#flat branch pub and brewing

[babygalentine]

milestones and flat branch pub and brewing, columbia, mo

image from the beer mapping project.

i like to pretend i am a clean eater. nothing but fruits and vegetables enter my holy stomach, food that does not bloat but scrubs, scrubs, scrubs everything dirty about my gut. i am a liar.

over the weekend, i moved in with my boyfriend. well, partially. most of my stuff is now in his apartment, and i'm in charge of the utilities bill, but my dorm still exists on campus as some sort of poor man's office overlooking the city. will, the boyfriend, had to work, so i spent much of my time in the new environment alone. on friday night, i bought us a bottle of wine to clink over grilled cheese sandwiches after his shift, at midnight. this was hardly the celebration we wanted for such a milestone, so we decided we would do something when he didn't have to work.

monday, he was required to take the day off. it was cold, both of us achy in the joints, stiff in the bones. when i wasn't at work or school, we held each other on the couch. i paced and did the dishes. antsy by evening, he suggested it: let's go to flat branch pub and brewing. they look cozy and a lager sounds nice.

i hastily agreed, bored with what was in our pantry, and craving something to do--when i stop anymore, i feel this anxiety, this creeping to busy myself. we bundled up and headed out into the frozen night. i wore a coat too big for my body, one with fake pockets that annoyed me. i digress.

the atmosphere at flat branch was the best option for the weather, i think. even on a monday night, when life is a snooze and the weather is bad, the house was full. the volume oscillated between raucous and moderate. they brought will his desired lager and me a honeyed sweet tea. we decided onion rings for the appetizer and burgers for our entrees.

the apple bacon burger i got blew my mind. it was warm, sweet and savory, the toasted bun and saucy bacon hitting every high note of my cravings. this was a far cry from the watery fruit, green vegetables i fantasize limiting my diet to. it punched my misconceptions about the human experience with food in the face. and, god-damn it, i enjoyed every second of it. this reminded me of will, in a way, how he was teaching me to love myself and even my cravings, whether he knew it or not.

he tipped his glass to me, smile across his face, eyes crinkling with joy. i'm so glad to be here with you, he gushed.

me too, i grinned back. i love you. i say it to him, to myself.

i love you, too, he glows.

and he really means it.

later we will lay in my bed, laughing so hard we cry, over bollywood movies and the way our guts ache after so much food. at one point, he will get stuck in his sweatshirt in trying to take it off, and we will collapse into fits. this is my life now, i think. stability, joy, laughter, a full belly.

i hug him close and say thank you. what a spectacular way to celebrate such a milestone.

[sitp-recs]

Hi Liv! I was wondering if you have a rec list already where either Draco or Harry struggle with alcoholism? I have read maybe like one before, but I couldn't find it again. I've been sober for almost 4 years now, but things are super stressful and that makes me stupid sometimes. Idk, it just helps, reading about my favourite pair. Anyways, thank you if you have any that you might wanna rec, and if not, thank you anyways, I really enjoy your blog, I always find some great fics through your recs💞 Hope you have a lovely day!🫶✨

Hi anon! Congrats on being sober for almost 4 years, you’re doing great 💜 I’m sorry things have been hard lately, I hope the recs help. I’m very particular about addition in fic so I haven’t read much or often, but I do have some recs for you. Maybe my followers can share more?

again, for the first time by @aibidil (E, 14k)

Five times Draco lied about why he wasn't drinking, and one time he gave an honest answer. Or, a love letter to sobriety.

War Wounds by SilentAuror (E, 30k)

Some wounds take longer to recover from than others. HP/DM, with background HP/GW. Themes of alcoholism, love triangles, and dubious fidelity.

Dreaming Darkly by @quicksilvermaid (E, 39k)

It's five years after the war, and Harry is not okay. He hates his job. He hates Robards. He hates Ron's promotions and Hermione's concern. He chases oblivion in booze and weed and quick dirty fucks, but it's never enough.

Take A Chance On Me by @mintawasalreadytaken (E, 41k)

There's a DJ on RareFM with a secret. Or: the one with all the ABBA in it.

Polar Night/Midnight Sun by toomuchplor (E, 54k)

Harry travels to arctic Norway on the trail of dragon egg poachers, only to find he's been assigned to work alongside the only NorMagPol Auror north of sixty: one Draco Malfoy. It's been ten years since they crossed paths, and Malfoy isn't exactly what Harry expected or remembered. For one thing, he wears a lot more hand-knits?

Lemon Colour, Honey Glow by @thusspoketrish (E, 67k)

Over a series of unfortunate pub nights at the Leaky Cauldron, Draco Malfoy falls in love. A story about finding strength and forgiveness in unlikely places.

Unhook the Stars by jad (E, 70k)

Seventy-thousand words of pornographic discourse between two boys-turned-men that still haven't learned how to communicate like normal people – with words. Guest appearances by Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Teddy Lupin, Gregory Goyle, the Weird Sisters, ex-wives, several Weasleys, a Boggart, and a Honey Badger.

Nor All That Glisters by @sweet-s0rr0w (E, 110k)

Lonely and frustrated on house arrest, with no prospects for the future, Draco begins brewing Felix Felicis in an attempt to improve his lot. Just in the short term, of course. He isn’t a total idiot. But before long he finds himself with a thriving business, a nice flat, some actual (albeit irritatingly Gryffindor) friends, and a very satisfying sex life. What’s more, no-one is hexing him in the street. And Harry Potter is single, and gorgeous, and giving Draco decidedly interested looks.

Another Mask Behind You by lettered (E, 116k)

Draco is a high-end prostitute who hides his identity. Harry unknowingly hires him. And then there is porn, questions about identity, domestic bliss, more porn, and truth as seen through a web of lies.

Dwelling on Dreams by @the-sinking-ship (E, 135k)

Draco thought he could avoid Potter for the duration of his brief return to England. He’d stick to his schedule and be back home in Paris, where he belonged, in a few short months. No trouble at all. He had plenty to occupy him, what with the opening of the London branch of his successful apothecary, his innovative research, drinks with Pansy, a backlog of unread potions periodicals.

Number Seven by sara_holmes (M, 253k)

Harry already has small children, an ex-wife, annoying colleagues and an international crime ring to deal with. So when Draco Malfoy reappears after eight years AWOL in France, of course Harry is going to leave him well alone...Right?

Whatever You Want, Draco Malfoy by @dorthyanndrarry (E, WIP)

Draco lost his home and the only society he knew after the war. He ended up living in the muggle world, making new friends and new connections and maybe some sort of peace. Even if that peace was usually found at the bottom of a bottle. It was enough for him. He was content to just exist. Then Harry Potter decided to ruin everything.

[tspatterson]

Flat Branch Pub and Brewing, Columbia, MO

Checked to is out due to a friend and coworkers suggestion tonight as it was noted as limited item to me. Chipotle mayo and a slice of swiss with a side of black beans. I enjoyed and would definitely have again. However when it comes to eating out the company you have may be just as important as the meal. This ought was shared with a couple of coworkers as we talked and enjoyed the night together.

[alex123456moralas]

Missouri’s Best Restaurants, The Ultimate Foodie’s Guide

From bistros and brewpubs to kitschy ice cream shops and fare from farm to table, the state-wide dining scene offers something for every eater. We explore the state to provide you with the best dining options in Missouri.

This travel guide to Missouri can help you plan a fun and affordable trip without breaking the bank!  Every year more than 2 million international tourists book cheap flights to Missouri to explore Missouri’s iconic sights and neighborhoods.

