Then I will put up all my walls and stay the hell away from Caden Landry.
That man is dangerous.
He makes me stupid. And reckless.
And apparently super slutty.
He’s bad news, and I will stay away.
I flop over onto my back and stare up at the ceiling.
I blow out a hard breath, ignoring the heat low in my belly at the images running rampant in my brain.
I made this mess, and now I’ll unmake it.
I throw off the covers.
Time to get this trainwreck under control.
An hour later I’ve washed away the shame, pulled my hair into a tight bun, put on jeans and a soft green T-shirt, and am marching down the path to the distillery—all no nonsense and take-charge attitude.
Sure, my heart is pounding and my stomach feels like it might jump into my throat, but I will not be deterred.
Luke, one of our supervisors, waves me over. “Hey, Cat, we need to talk about the employee schedule for next week.”
For a split second I want to run to him and immerse myself in whatever issue he has, but I squash the impulse. I deal with this now. Like a Band-Aid, I’m ripping this fucker straight off.
I nod. “Give me thirty.”
“Sure thing,” he says, offering me a smile. At twenty-five, he’s boyishly handsome and charming and, like Haley, customers adore him. He’s also managed to talk one of the more popular local restaurants into stocking our reserves, and word of mouth is definitely picking up speed. If only all my hiring decisions were so sound.
My gaze is trained on the hall, and I pick up my gait, needing to get this over with as soon as possible. I pass my office and swing into the doorway of Caden’s, only to experience a swell of disappointment.
He’s not there.
It’s empty.
Why? Can’t one thing be easy with this guy? It’s bad enough I need to apologize, but now I’ve got to hunt him down to do it?
Teeth clenched, I march out of the office and out the back door that leads to the fields. The bright sun blinds me as the humid air settles over me like a wet blanket. I raise my hand to shield my eyes, searching the land to see if I can spot him.
A couple of hands are standing and talking, so I call to them. “Have you seen Caden?”
One of them tilts his head in the direction of the restaurant. “He took off with Jackson.”
Great. Well, too bad, because this can’t wait. I’ve worked myself all up to do it, and it needs to be now.
I wave. “Thanks.”
I stomp off down the path, heading to a Gator on the side of the road and hopping in. I take off, leaving a trail of dust in my wake, going full speed until I hit the restaurant on the far side of our property. It might not be open yet, but it’s bustling with activity.
I search the faces of the people milling around, but I don’t see Caden.
I climb out of the vehicle. The first person I run into is Gwen. I try to smile but fear it comes off like a grimace. “Hey, have you seen Caden?”
“He’s in the kitchen with Jackson.” She puts her hand on my arm. “Is everything okay? You look frazzled.”
I am frazzled. And harried. And embarrassed. “I’m great. I just need to speak with Caden.”