Blackmailed by the Billionaire Brewer

Mrs. Dodge’s brow furrowed so that the expensive foundation she was wearing crinkled into tawny waves like sand dunes. Her silver hair was crinkly, too, but in an extremely coiffured and hair sprayed kind of way, and Piper had noticed that she hadn’t touched a crumb of food. “How interesting,” the desiccated one intoned.

Piper primed herself to make a barbed reply but, to her irritation, Matt busted in on her. “Piper makes pretty little things like this, Pauline.” He picked up the coral candleholder and held it in the flat of his palm. “All the way from Sanibel Bay in Florida.”

Pauline Dodge’s mouth pursed into the shape of a cat’s ass. “Oh, we like it down there, don’t we, Bob?”

“So do we, don’t we, Piper?” Matt put down the candle and gave her a false, sweet grin. She could feel her face turn as red as a rougheye rockfish. How dare he bring Florida into this. Did he think this was a subtle way of warning her to behave? He smirked and ignored the light kick she gave him under the table. “Everything down there is so hot when it’s freezing up here.”

Yes, yes, I’ve got it. Shut up, Matt.

Piper smiled back and was relieved the waiting staff had just delivered huge plates of beef tenderloin medallions served with a roasted garlic and brandy sauce. A distraction and an excuse not to converse until she was done and her plate was clean. And she intended on eating really, really slowly.

“We cruise usually,” Pauline Dodge said between delicate nibbles of asparagus. “And then spend some time in Naples. At our villa, naturally.”

Naturally.

Bob Dodge coughed as he chewed a large piece of sautéed potato. “You two should pop by and visit next time we’re all down that way. How’s about next month? Not too hot, not too cold around then.”

“Next month is a very bad time for me,” Piper said quickly. “But it’s a lovely thought.”

“Say, Matt, that’s too far off anyway. How about supper at the ranch sometime this week? Just the four of us—you could bring a barrel of your beer and the little ladies could talk about weddings and babies.”

Piper glared at Matt. Not only had Bob Dodge completely ignored her, he seemed to think she was an inferior unworthy of being consulted. Like Matt was her master or something, his chattel to bring along to tedious soirées. Matt had better say something quickly or she’d explode.

“This next week is going to be crazy, Bob, you know that, with the new beer coming out.”

“Oh yeah,” the older man said and wiped some grease off his chin with the back of his hand. “That party at Mayor Cobbett’s is going to be something else. I can hardly wait. So after that? Let’s have a cookout.”

Matt shook his head. “Afraid that won’t be possible. I’ve been meaning to mention it for some time, but I’m leaving Passion Creek on the sixteenth, the morning after the big party.”

Man, Matt DeLeo knew how to lie to get himself out of an awkward situation. But she’d forgive him a sneaky fake excuse this time. Piper inhaled sharply and covered the lower half of her face with a napkin, pretending to dab away some sauce. She couldn’t risk anyone at that table seeing her cracking up with laughter at what he’d just announced. She would be expected to be upset about the news. Unless, of course, he was going to add that he was taking her away from Passion Creek with him. And that wasn’t going to happen.

Chapter Thirteen

Silence fell over the table, and even Mr. and Mrs. Computer looked shocked, but Piper was struggling to keep a straight face behind her crisp linen veil.

Excellent job, Matt DeLeo, awkward dinner invitation avoided with a ridiculous excuse, and they were all buying it.

Bob Dodge wiggled his jaw as if there was a piece of food stuck in his teeth. “Leaving?”

“Yes. It’s time I spread my wings and delegate my powers here in Colorado. I’ve been looking to expand my outlets for a while now.”

Mousey Mrs. Computer spoke for the first time and looked genuinely distressed. Thinking about it, Matt was probably quite a heartthrob in Colorado IT circles. “But you’re going to leave? Just like that?”

Matt nodded. “I’ve been here years now and I’ve outgrown the place.” He pushed his plate away. “I will miss you all, but Florida is next on my list. And New York—it’s been a while since I caused trouble there. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see me back.”

It was only a matter of time before awkward questions were going to get asked about where Piper fit into his plans. He could deal with the probing and she could certainly live without dessert. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” she said. “I need to visit the restroom.”

“Aw,” she heard Bob Dodge say as she walked quickly away from the table. “Looks like you’re going to break that poor gal’s heart in two.”

“She’ll be fine,” Matt said harshly and then something else she couldn’t make out as she rushed through a set of double doors. He was quite an actor and she hoped he had a fine reason stored up in that lying mouth of his for when he was still in business and pulling pints at the Railway Tavern come summer.

Piper snagged a couple of glasses of pink fizz as she legged it out of the reception room. Two glasses because she had no intention of going back in there until it was all over, the cake had been cut, and the excruciating toasts were finished. It was rude, but so were a lot of people here. She didn’t care.

“Can I help you, madam?” a young member of staff with a pristine black waistcoat asked with genuine concern in his eyes.

“I just need some air,” she said and then for some reason, possibly to inject a sense of urgency and credibility, added, “and a cigarette.”

He smiled and nodded. “This way.”

She followed him down a stone-lined corridor and then through a glass door that led onto a huge balcony overlooking the mountains. There were comfortable armchairs and low tables with heavy cut glass ashtrays, overseen by large halogen heaters that glowed with warmth in the fresh biting air.

“Do you need a light?” the young man said as she put her beer glasses down on a table.

“Actually, I need a cigarette first,” she said wryly and was met with a knowing smile.

“Any particular brand?”

“No,” she said quietly, amazed at the level of service in this place, and then felt a bolt of extreme rebellion streak through her. “Something that looks elegant, long and slim, possibly even black.”