Stone Public House

44 Stone Public House is a gastropub that is a specialist in high-end pub food, paired with high-end whiskies and ales that are aiding in putting Columbia and Mid-Missouri in the spotlight as culinary hot spots. The menu is modeled after the casual and cozy pubs of The British Isles, 44 Stone's menu is influenced by the food common to England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales and is paired with a modern American style to create meals like imperial stout-marinated ribeye steak, wild-caught north Atlantic haddock served with hand-cut chips along with an extensive selection of American craft beers and whiskeys.

Bogart's Smokehouse

regularly ranked among the top barbecue joints frequently rated among the best barbecue joints St Louis (and for a smoker-obsessed state such as Missouri it's definitely an honor) Bogart's Smokehouse first opened its doors in the year 2011 and since then, the succulent meats slow-cooked over cherry and apple wood has achieved legendary status. Chef Skip Steele is a veteran pit master who perfected his techniques while as a child in Memphis cooking all Bogart's meats on the smoker in the backyard of the restaurant over a period of up to 24hrs. The customers rave about dishes like succulent pulled pork, apricot-brauleed prime ribs and succulent pastrami, served alongside side dishes such as deviled egg sweet potato salad, pit-smoked baked beans and pit-smoked potatoes.

*You can book your cheap flights from Orlando to Periera with the Lowest Flight fares and enjoy a trip.

The Fountain on Locust

For unique dining that has an eccentric personality Look no further than the Fountain on Locust, an award-winning ice-cream parlor and food truck voted The Best Restaurant to Impress Out-of-Towners in the St. Louis Post-dispatch's Readers Choice Awards. The interior is a slick art deco style, hand-painted by proprietor Joy Christensen (think retro tiled flooring and vintage counter-seats with bright murals) invites customers to sample their signature cones of ice-cream or sundaes, as well as floating floats with flavors such as butter pecan and coconut almond joy. And even though the well-loved place may seem to target children, "adult" fans of ice cream will surely be delighted by the fountain's adult-flavored floats that are liquor-infused and cocktails made of ice cream.

Flat Branch Pub & Brewing

Downtown Columbia tradition since the time it began its operation more than 20 years in the past (the first brewery to open in the city, since the year 1841.) Flat Branch Pub & Brewing is an intimate, elegant pub and has been awarded several awards including Columbia magazine's Top Overall Restaurant several times. It is located in a 1927-built brick building, which includes Columbia's largest bar as well as a large patio. Flat Branch specializes in handmade classic pub dishes that are given an American flavor, like deep-fried catfish, chips and tartar sauce that is tart and tangy, as well as tender shredded pork that is braised in a spicy adobo flavor and served in taco shells fried with the southwestern slaw and pico de gallo. All of which is, of course, ideal to pair with Flat Branch's homemade, in-house beer.

Lambert's Cafe

The place that is known as the birthplace of the first "throw rolls", Lambert's Cafe is an iconic Missouri eating tradition that dates into the 1940s. The restaurant is known for its large servings of typical American dishes and cozy diner ambience. In the present, Lambert's Cafe boasts two locations in Missouri and another branch located in Alabama however its Sikeston restaurant (the location of the first restaurant that was opened in 1942 by the owners Earl Lambert and Agnes Lambert) is where the story began. Relax with your family and guests in one of the wooden booths and enjoy items like the Bar-B-Q pulled pork sandwich served on Texas toast Fried catfish served with hushpuppies and cornbread and chicken livers served with the gravy of mushrooms.

Gram & Dun

An elegant, modern approach to the neighborhood restaurant Gram and Dun blends sophisticated, chef-driven American meals with well-paired drinks in a welcoming space that is a magnet for all kinds of people from craft beer enthusiasts and wine lovers and foodies with discerning tastes. The restaurant is located in Kansas City's trendy riverside area, The Plaza, Gram and Dun's restaurant is gorgeous. Dramatic slanted wood-beamed ceilings that overlook luxurious leather banquettes. A patio (voted as one of the best in the city by local publications such as KC Magazine and The Pitch) is ideal for outdoor dining. The most memorable dishes are the jumbo scallops served with blackened cauliflower, Swiss Chard, and Bourbon cherry butter. Also, the hangar steak accompanied by bacon-infused fingerling potatoes.

The Block

Inspired by the golden age of the past when butchers were the mainstay of communities in the area, The Block is a unique restaurant in Webster Groves that offers customers seasonal, local-inspired American dishes with an in-store, fully-serviced meat counter. A chic, intimate space, that is dominated by wood and industrial chic elements, guests are reminded of the fact that The Block can be described as a modern neighborhood eatery, and its menu is packed with delicious American classics harks back classic items like smoked brisket sandwiches made with Swiss cheese and pickled red onions and horseradish cream, or grass-fed butcher's cut beef, garlic fries, and the signature steak sauce.

Did you know that Culture Trip now does bookable small-group tours? Choose from authentic, engaging Epic Trips Compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, sprawling sailing Trips.

[prattlinpeach]

Another pre-ride, a thing of beauty!

Another pre-ride, a thing of beauty!

Today started early, about 620am, which is unfortunate for a Sunday, but a necessary evil. We had a motorcycle ride planned and we had to meet the guys at 930am, we had quite a ride ahead of us. I didn’t intend to get up quite so early but someone invaded my dream and I wanted them out. No, not the wasband, someone else, but I knew I was dreaming and decided if they were not leaving, I was. Go…

[hutchhitched]

Still the world’s greatest dessert. 😍 #stoutbrowniesundae #worldsgreatestdessert #flatbranch #tigerstripeicecream (at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing) https://www.instagram.com/p/CU-_EhxPxpe/?utm_medium=tumblr

[hertubise]

Flat Branch Pub & Brewing - watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, 11x14. 

[dreamketchers]

#katytrailale #balticporter #como #flatbranch #columbiamo #porkchops #salmon (at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3OSNvzHool/?igshid=1sg5aemvmvbq6

[passionate-baker]

Eating & Drinking in Edinburgh, Scotland

Warning: this post contains a lot of recommendations. Read on at your own peril.

A little while ago, Boyfriend & I celebrated our two year anniversary. Our ideal way to celebrate anything is to eat ridiculously good food, & lots of it. My ideal way to celebrate any new day ever is to try to get out & travel to a new place. So, we planned a weekend to Edinburgh & filled our days in the Scottish capital with copious amounts of food, alcohol, & doughnuts. It was glorious. 

Stay

Buccleuch Street // we ended up staying in an apartment we found on aribnb. Neither of us would recommend the apartment itself, but it had a good location. It was a great base for wandering around to every different corner of the city, which is handy if you’re willing to walk as far as we are for a good meal!

Do

National Museum of Scotland // we sought this out. The building is annoyingly frustrating to navigate & at times gave us rage. We wanted to visit the fourth floor to see the eight miniature coffins that were found at Arthur’s Seat in the early 1800s, which sounds simple, but wasn’t. We had to get a lift to the fifth floor, find a specific set of stairs down to the fourth floor, then navigate our way around the floor to the other side where the coffins were - it was infuriating. I mean, the mysterious little coffins were worth it (no one knows what they are for or why they were made), but man did I want to quit halfway through our search. Pro tip: there’s a great viewpoint on the roof of the museum. Not to be missed.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery // admittedly, we only wandered in because it was free & we were waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant. That said, we thought it was great!

