“Well, then you come to me and tell me so I can help. How is she doing? I heard the surgery was a success.”
Siobhan looks at her phone and then at him. “She hasn’t woken up yet.”
“I have faith that everything will be okay,” he reassures her.
Then, he looks at me again. “I hope the rumor that you knocked her up before you married her was a lie. Three years, Iskander. You’ve been with her for three years, and I don’t see a ring. Dejá de tomar la leche y compra la vaca.”
“But I don’t want to marry him.” Siobhan just can’t let things go.
He ignores her. “Tell your aunt and uncle to bring you to Abuelo’s house for lunch so you can have a taste of real Mexican food. Grandpa Gary and I will teach you Spanish and spoil you.” He hands Rumi to me. “Sort out your relationship with Siobhan. I want this brewery to stay in the family, but if you don’t marry her, I guess it’ll have to go to a friend of the family when I die.”
With that he leaves the office.
“What is he talking about? And did he call me a cow?” Siobhan asks, then she smirks. “Are you calling Mr. Matthews, Grandpa Gary?”
“GG for short,” I joke, trying to avoid the whole cow subject.
“Look at you, cracking jokes about it and all. I mean, they haven’t said anything to anyone about their relationship, but I always assumed they were a lot more thanjust friends.”
“They’re waiting for Dad to catch up but aren’t hiding from anyone if that makes sense.”
“It does. Now can you explain to me what he meant about the cow? Didhecall me a cow?”
I roll my eyes. Thankfully, there’s a knock on the door, and before we can say that anyone can come inside, the handle wiggles, and whoever is on the other side doesn’t wait for us. They just open the door.
It’s Kingston St. James. “Are you lost? The children’s section is at the end of the hall to your left,” I joke.
“There’s no children’s section.” Siobhan glares at me.
“No, just trying to figure out how to steal a couple of boxes of beer for me and my brothers,” he jokes. At least, I think he’s joking. “You wanna join and get wasted?”
“We’re not seventeen anymore,” I remind him as I shake his hand. “How are you?”
He looks at Rumi and then at me. “Not as well as you. I… you have a daughter.”
Kingston touches her little hand. “Who was so blind that they ended up with your ugly dad?”
“She’s our niece,” I correct him, then tilt my head toward Siobhan. “Her sister is at the clinic recovering. Siobhan, meet Kingston St. James. We went to school together.”
“Nice to meet you.” She smiles. “I’ve been meaning to call you.”
He arches an eyebrow. “You have? I’m on Tinder if you’re interested.”
I clear my throat. “Why are you here again?”
“There’s nothing to do, and I was wondering if you could put me to work. I need something to do while…” He lets out a breath. “Did you hear about Teddy?”
“She’ll be fine.”
He nods a couple of times, but I know what he’s thinking. They lost their brother Archer, and they can’t lose her too. I wish I knew what was happening, but everything is classified and on a need-to-know basis.
“Well, we can start with a meeting. Let’s discuss what you can do for Wicked Luna. Earth Fields Market could use a handcrafted, family-owned beer in every store,” Siobhan says, giving him that sweet smile that says I’m going to convince you to sell me your soul for less than a dollar.
He chuckles. “Sorry, but we don’t sell alcohol in the grocery stores.”
She grins, typing something on the computer. “Then the wine you have is water, and Jesus is in the checkout registers blessing it?”
I pat his back, then go near Siobhan and kiss the top of her head. “Good luck with that, buddy. I’m going to check on a few things before taking Rumi to Myka’s place.”