True sputtered. “A prize? For what?”
“For being gifted,” he said, grinning. “I mean, it is an accomplishment.”
Jaylen was nothing if not ambitious.
“You little rascal!” True began to tickle him all over his chest and arms. The sound of Jaylen’s laughter and squeals rang out in his bedroom, bringing True pure joy and contentment. Being with Jaylen, raising him into adulthood, making him happy—this, she thought, was what mattered most of all.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
As the days went by, with January turning to February, Xavier found himself quickly getting a handle on working at Yukon Cider. Twice a week Hattie would have lunch with him and his brothers in order to check in with them. She was only working a few days a week at the office now, but she was always busy. Hattie met with distributors, the marketing staff, and sales representatives. She was involved in all hiring decisions, from cider makers to the packaging crew members. Xavier liked the time they spent together, mainly because it allowed him to find out more about her and the company. Plus, she always had fun stories from their childhood and Red’s. She was a wonderful storyteller, and her recollections actually brought some of Xavier’s memories to the forefront. There was only one subject that seemed to be taboo, which was talk of their grandfather. So far, Hattie was mute on the subject.
He wasn’t sure whether it was because they were members of the Stone family, but all their co-workers were treating them well. No one treated him like a former NFL player.They seemed to accept him as he was. It was fascinating learning about the history of Alaskan cider and the origins of the company. There were so many aspects of the company that he found interesting. In reality, this was Xavier’s first real-world, nine-to-five job. Before now, his sole employment had been with the NFL. He’d been fortunate to work at his dream job until it all came crashing down around him.
He shook off the bittersweet memories. It wasn’t the time or the place to wallow. Xavier needed to focus on the here and now. He and his brothers had struck a bargain with their grandmother that they intended to uphold.
At the moment he, Caleb, and Landon were at the Yukon Cider distillery after attending a meeting with the marketing team regarding new packaging. Xavier loved being here where the hard cider was created. It still seemed miraculous to him, although he and his brothers had been walked through the process numerous times. His grandmother had created all this magic from the ground up. She was an extraordinary woman, a visionary.
“Never in a million years did I think that I would enjoy this type of work experience so much,” Xavier said, shaking his head at the discovery. He really enjoyed the camaraderie among the staff and brainstorming to problem solve. Although he was a newbie at this type of job, no one made him feel useless.
“Right? This is an art form. And a tasty one at that.” Caleb took a swig of the pear-cranberry cider. “This one is amazing.”
Landon’s eyes grew wide. “We’re not supposed to be sampling the merchandise. It’s against the rules,” he chided.
“Just a little sip,” Caleb said. “I’m playing catch-up for all the years when we missed out on hard ciders.” He raised the cider to take another taste.
Xavier reached over and took the hard cider away from him. “Let’s play by the rules, all right? We represent Hattie here at the company. If you mess around, that’s all our reputations on the line.” He hadn’t realized until this moment how much he cared about Hattie’s reputation and legacy. It mattered.
“It’s a lot like working in the lab, to be honest,” Landon said. “Without all the backstabbing and stealing of scientific formulas.” He let out a snort. “If I weren’t intent on clearing my name, I could get used to this.”
It was nice to see Landon back on his feet and ready to fight to get his reputation back. He had been in a funk for such a long time. His baby brother had earned his reputation as a scientist through hard work and the pursuit of academic excellence. A Presidential Scholar. MIT. No one had the right to take away his scientific discoveries and label him a thief. Xavier trusted that his brother would win out over all the lies.
“Whatever you decide to do,” Xavier said, “we support you.”
Caleb put up his fists. “And if you need any muscle… Xavier can handle that.”
All three of them laughed, knowing Caleb was a lover, not a fighter.
“It’s nice knowing you guys always support me,” Landon said, blinking back tears. “I’d be lost without the two of you.”
“Brothers Stone,” Xavier said, holding up his fist as his brothers did the same, and they bumped knuckles. “Forever and always.”
“So… you never really told us about your date with True,” Landon said.
“That’s right,” Caleb said with a nod. “Are you holding out on us?”
Xavier let out a chuckle. “Not at all. I didn’t know that you would be all that interested in the details.”
“Do you even know us?” Landon asked, looking at Xavier with an incredulous expression.
“It was an awesome day. She took me skating,” Xavier said. He felt the corners of his mouth stretching into a grin. “I’m telling you guys, you’ve got to get back on the ice,” Xavier gushed. “There’s something about the rink that feels so energizing.”
“I might break my neck,” Caleb said, making a face. “It’s been years since I’ve hit the ice.”
“But it all comes back to you,” Xavier said, lightly grabbing Caleb’s arm. “It’s like riding a bike.”
“I thought you didn’t like the cold?” Landon asked with a frown. “Rinks are freezing.”
“That’s right,” Caleb said, eyeballing Xavier. “What’s changed? You were the one complaining about coming to cold-ass Alaska. Isn’t that what you said?”