Calton Hill // no trip to Edinburgh would be complete without a visit to Calton Hill. It’s for those of you out there who are like Boyfriend & I: too lazy / too unprepared to walk up Arthur’s Seat. I like to think this is just as good - great views over the city, great views of Arthur’s Seat (which, quite frankly, looks too big to be an enjoyable walk), you get to climb up on the National Monument of Scotland for that picture you wanted (if you’re an adventurous type like Boyfriend), & you can get up close and personal with the Dugald Stewart Monument.

Scottish Poetry Library // Boyfriend found the SPL in the New York Times article “36 Hours in Edinburgh.” It was fascinating to wander through the shelves of the bright & airy library, leafing through poetry books on any given topic - the selection was massive. There’s also apparently an area where you can listen to poetry being read through headphones, which sounds super cool, but we couldn’t find it while we were there & I’m one of those people who hates asking for directions, so we left it.

Royal Mile & Edinburgh Castle // although jammed with tourists at any given time, you can’t miss out on wandering around the area, which is laden with little alleyways & streets leading off a million different ways - some handy shortcuts through the city. We didn’t fork out the insane entry fee into the castle, but we did wander up to see what all the fuss is about & to soak up the views from the top platform.

Stockbridge // I wish we had spent more time exploring the Stockbridge area. A little bit out of the city centre, it hit us as a generally nice area to potter around. We saw food markets, quirky pubs, wine bars, some nice parks, & a couple of interesting shops. Worth taking the time to explore if you have some extra hours, especially on a Sunday when the neighbourhood seems to come alive.

Circus Lane // okay, it’s a mews. If you’ve read any of my travel guides before, then it won’t surprise you that I’m suggesting you visit a random mews in Stockbridge. It’s pretty, there are flowers & perfectly different little houses & cobbled streets & a well placed bench here and there & it’s basically just my idea of perfection. #doitforthegram.

Eat

Dishoom // Boyfriend & I had been to the Dishoom in Covent Garden on our last trip to London & fell head over heels for the menu. When we heard there was a branch in Edinburgh we couldn't not book ourselves in for breakfast. The Bacon Naan Roll is a must, but other highly regarded alternatives include the Bacon & Egg Naan Roll (because who likes to branch out too far?) & the Bombay Omelette, which Boyfriend ordered one morning & I was totally jealous. Pro tip: order the house-made ‘Dhoble’ cocktail to have with your meal, you won’t be disappointed. Added bonus: the top floor of the restaurant has these gorgeous big windows looking out onto St. Andrew Square across the road & the whole decor has a feel of the ‘20s.

Locanda de Gusti // this was the first dinner we had in Edinburgh, & it set the bar pretty high. Within minutes of entering the restaurant, we actually forgot we were in rainy Edinburgh - all of the waiters are Italian, the music is Italian, everyone is singing & speaking in Italian, & it truly feels as if you’ve been transported to a tiny popular restaurant in the Italian countryside. The entire experience was amazing: food was delicious from the first course through to dessert, the service was great, & they even gave us a little bottle of homemade amaretto to drink as a digestif!

Voujon // Boyfriend was adamant that we go to an Indian restaurant in Edinburgh for dinner & I am so grateful we did. Going by the pictures online, we almost cancelled our booking in favour of Dishoom (not because it looks bad, It’s just I’m always skeptical of places with white tablecloths), but we decided to stick to the plan & try it out. We were very pleasantly surprised! Every single part of the meal tasted out-of-this-world. Definitely a contender for the best Indian food I’ve ever had. Don’t miss out on the garlic naan. 

Holyrood 9a // I’m adding this to the list because it comes highly rated across the board for its burgers, but in real life the burgers are just kind of substandard & what we would describe as ‘fine’. I mean, the place did have a cool bar, the room was very atmospheric, & they did sell Camden Hells lager (which brought us back to our time in Hampstead) so it wasn’t a complete let down. 

Urban Angel // bacon bacon bacon, so much bacon. None of the reviews online said anything about the sheer volume of bacon that comes piled on top of the food, but if they had then I’m sure we’d have visited much sooner. The service was a bit slow, but there is literally nothing that bacon can’t make up for. I had the bacon with a side of Eggs Benedict, which was mighty fine.  

Cairngorm // this really should be under the ‘Drink’ section, but seeing as we didn’t actually have coffee here, I can’t vouch for it. That said, we did have a caramel square here, & it was damn fine & definitely worth the visit alone. You can trust us on this one, Boyfriend is a true caramel square aficionado.  

Krispy Kreme // I’m embarrassed to be including this in my list of places to eat, but clearly not enough to not include it. This is a battle Boyfriend & I are going to fight until Krispy Kreme comes to Ireland. Why is it all over the UK & not in Ireland? Confession: between us, we had ten (yes, 10) doughnuts over the course of three days. We regret nothing. 

Drink - Coffee

Wellington Coffee // good coffee is one of the first things I investigate in a city & this place was near the top of a few lists. We actually stumbled across it by accident. It’s this tiny half-underground cafe where everything is squished together & the staff are all hipsters who seem really into their coffee & like they totally know what they’re doing, which they obviously do, because the coffee was great. 

Press Coffee // this was literally less than a minute’s walk from our apartment, so we (read: Boyfriend) frequented it for our morning coffee fix every day. We also one time ventured in there for breakfast, for which I had a scone the size of my face & Boyfriend had the best scrambled eggs he’s ever had out. Bonus: the walls are so yellow it’s impossible not to feel happy inside. 

Brew Lab // a real deal kind of coffee place that makes the hipsters in Wellington Coffee look like fakers. There’s a slightly intimidating coffee menu, but you can do this, it is so worth it. I had a kick-ass flat white that knocked my socks off. We got ours to-go & sat on the cute bench outside, but I kind of wish we’d sat at a table in the large open plan cafe that has this dreamy exposed brick wall. 

Drink - Alcohol 

Brewdog // for some reason, if you go to Edinburgh, you have to go to Brewdog, that’s just the way it is. It’s cool micro-brewery with a well stocked menu full of different craft beers & really friendly staff. 

Andrew Usher & Co // At first I was skeptical about heading down mysterious stairs leading into an underground bar, but Boyfriend assured me I’d like it & he’s pretty much never wrong about things I like - it was awesome! Loads of little tables lit by candlelight in a kind of cave-like interior? Count me in! We opted for cocktails - I had a margarita - & it was a pleasure to watch the barman put in the time & effort required to make a drink that little bit better. 

Stockbridge Tap // Boyfriend read about this place online & it was one of the main reasons I was able to convince him into wandering out to Stockbridge with me. He had read that the beer selection was superb & that there were heaps of options & that the barmen really know their stuff - which I’m sure they do - but after trying one of their beers & not liking it, he was simply given “Plan B”: Tennent’s. I mean, we can buy Tennent’s in our local supermarket in Dublin. Aside from that, the pub does have a nice atmosphere & it is animal friendly. 

Smith & Gertrude // if you decide to try out any of my recommendations, please let it be this. I dragged Boyfriend to S&G with the hopes that it would live up to the wine bar of my dreams. Spoiler alert: it did. It’s this entirely unpretentious wine bar that totally blew us away - open plan, communal tables, exposed brick wall, candles dotted around, music being played from a record player in the corner, stools at the bar, and a menu that consisted of a list of cheeses, a list of meats, & a list of three different boards that combined said meats + cheeses. It is simplicity at its finest. The selection of wines by the glass were superb & we both opted for a big glass of Sangiovese, after which I moved onto a Spanish rosé. We put off whatever other plans we had so we could stay for something to eat: a single serving of both Ubriaco (a hard Italian cheese we’d never heard of) & of Chorizo Iberico Bellota, both of which were served with crusty bread & crackers. We died and went to wine & cheese heaven. Hands down my favourite spot of the whole trip. 

