little ones, letting the horses and Sawyer out into the fenced off area for the day.

It's mild with no signs of rain, but the start of winter is most definitely on its way. I can feel that chill in the air nipping at the surface. The only thing about winter I look forward to is lighting the log fire and keeping the house warm. I grow winter vegetables but I run most of the vegetable garden low until spring-time, resting the soil where I'll turn it and replant when the weather gets better.

I realize I'm whistling when I drive back to the distillery. I'm tempted to slap myself.

My mind has not shifted from my beautiful Baby Doll all morning. I don't want to read too much into it until we know exactly the way forward, but I can't help but feel that buzz through my body that this could be it. Eden is the one I've been waiting for, and she's been right there the whole time.

No one has, or will, ever compare.

I park my truck and go straight to the coffee machine when I get inside. It's very well used around here but also very quiet because it's still early.

I take the time to enjoy the stillness and go down to the vault and the rickhouse before any other staff arrive. It's not often that it's like this, but it's a good time for me to clear my head and not have to deal with anything too pressing until the day begins.

I often come down here before work and after everyone has left for the day. It's like another happy place for me, which may look a little crazy to some because it's all copper stills and barrels down here. Plus hundreds of bottles and the huge machinery we have for production. But I like hanging out here. It might not beat being out with my horses by the creek, or tending to my other animals or my garden, but it comes a close second.

Jarrod and I almost have the first batch of our exports ready to ship off to Australia.

Dad and Gabe are over the moon about that. Spreading the brand far and wide has always been the dream. Europe will soon follow, and then widening through Canada.

Gray has gone to a lot of work in the few months he's been back, and it's really kept us all on our toes which I think is a good thing.

He's the first one I see when I head upstairs for my second refill.

"Early bird this morning," he says, yawning and running a hand through his hair. It's not even eight o'clock.

"Couldn't sleep," I say. And it's not a lie. I kept my little wifey awake for the most of it. When we weren't icing her bruised leg and hip, we were slapping the salami among other things. It was a little bit limited with what we could do, given her fall last night. It was fucking horrifying seeing her laying on the floor like that, the memory of it makes me shudder. I'm just glad she didn't break anything and thankfully didn't hit her head. I think she will have a hell of a bruise coming up before long.

"Somethin' troubling you?"

"Nah, just a lot going on. You know how it is."

"Do you mind if I sit in with you and George this morning? I'm gunning to see the new label."

"Not at all. I've just been down in the rickhouse sorting out the exports for Australia."

"Pretty cool, huh." Gray grins.

"Yeah, and a long time coming. You did good."

"Team effort," he says.

"So no regrets coming back to work with us all?" I chuckle.

"None whatsoever. If anything I regret not coming back sooner."

"I'm glad it's all come together. And that knockout girlfriend of yours can't be half bad."

He chuckles. "Thanks, bro. How's your non divorce coming along by the way? Did you get any further with things last night?"

"Well, between her slipping getting out of the bathtub and me finding her on the floor, things were okay."

"Fuck, is she ok?"

"Yeah, luckily I got there when I did. Then her asshole ex showed up at the door."

He gives me a strange look.

"It's ok, I took care of the asshole. He's long gone."

"Sounds like one hell of a night."

"It was. Never a dull moment." I glance at him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner about the non divorce. So much has been going on lately, I lost track of who knew and who didn't."

"I get it. Women troubles are never easy. How is Eden about it all?"

"She was mad at first, but I think she's okay now." I'm trying to keep my lips as pursed as possible.

"Hart meant what she said yesterday, she will help you guys out. Anything you need, she's your gal, you know that."

I nod. "Yeah, man, thanks."

"You're still sweet on her, aren't you?"

"I don't think I ever stopped being sweet on her," I admit. "You learn these things as you get older."

"Well, don't give up on it, if it's what you want," he says. He steps in to make his coffee as I finish off mine. "It would have been easy for me to do that after my bitch ex tried to take me for everything. But somehow I still believed in finding the right one."

"Well, you did good this time, I have to hand it to ya."

Gray chuckles. "Thanks."

"How's Coyote Run?"

"It'll be even better when the house is built."

"Townhouse life a little tricky getting used to?" I muse. Since he's living with Hart after the cabin fire.

"It's not so bad. I can't wait to be back living here though."

It's the reason he came home in the first place, so I can't really blame him.

We walk out with our coffee at the same time we run into Georgia-Blue.

She's like a mini tornado gliding past us down the hall to her office, carrying an armload of merch.

"Woah, watch out, little Sister."

"Wait, don't go anywhere!" she hollers.

"The meeting hasn't started yet," I tell her.

She drops her stuff down with a thud on her desk and comes back out into the hallway. "Birdie tells me you got into a scuffle last night, Brook?"

Here we fucking go.

I roll my eyes. "Where did you hear that?"

"Never you mind! Is it true you punched out Eden's ex-boyfriend? Please say it is, not that I condone violence, but I never liked the guy and after he cheated on E?—"

"Woah, woah, slow down." Gray puts the brakes on before she can get another word out. "What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said, he punched Kirk after he showed up at Eden's, right Brook?" She glances over at me.

Gray shoots me a look. "What the hell?"

I sigh and hold my palms up. "Look, the guy was really asking for it. Harassing Eden after she broke up with him. Then he shows up on her doorstep!"

