Page 11 of Keeping Guard

“That DG had only been using me to get what he wanted. Seems my father promised him my shares of the business if he married me. The shares that were supposed to be mine. I heard him telling his best man that a few minutes before I was supposed to walk down the aisle, so I left.” Anger glinted in her eyes. “My father will never forgive me for the stunt I pulled today, so I lost that anyway. Maybe I should have married DG. At least I’d still have a job.”

“Would that job be worth marrying a man who was using you?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know. Elk Antler is...was basically my life, so now I have nothing.”

“You said at the waterfall that you knew how to brew good beer, and I wondered about that.” A sexy woman who put her all in it when she laughed and who brewed good beer? What wasn’t to love there? Her DG was a fool.

“Didn’t believe me, did you?”

“I figured you meant you brewed beer in your kitchen with one of those do-it-yourself kits.”

She made a huffing noise. “Little do you know. I’m a master brewer.”

A sexy female master beer brewer? Now there was every man’s fantasy. “From what I understand, this area is known for its microbreweries. Seems like it would be easy to find another job.”

“Probably. It’s just that Elk Antler Brewery is family. I’ve worked doggone hard to earn my place there, to one day have it passed on to me. It’s not fair.”

“Sometimes life isn’t fair. My team has a saying that might apply. Suck it up, SEAL, and move on.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re a SEAL?”

Damn his mouth to hell. He was going to glue it shut.

Chapter Five

“Really? An honest-to-God SEAL?” Peyton said.Wow!That did explain his most excellent eight-pack. His eyes shuttered, and she had the impression he hadn’t meant to let that fascinating tidbit slip. “Am I not supposed to know that? Is it one of those, if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you things? I swear on my favorite beer recipe, I won’t tell a soul.”

“Yeah, now I have to kill you.”

“You’re kidding now, right? Right, Noah?” Of course he was. SEALs didn’t just go around murdering runaway brides. Not that she’d ever heard, anyway. Come to think of it, they were a secretive bunch. Other than being aware they existed, what else did she know about them? Absolutely nothing.

He chuckled. “Of course I’m kidding.” A sly smile appeared on his face. “Probably.”

“If you kill me, you’ll never get to sample the best beer in the world.”

“That’ll do it. You and your beer are now under my protection.”

And who better to have as a protector than a SEAL? He was probably going to regret saying that, because now an idea was brewing. Ha! She was a brewer of beer and ideas. The silly thought made her giggle.

“Now what’s funny?”

“This whole day,” she said, not ready to hit him up with her plan before having it all worked out. The first step would be accepting his offer. “I’ve been thinking, if you meant it, I would like to stay tonight—” she patted the seat cushion “—right here on this comfy sofa.”

“You can have my bed.”

“No way, and that’s not up for discussion. I’m smaller than you, and I’ll be perfectly comfortable.” Besides, it would be weird to sleep in his bed. “Do you actually live here?” From all appearances, he was only passing through.

“For the time being.”

“Well, that explains everything,” she muttered.

He glanced at the dog, then stood. “I need to find a grocery store and get the dog—”

“Lucky.”

“Get some dog food and something for dinner. I assume you don’t want to go out to eat?”

She eyed her filthy feet. “Too dirty and not really dressed for going out.” She held her feet up. “Plus, I don’t have any shoes, and I’m quite certain you won’t have any that fit me.”