“Really? About what?” This matches up to what Piers said—and whatIsaw.
“No idea, but Bea looked ready to commit murder. No pun intended. Although I’ll admit, given what happened...” He trails off as the bartender drops off a beer for him and Conrad slips him a twenty.
“That was supposed to be my treat,” I tell him.
“Please, I’m a gentleman. Besides, I never let a beautiful woman pay when I’m trying to impress her.”
We share a laugh, and before I can ask follow-up questions, a loud chanting erupts from the main dining area. “SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS!”
We both turn to see what appears to be Georgie surrounded by a group of college-aged guys, lined up at the bar with what looks like an entire artillery of shot glasses.
“Oh my word,” I breathe, watching in horror as Georgie throws back shot after shot while the crowd cheers her on.
Mom comes running over, her face flushed with panic and embarrassment. “I tried to stop them!” she gasps. “One minute she was talking to some nice young men about craft beer, the next minute they were challenging her to a drinking contest!”
“DANCE ON THE BAR!” someone shouts from the crowd.
“DANCE ON THE BAR! DANCE ON THE BAR!”
Georgie wastes no time climbing onto the counter and gyrating her hips to the rock music while the entire brewery cheers her on.
“Should we intervene?” Conrad asks, looking equal parts horrified and impressed.
“I’m afraid to find out what will happen if we try,” I admit.
Georgie takes a theatrical bow, then attempts what appears to be a trust fall into the crowd of college boys. A couple of ear-piercing screams go off—those would be coming from Mom and me—and they catch her and start bouncing her in the air, over and over, until her foot catches on one of the low-hanging steel light fixtures. And soon enough, she’s swinging from the chandelier—albeit upside down.
“HELP!” Georgie shrieks while the crowd below scrambles to get her down.
Every man in the pool hall comes running, including Jasper, who takes one look at the situation and covers his face with his hands.
“I’m too old for this,” I hear him mutter.
Conrad, to his credit, immediately springs into action, climbing onto the bar and carefully untangles Georgie’s foot from the fixture before helping her down to safety.
“My hero!” Georgie shouts while throwing her arms around Conrad’s neck and giving him a smack right on the lips. And if I’m not mistaken, I think he’s kissing her back.
It looks like my little scheme worked,she thinks while giving a thumbs-up in my direction.Wait till you see what I have planned to lure him into my bedroom.
Now that is something I don’t want any part of.
One thing is for certain—Georgie Conner always gets her man.
And honestly?
So do I.
CHAPTER 14
There’s nothing quite like coming home from a murder investigation to find your phone buzzing with what can only be described as a literary emergency.
No sooner do Jasper and I arrive back at the inn from our beer-infused interrogation than my phone lights up with a text from Emmie.
SOS! Get to the inn ASAP! It’s getting naughty in here, and we haven’t even cracked a book! Send reinforcements (and maybe a fire extinguisher)! P.S. Your sister is a genius and I’m terrified.
“Oh my goodness,” I gasp, stopping dead in my tracks on the moonlit path before I can reach Dad’s cottage to collect Ella. “I completely forgot about naughty storytime!”
Jasper looks more than mildly alarmed. “Naughty what now?”