Kay’s Bar // this was Boyfriend’s favourite spot of the whole trip. A true old man pub - I was the only woman there for the duration of our drinks - where everybody knows each other. It took us a little while to find the pub, which is located in a seemingly quiet residential area, but we are so glad we found it eventually. Even the website is adorable. 

[emmakillianfan]

Music of the Heart Chapter 51

Previous Chapters: FF.net and AO3

Killian couldn’t remember a time when he’d seen his mother sipping on tea or coffee, lazily perusing through the newspaper or quietly contemplating the rest of the day. She was always so busy, rushing from one job to the next to support her sons and their life in the crowded flat they shared in London. It was not that he felt neglected when he was under her care, as she always managed to show up to school functions and often read him to sleep before a few more hours of work at a second or third job. Perhaps that was something he admired about Emma was her own fierce determination to make Henry’s life the best it could be, always making time for him and putting him first.

And yet he never felt that Emma was just fitting anyone in her life. One of his favorite images of Emma was not dolled up and ready for a night on the town. Instead he preferred her blonde hair piled high on her head and her normal business attire replaced with leggings and an oversized sweater with sleeves so long that they cupped around her palms. Yet that wasn’t the image he had that morning as he finished brushing his teeth and made sure that his facial hair was even.

Her hair was still damp from her shower and her clothing more business casual as she lifted the heavy drapery of the hotel room and looked at the street below. She was frowning into her cup of room brewed coffee, a pseudo-delicacy that he planned to skip and remedy with the closest chain coffee place for a latte and some buttery pastry.

Stepping into the room, he greeted her with his own sort of half smile and sought out his socks and shoes. His phone, abandoned on in the center of the rumpled bed, was silent and dark. “No word?”

She shook her head, wrinkling her nose either at the coffee she had just ingested or the question itself. “He’ll come around, Killian. I know he will.”

The he in question was Liam, who had not been at all happy to hear about their father’s call the night before. Somehow he had turned it around that their father and called Killian a few names for considering getting in contact. The angry and tense call had ended abruptly with the older brother refusing to answer subsequent calls and texts. Killian hoped that his brother might calm down after talking to Elsa, but the lack of reply indicated otherwise.

“The Emma I fell in love with wasn’t an optimist,” Killian joked, jamming his feet into his boots. ���She would probably tell me to lose my father’s phone number as well.”

“You’ve rubbed off on me.” Reaching for the phone, she held it for a moment and then handed it to him. “And I’ve always thought family was important. The choice of whether you call your father back is up to you.”

“You’d think this would be an easier decision since I had us booked to track down the man in London,” Killian groused, pulling her over to him so that she stood between his legs. She placed a hand under his chin to bring their eyes in connection. “I feel like a bloody coward for not being able to punch in those numbers.”

“You’re being cautious,” she said, still not letting go. “That’s not a bad thing. The ball’s in your court and all that. Call him if you think you need to do it or we can throw that phone number in the first sewer grate we pass.”

“My mother always said he was too much of everything. Too angry, too bold, too charming when he wanted to be…She said Liam was his copy.”

“And you’re more like her?”

“Apparently,” he laughed. “Liam got her curly hair and coloring, but I suppose I have more of her temperament. She had the voice of an angel. Loved to sing all the time, but only in private.”

“So I wouldn’t have been able to convince her to sign with the label?” Emma asked, smiling wryly at him at an attempt to add some levity to his wistful remembrance. “Sounds like I might have a good combo. You, her, Liam. Like the Sound of Music but English.”

“She was scared of the stage. I remember a lad at some pub where she worked for a time asking to hire her for a show. It was quite a bit more money than she was making at the pub, but she said she couldn’t do it. Said it was her greatest fear.”

“So she didn’t do it?”

“No, she came home with a second job picking up laundry for some of the more prosperous families around us. Said she had a responsibility to her boys to keep us in shoes, food, and clothes. Our father gave her nothing, so it wasn’t as though she had any help.”

“She sounds like a strong woman. I wish I could have met her. But mostly I wish she could have been there to see you grow up and be proud of the man you are now.” She placed the now empty paper cup of coffee aside and looped her arms over his shoulder, leaning her head down to his. “I know you miss her.”

His eyes closed, relishing the closeness of her. “I do miss her greatly. And I wish she was here now to see me so happy with you. She’d be rough on you at first, questioning your intentions with me. But in the end she would love you as much as I do. She’d love Henry too.”

Resting his hand on her hip, he squeezed a little as she swayed. “I know I’d be so nervous meeting her. You’d have to hold my hand and tell me I was going to be okay.”

“Always,” he agreed. “And my father? Will you be nervous meeting him?”

She was quiet, the scent of their shared hotel brand body wash mingling between them. “Am I going to meet him?”

“Aye,” he said after a pause. “That was the plan for us. Go to London, confront him, and put an end to all this mess. Now that I know he’s close at hand, it feels…”

“Too real?”

“Aye.”

She hadn’t moved from the spot, their foreheads touching, her body molding against his. “I’ll call the radio program,” she said softly. “I don’t think you should put yourself through that whole interview with all this going on. Regina will understand.”

“Love, I promised you that I would do it. I keep my word.”

“And I love that about you. But you don’t really want to do it. And I don’t want you to have to do it. Elsa’s capable of doing this on her own. Maybe we can even have Anna call in and answer some questions.”

He arched back, taking one of her arms down from his shoulders and kissing her hand softly. “You weren’t forcing me to do it. And we’re already here. I see no reason to back out now.”

“You’re really going for that title of saint,” she teased, squeezing his hand. “Just so we’re clear though. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do it.”

“I don’t feel that you have coerced or blackmailed me, love. I am doing it for a variety of reasons, but none should amplify your guilt.” He looked up at her pensive expression. “But I might feel better about the whole bloody mess if you were to say kiss me.”

“Is that all it takes?” she asked playfully. “So if I kiss you and tell you I sent your father’s phone number to Kathryn and Frederick to research, you’d be fine with it?”

He closed his eyes again, breathing in deeply through is nose. “You did that?”

“Maybe?” She sighed, looking sheepish as her face scrunched adorably. “I shouldn’t have overstepped, but I know that the two of them are really good about tracking down information on numbers. And since you didn’t want to bring Graham in on this…I can tell them to stop.”

“Love, you didn’t overstep at all. I can recognize that actually tracing my father’s number goes a lot farther than me staring at it or listening to his voicemail for the 100th time.” He cocked one eyebrow at her still awkward expression and gave her a frown in response. “But you did so behind my back and we may have to consider a bit of punishment.” She let her jaw drop a little as if considering if he was serious or not. “I think I am now owed two kisses.”

She shimmied her shoulders and rolled her eyes. “If you insist.” She lowered her mouth toward his eagerly, but stopped just before they touched. “Just remember that this is not about love. It’s simply me paying a debt.”

He smiled. “I can live with that.”

***AAA***

The assistant producer on the radio program carried over a few of the proposed social media posts on a sheet of paper. Handing it to Emma, the woman, who looked to be barely old enough to vote, pushed her glasses on top of her head. “I have to tell you that I love that song. It’s gorgeous. And your boyfriend is going to be huge with the tweens and teens out there. I hope you’re already looking at some exposure for him. Does he have Twitter? Instagram?”

