Written in the Stars Read online

  “Where’s Dad?” Mason asked.

  “Helping Garret put the crib together. The bassinette is good for now, but the crib needs to be assembled. When Lily decided to make her appearance early, Mattie and Garret weren’t quite ready. That boy can sing so pretty, and the lullaby he wrote for Lily brought me to tears, but he’s helpless when it comes to puttin’ things together.”

  “We all have our talents,” Mason said.

  “Really?” Danny asked. “I’m still looking for mine.” Although Danny chuckled, Mason knew that his brother was a little bit at loose ends with his life. Working at the marina was all Danny had ever known, but he had a talent for carpentry that he needed to put to use more often. Mason hoped that after people saw the amazing bar Danny was building, he would get more requests for similar projects. “Maybe I’ll join the circus.”

  Danny was rewarded with a potato peeler being pointed at him. “Now, you just hush. You’re plenty talented, Daniel Jay Mayfield.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I know so. The rocking chair that you built for Mattie is simply beautiful. So just stop with that nonsense.”

  Danny raised his hands in surrender. “I was just jokin’,” he said, but Mason wasn’t buying it. “I’d better get up to the bistro and help Sophia. I know that Shane and Laura Lee stopped in this morning and helped cook breakfast, but I don’t want Sophia stuck with the cleanup on her own.”

  “I’ll walk out with you,” Mason said, and they gave a last good-­bye to their mother.

  “So, you sweet on Sophia?” Mason asked as they walked to their trucks.

  Danny waved him off. “No, nothin’ like that. She’s like a little sister to me. Cute as a damned button, though. Plus, she’s got a thing for Avery Dean.”

  “Really?”

  “Avery pops in for breakfast nearly every day. Flirts until Sophia blushes. And I’ve noticed that she always gives him a little extra of everything.”

  “Isn’t he engaged to Ashley Montgomery?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “What happened?”

  Danny shrugged. “Don’t really know. It just suddenly...ended. Avery has been closemouthed about it. He was pretty tore up for a while, but he seems to be getting over it.”

  Mason fished his keys out of his pocket. “Huh. That’s too bad, I guess.”

  “I dunno. Guess it wasn’t meant to be. So what’s up with you and Grace?”

  “Nothin’. Why would you ask?”

  “Dunno. The way you look at her, I guess.”

  “Well, she’s a damned pretty woman, but I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Mason propped his boot up on his bumper. He gave Danny a level look. “This goes nowhere.”

  “Okay.” All humor left Danny’s eyes. “You got my word.”

  “I’m struggling financially with the brewery. The damned machinery cost more than I expected, and when I got it late, it pushed back the brewing process. I don’t want to ask Shane for more than his initial investment, so I’m left with a nut I don’t know that I can cover. I might have to shut the whole thing down.”

  “No way.”

  Mason nodded. “When that storm hit, I was scared shitless that there would be damage that I couldn’t fix. The insurance deductible would have buried me, Danny. It’s already high because we’re in the flood zone.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure what I can do to save it.”

  “Get another investor. What about Jimmy Topmiller?”

  “I don’t know if I want to ask.”

  “He’s got to have a shit ton of money from his pro-­fishing days. The dude won every tournament possible, and he still drives a beat-­up pickup truck. Probably one of those guys who has the first dime he ever made.”

  “Doesn’t sound like he would want to risk it either.”

  “Yeah.” Danny blew out a sigh. “Guess you got a point.”

  Mason closed his eyes and shook his head. “I know I can make it if I can just hang in there, but at the moment it’s not looking good. Bills started piling up all at the same damned time, tugging me down like quicksand.”

  “Man, I’m sorry. I had no clue.”

  “Keep it under your hat. With the stress of Lily’s birth, I didn’t want to throw anything else at Mom and Dad. You know that Dad might look healthy as a horse, but he still has heart issues.”

  “Hey, I’ll keep it to myself. Mason, I wish I could help in some way.”

