Speaking before he could talk himself out of it, he suggested, “Why don’t I clean this up, and we can have a drink out on the porch? Maybe Jezebel will stop glaring at us, although I won’t guarantee it. She’s been known to lurk by the screen door.”
She huffed a laugh. “He named her Jezebel?”
“You better believe it, and she’s earned it every day of her life.” He paused, and then added, “I’m pretty sure she’s yours now. Comes with the house.”
Her eyes widened, and even though he shouldn’t have been looking, he found himself noticing the golden specks in them. “Oh, no, I’m not very good with animals. I’ve never had a pet.”
“Anyone else in the family you can pawn her off on?” he asked, heading into the kitchen to grab some paper towels and cleaner from under the sink. She padded after him, carefully eyeing Jezebel’s perch atop the cabinets. Probably wise. She’d been known to leap down on unsuspecting people.
“No. Lee’s girlfriend’s allergic to anything with fur, although I think she just says that because she doesn’t like getting the hair on her clothes.” He glanced back at her, and she flushed, as if realizing she’d said something that could be interpreted as disloyal.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I didn’t take her for the animal lover type. How about your sister?”
“Adalia does like animals,” she said, brightening a little, “but we still have so much to figure out. We’ll have to talk about it. I…I’m Georgie, by the way. I guess you know that, but it felt weird not to introduce myself.”
She held out her hand, all business-like, and he couldn’t help but smile. Her hand felt soft and small in his grip as he shook it.
“River Reeves. Nice to make your acquaintance, although I’m sure the circumstances aren’t ideal for either of us.”
“River,” she said, musing. “That’s an interesting name.”
“Not around here, it isn’t. Half the kids in this town are named things like Arbor and Leaf.”
“Huh,” she said, as if it were a foreign concept. He supposed it probably was. He knew the Buchanans had been raised in Connecticut, outside of New York City, and likely the guys at their prep schools had all had names like John and Edward III. “So you’re from here, then?”
“Sort of.” Which was the short answer. He didn’t like giving people the long one.
She quirked her brow, as if waiting for more, but Jezebel picked that moment to hiss threateningly, swishing her tail, and Georgie wisely flinched.
“Let’s see about getting that mess cleaned up before Jezebel gets any ideas,” he said.
He stooped down to grab the supplies, plus a bag for the glass, and she reached out a hand for them.
“I’ll do it,” he said. “My mess.”
She balked a little, as if she wasn’t used to people disagreeing with her, or maybe she was thrown by the whole situation. Which was understandable. But she didn’t say anything, just followed him back to the mess and helped by picking up the larger pieces and putting them in the bag while he scrubbed. Before he threw the broken glass and soaked towels away, he handed the crystal back to Georgie.
“Better put it back in your purse,” he said. “Apparently it’s a good thief-repellent device.”
She grinned. “Your aunt sure likes these, huh?”
“Whatever you do, don’t ask her about them. You’ll never leave that conversation. Seriously. Never.”
“Well, I don’t think I’d mind so much. She seems like a really special person. She has a way of making people listen to her that isn’t rude or demeaning.”
His throat felt a little thick again, and he forced himself to swallow.
She has a way of seeing to the heart of things, Beau had said about Georgie. And didn’t she ever. He’d figured the Buchanans would write his aunt off as an old eccentric.
“So about that drink,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, still smiling. “I’d like that.”
So would he. Which made him worry. He should not be letting Georgie Buchanan affect him like this. There was exactly zero chance a woman like her would stick around in Asheville for any longer than it took to dispense with the inheritance she’d been given by the only man who’d cared enough to mentor him. Best-case scenario was they’d sell it to someone local, although he wouldn’t be in the running. He’d saved up some money but nothing like what Buchanan Brewery would need to become competitive again. In the meantime, he needed to focus on what, exactly, he was going to do with his life now that he was suddenly jobless. Maisie always needed more help at the animal shelter, but that wasn’t going to pay his bills.
“Me too,” he admitted. “What’s your poison?”
She pursed her lips, then asked, “Do you think Beau had any wine?”
Good lord.
Chapter Five
River stared at Georgie like she had grown horns.
“I take that as a no?”
His mouth lifted into an amused grin. “There might be a bottle in the basement, although I can’t guarantee it won’t be dusty. I can go check.”
She eyed the door he’d emerged from when he’d scared the bejesus out of her.
She’d been a championship-winning softball player in the sixth grade. River was lucky the cat had messed with her aim.
After the reading, Dottie had followed her out of the room, knitting still in hand. Close up, the hot pink sweater was obviously intended for an animal, not a baby. Jezebel? No, not even Dottie would attempt to dress up that cat, let alone in something like that. The cat would surely think it beneath her dignity.
“Here, dear,” Dottie had said, handing over a key ring boasting a single key and a tarot card keychain. The Wheel of Fortune. “You’ll need that. I imagine you’ll want to see the house before you make up your mind.”
Before she could even get out a thank you, Dottie had pulled out the big hunk of pink crystal from her bag. “Something tells me you’ll be needing this too.”
The power of suggestion being what it was, her thoughts had jumped to that crystal and the “something” Dottie had warned her about the moment the door creaked. Hence her leap to violence.
While she’d hoped to be alone, to have some time to think everything over before she met her siblings for the breakfast she’d arranged by text after storming out of the lawyer’s office, she’d been surprisingly glad to see River, and not just because he looked better in worn jeans and a T-shirt than he had in his ill-fitting suit. She wanted to know the man who’d inspired her grandfather to give him that watch.
“I can go down with you. I might as well take a look. Beau invited me to stay with him when I came to town a few weeks ago, but I didn’t want to be any trouble. I’ve only seen a bit of the house.”
He started to say something, then stopped. “Yeah. It might be a good idea to introduce you to Beau’s world.”
She was about to ask what he meant by that, but he’d already turned around and started down the dimly lit stairs. She followed him, and he called over his shoulder, “Be sure to close the door or Jezebel might come down.”