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“You aren’t a surprise.” As I settled into my chair, he leaned close to my ear. “You’re a paradigm shift. Think nothing of him.”

A burst of glittery heat flared over my skin as he walked away, settling into his office without looking my way again. Helen sniffed, and I attempted to resume my work, but my gaze kept straying Cam’s way until his father entered his office sometime later, throwing me an indecipherable glance before he shut the door.

I stared at my desk for ten full seconds, then startled when a body leaned onto it beside me. “Daddy Shepherd’s a little scary, huh?” Bennett asked, polishing an apple on his black sweater.

Eyeing the fruit, I shook my head. “He never liked me.”

The mysterious smile spread over Bennett’s face. “I can imagine.”

I tugged the papers I’d been working on before lunch from beneath him. “I didn’t do anything wrong. He’s just”—I lowered my voice—“butthurt he didn’t get his way.”

“Or maybe a beautiful young libertine is currently in direct sightline of his precious son and only heir, and he’s imagining the scandal.”

“I’m not a libertine!” I swatted him on the knee.

“But it would be so much more fun if you were.”

Snorting, I turned my attention to my sheet of ideas. One gem had me excited to share at our meeting Monday, but it needed a little more finesse. I’d have to work on it over the weekend.

A series of clacks announced Ivy advancing toward us. “Are you bothering Shay?”

He pressed an affronted hand to his chest, apple forgotten. “Never say it, my love. I’m only socializing.”

Ivy gripped her hips and shot him an icy glare. “Don’t you have a job to do”—she waved toward the opposite end of the office—“somewhere over there.”

“One is allowed breaks, Poison. This is a place of employment, not a prison.”

“To be fair,” I said, still studying my paper, “even prisoners are allowed breaks.”

“Are you single-handedly responsible for that social justice as well?” he asked. When I met his eyes, he winked. “Only joking, darling.”

Ivy cleared her throat meaningfully, and Bennett straightened, his tone sobering. “Shep’s back.”

Ivy’s heat drained away. She glanced at Cam’s closed door, then at me. “Did he⁠—”

“See her?” Bennett raised his eyebrows. “That he did.”

I set my paper aside and turned my chair toward them. “What’s the big deal?”

Ivy grimaced. “I might have been—you know—expressly forbidden from hiring you.”

My jaw dropped. “What? Then why did you?”

She cocked her hip. “Because the man is a prejudiced dummy, and you were the best woman for the job.”

I glanced back and forth between them, my shoulders falling. She was forbidden to do something, and did it anyway? Wouldn’t she get into trouble? And why was she forbidden to hire me? “I can’t believe he hates me this much over something that happened more than a decade ago.”

Bennett bit into his apple. “Loss of face. Bested by a young girl. Belittled as a snob in front of all his friends. Unforgivable occurrences, of course, but perhaps there’s more to the story.”

“Do you have any theories?” I asked.

He grinned. “I do.”

Motioning him to continue, I said, “Any you care to share with the class?”

He remained quiet, but Ivy stepped closer. “Shep’s very protective of his family. Including this distillery.”

“What’s that got to do with me?” I asked with a bewildered chuckle.