“He’s not really in the industry,” Emma said, skimming through the list of teases for the interview that would be broadcast in syndication around the country. “He wrote the song for our friends’ wedding.”

“Well,” she huffed, glancing over her shoulder as though Killian and Elsa might hear her through the glass partition of the waiting area and studio. “He’s got a lot of potential. It’s a crime to let that go unchecked.”

“He’s happy being a teacher and concentrating his efforts there,” Emma said, passing the paper back. “But thanks for the compliment. He’s certainly talented.”

Evie, the assistant, ripped the page back out of Emma’s hands. “The production value is great too. I really liked some of the choices. Did he produce it?”

Emma smiled back, tentative and unsure. “That’s actually me.”

“Amazing. I knew you were a scout for the label, but producing too. I hope that Ms. Mills pays enough. I’ve heard she can be a little stingy, but so are most execs. You should branch out. There are lots of independent artists looking for a good producer. You could set your own hours, work with just the ones you want. I’m sure you’d make a killing.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Emma said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “So the interview starts soon?”

“Oh yeah,” the woman enthused. “We’ve already gotten some calls, you know? Calls about Killian and Elsa. Fans I guess. They were asking about them and when and where the interview was. Well mostly about Elsa, but Killian got one too. Some guy. British accent. He was nice. I took that one myself.”

“Wait. What? Killian? Someone called about Killian?”

“Yeah, he was really nice. I told him we record in New York, but couldn’t tell him more specifically. He was gracious and all. I liked talking to him. Men with accents are just so cute, you know? Of course you know, Killian has an accent too.”

“Did he? Did he want any other information?” Emma asked, hoping her face was a mask of what she was actually feeling – panic. This was how Brennan Jones had figured out that Killian was in New York. It was a scenario that had never occurred to her. “Like the hotel or whatever?”

“No, not really,” the woman tapped her head at the temple. “Oh wait. He asked if the label was taking care of arrangements. Said he wanted to send flowers as a congratulations to the hotel. I told him I couldn’t tell him the hotel but that yes Storybrooke Recording was in charge of it all.”

Emma thanked her, hoping the woman would get out of her hair and allow her to make the phone calls and confirm her thoughts. Regina’s assistant had been the one to tell which hotel. It would have been easy from there, as they traveled under their own names. Most of the other staff would have been more vigilant, but the head of the label’s assistant was not as careful with information.

Sitting tensely through what turned out to be a light and fun interview were the longest minutes of Emma’s life. She smiled at the right time and places, shooting Elsa and Killian thumbs up when either made a particularly pithy or insightful statement. To the host’s credit, he did not ask them anything too tough. Most of the interview focused on the song, Killian’s inspiration in writing it, as well as Elsa’s musical interpretation. When it was over both of them were smiling and seemed proud of their work.

“You were really wonderful,” Emma told Killian in his ear as she hugged him and waited for Elsa to finish signing an autograph that would be a contest giveaway on the show. Killian had balked at the idea of signing anything himself, stating he was a teacher not a celebrity.

Once all three were deposited safely back at the front of the building, Elsa squinted up at the tall building across the street. “So I’ve got about an hour before I need to leave for the airport. What do you say we go grab something sinful like a soft pretzel or even pizza from a street vendor? It’s not New York without that experience.”

Emma decided it would be easier to explain to Killian about his father if they were comfortable and seated, so she held off until they had each ordered a slice of pizza. Elsa offered to pay, joking that Killian held tight to Emma’s hand so he would have the excuse of not having a free hand to pull out his wallet. But Emma joked she could take care of it and then proceeded to pull out Killian’s wallet and the money necessary. All three laughed at her solution.

“So you must have some harsh critique to share, love,” Killian said as they sat on the steps to one of the museums that Elsa had mentioned she wished she had enough time to see. “You’ve looked quite vexed throughout the interview and since we left.”

“You know me too well there, buddy,” Emma said, resting a napkin on her knee and hoping that the wind wouldn’t blow it off. Of course it did and she frowned. “So I know how your father found you.” She proceeded to tell them of the assistant producer’s conversation and the phone call. She even told them she had confirmed with Regina’s assistant via text that it was she who had divulged the details, not realizing that Elsa’s was not the only privacy in in need of protection. “I kind of feel like this is my fault.”

“Love, you didn’t make the call for that bastard.” Killian furrowed his brow, taking another bite of the pizza and looking for all the world like the taste confounded him. She knew better. Even Elsa looked concerned.

“But if I hadn’t made you do the interview then this…”

“Well, if you’re to blame then so am I,” Elsa chimed in, somehow managing to balance the pizza slice, soda, and napkin in elegant style. “I helped convince you to do it. I even played up my injury as reason for wanting to do it.” She looked guiltily at the couple. “I should be past the whole solo issue now.”

“I probably wouldn’t have chosen to do it, but it did make sense,” Killian said with a slight shrug. “The song was written by me and was recorded by the two of us. It would have appeared weird for you to do this alone. And despite my misgivings, the actual experience was far from a bad thing. I enjoyed working with you, Elsa. And I didn’t even mind the mindless prattle of the interview. So the two of you can stop with your pouting and guilt. I am not upset about the bloody interview.”

“So…” Emma said, trying to respect his wishes about not feeling guilty. “What are we going to do about your father?”

“I’m not sure there is a clear cut answer for that. But I do think that we need to get Elsa and the guard on the plane, calm my brother down so that we can talk to him reasonably, rent a car, and drive to wherever this is my father is hiding. I don’t wish to do it this way, but enough is enough.”

***AAA***

Liam glowered in the background as Graham and David discussed some sort of match that he was neither aware or interested in at all. It was unusual to have them both there, but David and Graham had been together on the golf course when the call came in from Liam about damage to Killian’s garage. Nothing appeared to be taken but there was a mess in there, as if someone had been searching hard for something.

Pacing the distance from the dining table to the fireplace, he split his focus between the inane chatter and the clock on the mantle that was ticking closer to having to pick up Elsa at the airport. He welcomed the short amount of time that was left before he could have her safely in his arms.

“So you say this was not the state of the garage when you left last night?” the sheriff asked with a casual air about him. He had his notepad out and a pen hovering above the lined pages. However, his expression was that of all business. The cold winds that seemed even worse on the water had relegated them inside.

“I wouldn’t have called you over to see it if it was always that way. I’m sure you’re a fine officer, but we aren’t exactly mates there, Graham.” Liam felt the phone in his pocket vibrate, but he knew it wasn’t Elsa. She was midflight and under rules not to use her phone. Since she was the type not to break or even bend the rules, he was left to believe that it was one of the guys in the band or most likely his brother.

“Point taken,” he said stoically. “And you’re sure nothing’s missing. We’ve had a rash of break ins lately. The pawn shop, two residents on the east side of town, the ice cream store.”

“Someone broke into the ice cream shop the week before Thanksgiving when the temperatures are freezing?” David asked incredulously. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to hit that during the summer when the register had more money?”

Graham shrugged. “Could be kids or someone stupid. Doesn’t take much intelligence to be a thief like that. The good ones aren’t getting caught.”

“Can we focus on the fact that my brother appears to be getting bolder and hitting even closer. Between causing Elsa’s car accident and now this? Don’t we have enough for more than a protective order? It’s just a bloody piece of paper that offers nothing other than a finger wag.” He shoved his hands in his pockets before his fists clenched out of frustration. “Are you even looking for Liam?”