  Mason looked at his younger brother and shook his head. While lots of people thought that Danny was just a screwup, Mason knew better. Danny had a heart of gold and would give him the shirt off his back. Unfortunately, it was all Danny had to offer. “Maybe I’ll come up with an answer. And just getting it off my chest to you has helped. Sorry to burden you with this, Danny.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m kinda pissed that you didn’t say something sooner.” Danny came over and gave Mason a quick, hard hug and a slap on the back. “Hey, we managed to save this marina with a lot of work, creativity, and a little bit of luck. Something will come up. I can feel it right here,” he said, and pounded his chest with his fist.

  “I hope you’re right. It would suck, because I’m a damned good brewmaster.” He didn’t mention that after he didn’t return to the world of bass fishing, losing the brewery would feel like two failures in a row. And that didn’t count a broken engagement.

  “You’ve got a lot of people champing at the bit for the first beer tasting.”

  “Well, I perfected the chocolate porter. No easy feat. Uppity city girl Grace even liked it.”

  “She doesn’t seem uppity. Sophia sure isn’t.”

  Mason shrugged, not willing to admit how much he liked her. Having his heart broken once was quite enough. “Whatever.”

  Danny looked like he was going to say something else, but thought better of it. Good. He didn’t need another lecture about moving on. “Hey, I’ve got to get going. But if there’s anything I can do, let me know. If it’s just to bend my ear or maybe get out on the water...seriously, anything. Just give me a shout.”

  “Will do.” Mason gave Danny a slap on the back and then hopped up in his truck. He put the keys in the ignition, but then paused and gripped the steering wheel. He was thirty-­two years old, and while he was proud of doing his part to keep Mayfield Marina afloat, he was starting to feel the pressure of taking on the brewery. Of course he knew it was a risk. But he’d been good at tournament fishing by taking risks and fishing in places others veered away from. He’d thought he’d done all of the research, crunched all the numbers. And Danny was right. He had people anxiously waiting for the beer-­tasting party, restaurants willing to have his product on tap. He was so damned close...

  And hanging by a wing and a prayer.

  After checking on production at the brewery, Mason decided that he needed pizza from River Row Pizza to go with the Belgian-­style blonde that was ready to tap. Another blonde popped into his head, and he thought about asking Gracie to go up to the pizzeria with him, but then squashed the idea. He was suddenly in a crappy mood and should probably eat alone on the back deck of his boat and do a little brooding. One thing he was good at was brooding. Maybe he’d listen to some music and stare out over the river, hoping for an answer to come his way.

  Mason pulled into the parking lot of Wedding Row, a pretty strip of bridal-­related shops built just a few years ago. The thought hit Mason that he could have been married by now, maybe had a child or two, but just weeks before their wedding, Lauren decided that small-­town life wasn’t for her after all and she gave him his ring back. Of course he didn’t buy into her reasoning completely. It wasn’t just that she missed living in Lexington. She also missed her debutante lifestyle. He’d proposed at the height of his pro-­fishing career, when he was poised to make it to th
e top, but when he’d taken the break to help out at the failing marina, his relationship with her crumpled like a beer can in a compactor. Mason hadn’t expected their engagement to hinge on his career or living in Cricket Creek, but he supposed in the end he’d dodged the bullet. His parents had stuck it out through thick and thin, and that was the kind of love that he longed to have in his life. Sure, he wanted to be successful, but Lauren was only after money and a pampered lifestyle, and when times got tough, she bailed.

  Still...the pain, though dull now, raised its ugly head now and again. And it was pretty damned frightening to think he’d put his love and trust in someone who was so shallow. Why hadn’t he seen though her?

  “What the hell is wrong with me?” Mason leaned forward and turned the radio up louder, trying to drown out his sudden emotions, which he usually held in check. Oh great, the song was Darius Rucker singing about kids and family.

  Beautiful Lily popped into his mind, and he felt a sharp pang of longing. While he and Danny joked about not wanting kids, Mason was a big fat liar. He wanted a family. He wanted a little boy to take fishing and a little girl to spoil with everything pink and pretty. Mason grinned, thinking of Mattie. Okay, maybe he wanted a little girl to take fishing. And he wanted a good woman by his side.

