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I know a lot of time has passed, but it didn’t seem like it last night and this morning.
It’s everything I ever imagined it could be. I know I need to curb my shit-eating grin when I get to work because my nosy family will be all over it.
I wonder if anyone has heard about me punching Kirk in the nose yet — that kind of stuff always travels fast around here. One thing is for sure, he better have turned that shiny Mercedes around and high-tailed it back to Georgia.
I can’t even begin to believe he showed up in the first place. Did he really think Eden would take him back after what he did? I’m just glad I was there and got to give him a piece of my mind. He certainly showed his true colors in the end.
And I guess in some ways I showed mine; a trip to the hospital and then spending the night in my wife’s bed, making love to her all night long. It’s the last thing I ever expected to be doing. But I sure am glad because we have definitely still got it, things only got better.
I just hope Eden doesn’t start thinking too hard about it all at once, like I know she tends to do. Then she gets cold feet because she’s worried about us not making it for the third time. Things are different for both of us now; we’ve grown up a lot in the last decade. The things I thought I wanted back then don’t seem as important now.
The thing I’ve always been missing is her. Plain and simple.
I try to put my best poker face on before I get to work.
Knowing I’m meeting Georgia this morning to look at the Moonshine logo and do some tweaking means that I can’t give an inch. I’m just not ready or prepared to go into any of the details about me and Eden yet. And it wouldn’t be fair to do so.
I do my usual when I get home, grabbing a bite to eat and checking on my little ones, letting the horses and Sawyer out into the fenced off area for the day.
It’s mild with no signs of rain, but the start of winter is most definitely on its way. I can feel that chill in the air nipping at the surface. The only thing about winter I look forward to is lighting the log fire and keeping the house warm. I grow winter vegetables but I run most of the vegetable garden low until spring-time, resting the soil where I’ll turn it and replant when the weather gets better.
I realize I’m whistling when I drive back to the distillery. I’m tempted to slap myself.
My mind has not shifted from my beautiful Baby Doll all morning. I don’t want to read too much into it until we know exactly the way forward, but I can’t help but feel that buzz through my body that this could be it. Eden is the one I’ve been waiting for, and she’s been right there the whole time.
No one has, or will, ever compare.
I park my truck and go straight to the coffee machine when I get inside. It’s very well used around here but also very quiet because it’s still early.
I take the time to enjoy the stillness and go down to the vault and the rickhouse before any other staff arrive. It’s not often that it’s like this, but it’s a good time for me to clear my head and not have to deal with anything too pressing until the day begins.
I often come down here before work and after everyone has left for the day. It’s like another happy place for me, which may look a little crazy to some because it’s all copper stills and barrels down here. Plus hundreds of bottles and the huge machinery we have for production. But I like hanging out here. It might not beat being out with my horses by the creek, or tending to my other animals or my garden, but it comes a close second.
Jarrod and I almost have the first batch of our exports ready to ship off to Australia.
Dad and Gabe are over the moon about that. Spreading the brand far and wide has always been the dream. Europe will soon follow, and then widening through Canada.
Gray has gone to a lot of work in the few months he’s been back, and it’s really kept us all on our toes which I think is a good thing.
He’s the first one I see when I head upstairs for my second refill.
“Early bird this morning,” he says, yawning and running a hand through his hair. It’s not even eight o’clock.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I say. And it’s not a lie. I kept my little wifey awake for the most of it. When we weren’t icing her bruised leg and hip, we were slapping the salami among other things. It was a little bit limited with what we could do, given her fall last night. It was fucking horrifying seeing her laying on the floor like that, the memory of it makes me shudder. I’m just glad she didn’t break anything and thankfully didn’t hit her head. I think she will have a hell of a bruise coming up before long.
“Somethin’ troubling you?”
“Nah, just a lot going on. You know how it is.”
“Do you mind if I sit in with you and George this morning? I’m gunning to see the new label.”
“Not at all. I’ve just been down in the rickhouse sorting out the exports for Australia.”
“Pretty cool, huh.” Gray grins.
“Yeah, and a long time coming. You did good.”
“Team effort,” he says.
