CHAPTER NINETEEN
Faith slipped her hands into the pockets of her yellow blazer as she hurried along the sidewalk toward the McCormick Brewery. There was a slight chill in the air, which she was enjoying, but keeping her hands warm was an automatic impulse for her. Her fingers made contact with a tube of hand lotion in her pocket and she smiled, thinking to herself that soon she was going to have to start applying lotion like some kind of lotion fiend in order to keep chapped hands at bay. She never minded those kinds of small inconveniences as long as she got to have the wonderful crisp air of fall. She loved winter as well, but autumn with its flavors and festivities was her favorite time of year.
A few moments later, she pushed open the front doors of the brewery and stepped inside. She was becoming fond of the smell of the place, even though it wasn’t as homey and welcoming as the smell in The Lighthouse Grill. It smelled of beer and slightly of metal, mixed with the scents of burgers and fries. It was a scent that made her feel as though she’d entered some place interesting, like a factory or a museum. Now that Ryan was running the brewery, she no longer felt as if it was a place that was antagonizing her family. It was beginning to feel likeanother home to her, and she felt more affection for the beautiful modern building every time she went into it.
She felt a surge of excitement as she made her way to Ryan’s office. She’d had an idea about cutting delivery costs for The Lighthouse Grill and the McCormick Brewery by doing joint shipments. Since both restaurants purchased many of the same items for their kitchens, ordering together in larger bulk would be a fantastic way to reduce costs. She was hoping Ryan would love the idea as much as she did, and she was itching to tell him about it.
She knocked on the door of his office, rising up and down on her toes while she waited. When a few moments had passed and she didn’t hear anything, she knocked again, more loudly this time. There was no response, and she opened the door a crack and peered inside.
Ryan’s desk was empty, and his laptop was shut. She noticed a mug resting on his desk next to his computer, and she opened the door more and slipped inside the room. She looked inside his coffee mug, and saw that it was empty, and that the remaining traces of coffee inside had dried.
Huh,she thought.I could have sworn he told me he was going to be in the office today.
She made her way back out to the dining room of the restaurant area, wondering if Ryan was busy making his way around the building and attending to matters away from his desk.
“Hi, Faith.” One of the waitresses waved to her, smiling in recognition.
“Hey.” Faith grinned back. “I’m here to talk to Ryan. Do you know if he’s here?”
The waitress shook her head. “Unfortunately, I know that he isn’t. He left a little while ago. I guess he has some important errands on the outskirts of town.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” Faith smiled, but internally she felt confused. As soon as the waitress turned away, she frowned.
What on earth could be such an important errand that he would sacrifice work hours to accomplish it?she wondered.He’d told me he wanted to really buckle down and get some important stuff done today. He wouldn’t be running an errand for the brewery, would he? I think they get everything they need through the shipments.
“Faith, Lady of Foolishness.”
Faith turned around and laughed. Brady, one of Ryan’s brothers, was coming toward her. He’d started calling her “Lady of Foolishness” because he claimed that she was foolish for wanting to date his brother. Ryan seemed unperturbed by the joke, however, and Faith knew that underneath his abrasive sense of humor, Brady liked her a great deal. “Hey, Brady.”
He grinned at her, and she realized that his face was shining with excitement. “You know, I think I’m going to have to stop calling you that.”
“Oh yeah? Finally come to terms with the fact that your brother is awesome, have you?”
“Heck no.” His eyes twinkled. “But you’re too smart for me to call you that. That coupon idea you had has been absolutely working wonders for sales at our restaurant. That was the best idea ever—what an innovative way to boost sales.”
“Aww, thanks, Brady. I’m thrilled it’s been working out so well.”
“It definitely has been. And I don’t even fully mind that it’s also helping out The Lighthouse Grill.” He said the name of the restaurant as if it was some kind of scientific specimen, but he winked as he said it.
She chuckled. “Well, I’m pleased to hear that.”
“What brings you in today?”
“I was hoping to talk to Ryan. I’d thought he was going to be here, but I guess not. I’ll have to catch him later.”
“Yeah, uh, he’s not here.” Faith thought she saw an almost gleeful glint in Brady’s eyes, and his mouth twitched, but then he didn’t say any more about it. “See you later, Faith.”
“See you, Brady.”
She smiled and stepped out of the front doors of the brewery, taking another deep breath of the lovely crisp air. Although she was disappointed she hadn’t gotten to talk to Ryan, she felt encouraged by Brady’s enthusiasm about her coupons idea.
This visit wasn’t a total loss,she thought, slipping her hands back into her pockets and smiling.And I’ll touch base with Ryan later.
She had almost reached her car when she felt her phone start to buzz in her purse. Expecting that it was Ryan calling, she pulled it out eagerly, ready to gush her enthusiasm to her boyfriend. Her mouth popped open with surprise, however, when she saw that the caller was Judd McCormick.
“Hi, Judd,” she said, answering the phone immediately. He had never called her before, and she only had his number because Ryan had given it to her.
“Hello, Faith.” Judd’s voice, which was usually melodious with a well-crafted charm and dissonant with arrogance, sounded slightly gruff. She’d never heard him speak that way before, and for a moment she wondered if it was really him.