  Maybe this mood was all about wanting to kiss Gracie Gordon. Mason smacked the steering wheel. No, the gorgeous half Brit would do her thing here in the small town and then head back to London and whatever it was that she did over there. Getting involved with her would be damned stupid. And he was done being stupid. Not only that, but he liked Garret a lot and he didn’t want to do anything to ruin their friendship. Mason and Danny had been super protective of Mattie, and he was sure that Garret felt the same way about Grace and Sophia. Having a fling with Garret’s half sister while she was in town for the birth of her brother’s child would fall into the being-­really-­stupid category.

  Mason tuned his mind to pizza. River Row Pizza was by far the best pizza he’d ever consumed, and he started to think of toppings to get his mind off...other things. Owners Tony Marino and his nephew Reese brought their Italian cuisine expertise from Brooklyn, and if the pizza wasn’t enough, Reese’s homemade desserts were, as Mattie put it...to die for. Mason didn’t indulge all that often, but tonight he felt like ordering the works. Plus, River Row Pizza was one of the restaurants eager to serve his craft beer. This was business, he reasoned.

  Mason drove slowly past the shops overlooking the river. The brick storefronts resembled old-­fashioned Main Street in downtown Cricket Creek even though they were fairly new construction. He’d been in some of these shops with Lauren. Designs by Diamante was where he’d purchased her engagement ring. Mason inhaled a breath and picked up the pace. More shops had opened since then, including a bakery specializing in wedding cakes, and in spite of the crappy memories, Mason had to admit that the shops were pretty and he was glad to see expansion and that business seemed to be thriving.

  Gas streetlamps would light up soon, and pots of plants dripping with flowers decorated the sidewalk. He drove past a bridal shop, the jewelry store and florist, and just about anything a bride needed to plan her wedding. Mason sighed, thinking that his mind-­set hovered between that ship has sailed and sure he still wanted a family, depending upon his mood.

  Tonight the mood was...what? Slowing down, Mason eased the truck into a parking space. He was in the mood for pizza and left it at that. No more thinking about the past.

  When Mason entered the restaurant, he was hit by the tantalizing aroma of garlic and marinara sauce underlined with fresh-­baked bread. He inhaled deeply, catching a hint of sweetness, meaning Reese must be creating one of his decadent desserts. The hostess greeted him, but he opted to go to the bar and order takeout while relaxing with a cold beer.

  Tony Marino pushed through the double doors leading to the kitchen and spotted Mason. “Well, hey, stranger.”

  “What’s up, Tony?”

  “Me, half the night. Trish decided in a moment of insanity that we needed a puppy to give Digger some company.”

  Mason laughed.

  “When will the beer be ready?”

  Mason’s grin faded. “I’m getting there. I hope to have the beer tasting sometime soon.” If he could keep the production going, he thought darkly.

  “Sweet. We’ll be there with bells on. So what will you have tonight?”

  “Takeout. Large hand-­tossed supreme pizza, but leave off the green peppers. Oh, and a tossed salad with your house dressing.”

  “Got it. Want a beer while you’re waiting?”

  “No doubt. I’ll take a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel.”

  “Always a good choice,” Tony said, and placed the beer snifter in front of Mason. “I’ll go place your order.”

  “Thanks.” Mason took a sip of the bourbon-­infused ale and rolled it around in his mouth. “Good stuff.” Aged for at least six weeks in freshly decanted bourbon barrels, the smooth yet robust beer had gentle undertones of vanilla and oak. Mason loved it. He paged through the Cricket Creek Courier while he savored the ale, wondering if he should place an ad for the beer tasting or if advertising would bring in too many people. While he knew how to brew an excellent beer, the marketing end of the business was still somewhat of a mystery. Because of the marina, the Mayfield name was well-­known, and friends and family would spread the word, but in order to make a profit, he needed to land large sales quickly, without overextending his limited facility.

