“Who knows. Ma and Pa are away again so probably spend the day watching TV.” I shrugged. It wasn’t a huge birthday, twelve wasn’tspecial, but I hated being alone when they could have been home.
If they actually wanted to.
If I was ever their first choice.
“No one should wake up on their own on their birthday. You should stay with us,” Evy offered with a shrug, as if it were stupid I wasn’t already planning on doing just that
“I can’t stay over every weekend, Evy, your mum will be sick of me.” The thought of that sent a pang through my chest. I always tried to remain on the periphery, cleaning up after myself, using manners and helping where I could. I never wanted to overstay my welcome but Judy had never made me feel anything less than one of them and sometimes I forgot I wasn’t.
“You’re family, Poop,” Evy’s brows were scrunched in confusion.
I smiled, her easy admission settling around my heart like a cocoon, the silly nickname only she called me, as funny as it was comforting.
“Found you two fools,” Seb’s voice suddenly echoed through the garage where we were crouched behind the car.
Evangeline and I lost it, laughing and reminding Sebastian exactly how long we’d waited for him to find us. The relief at being found was mostly because it meant I didn’t have to respond to Evangeline’s words. The emotion too much for me to unpack right now.
I ruffled her hair as I stood and she grinned, entirely pleased we had outsmarted her brother for twenty-four minutes.
“So what’s my punishment,” Seb called, a flicker of worry in his tone as we headed back out into the street to reset for another round.
“We have better things to talk about than you, Seb,” Evy replied and I threw her a wink, completely at ease in the company of my two favourite people.
“Coop, where you at?” Seb’s voice bounced around the emptyaisles of the distillery, a welcome intrusion to the never-ending admin work I was currently drowning in.
“Coming.” Stretching with a yawn, I scratched the bare skin of my stomach and leaned over to flick the screen off. As I stared at the endless stream of invoices and calculations waiting to be sorted, it was clear I needed help. There was no longer any internal argument where I could pretend I had it all in hand. Because I very obviously did not.
Ten years ago, when I opened the doors toGolden Spades Distillery, I was driven by inspiration.
I wanted to create.
I set out to craft a product rooted in local ingredients - something that honoured the people and land I was lucky enough to grow up on. And that part came easily. As a brand, Golden Spades took off. Initially starting with only six local buyers and we now had fifty domestic and ten international clients. But the days of running every corner of the business on my own were long gone. And if I didn’t find someone soon to help with the books - well, the thought alone was enough to piss me off.
“Boyssss,” I greeted, meeting them on the floor of the distillery to avoid anyone seeing the mass mountain of mess I was hiding back in the office. Crying about my issues wasn’t on the draw card for tonight.
“What are we drinking? I need something strong,” Andy huffed, storming ahead with Jack and Sebastian trudging after him, both wearing matching scowls. A few steps behind, Jay was grinning.
I felt the smile split my face as I slapped a large oak barrel to my left, ready to play with fire. “You three worried they’ve gone to a strip show with a happy ending?”
“Shut up dickhead and get us a drink,” Seb said, and my laugh bellowed out.
Andy’s scowl deepened as he flicked on his phone, barely glanced at the screen and then shoved it back in his pocket like ithad personally offended him. Jack let out a dramatic sigh, clearly hoping the universe would take the hint and fast forward the clocks until Winter was home again and Seb, without even realising, kept clenching and unclenching his fists. It was almost tragic - three grown men, completely whipped.
As if scripted, Jay looked at me, letting out a whip-cracking noise and I doubled over laughing.
“For fuck’s sake,” I said, still holding my stomach from the sudden mirth. “Let them have some fun. Wouldn’t hurt you three miserable pricks to do the same.”
“Mate, you’re lucky you weren’t just in the car with them for twenty painfully long minutes. All I could hear was the sound of misery while their women are out loving life.” Jay’s smug grin only made the comment funnier.
“I hope Felicity hooks up tonight,” Andy shot back, and Jay grinned, almost as if that little jibe didn’t hit right in the solar plexus.
Jay and Flick could pretend they hated each other as much as they wanted but their chemistry smacked you in the face if you got within three feet of them. They both just hadn’t admitted it yet and thank God for that. I didn’t need the pressure of being the last single man standing from this lot. Especially when my parents were suddenly finding reasons to introduce me to their friend’s single daughters.
“Good luck to them, she’d probably rip their throat out if they tried,” Jay said with a laugh.
“Urgh. Did you really have to invite Coach?” Jack piped in, ducking as Jay tried to smack him across the back of the head.
“Stop calling me that, dickwad.”
