Page 20 of After You Returned

And now I’m stuck selling liquor for my family’s distillery. My dreams have all come true.

Chapter 8

Someday I’m going to stop allowing Dad’s words to hurt me. Today is not that day.

Hazel

“I’m here!” I shout as I enter the Harris family farmhouse.

“We’re in the kitchen.”

I nearly groan at Mom’s answer. Of course, she’s in the kitchen. Dad is a big believer in dividing up chores based on gender. Women do all the work inside the house. Men do the farming and repair work on the exterior of the house.

When I enter the kitchen, Mom is removing a tray from the oven while Sadie chops up vegetables and Scarlett peels potatoes.

“Where are Thomas and Ian?” I ask because I will never stop poking at the gender roles my parents believe in.

Mom frowns. “They’re in the basement watching football with your dad and Weston.”

“Why do they get to relax when we have to cook?” Told you I can’t stop poking at my parents.

“Hazel,” Sadie mutters.

“What? Would you prefer to discuss your pen pal?”

It’s a good thing those lasers in her eyes aren’t real because I would be burned to a crisp if they were. Someone wants to keep her affair with a soldier a secret. Ha! As if it’s possible to keep a secret on this island.

“Shut up,” she grits out.

“Girls!” Mom yells. “Behave. Can’t we have one Sunday dinner without a fight?”

Weston chuckles as he enters the kitchen. “If I know one thing about sisters, it’s how much they love to fight.”

Scarlett rolls her eyes. “You only have one sister.”

“And you’ve met Sophia. You know how much she loves to fight.”

Scarlett pushes up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Only with you.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “Have you not met her best friends, Chloe, Nova, Maya, and Paisley? Those five are always fighting about something. How they haven’t burned down their brewery yet is a mystery.”

I snort. “As if Paisley would allow anything to happen to her precious brewery.”

Paisley’s the master brewer ofFive Fathoms Brewing.She’s also uptight about the brewing facilities. When a hurricane hit the island a while back and ruined the brewery, she nearly lost her mind. Until her archnemesis, Eli, stepped in. Now they’re in love and have a baby girl.

“I forgot Paisley and you are bosom buddies since she’s engaged to Miles’s brother.”

I scowl at Weston. “I don’t have anything to do with Miles.”

He opens his mouth but I slam my hand over it before he can speak. He’s not telling the entire world about New Year’s Eve. Although, guessing by how Scarlett is smirking, he already told her.

He peels my fingers away before sauntering to the refrigerator and pulling out a beer. “Anyone else want one?”

“Yes, please.”

Mom’s lips purse at my response. Women shouldn’t drink beer is another one of her mantras. She should give up, considering I am never going to follow her rules.

I keep my eyes locked on her as I take a nice, long sip of my beer. She huffs before returning her attention to the stove to stir a pot of gravy.