“Of course we’re looking for him. The state police were called and have been scouring the area. They’ve even brought in some of the cyber guys to determine if he can be traced that way. We’ll find him.” Despite the fact that the page on his notepad was only half full, he flipped to the next page. “How certain are you that Liam is the one that broke into Killian’s garage?”

“Who else could it be? This man is clearly trying to hurt me. He almost killed Elsa thinking it was me in the car. What am I supposed to think?”

David leaned back in the chair, throwing one leg onto the other so that his ankle rested on the opposite knee. “Could be those teenagers that Graham was talking about. Or maybe someone down on his luck and looking for something to pawn? Could be some of Killian’s students who think they are owed a better grade. The possibilities are endless, but you’re right. It might be your brother. Doesn’t seem like it though. He usually leaves a note or makes sure you know it is him.”

Liam’s light blue eyes darted to the husband of Elsa and Emma’s friend, narrowing at the man’s nonchalance over discussing the issue. He remembered Emma saying something about David’s own dysfunctional family and something about a twin brother. So he bit his tongue and looked almost pleadingly at Graham.

“I’ll look into it,” Graham promised, standing abruptly. “Get Killian to file a report the minute he’s back, but I’ll give this one a head start. And see if Robin can come over and help you get the structure secure. No sense in leaving it open for the more petty among us. Don’t worry, Liam, we’ll find this guy.”

***AAA***

Emma’s hand ran over the soft sweaters displayed at the store where she and Killian had ducked into to avoid a cold rain that only lasted a few minutes. She’d already picked two for Henry, rolling her eyes when Killian suggested that they purchase one for each of them and use them in upcoming Christmas card photos. It wasn’t such a bad idea, but she had no intentions of embarrassing her son that badly.

“I bet Mary Margaret, Anna, and even Elsa are already done with their shopping,” she said as she tried to see which of the shirts he was browsing seemed to catch is attention. “I’m more last minute.”

He nodded, moving a few steps to the left to look at another display. “I haven’t bought for more than Liam lately. Though I did purchase a large quantity of Irish whiskey for Granny last year. It seemed appropriate.”

She smiled, remembering how Granny pulled that bottle out and showed it to anyone who happened by the private residence long after Christmas. The thoughtful and slightly inappropriate gift had melted a layer or two off her gruff exterior. Though she was back to barking orders shortly after, Emma knew her appreciation had been deep. “We don’t have to do anything big this year. I just usually try to get a few things for Henry.”

A few things was an understatement, as she had a bad habit of hiding her working mother’s guilt behind more stuff – buying presents for any conceivable holiday. She might not make every concert, but dang if he didn’t have an extensive video game collection. To her relief Killian looked appalled at the idea.

“It would be dishonest if I said I hadn’t had quite a few thoughts of you, me, and the lad celebrating the holidays together. I even took to finding a prime location for a tree in the living room. And before all this mess with our brother started, Liam promised that we could find just the right lights for the outside of the house.” He ducked his head. “Mum was always so busy working that we never really had a true holiday like that. I’ve even begun to research some eggnog recipes and whatnot. Mary Margaret and David may be hosting everyone for Thanksgiving, but I was thinking we might for Christmas. Henry would love it.” Both eyebrows went high with the request, his cheeks pink with the excitement boiling under the surface.

She held out a single arm and twisted it dramatically. “You win,” she said, pretending to consider the victory carefully. “But no inflatable snowmen or Santa. I hate those things.”

“Animatronics?” he asked playfully, abandoning his clothing search and stepping closer. “I was thinking an elf workshop theme.”

“Dork,” she teased, shaking her head before kissing him chastely. “And you’re right. Henry will love it. He’ll probably draw up a diagram and plan the whole thing out for you. Then it will take all of January and February to clean it back up again.”

“Gladly. Perhaps we could even do matching pajamas? I hear they are quite the fashion this time of year.”

If he had looked less earnest and her phone had not buzzed, she might have dismissed that wish too. She had never found the joy in dressing alike. But given his excitement, she might have to reconsider the idea. It was a nice thought to have some of her traditions, Henry’s traditions, and Killian’s all melding together, creating new ones along the way.

She frowned at her phone, and he knew right away that it was about his father. Raking his hand over his face he waited for her to respond. “Any word?”

“I’m not sure I was expecting this. Your father’s number is not a cell phone at all. It’s a landline. A recovery center upstate that focuses on spiritual and overall health in terms of alcohol and drug recovery. A rehab basically.” She tapped the link and stared at the stock images of people in loose flowing outfits sitting on grassy banks as they stared upward at white fluffy clouds in perfect blue skies. “I suppose it makes sense. He’s got that liver issue.”

“Which was taken care of?” Killian shook his head. “Wouldn’t they require him to be sober before he underwent such treatment?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Emma said, shoving the phone back down. “Why don’t we pay for this stuff and head over for a drink and look into this information. I’m thinking I could use one. And if I can, you certainly can.”

***AAA***

Liam frowned at the lone suitcase circling the carousel at the airport. Everyone had picked up their luggage from that flight more than an hour before and left the battered purple bag to circle endlessly until some sky cap or porter picked it up and took it out of its misery. For as little as he knew of its owner, Liam felt very much like that bag, aimlessly wandering through a scenario that couldn’t possibly be his life.

His phone vibrated in his hand and with a cursory glance he dismissed the message from his brother in hopes that the next would be from Elsa saying she had safely landed. Killian wanted to talk. He was talked out on the subject of their father. He had nothing left to say or do on the subject.

Elsa had asked him the same questions as Killian when she had called that morning. She wanted to know if he would prefer to meet them in New York and travel upstate to see his father. He’d said no. She said he might regret the decision. He said he didn’t care. She asked if he would talk to Killian again, as his brother was concerned and worried. He said he couldn’t. She had told him she loved him as she hung up the phone, but he’d heard it. He’d heard the disappointment.

He wasn’t a stranger to that sound of disappointment in a person’s voice. His mother had sounded that way when he had gotten into trouble at school. His father had sounded that way in his younger years. Even Killian had worn a mask of it when he’d shown up on his younger brother’s doorstep with the ink of his discharge papers still wet. To hear it from Elsa was even more troubling though.

“Hello there, sailor,” Elsa said, throwing her arms around him and giggling a little at the oomph sound he made in surprise at her affectionate greeting.

“I thought you were to call me when you arrived,” he said, suddenly confused. “Did you not have a signal?”

“The crowd kept surging forward. Travel on the weekend before a holiday is brutal.” She grinned, arching back to take a better look at him. “Besides you told me where you’d be.”

She was not the type for public displays of affection and there was a crowd gathering to pick up their luggage. Two people had already run into them and a man in dark jeans and non-descript cable knit sweater was watching from the sidelines, an overstuffed backpack on one shoulder. “Your guard?” he asked, nodding in the man’s direction.

“Frank,” Elsa confirmed, letting go with one arm to secure her grip on her own carry-on bag. “We talked at the airport and on the plane. He’s got a wife and two kids. Another one on the way in a few weeks.”

“And your wife was okay about you traveling to another state so close to the holidays?” Liam asked incredulously. “And you were okay with it?”

Frank, who had to be at least 6’3” and 280 pounds of muscle grinned beneath a heavy mustache and shifted the backpack to the other shoulder. “Yeah, my wife is a big fan of Elsa and Anna. I kind of promised to ask for an autograph.”

Elsa beamed at Liam, clearly proud of her ability to make conversation with the man despite the awkwardness of the situation. “I am never going to be used to that.”

