Chapter Two

Colin stopped at the far end of Main and gathered his dog, Wiseass, into his arms again. At least some of the other sidewalks had been shoveled; her paws might not get too cold as they walked. But she still hadn’t forgiven him for bringing her from California to this frozen hell. He might need to buy her some booties, assuming he could find some cheap ones.

He gazed around the storefronts, trying to get his bearings. He needed to get a handle on what was happening in town, what had changed during the months he’d been gone.

Selig’s Restaurant and Bar was still across the street, its windows sparkling in the mountain sunshine. Colin let the dog down on the sidewalk again. As he recalled, Selig’s had a mean souvlaki. He might drop by there later, except they likely wouldn’t let Wiseass inside. He’d been lucky to get into the Salty Goat with her, but that was probably due to Peaches’s generosity. He had a feeling the Salty Goat didn’t usually cater to dogs.

So far, Peaches Guidry had been the highlight of his return to Antero. She was the most beautiful woman he’d seen in Antero, with her golden curls and big blue eyes. And her miraculous smile that had managed to take some of the chill from his soul.

Asking her out to dinner had been the wrong move, though. She’d looked a little offended. He’d have to make it right. Just one more thing you’ll need to fix.

He strode up another block, noting the bars and restaurants he recognized, along with a few newcomers—a taco place, a new pizzeria, a bar or two. He paused for a moment, staring up Main Street. The Victorian red-brick buildings still leaned over the narrow sidewalks, Main heading up to a dead-end where the mountain slopes began. Beauty was all around them, yet few people seemed to notice. Of course, most of them were trying to get inside as quickly as possible.

Wiseass whimpered. Obviously, she could see their point. He shivered, hunching his shoulders against the cold breeze blowing up the street.

He was getting ready to cut down a side street, pulling his hat down a little farther over his ears, when a sign up the block caught his eye. Antero Brewpub, Opening This Spring.

That must be the place Peaches had been talking about. Antero Brewpub didn’t necessarily mean Antero Brewing was involved. Still, he needed to check it out. If the brewery was opening a brewpub, it must not be doing too badly.

Which would let you off the hook, right? At least as far as the brewery goes…

He’d really like to believe that, but he doubted it. Sooner or later, he’d have to face the music. And if the brewpub really was connected to Antero Brewing, it might be a lot sooner.

Wiseass pulled against the leash, reminding him he was standing in the middle of the sidewalk on a snowy mountain day. The dog was probably cold, and by now, so was he. Time to get moving.

He headed toward the building with the newly painted sign. The front door was locked, but he saw someone moving around inside. He lifted his fist and pounded.

Through the frosted glass on the door, he saw a figure turn and approach the front. A moment later, that figure was unlocking the door. “Sorry, we’re not open yet…” the man began.

Wiseass yanked her leash loose from Colin’s hand and zipped into the warm, lighted room.

“Wiseass! Come back here, damn it,” Colin yelled, heading in after her. It was only when he’d stepped into the light he realized he knew the tall, brown-haired man in front of him. Knew him very well, in fact. Had once shared an apartment with him, along with a lot of good beer.

“Liam?” he asked hesitantly.

Liam’s expression transformed into a fierce glower. “Colin Brooks, you son of a bitch!” he yelled. And he punched him in the mouth.

Colin fell to the floor, almost more surprised than hurt. The punch had overbalanced him more than injuring him. Facing the music, remember? He put his hand to his jaw, wiggling it briefly to make sure it still worked okay. Of course it did. If he’d known Liam was in the building, he wouldn’t have knocked. He’d planned on waiting until he’d had a little more time before talking to Liam and Bec.

Wiseass cowered somewhere beside him, barking at Liam. As an attack dog, she was pretty much a loss, but at least she seemed upset about her owner getting knocked down.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Liam stood over him, flexing his hands.

Colin hoped he wouldn’t hit him again, but he wasn’t entirely sure.

“Just wanted to see if this place was connected to the brewery. I gather it is.” He managed to keep his tone mild. Liam was pissed enough for both of them.

“The pub will serve our beer. It belongs to Bec’s fiancé and his partners.” Liam watched him closely, probably to see what his reaction was to the news Bec had a fiancé.

“Congratulations,” Colin said stiffly, pushing himself to his feet. “Shut up, Wiseass.”

Liam gathered his hands into fists again. “What did you call me?”

“Not you.” He nodded toward the dog. “Her name’s Wiseass.”

“What are you doing back in Antero?” He sounded slightly less hostile now, but not exactly friendly.

“I came back to talk to you—and Bec.”

Liam narrowed his eyes. “Talk about what?”

Colin considered laying it all out for him, but now wasn’t the right time. And besides, he wasn’t ready yet. “Business. Will you be around later this afternoon?”

“Depends on the time.”

“How about one?” Maybe he could find lunch and a place to stay by then. He knew there was no chance of getting any food from the Dempsey family.

“Yeah, I can make one. We can do it here.”

“How about the brewery?” Colin countered.

Liam folded his arms across his chest, glowering again. “Only if you don’t bother Bec. I’ll tell her you’re around.”

“Right.” He didn’t really want to talk to Bec yet anyway. He’d be just as happy to let Liam do it.

Coward.

Right down to his socks. Liam had good reason to be pissed at him, but Bec had even better reasons. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to confront those reasons quite yet. He reached down and grabbed the leash, pulling Wiseass back beside him again.

“See you later.”

Liam nodded stiffly. “Yeah.”

Colin headed out the door with as much dignity as he could manage, given that his jaw still ached. As soon as he was outside, Wiseass started whimpering.

Oh, that went well.

Actually, it had gone better than he had any reason to expect it would. Liam and Bec both probably hated him. If he’d shown up at the brewery unannounced, he might have gotten hurt worse.

