Enemies on Tap (Sweet Salvation Brewery 1)

He sank down to the bunk and dropped his head to his hands. The thin mattress sagged under his weight. “I have to get to that meeting.”

“Well, unless they’re going to relocate the meeting to cell three,” the deputy drawled, “I’d say you’re shit out of luck.”

Chapter Nineteen

Miranda squeezed through the crowd gathered outside the county council chambers, ignoring the conversational buzz that fell silent when she neared and then rebounded louder than a football-field-sized pack of cicadas as soon as she passed. Anxiety itched up her spine, leaving a clammy trail of moisture in its wake.

“About time you got here.” Ruby Sue clamped her arthritis-gnarled hand around Miranda’s forearm. “Come on, Natalie and I saved you a spot up front. I had to threaten George Gunderson, but that old rust bucket finally moved his boney butt down a chair.”

Following the older woman’s lead, Miranda weaved her way through the folks clogging up the aisle to the front row. Natalie sat with her hands clasped in her lap, her jaw tense. Sean sat next to her. The unexpected support from the brewmaster hit Miranda right in the tear ducts, and her bottom lip trembled.

“Thanks for coming,” she whispered.

Sean nodded and the strip of skin above his beard line pinkened.

“If I could have your attention.” The council chairman, Sheldon Monroe, banged his gavel. “If y’all could take your seats, we’ll get started.”

The crowd milled in from the hall, taking up every seat in the county council room and then some. High school football games had fewer folks than were packed into the rows and along the walls. Usually, the homecoming game had the biggest attendance of any event in Salvation, but it looked like the Sweet family’s metaphorical execution was an even bigger draw. She could practically feel the weight of all the stares on her back. Unable to help herself, she threw a quick glance over her shoulder. Tyrell Hawson sat a few rows behind them, sporting a hateful gleam in his eye.

“Just ignore the idiots, like Mom and Dad always taught us.” Natalie patted her knee.

Miranda was about to turn and face front when movement by the door caught her attention. Hud and another man were in a heated discussion with Judge Carter that had attracted gawkers who weren’t even pretending not to be listening in.

Seeing Logan’s best friend was like being kicked in the ass by a goat, but in this case, the sharp pain was in her heart. She’d been a fool to believe Logan really cared, and she had to be every kind of idiot, because part of her still did, and she really wanted that part to be right.

Moron.

Ruby Sue delivered a sharp elbow into Miranda’s ribs, dragging her out of her mental ass-chewing. “I can only imagine what Carl Brennan looks like right about now. I tried to take a peek when I stopped by the sheriff’s office this morning, but they wouldn’t let me back to the holding cells. Talk about taking the fun out of small town living.”

Like an iPod stuck on repeat, Ruby Sue’s first words played on a loop in Miranda’s head. “What are you talking about?”

Only a blind man could miss the bloodthirsty glint in the older woman’s eyes as she rubbed her thick-knuckled hands together. “Logan found him at the Spotted Pig last night and beat some sense into him.”

None of this made any sense. He and Carl were co-conspirators. “Why would he do that?”

Ruby Sue narrowed her eyes. “Either you’re a lot dumber than I ever gave you credit for, or you’ve been sampling your brewery’s goods today for some backwoods courage. Which is it?”

“Logan went after Carl?” The words spilled out in a rush as she tried to comprehend Ruby Sue’s report.

“Yep, word at The Kitchen Sink is that he went to town on Carl, broke his nose, and got a confession out of him about trying to ram you off the road. Now I don’t know if it’ll hold up in court, but it’s got folks reconsidering things around here.”

Someone must have leaned against the thermostat, because a blazing heat enveloped Miranda, and her palms turned clammy, appropriate since her brain had turned to ash in her effort to understand. Logan had played her for the fool, pushing all her buttons in an effort to close down Sweet Salvation Brewery. Hadn’t he?

It hadn’t seemed that way when she’d woken up this morning and caught him staring at her while twisting her hair around his finger. The kiss that followed showed his intentions more than any words could. Still, doubt ate away at her like acid.

Dropping her gaze to the floor, Miranda fought to work through her confusion. “That can’t be…the bet.”

“Why are you repeating that tired nonsense?” Ruby Sue tsked tsked and shook her head. “Miranda Sweet, I am sorely disappointed in you. If I didn’t think it was temporary insanity brought on by this here mess, I’d be tempted to cut you off from my pecan pie.”

Miranda stood, intent on threading her way through the crowd to Hud, but the county council chairman banged the gavel. Indecision froze Miranda to the spot. Should she push her way to the back of the room and get the real story about Logan, or did she stay and argue to save the brewery and her future in Harbor City? As if her feet didn’t take orders from her frazzled brain anymore, she took a step toward the aisle.

Natalie’s fingers wrapped around Miranda’s wrist. “You can’t go up to the podium yet. You have to wait for them to call for public comment.”

Caught between a sister’s clueless guidance and her own uncertainty, she hesitated. The respite gave Judge Carter, Hud, and the third man enough time to squeeze through the crowd and out the front door. She tugged her arm out of Natalie’s grasp to follow them. The need to know the truth pushed her feet forward.

“Where are you going?” Natalie wound her finger around her rope of pearls.

The question stopped her in her tracks. If she left now, she’d miss out on her chance to talk to the county council. Could she really risk the brewery’s future by blasting out after them? What if Ruby Sue was wrong and Logan had been fighting dirty the whole time?