Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

C olton watched as Cady took off with Joey. Damn. His whole life changed with one kiss. He'd never cared about a woman's former boyfriends before, but the thought of Jordan talking down to Cady about made him lose control. Plus, the idea of her selling her distillery to anyone was ridiculous. Jordan clearly didn't know Cady at all. The distillery was her passion and the only thing Colton wanted to do was help her make all her dreams come true.

Colton didn't understand Cupid's arrow—the how or why of it. He'd been friends with Cady for six years and wham . What the heck had changed all of a sudden? Was it him? Was he finally looking for forever instead of right now? If he'd wanted something right then, Jasmine was willing and ready. But the idea of that held no appeal to Colton. Only Cady did.

Colton parked at the fire station, checked in with the night shift, and walked over to the café with the hopes that Cady might join him later. He needed a game plan to win her over. It was clear her brain was having trouble with his transition from friend to more, but her body was all in. That kiss had been fire.

Colton smiled at Poppy, the waitress at the café, as he walked into the packed café. "How many?" Poppy asked.

"One right now, maybe two later."

"Take the last table over there," Poppy said, pointing to a table near a large round table filled with people from the conference, including Jordan and his two bosses.

A meal at the café could be quick, or it could take hours because of the people you saw there. It was the only place in town to eat and luckily for everyone the food was delicious. The café had been started by the Rose sisters who turned it over to their much younger, umpteenth-cousins, Poppy and Zinnia after the Rose sisters turned ancient.

Today it was filled with a mix of people. Townies and bourbon people. And by the number of empty pitchers of Rose sister's special tea—AKA bourbon spiked iced tea—at the distillers' table, they'd been going strong since the conference let out.

Colton said hello to his cousins, Parker and Porter, and their wives, Tilly and Willa, who were both good friends with Cady. He waved at his cousin, Cassidy, Jace's younger sister, who was an actual spy. She was sitting with her brother-in-law, Aiden, her older sister, Piper, and their surprise little sister, Cricket, who was now in kindergarten.

Colton waved to a tableful of Belles, some of his aunts and uncles, and some other friends. It took a minute to walk to his table. Knowing everyone was one of the things he hated about living here when he was a teen, but now loved. He liked the community. The friendship. The support. Not every small town would go to war to protect their own. Literal war. They would hit people with spatulas, Hummers, or acid guns of death to protect each other.

Colton sat down but before he could place his drink order, large shadows appeared. He looked up and saw his uncles all standing around the table. It was quite the sight. His father, Cade, was the third of five brothers. Miles was the oldest, then Marshall, Colton's dad, Cy, and Pierce was the youngest Davies brother. Cade, Miles, and Marshall had all been Special Forces. Uncle Cy had been a spy. Pierce was an agricultural mechanics inventor. As much as they'd like to be tough, it was really their sister, Aunt Paige, who ran the show. She could outshoot all of them. And if that failed, even in her 60s, she could probably still put them in a stranglehold and bring them to their knees.

Miles was dark and brooding. Marshall was quick to smile but was usually up to mischief. Colton's dad always came across as the nice one, but his gunroom said otherwise. Cy was scary as all get out with his shaved head and a glare that could make grown men piss themselves. Then there was Pierce, who was not scary at all. He was brilliant and the one you went to when you needed help talking your parents out of some trouble you got into. And now his father and uncles were all standing staring intently at Colton.

"Dad. Uncles. How are y'all?" Colton asked.

They all frowned except for Uncle Pierce, who smiled.

"We heard something and wanted to get your side of it," Uncle Miles said, crossing his arms.

"What's that?" Colton asked, feeling as if he were twelve years old and being called to task for something he'd done.

"We heard you were over at the distillery... twice," Uncle Marshall said accusatorily.

Colton kept quiet but raised an eyebrow.

"And your father was laughing his ass off because you said something to him about you and Cady dating?" Uncle Pierce told him, finally clueing Colton in.

Again, Colton knew better than to say anything, but he frowned and that was enough for them to know what he would have said.

"The problem with that is she's too good for your bachelor playboy, Belle-ringing ways," Uncle Cy said in a near growl.

"Her father isn't here to watch out for her, and you know we've all adopted her," Uncle Miles said, the threat clear in his tone.

"We're concerned for her," Uncle Marshall added.

Uncle Cy put his hands on the table, leaned forward, and placed his face a couple of inches from Colton's face. "We love you, nephew. But if you mess with her emotions, we'll make that punishment for stealing the tractor and racing it demolition derby-style when you were fourteen seem like a damn spa day. Got it, kid?"

"Now, now." Uncle Pierce tried to calm his brothers before kindly looking at Colton. "You're a great guy. Look at what you've done with the fire department. It's just that you have a reputation. One that Cady does not have. If you were serious about her, meaning love and marriage, that would be one thing. However, you'd have to prove to all of us that that is what it is, and we all know it's not."

"Ouch," Colton said, actually hurt by their words. "You think I can't be serious about a woman?"