He pondered the news that Bec was engaged. Any twinges there, Brooks?

Surprisingly enough, there were a few. He’d come closer to loving Bec than any woman in a long time. She was smart and focused and sassy. And she brewed one hell of a glass of beer.

Then why did you leave her?

He blew out a long breath, watching it condense in the cold air in front of him. He’d left her because he hadn’t had a choice. Or he hadn’t believed he’d had one. And by the time he’d left, they weren’t actually a couple anymore. Still, even if they hadn’t been fully committed, he’d once cared for her. A lot.

You were gone for eighteen months without telling her where you were or what you were doing. Did you really expect her to wait for you?

No, he hadn’t. He’d known when he’d left it was over between them. He thought it was over for him in Antero, as far as that went. What he was feeling right now was nostalgia. With a side order of regret.

Wiseass jerked on the leash, and he came back to himself. What was done was done. Now he needed to start working on what came next.

He headed up Main, ducking his head against a sudden gust of wind. It would probably have been better if he’d waited until spring to come back. But he didn’t have much choice. San Diego was over. His past was over. Antero was the only place he could think of.

I’m here, Dev. I’m trying. I only hope this is what you would have wanted. And that there’s a chance it might work.

He planned on staying. Of course, he’d only do that if the Dempseys didn’t run him out of town on a rail. And he really hoped he’d have another chance to talk to Peaches. Either way, this afternoon should be interesting.

…

Peaches had just gotten the coffee cakes out on the counter in the dining room when the back door abruptly swung open, making her jump. She glanced at the back of the room and saw Ruth Colbert pulling off her hat and fluffing up her dark hair.

“Hi, sorry I’m late. Carol couldn’t find her boots, and the hunt for them took longer than expected.” Carol was Ruth’s twelve-year-old daughter. Now that Liam had moved in with them, mornings were a little hectic at her house.

“No problem.” Peaches gathered up the coffee cups from the table and headed toward the kitchen door. “Where did you end up finding the boots?”

“In her backpack. Was somebody here before we opened?” Ruth asked.

Peaches nodded. “A guy with a dog was outside when I shoveled the walk. I took pity on him. He had a scone and some coffee.” Which he didn’t pay for, but Ruth didn’t need to hear that.

“Somebody you know?” Ruth stepped into her white cheese-making overalls.

“Not before today. He’s new here. His name is Colin something.”

Ruth froze with her overalls half on. “Colin Brooks?”

“That’s right. Do you know him?”

“I used to.” Ruth’s jaw tightened, pinching her features like she’d tasted something sour. “I wonder if Liam knows he’s back in town.”

Peaches frowned. “Is there a problem with Colin? Did he do something terrible?”

“Not like murder or anything,” she said. “He was Bec’s boyfriend for a while, and he had some money invested in the brewery. Then he left—without much warning. It caused problems with their finances, and it took them some time to get back on their feet again.”

Peaches had a feeling Ruth’s quick retelling probably left out a lot of important details. “So you think he’s come back to invest again? I mean, maybe he knows the brewery is doing well now and he wants to put money into it.”

“That’s one possibility,” Ruth said slowly. “But if that is what he wants, he’s going to be disappointed. I doubt either Liam or Bec trusts him enough to take money from him again, and I don’t think they need any more investors right now, anyway. Wyatt brought in quite a few people, and they’ve got the brewpub.”

“Why else would he come back, though? Does he have a house here?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t know why he’s here, but knowing Colin, it’s probably trouble for somebody. I just hope it isn’t Liam and Bec.” Ruth glanced at the clock. “We should open up. Is the coffee ready? Do you have fresh bakes to put in the display cases?”

Peaches gave a small shake of her head to shift gears. Why did it matter why Colin was back? She had work to do. “I’ve got most of it out already,” she told Ruth. “I still need to make more coffee and get the coffee cake slices done, but we’ve got enough scones and muffins to get started.” She turned toward the kitchen then paused. “Have you had a chance to look at the business plan I gave you?”

Ruth grimaced. “No. Sorry, Peaches, it slipped my mind. I’ll get on it soon. I promise.”

“That’s okay.” Apparently, Peaches was the only one who felt any urgency, even though approaching Roger Solomon was time sensitive. She decided to keep quiet for a few days in hopes Ruth would get to it on her own. Asking her repeatedly would only annoy her.

She turned and headed back to the kitchen at a trot. At least she hadn’t left anything in the oven to burn while she was trying to get information.

But as she pulled out two more pans of muffins, she considered her first impressions of Colin Brooks. He was obviously a smooth operator; he’d asked her out ten minutes after he’d met her. And he was a very good-looking guy, which he maybe used to his advantage. It might be lucky Ruth had given her his background, so she could be on her guard. Not that she’d been seriously thinking about going out with him.

If Colin was a womanizer who’d left Bec in the lurch, it was just as well she steered clear of him. She’d had enough of womanizers in her life—her father, for one, and Jerry Cox, for another. After she’d broken up with Jerry, she’d decided to take a pass on dating for a while.

Colin hadn’t exactly come across as a womanizer, when she thought about their conversation. But then again, she wasn’t always a great judge of men.

Maybe she’d had a narrow escape. She didn’t have time for a broken heart. She had a restaurant to run and a menu to revise.

And a boss to convince about the benefits of expansion, after she’d managed to come up with the right “wow” dessert for the brewpub opening. She sighed. Colin might not come back again, and why should she care if he did? She was too busy to get involved with anyone, anyway. Now wasn’t the time, even if she hadn’t been on a dating break. She had too many things to do: food to cook, a somewhat annoying assistant to supervise, future plans to make. At this point, scones were more appealing than starting a relationship.

Romance was fleeting—but baking was forever.