She was a distraction, that was all. Like an annoying fly he could easily bat away. He had a business to run. To save, even. And it was going to take all his concentration to do it.
Chapter Six
“This is going to involve a lot of investment,” his mom said, reading the figures Daniel had printed off for her.
“I know. But we can’t afford not to. Either we move forward or we die. You know that. The International Blend was always going to be a Band-Aid. A short-term fix. We need to plan a new product, and start working on it now. Using only the very best ingredients.” Daniel had spent all week planning this out. Investigating the options, stalking the competition, all the while knowing that cashflow was tight thanks to the overspend on marketing. He loved his brother, but damn the man wasn’t great at figures.
People, yeah. Numbers, no way.
Eliana nodded, her delicate fingers holding the printed paper. “You’re right. I’d hoped the blend would be enough but…” She sighed heavily. “Is a single malt really the way to go? The investment will be huge. Sourcing barley, building a maltings, and then there’s the springwater. It’ll be hugely expensive to tank in.”
“It’s the best. There’s no point in doing this unless I can source the best water. We both know it’s the surefire way to making a great whiskey.” He’d learned that in Scotland, where they’d used the ice cold water from the mountains, filtered through volcanic rock and rich in minerals. It had been on their doorstep there, where the distillery was nestled into the side of the foothills, and the water flowed directly into their huge wells.
Here it would take either pumping the water from a source or having it brought in tankers. A third option – to build a distillery next to the water source, but that was too costly.
The idea of trying to reproduce a Scotch single malt here in GSC had come to him yesterday. Creating a true artisan blend that was brewed using the traditional Scotch methods, rather than the American way. There were only a few distilleries in the US doing it, and GSC had the edge of his experience.
He could make this work, if he had the investment.
Releasing the paper, his mom pushed it back toward him. “You know what you need to do.”
“Persuade Lawrence and Nina.” Nathan would agree, he knew that well enough. His brother was always on his side.
His mom gave him a soft smile. “Use your charm. I know it’s in there somewhere.”
“Charm might work on Nina.”
“But not Lawrence.” She sighed. “Can’t the two of you bury the hatchet once and for all.”
“I’m not the one who did the dirty on his half-brother,” Nathan reminded her. “That’s all on Lawrence.”
“It was so long ago.” She reached out to squeeze his hand. “When was the last time you two spoke?”
“Before I left for Scotland.” It wasn’t so much speaking as shouting at each other. Daniel blinked the memory away.
Eliana nodded, running her finger along her bottom lip. “Maybe you should go to Charleston. Take Nina and Lawrence through the plans face to face. In person is always better than video. Maybe it’ll give you the chance to build some bridges, too.”
“What happened to me never talking to him again? I thought you disliked Lawrence as much as I do.”
A ghost of a smile passed her lips. “I disliked what he did to you, but I still love your brother. I also know how much you love this business. If it takes charming Lawrence to get what you need, then that’s what you should do. I’m all for being pragmatic.” She squeezed his fingers again. “And maybe I’m sentimental, too. He’s still your brother, even after everything that’s happened.”
Daniel sighed and slid the paper back into the file folder. “Okay, I’ll go to Charleston and take them through it.” The thought of heading to the state capital made him want to punch something.
Eliana beamed. “Good. It’s the first step to making it work. Have I told you how pleased I am to have you home? Even if the other half of my heart is in Tokyo right now?”
“I don’t think you have, no.” He shook his head, unable to hide the smile on his lips.
“Okay then.” She stood. “I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve missed you. And now I’m going to head home. Would you like to join me for dinner again?”
“Not tonight. I have other plans.” They involved a punching bag and his fists, as well as not thinking about Becca Hartson’s open blouse.
“Another time then.” She kissed his cheek and left the room in a waft of Youth Dew, lifting her hand to wave goodbye.
“Yeah, another time.” He glanced at the trash can. The half-eaten scone was still laying at the top. He grabbed a piece of paper and covered it up, not really knowing why.
Maybe he didn’t want to deal with Becca again. Or explain why he’d thrown her scone away.
Yeah, that was it. He’d do anything for a quiet life.