Trouble on Tap (Sweet Salvation Brewery 3)

“Looks like these are the last two,” Natalie said, nodding toward the box she held and the one Sean had. “We’ll get out of here and let you get yourself sorted.”

“Put that on mine,” he said

“I can carry it,” she replied.

“Never said you couldn’t.”

They stared at each other for a moment.

Natalie sighed. “It is more efficient for only one of us to make another trip to the truck.”

“Yep.” He winked and let loose with the grin that had sold millions of movie tickets before he’d run away from Hollywood and found Salvation and Natalie.

She stacked her small box on top of his and followed him out of the office. “It’s not fair when you use my methods against me.”

The conversation—at least Natalie’s part of it—continued as the couple walked down the hall.

The brewmaster might not say much out loud, but his actions spoke volumes. Olivia pursed her lips together and blinked away a few happy tears. Living life as a Sweet in Salvation meant being thought of by most of the town as the craziest of crazy. Most of her family had seen the inside of the Salvation County Jail on more than one occasion. Her grandparents because of prohibition—the brewery, after all, had been started after prohibition as a way to capitalize on their moonshining success. Then there was the time her dad had single-handedly brought the high school homecoming football game to a halt with a protest in the middle of the first quarter. The fact that her sisters had both found love in Salvation was nothing short of a miracle. Even if it meant she’d turned into the fifth wheel, Olivia wouldn’t change a damn thing about it.

“Hey, Olivia.” The intercom in her office buzzed. “You have a visitor.”

“Who is it?”

“What, you too good for an old friend?” Luciana’s teasing tone lightened her words. “Get on out here or I’m busting in.”

There was no way Luciana needed to be on the other end of the intercom to hear Olivia’s squeal as she sprinted down the hallway. E-mails, texts and calls between them tended to be sporadic but as soon as they connected,

it was as if a day hadn’t passed since high school graduation. Rounding the corner, she spotted Luciana before the other girl saw her. Long brown hair, big brown eyes and enough bright red lipstick to make a Ferrari jealous, Luciana hadn’t changed a bit. She squealed again. Luciana did a happy shimmy. Before Olivia knew it, they were hugging it out in front of a bemused Hailey, Sweet Salvation Brewery’s office manager.

“I thought you were visiting family.”

“Girl, you know I’m good for three days tops with my in-laws.”

“Is this Amalie?” Olivia squished her face and made coochie-coo noises at the twenty pounds of chubby baby in the carrier.

“I should smack you for that. This…” Luciana pulled a doe-eyed two-year-old from behind her, “…is Amalie. This…” she nodded toward the baby, “…is Benito, and his machismo demands a proper apology.”

“It is lunchtime. How about a giant slice of Ruby Sue’s pecan pie for mommy to make up for it?” Olivia dropped her gaze to the little girl. “Big enough to share.”

“Sounds good. Let me drive. I have the car seats.”

The twenty-minute car ride into town was filled with the kind of stream-of-conscious conversation filled with constantly changing subjects and giggling ferociously that only happened with great friends or her sisters. By the time they arrived at The Kitchen Sink Diner, Olivia was up to speed on everything Amalie-related and every last tidbit about Benito’s dedication to putting everything in his mouth.

The lunch crowd had begun to peter out by the time she and Luciana strolled through the door with their mini-me-sized entourage. The Kitchen Sink Diner’s proprietor, Ruby Sue, sat behind the cash register, her tight-curled hair a tribute to Aqua Net and old-lady perms. She also happened to make the best pecan pie on the face of the earth and had a soft spot for all things Sweet and sweet. A hole inside Olivia that she hadn’t realized was empty filled up at the sight of the woman always armed with the sweetest tea this side of the Mississippi. Seeing Ruby Sue was almost as good as seeing her sisters.

“Lookie what the cat dragged in.” Ruby Sue slid down off her high perch and came bustling around the counter, smelling of cookie dough and sounding like a six-pack-a-day smoker. “It’s about time you showed back up in Salvation. The town was starting to get boring.”

As quick with a juicy tidbit as she was with a well-timed barb, Ruby Sue was the living, breathing center of all things gossip-related in Salvation. The town, like all small towns, thrived on knowing everything about everyone, which made The Kitchen Sink Diner the place to be. For the Sweet triplets, it had been a refuge from the town that always looked down on them and their family. Ruby Sue had always been there with a slice of pecan pie and a gruff piece of advice.

Olivia bent down and hugged her own fairy godmother. “Meaning you’re looking for fresh gossip.”

She cackled and grabbed two menus before making a beeline toward the back of the diner. “Something like that.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Olivia said.

“Expect nothing less from you. Come on, I have the perfect table.”

She, Luciana and the kids followed Ruby Sue’s trail through the last vestiges of the lunch crowd. It was hard to miss the pointed stares and whispers from the handful of folks polishing off pie and coffee. She caught snippets of hushed conversation.