“Well, seeing as you probably already signed it and Frank here probably wants to get home to that family, let’s run along now. My rental’s in a good spot.” He relieved Elsa of her bag and placed a hand at the small of her back to guide her through the crowded baggage claim area. With only the barest pressure on her back, he realized she wasn’t moving. “Darling? You didn’t plan to stay here at the airport, did you?”

“I think you should fly to New York,” she said resolutely. Reaching up, she cupped his jaw and cheek with a slender hand. “Go to Killian. Stand with him and face your father. I know you don’t want to see him. I get that. But you and I both know that it is going to eat at you. Look at you now. You’ve got bags under your eyes. You’re testy and moody. And frankly you’re probably going to say something to your brother or to me that you regret. So let’s pretend that you’ve said all your protests. And I’ve said mine. Go. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Liam looked helplessly at Frank who was craning his neck to either look away from them not so discretely or trying to spot any danger. Either way wasn’t helping Liam. “You have got to be kidding. You just got home. Last night without you was torture.”

“For me too,” she said with a smile. “I know for a fact that there is one seat next on the next flight. You have just enough time to make it.”

“I’m not going,” he said just as stubbornly. “I won’t leave…”

If he thought that digging his feet in would sway her, it didn’t. She stared back at him with the same resolve and determination, her eyes icy as she regarded him though there was a softness in her expression. He recognized that and loved it. “You’re being unfair to Killian,” she noted softly. “I’ve never known you to be intentionally cruel, Liam. And yet you’re hurting him. He didn’t understand. Not really. And you won’t even return his calls.”

“An airport isn’t the place for this.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Bloody hell, Elsa. Let’s just go home. I’m not going to New York. I’m not playing into this here in front of God and everyone. Elsa, let’s drop it. My brother has a fantasy that needs to stop now.”

She let her jaw go slack. “Really? A fantasy? Liam, why is it such a bad thing…”

“Because Brennan Jones uses people. And despite the fact that I drilled it into my brother’s head. Despite his fiancé’s reassurances. Despite all of it, Killian could walk in there and forgive him, opening himself up to all manners of pain. And I don’t know if I can stop it.”

That she could understand, as an older sister who wanted to protect and defend her little sister. But still she knew what it was like to lose the chance to speak to a parent, to never have the final words or emotions conveyed and assume that they understood before they were gone. “He wants you there. Killian. He wants you there.”

“Elsa,” he shook his head sadly. “I am not sure I’m strong enough for this.” He glanced over her shoulder and the crowded area of people greeting each other, tired, hungry, elated, sad. Every emotion was on display in that one spot. “I just can’t. Forgive me?”

“I’ll always forgive you, Liam. I just hope that Killian can.”

Giving a tilt of his head in Frank’s direction, they headed toward the exit, Elsa quiet and contemplative, Liam unsure and sulking. She had tried. Later that night when she texted Emma that would be what she said. She had tried.

***AAA***

Emma’s cheeks were nearly as red as the thick woolen scarf around her neck, the lone spots of color with her black coat and dark gray beanie that she had worn with the prediction of snow flurries that afternoon. Allowing Killian to keep his hand free, she looped her arm through his for both warmth and closeness as they made their way through some of the more touristy sights of the city. While she tried to keep the conversation light, she could feel the tension radiating off him. He checked his phone for missed calls when he thought she wasn’t looking and seemed to have a faraway glaze to his eyes.

“We don’t have to do this,” she said after they snapped a selfie in front of one of the theater marquees that boasted a show they both wanted to see but couldn’t manage tickets.

“I thought you at least wanted to see the sign. Perhaps there is a scalper though? Might cost a bit, but it would be worth it…” he let his gaze drop. “Oh. You mean…”

“You haven’t said anything about it. Your father. Do you want to go see him? I can still call about a car.”

The sky was starting to spit snow, tiny flakes that were neither beautiful nor a nuisance yet. They melted the second that they touched their skin or coats. Still he brushed at her to rid her of anything that cold and bothersome. “You know, love, as much as I love your strategic mind and preparedness, this is less a case of logistical questions and more of emotional.”

“I suppose I’m just not sure what to say,” she admitted. “Killian, I want to be here for you. Whatever you need. You just have to ask me.”

“I wish I knew what I needed. It would make it easier.” Her hand were rubbing up and down his arms, not any particular pattern or purpose. He was grateful for the familiar motion that usually preceded or coincided with their lips touching passionately. “I need my brother to stop being such a wanker and talk to me. I need my father to be honest.”

“I wish I could make those things happen.”

“And perhaps that is all either of us can do.” He sighed. “Elsa was going to talk to him. Tell him that his place was here confronting our father. I doubt it will help.”

“You should have hope,” she said, her black leather covered hand stopping at his neck, fingers curling into the hair on the back of his head. “I’m not your brother, but I’ll be there.”

He tilted his head, eyes half closed. “Your being there is the only thing keeping me in control of myself right now, love. I don’t know that I could face him without you.”

She yanked on his arm, throwing him off balance and catching him at the same time. Her lips fused to his, the kiss hard and needy there on the sidewalk and half under the awning for some shop. She parted her mouth, inviting him inside as her hands resumed their slow massage of him. His grunt of surprise disappeared into more of a sigh. Her lips were soft and supple against his, the flesh pushing against his, tugging at his bottom lip incessantly.

“I thought you did not appreciate a good public make out session, love?”

“Some rules are meant to be broken,” Emma declared. She bunched the softly worn leather of his jacket in her hands and ignored the startling sound of car horns close by as someone must have committed some heinous act of bad driving. “So we are…”

“We’ll drive up in the morning. With or without my blasted brother.” He gave her an awkward wink. “In the meantime, may we please go about our evening of adult entertainment without a second thought about my family? I would prefer to enjoy this time alone with you as much as I possibly can. After all, I only have a limited time to properly woo my fiancé before she becomes my lovely wife.”

She pretended to consider his proposal, tilting her head and twisting her mouth in faux contemplation. “Deal, but we have to deal with the car first. And someone has to call Mary Margaret and David about not taking Henry to the airport. And we have to do something about the airline tickets. Maybe we could drive home rather than fly. It might be a nice escape for us?”

“I rather like that idea, love,” he smiled wider. “Have I told you that I love you for your brilliant mind?”

“Among other things.”

“I am a fan of every part of you, Emma Swan.”

“Soon to be Emma Jones,” she countered. “And I know you’re going to agree when I suggest you call Mary Margaret.” She pretended to wince. “I love my friend dearly. But if I call, she’s going to tell me all the bridal shops and whatnot I need to visit in New York. And she won’t lay off until I somehow agree to do it. She won’t do that to you.”

He chuckled, digging into his pocket for his phone. “Very well, my love. You deal with the car and I will take on the wedding planner and teacher extraordinaire, Mrs. Nolan. We’ll take on the airlines later.”

The duo ducked into a yogurt shop that seemed only slightly less busy than anything else, ordering a shared treat and then beginning Killian’s call and Emma’s attempts to rent a vehicle on her phone. She could only catch his end of the conversation, but she considered herself lucky to not be the recipient of her excited friend’s questions. He could barely get in the request about Henry before he was promising to check out some restaurant she had read about and offering to find her a t-shirt that she had seen another teacher wearing.

“Aye, I will certainly pass that information along,” he said, cradling his phone between his ear and shoulder as he scribbled something on a napkin. “No, Emma’s been a bit preoccupied to do any wedding shopping, but I’m sure it will be priority soon enough.”

