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“The Northwest Explorer.”

Both of their eyes get big, and that constant friend of mine rears its ugly-ass head and sends ice through my veins, my heart rate picking up its pace.

“What am I missing here?”

My dad opens his mouth to speak, but my mom’s hand covers his, resting on the bar. My mom speaks up instead. “It’s just a large magazine, very . . . well-known. But whatever happens, we will face it as a family. Is there anything else?”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell them that I’ve been hooking up with the man I’m worried could cause all this damage, but I feel like one bomb in an afternoon is probably good. Plus, have I even accepted the fact that I’m bisexual?

“No, I’m on my way to the distillery to talk with the boys. I just wanted to let Dad know face-to-face because everything is so unsure.”

“This is why we have lawyers, Carter, if you’re really concerned about it.

But I highly doubt that such a well-known travel magazine would publish something that would be better suited for a gossip magazine.

Talk with Sawyer, get the lawyers into a meeting, and then we will navigate it.

This isn’t the first time we’ve had a scandal. ”

That surprises me, and my eyes lift to my mom for her to explain .

“Nope, a story for another time, my boy. Now get out of here, go face your brothers.”

“So quick to send me to my demise?”

“Never. We trust that you can handle yourself in all things. We love you, and we’re proud of you.

The only reason you will ever leave your position at the distillery is because it no longer fulfills you or brings you joy.

Not because you are scared. We don’t react out of fear; we face it and move forward. Do you understand?”

Not realizing how badly I needed to hear that, I wrap my mom in a huge hug, her arms wrapping around my midsection, her head resting on my chest.

“Yes, Mom. I love you.”

“Love you, too, my boy.”

“Alright, give me my wife,” my dad says, his voice shaky but strong.

“She’s all yours. Love you, Dad.”

Having a massive weight lifted off my shoulders, I leave my parents’ house and take the drive to the distillery.

Sawyer’s office is my first stop. I find him relaxed back in his expensive office chair, hands behind his head as if he were waiting for me. “Was wondering when you were going to show up to work. How was Maine? Can’t say it’s on my list of places to visit.”

My heart picks up as I try to push back the memory of my weekend with Finn.

The nights we spent wrapped around each other, how it felt to have all of his attention directed at me, the way we floated comfortably around each other, how we shared the best sex of my life.

How, for the first time in my life, I realized that I was capable of loving another person, even if I didn’t want to.

“Maine is actually beautiful, it’s similar to AR but sunnier. But we gotta talk, and it’s not great. Gonna affect us all. You want the news first or call the boys in?”

“Shit,” he huffs, leaning back in his chair, pulling out his phone to text our brothers. Sawyer sits in his chair, studying me while we wait for them to come up to his office. Dallas walks in first, barreling in like he owns the place.

“What up? Family get-together? Did you bring snacks?”

“No one brought snacks, dumbass, take a seat, we’re waiting on Liam.”

“Shit, he always takes forever. Maybe I should go get Gloria so I’m more comfortable. Why can’t he have an office in here with the rest of us?”

“He does, but he also has one closer to the vats and houses because he works over there more. Do you live under a rock? How do you not know this?” Sawyer snaps, bemused.

Dallas just shrugs as he lounges in a chair next to me, shifting around and groaning, complaining about how bad Sawyer’s guest chairs are. Liam walks in a few minutes later and takes a seat with us, ending our misery of dealing with Dallas.

“Sorry, had to finish helping Graham with whiskey fungus inspections.”

Sawyer rubs his hand across his jaw in irritation. “Shit, is it spreading?”

“Not any more than expected. Angel’s Share is part of the process, and we’re not a small-scale distillery; it’s to be expected.

I think our great-grandparents did a service to the town by building this place out in the middle of nowhere, but we want to make sure it doesn’t start to spread onto everything. ”

“Let me know what you need. We don’t need black soot covering all of Aspen Ridge if we can help it. Floor’s yours, Casanova. What do you got for us?” Sawyer says, nerves starting to take over.

I go through the whole story again from the beginning.

Leaving out the parts of hooking up with Finn and how we spent the entire weekend wrapped around each other.

I come clean about Temptations and avoid Dallas’ eyes so that Sawyer and Liam don’t find out that he is also a member if he doesn’t want them to know that.

Unlike what I told my dad, I go into further detail about how I was hesitant from the beginning, that talking to a journalist in any aspect who knew my sexual habits, and was digging into my family without coming to us first, has left me with the impression that he was looking for dirt rather than gold.

It feels awful to talk about Finn this way because, deep down, I don’t think he would do that to me, and the thought nearly makes me hyperventilate.

I wanted to believe him so badly when he reassured me it wasn’t in him to ruin someone’s life, but then how the hell did he get me to fall for him only to find out he’s got a goddamn girlfriend on the side?

What was the point of all of this if it wasn’t to do something nefarious?

The pieces don’t fit, and my anger at myself and Finn overrides my rational thought.

After I verbally vomit it all for the second time today, I feel fucking exhausted.

“Well, that explains your shitty-ass attitude the last few weeks,” Sawyer says after I’m finished.

Dallas chimes in, and it’s not very helpful, but he’s also not wrong. “We should bury these assholes; show them they can’t fuck with us.”

“That is not how we do things, dumbass. I’ll call our attorney and prepare to respond on the off chance they print something negative.

But I wouldn’t even stress it, Car. If they know we know, they’re going to anticipate a reaction.

I’m sure it’s going to make them think twice about running an article.

But it doesn’t sound like something the Northwest Explorer would even run.

It sounds like he’s a fucking tool and was bored and fucking with you. ”

Now it’s my turn to deflate into my chair. I run my hand through my hair, trying to breathe.

“You really think so?” I ask, looking for clarification. Needing it.

“Yeah, I’m sure. And if they’re dumb enough to run it, we’re going to fight them on it. They’ve got no basis. Plus, what kind of assholes are running that place?”

I just shrug, because other than the little I know about his dad, there’s a part of Finn that only I saw that isn’t capable of doing something like this to anyone.

He genuinely seemed so passionate about writing stories and using his voice and platform for good.

Maybe Sawyer is right and I have it all wrong—there has to be something else deeper going on here.

After a long-ass day, and pondering my family’s reactions, there’s one more person I need to talk to.

I need the full story, I need to understand.

Sawyer didn’t get closure when Ivy left, and I want to make sure that I have that.

Even if the situations are completely different, I feel like I’m not going to find myself again until I reclaim some of that power.

He wants to explain so bad, then I’m going to give him the opportunity and make it damn clear that we’re done.

No matter how much the thought nearly brings me to my knees in pain.