Miles shrugged. "Serious about sleeping with her? Sure. Serious about marriage to a woman we all know you clearly put in the role of friend years ago? Nope. So, whatever this is, you need to watch it."

"Unless you're actually serious about dating her, which would be wonderful," Pierce said, trying to placate the situation.

"But we all know you're not a serious relationship kind of guy," Uncle Marshall added.

"Which leads us back to kicking your ass if you hurt her. Nephew or not. Got it?" Uncle Cy asked.

"Got it," Colton agreed, because right now he was thinking very serious thoughts about Cady Woodson. The kind he'd never thought before and it did scare him. However, that kiss... Were the uncles right? Was he only interested because she'd been off limits as a friend but now he'd had a taste and wanted more? More physically? Yes. More everything? Colton didn't know, and that would mean he'd need to think about it. There'd be some way he'd know if it were lust or if it were real. But even as he thought that, the way his heart filled thinking of her felt very real.

"What a joke this conference is."

Colton and all his uncles froze as they heard one of the men laughing at the nearby table.

"At least she's hot and that can distract us from her so-called expertise. You used to hit that, right Jordan?"

The uncles growled and Miles might have snarled. Colton didn't notice. He leaned back so he could see around the uncles and see who was talking.

"And like her bourbon, it was uninspired," Jordan joked and they all laughed.

"Apparently, she's learned more since you, Jordan," Daniel, Cady's rival, joked and they all laughed again. "We all know she's banging the chef and then I interrupted her about to make out with this other guy. I wonder who she screwed to get this award because it looks as if she'll screw anyone and everyone now."

Miles put one foot forward, but Colton held him back. There was no question as to Colton's feelings right now. They were not friendly in any way. "I got this, Uncle Miles."

Colton stood and stepped around the wall of uncles. He came behind Daniel and Jordan, who were sitting with their backs to Colton and his uncles. Colton placed a hand on each of their shoulders and smiled down at their surprised looks when they saw who was touching them.

They didn't smile back.

Cy chuckled. "I taught him that look," Cy whispered.

"Funny thing for you to say, Jordan, when you just tried to get back with Cady and she rejected you. Also, real nice of you, Daniel, when you came begging her to help you learn about gin. And even though you're a pompous asshole, she helped you." Colton enjoyed how some of the men looked surprised and some looked chastised. Daniel and Jordan looked pissed and that only made Colton smile more.

"I taught him that lip snarl," Uncle Miles whispered.

Daniel and Jordan winced as Colton squeezed their shoulders. "I taught him those pressure points," Marshall said proudly.

"What's funny," Colton said, ignoring his uncles, "is that a tableful of grown men are so scared of one young woman making a name for herself, making and selling better bourbon than any of you, and building a successful business, that you have to tear her down by the only means you have—by sexually objectifying her." Colton looked around the table. "Cady Woodson is smarter than every single one of you and that intimidates you. You must be a bunch of small-dicked cowards to be upset that a woman is better at her profession than you. I feel sorry for your wives, girlfriends, sisters or daughters. How would you feel if a group of men discounted your daughter solely because she was a woman? Cady is doing a great job hosting the conference for a bunch of entitled assholes. Her bourbon won that award because it's excellent. Because she is an elite master distiller and you are simply jealous that you can't do what she does. In six years, she took an abandoned distillery and poured her heart, soul, and intelligence into it, and now it's growing so fast that she has way more demand than product. Can you say the same? No, which is why a bunch of gown-ass men are tearing down a woman simply because she's better than you. The sad thing is, if you'd asked Cady for help, just like Daniel did, she'd help you. Can you say the same if she asked for help? I don't think so."

Colton stared them down as Poppy joined him. "And as an owner of this restaurant, we reserve the right to turn away patrons. Gentlemen, I kindly ask you to leave."

"You can't do that," Jordan said, digging in.

"I assure you, I can." Poppy didn't back down. "My lawyers are here to answer any questions." Poppy gestured to Tandy, who stood along with Henry Rooney and his wife, Neely Grace.

"Do you know who I am?" bourbon-billionaire Bruce demanded, puffing out his chest.

"No, but I bet you know who we are." Mo Ali Rahman stood up with his family.

Bruce clearly knew the royal family and the others were filled in quickly. Some of the men stood up and apologized to Colton.

"Don't apologize to me. I don't give a shit what you have to say. Cady deserves that apology," Colton told them as the uncles, aunts, and even the Rose sisters got up to "escort" them from the property.

"Sorry, Ms. Woodson. We were stupid and talking shit because we were jealous. I'm sincerely sorry for my behavior," one of the men said, looking over Colton's shoulder.

Colton looked behind him and found Cady standing in the doorway. She looked at him as if he were her hero and Colton knew he never wanted anything else but to be hers.

"Twenty dollars on an engagement by the end of the month!" Cassidy called out.

"Where did you come from?" her father, Pierce, asked after placing his bet.

"Couldn't miss the wedding we've all been waiting for," Cassidy replied, sending Colton a wink. "As long as he doesn't mess it up."