"Yeah and you said you took care of him, I just didn't think it meant you punched him. Way to go," Gray balks.

"Well, I guess that part slipped my mind with everything else I've got going on."

"Ooh like what?" Georgia raises her eyebrows.

"None of your business."

"Slipped your mind?" Gray isn't impressed by the fact I didn't fess up, by the looks of it.

"Maybe I didn't want to talk about it."

"Slipped his mind, just like the divorce papers!" Georgia stirs as she walks into the break room. We're both still standing in the doorway.

"That's cute, GB. Real cute."

"You know, you could get charged with assault," Gray says.

"Did you say that to Gabe when he punched out that guy in the bar a few weeks ago?"

"Oh, that guy harassing Skye!" Georgia shakes her head. "It seems throwing punches has become a Bassett favorite just lately."

"DO NOT tell Mom!" I bark.

Georgia laughs. "At least tell us what happened, and why were you at Eden's when Kirk showed up?"

She's not let up about the night I carried Eden out of the bar, trying to get me to admit my feelings, because that's what Georgia does. She's a romantic at heart, I get it. But Eden and I agreed to keep things under wraps.

"She had a fall, if you must know. And I was in the area." Okay, that isn't exactly a lie. We had planned for me to be there and have dinner, but fiddly dee. I also just remembered we never got to eat those cupcakes.

"Oh God, is she ok?"

"She's fine. She just had some swelling and bruising, so I took her to the hospital. Not before Kirk showed up at her door."

"Ew. What did he want?" Georgia asks bug eyed.

"He wanted to talk to Eden. Maybe he was also trying to slime his way back again, I don't know."

"Thank God you were there," Gray quips dryly. He knew I was going over there to talk to her and have dinner.

"A stroke of luck." I pop a shoulder.

"And the asshole got really mouthy, insulting her and calling her a bitch. So I punched him."

Georgia gapes at me.

"Punched who?" Beau says behind us. I didn't even see or hear him come in.

I facepalm myself. "Never mind," I sigh. "Later."

"You know mercury is in retrograde at the moment, y'all ought to be careful," Georgia chimes as she continues making her coffee. "That's why all these crazy things are coming about and causing havoc with people and the world."

"It's not because the person may already be an asshole?" Beau piques an eyebrow as Georgia throws him a ‘back off' glare.

"Joke all you want, just ask Gabe. Ooh, here he is now. GABE!"

He's about to walk past us to his office when he halts in his tracks. "Kinda early for you to be yelling already," he mutters, clearly needing a coffee or three himself.

"I was just telling the guys about Mercury retrograde and how it might explain a few things going on around town. It's an optical illusion, if you didn't know," she tells us. "And wreaking havoc while it transitions."

Gabe runs a hand through his neatly styled hair. "That's what you're all talking about in the hallway?"

"No, we're talking about why Brook punched Kirk for harassing Eden, and Georgia thinks it has something to do with the planets," Beau offers.

Fucking great. I knew it was a bad idea even coming up here from the safe confines of my rickhouse. Now all my siblings are here harassing me. "Thanks Beau for clarifying that," I mutter. "Clearly nothing is private anymore."

He shrugs. "I didn't realize it was a secret."

"Oh trust me, nothing is around here," Gray adds.

"You're a stars and planets guy, Gabe," GB is still pleading her case. "I thought it might shed some light on a few things that have been going on around here."

Gabe sighs and plants his briefcase down. "Mercury is in retrograde phase," he says. "GB is quite right about that. Yes, it's an optical illusion where it appears Mercury is moving backwards in the night sky, but it's really the Earth briefly overtaking Mercury in its orbit creating that visual effect."

Everyone looks at him, including me, wondering how the fuck he knows this shit.

"That explains it then!" Gray mocks.

"Keep joking all you like. You're all full of it if you don't believe the planets affect people's moods," GB states. "There's been all kinds of goings on these last few weeks and I'm convinced it's what's going on up there." She points up to the sky.

"Could explain why you're so up and down, sis," Beau chuckles, ducking for cover as GB lobs the paper towel roll at his head. "See!" He points at her.

Gabe ignores them. "Astrologers believe it can cause a cycle of misfortune and chaos during the phase. Mercury is the planet closest to the sun, slightly larger than the moon. It's the fastest planet in the solar system, meaning it enters retrograde three to four times a year on average," Gabe informs us. "So, GB might well be onto something there because it's a planet that rules expression and communication."

Georgia looks triumphant.

"You're both nuts!" Beau laughs it off and busies himself getting his morning coffee.

"Google it if you don't believe us." Georgia folds her arms across her chest haughtily.

"Oh, I'll do just that," he mocks. "I'll rush off and google all your woo-woo crap just for kicks."

"I don't think I'd be making any rash decisions until the phase is over," Gabe adds, looking at Beau pointedly, ignoring his jibes.

"Sounds like I should be worried!" I take a sip of coffee, knowing I need to get this meeting over with and back to the safety of the cellar. "And thanks for the early morning update on the solar system, guys. Much appreciated."

"Any time." Gabe picks up his briefcase. "I really hope you got that guy good, though," he says, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

"Straight between the eyes as it happens."

Gabe grins and gives me a single nod before he walks off.

"Now, if we've all finished our lesson for the day, we better have that meeting." I look at Georgia and Gray. Then I might be able to get some peace.