Chapter 11
How do you know if someone likes craft beer? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
Ismile when I open my door and discover Wally on my front porch. “Uncle Wally,” I greet and open the door wide. “Come on in.”
“Hey, kid. I thought I’d come see what this brew shack I keep hearing about looks like.”
Why is it everyone is now bound and determined to see my brew shack? A few months ago, hardly anyone knew about my brewing hobby. I blame Hailey. She had to tell Aiden about my beers. And now look! People are knocking down my door to check out my beer shack.
“Do you want a coffee or something else to drink?” I ask in the lamest attempt at stalling ever.
“I’m all full up,” he says and then looks at me expectantly. Told you – lamest stalling tactic ever.
“Fine,” I mumble and nab my keys to the brew shack.
We walk out the back door to the garage where I unlock the doors and usher him in. He whistles when he enters and gets a look at the place.
“This is more than a hobby, kid.”
I roll my eyes. What is it with everyone telling me I should change my career and become a brewer lately? Don’t they know I’m worried making a career of it will continually bring up memories of Toby the asshole? Memories I’ve worked my ass off to forget.
“Do you want the five-cent tour?”
He grunts and I show him around my brewing set-up. He makes comments at all the right times, but he’s obviously not paying much attention.
“All right. What’s going on?” I ask after I tell him I’m going to name my next beer The Penis Punisher and his only response is an absent-minded nod.
Wally is usually someone who is one-hundred percent present at all times. His eyes may wander constantly to make sure there are no threats about, but he always knows what’s happening in front of him.
“Oh god, it’s bad, isn’t it? Do you have cancer?” My eyes widen. “Or is it Hailey? Or Pops?” My breaths come faster and faster as I imagine a dozen harrowing situations.
“Calm down before you start hyperventilating.”
Too late. Wally places his hand on my neck and forces my head between my knees.
“Deep breaths. That’s it. Nice and easy.”
I take deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth until I can breathe like a normal person again and not like an overexcited pug. No judging. The Animal Planet channel rocks.
I collapse in a chair in the corner. “What’s going on?”
Wally stands in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m not sure I should tell you.”
“You couldn’t make up your mind before you came over here and scared me shitless?”
He scratches his head before admitting, “It’s about Grayson.”
I wrinkle my brow. “What about Grayson?” My eyes widen when I realize what’s going on. “You did the background check, didn’t you?” I jump to my feet. “Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.”
“Are you sure you want to invade his privacy in this way?”
I stop dancing around to gape at Wally. “Invade his privacy? But this is what we do. Anyone new who comes into our lives, you check out. You did a background check on Phoebe, remember?”
“Yes, after she came to me to ask me to help her.”
I snort. Does he think I’m stupid? “Tell it to another chump ‘cuz I ain’t buying. I know damn well and good you ran a background check on Phoebe before she came to you, but you didn’t get anywhere because you didn’t know her real name.”
It’s a long story – and super exciting full of kidnappings and drugging and stuff – but it turns out rich girl Phoebe was hiding one whopper of a story. It worked out in the end. The knight in shining armor – aka Ryker – saved the day and they fell in love. Blah. Blah. Blah.