“When I’ve got football on the TV and your amber ale chilling in that fridge? Hell, no.”

Matt looked over at Ginger. “Why don’t you head on home? I’ll catch up with you on Monday.”

“Okay.” She shot Travis another glare. “Not a single crumb or you’re a dead man.”

“Sorry about that,” Matt said after Ginger had left. “She’s not usually so-”

“Locked and loaded?” Travis said. “Don’t worry about it. Actually, I’m surprised she didn’t body slam me.”

Matt dragged over one of the guest chairs so he was seated next to Travis. “I take it you know her?”

“Used to date her. She dumped me for cause.”

Matt didn’t especially want to know the cause. He was sure he’d either done it or had it done to him at one point or another.

“Thanks for coming into town and seeing me.”

“No point having you drive all the way out to Horned Owl.”

Which was part of Travis’s problem. He’d sunk a ton of money into a brewery and taproom so far off the beaten path that visitors needed to drop a trail of bread crumbs in order to find their way back to the highway.

Matt stood, got two ambers from the fridge, and handed one to the younger man before sitting. Travis opened the top-right desk drawer and pulled out a bottle opener.

“You’ve got this place scoped out, haven’t you?” Matt asked.

The brewer opened his beer with a well-practiced motion. “It’s good to know what weapons a woman can use against you.”

Matt’s thoughts traveled the road south, back to Keene’s Harbor and Kate Appleton. Weapons like wide hazel eyes and a mouth made to linger over? Oh, yeah. That was good stuff to know.

Travis waggled the opener in front of Matt’s nose. “You coming bt hYou comack from wherever you are?”

Unfortunately, yes. He took the opener and dispatched his beer cap.

“I’ve learned there’s no good way to start a conversation like this, so I’m just going to put it out there,” Matt said. “Word is, you’re having cash-flow problems.”