  Eventually, Mason wanted to conduct tours and maybe even teach a home-­brewing class. He took a sip of the ale and sighed, thinking that he needed more hours in the day, and an extra set of hands would help. The ale helped him feel mellow, relieving some but not all of his stress.

  “Here you go,” Tony said. “Piping hot.”

  “The pizza smells so good. I don’t know if I can make it home without a slice.”

  Tony chuckled and patted his midsection. “Yeah, good thing I run most days or you’d have to roll me in and out of here every day. Tessa put a turtle cheesecake in the bag with your salad, on the house. Take some of it over to Mattie and give her and Garret our congratulations.”

  “Wow, thanks a lot. Reese’s cheesecake is the best. How’s your sister doing?”

  “Really good. She’s champing at the bit for Reese and Gabby to have children.”

  “And Trish? Are you still in newlywed bliss?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m always in trouble for something,” Tony said, but then grinned. “Actually, she’s busy writing for the Courier but just started working on a novel.”

  “Good for her! Tell Trish I said good luck.”

  “It’s fun getting to see her fulfill her dream,” Tony said, and the soft smile said how much he loved his bride. “And I’m sure she’ll want to do some articles about the brewery. Do you have a name yet?”

  “I’m sure it is great to see her get to fulfill her dream,” Mason said as he reached in his wallet for his debit card. “Nah, I can’t seem to come up with a name I like yet.”

  “I’m sure you’ll come up with somethin’,” Tony said in his booming Brooklyn accent.

  “Hope so.” After paying the bill, he thanked Tony again for the cheesecake and headed to his houseboat, eager for a slice of the pizza.

  6

  This Kiss...

  FEELING ANTSY JUST HANGING AROUND THE CABIN, Grace had offered to help out at the bistro during the lunch rush, but ended up staying there the rest of the afternoon. Who knew that waiting on customers and bussing tables would be so exhausting? As she walked home, her feet ached and the small of her back throbbed. If she felt this way after a few hours, what must it be like to do a double shift? While Grace worked hard at whatever project she put her mind to, she had a new respect for people in the service industry.

  Grace could really go for a deep massage. She moaned just thinking ab
out it, then eyed the long distance across the dock to her cabin and pulled a frown. While she really did love the solace of being surrounded by the water, the long trek on tired feet was a bit of a pain tonight. And she was starving.

  “Oh, dammit!” Grace stopped in her tracks when she realized that she’d left her takeaway meal back at the bistro. A lovely pastrami and baby Swiss on fresh marble rye with homemade potato salad and chips on the side. Her stomach grumbled in protest, but when she turned and saw the hike back up the hill to the restaurant, she shook her head, wondering if it was worth it.

  Of course it was, she thought, and hiked back across the dock. She was passing the covered slips when she realized the lights were turned off at the bistro, indicating that Sophia had already locked up. “Bollocks!” Grace stomped her foot and then winced.

  “What’s all the cussing about, Gracie?”

  Gracie? Grace turned and spotted Mason standing on the back of his boat. Since when did he call her Gracie, and why did she like it so very much? Wait...he appeared to be eating something...a slice of pizza maybe. Score. “I left my dinner up at the bistro,” she said in a pathetic little feed-­me voice.

  “You’re in luck. I have a whole pizza over here, a giant salad, and dessert. Oh, and a Belgian blonde IPA that’s my best ever.”

  “So why am I in luck?” she asked lightly, but was already heading his way.

  “Because I want you to join me,” Mason shouted.

  “Are you quite sure?” she asked politely, but picked up her pace. “I don’t want to impose,” she said.

  “I never say anything I’m not sure of,” Mason said when she reached the back of his boat. He held out his hand for her to step onto the deck. “Careful.” His hand felt warm, and she was reluctant to let go. “Plus, I heard that you worked your tail off at the bistro this afternoon. You deserve the best pizza on the planet.”

  “Really?” Grace tilted her head. “I’m pretty much a pizza lover, I’ll have you know.”