Page 62 of Flights and Sights

I nodded. “I’m happy to step in. Or I can change the keg. Your call.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “You take the bar. I need a minute to breathe.”

“Understood,” I said with a little chuckle.

The taproom was busy, especially for a Tuesday afternoon, and I did my best to keep up with orders while Tommy was gone. Matty came and stood by the bar for a few moments during a lull.

“How was your trip? It’s been a minute since you were here.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Sorry about that. It was good. I’ll update you both when Tommy gets back. How have things been around here?”

“Busy as hell,” Matty said. “Tommy decided to start working on a new recipe while you were gone.”

“Oh?”

“Tart apple and cinnamon.”

“That sounds great, actually. Why haven’t I thought about that combo before?”

He shrugged and grinned. “We have good ideas around here sometimes,” he said with a little wink.

“Fair.” I laughed, but before I could say anything else, Tommy was back.

He put one hand on the bar and faced me. “What did I miss?”

“Matty was telling me about your new flavor. Sounds amazing. And I was just about to share some updates of my own.”

“Oh?”

“The trip to Santa Clara was a bust. We’re not going with the investor’s proposal. They wanted to change too much. Take control. We wouldn’t be the same anymore, and none of us wants that.”

Tommy pinched his lips together seriously. “Fuck them. I guess that means we miss out on the land, though, huh?”

I laughed. “Hell yes, fuck them. But actually… You know how Callum and I have been working on getting some grant money?” They both nodded, so I kept going. “We got word that we’ve been approved for one grant. It’ll provide about seventy percent of the funding we need. The rest, we can look at other grants or even loans, if necessary. And today, the planning committee approved our proposal. We’re expanding.”

“Seriously?” Tommy’s eyebrows shot up.

“Seriously.”

He threw his arms around me, surprising me with a hug. “That’s awesome news,” he said as he squeezed me tightly. “Does Callum know?”

I hugged Tommy back, but I felt a little empty doing it. “It is great news. Callum knows.”

Tommy eyed me, and his next words were careful and deliberate. “Why the fuck isn’t he here celebrating with us, then?”

I tried to keep the smile on my face, but I knew it wavered. “He’s at his parents’ place, packing. Has to head home. The flight is tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry,” he said.

Matty agreed. “Man, that sucks.”

Did they know we’d been seeing each other? I couldn’t recall ever bringing it up, but it seemed like they had to know. “We’re going to try long-distance,” I said slowly. “And he’ll be back in a few months.”

Tommy grimaced. “A few months? That’s rough.”

“Bicoastal relationships aren’t easy,” Matty said. “But if anyone can make it work, it’s you two.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the support, guys. Can we talk about something else? Anything else?”