That must have sent the woman into a long soliloquy of details and information, as he nodded and chimed in with appropriate responses. All the while he waggled his eyebrows at Emma over her phone. The entire scene was amusing and she was tuning out his robotic reactions until she heard him ask her to repeat herself. In quick succession he asked a few questions and then thanked her again for agreeing to look after Henry until their return. Emma lowered the phone and looked at him questioningly.

“It would appear that someone smashed the lock to our garage and did a bit of snooping around. According to David, Liam could find nothing missing but was not completely sure. It seems David was unaware that Liam had not notified me at all about it.” He shook his head, digging his spoon into the dish of peanut butter and chocolate flavored yogurt. He never lifted it to his mouth, placing it back in the plastic dish with a sigh. “I understand that he is angry about our father, but this is a time to put that aside and tell me of the development and the fact he had to call out the sheriff.”

She clicked the confirm button before the six minute limit ran out, electing to ignore the fact she had completed her task in favor of being supportive. “Graham is thinking it’s your younger brother?”

“Not sure. I’m hearing this from the wife of the man who was there for my brother to tell the sheriff. It’s not exactly first hand knowledge.” He balled his hand up into a fist and tapped it against his forehead. “It’s truly maddening to think my brother is so unwilling to talk to me that he would think this information better left unsaid. What if that wanker broke into the house? What if you or Henry had been there?”

“He didn’t,” Emma said, ignoring that twinge that told her she was worried about the same thing. “He hasn’t. We’re fine. And all we store in the garage is junk that neither of us can bring ourselves to part with. Maybe it’s a sign we should.”

“A fact I’m grateful for.”

She felt as if she had spent most of the weekend asking him what he wanted to do. It was his choice. She knew he had to be the one to choose when and where to see his father. He had to be the one to confront both of his brothers. Or he could to decide to ignore it all. So she asked him one more time what he wanted to do.

He pulled the phone from her hand, setting it aside on the table. “The plan has not changed. First we’ve got this frozen dessert to finish. After that I will place a call to Graham to find out what I can. You check into out flight situation? Then we’re off.”

He made good on that promise, hurrying through the conversation and waving them down a cab while she explained the situation to some ticket agent over the phone. As they slid into the car she gave him a thumbs up at her success in negotiating their ticket transfers. She even managed to read and respond to a text from Elsa about Liam’s refusal before following his lead and placing the phone in her coat pocket. By the time they made it back to the hotel to change for dinner, she was quite a bit calmer and he certainly was as well.

Stepping out of the dressing area, barefoot in her red and black dress, she laughs and twirls in place to his appreciative reaction. “You know I sort of thought you might like this. Even if you did first try to woo me with a boardwalk arcade.”

“You were reluctant,” he said, clearly enjoying the view as she bent to retrieve her shoes. “I had to surprise you.”

“You’ve surprised me and even made me surprise myself with how easily I fell for you.” She swept her hair over one shoulder. “Not that I’m complaining.”

He stood from his seat, his own dark colored pants and shirt with its waistcoat conforming nicely to his body. “I’m not sure I wish to share you with this city tonight. Perhaps we should stay in? Entertain ourselves?”

She walked easily in her heels, something he could never understand how she did, slowly sauntering toward him. “I was promised a date,” she reminded him. “No paper placemats. No playgrounds. No Granny’s.”

“And I shall do my best, my love.”

“That’s all either of us can do, Killian.”

[morganites-realgar]

I love getting a flight when I go to a brewery. I normally split with someone (my brother) but he's enjoying the Florida sun. Beerosaur will probably come out tonight. (at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing)

[vanlyvan]

Cucamonga Peak and other forest adventures

After work on Friday, Alex and I drove two hours to the Mt. Baldy area, slightly northeast of LA. It’s a flat drive punctuated by slow traffic, but once you pass the perimeter of the Angeles National forest, the terrain quickly becomes steep and rugged.

We stopped for dinner in the Mt. Baldy lodge, which had live music and a homey, next to the fireplace feel. On our way out of the lodge a man stopped us and fed us a line about his car being stolen, so we offered him a ride back to the edge of the national forest, where cell service would be available. It took about 20 minutes to drive back to our camping spot for the night, the Ice house trailhead.

As we settled in to go to sleep, we heard scratching on the outside of the van. It stopped, then started, intermittently. I stayed under the covers while Alex went outside to investigate. Turns out the van was tall enough to touch the tree branches, which were lightly scraping the van as the wind blew. Crisis averted.

In the morning we woke up to many other cars and people moving about the trailhead as they started early on their hikes. We’d planned a 10 mile hike up to the peak of Mt. Cucamonga, at 8867 feet. We hiked along a stream at the bottom of the canyon for about 45 minutes, then started up a steeper route with switchbacks. 

The Angeles National forest is a pine forest with desert flora along the forest floor. The higher we climbed, the more exposed granite we saw, and eventually the trail took us past a deep cave that burrowed about 200 feet into the bedrock.

We returned to the van, tired but happy, around 4:00PM. Wanting a beer and nothing to do with cooking, we went to the Buckhorn pub. It was to be run by a friendly, drunk bartender, and everyone in the pub appeared to work there. We enjoyed fantastic tri-tip sandwiches smoked by one of the bar patrons, and IPAs brewed locally.

In a search for a place to sleep, we drove along Glendora Ridge Rd at sunset, which follows ridge lines for miles and provides fantastic views of both the mountains and the City of Los Angeles. We stopped for the night at a large turnout with a crazy view, and fell asleep.

We slept without the windows covered and the sun woke us up in the morning, creeping over the mountains. We cooked oatmeal and tea, planned our day, watched a couple mule deer walking on the next ridgeline, and continued our drive along the ridge. We saw around 30 bicyclists, all riding uphill along winding ridgeline. Alex said it was the best biking road he’d ever seen.

We drove until we reached a small diner, then stopped around 11:30 for a late brunch of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. The restaurant also invited us to fill our 20 gallons of water tanks from their hose.

The drive continued to the San Gabriela reservoir, then south to the 210, which we followed to get to Lake Arrowhead. Neither of us had been to Lake Arrowhead before, so we didn’t realize that the shoreline is 100% privately owned. We found no way to enter the lake without paying, so we drove to the only public park nearby, which had enough cell reception for us to find instructions on how to play Rummy, a fantastic card game for two players. We played a round, sat on the swings, and looked at the inaccessible lake below us.

Alex suggested a walk around the downtown, and when we got there we found that Arrowhead was celebrating Octoberfest, complete with a german folk band, beer tents, bratwurst, men dressed in lederhosen, and a contest of which man could hold a beer stein in an extended arm the longest. We enjoyed german food and music, walked around the town and enjoyed the festivities, and stopped at the local grocery store before heading back to San Diego.

[theshoeaddicts]

When you see the first description of a beer and it says "Purple Color" and it's a Blueberry Ale, you gotta try. And this is delicious! #beer #flatbranchbrewery #brewery #travel #cheers #columbus #RunBlogRun #theshoeaddicts (at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing)

[kellehercreative]

Two Bears and two Markers = how many Tigers? (at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing)

[westalla-blog]

1. Taylor Stadium 2. Mizzou Arena 3. Faurot Field 4. Stankowski field 5. Greek Town 6. Student center 7. Mizzou rec 8. Hudson Resident Hall and Rollins dining hall 9. MKT trail 10. Flat Branch Pub & Brewing 11. Shakespeare’s 12. Booches 13. Harpo’s 14. Ellis Library 15. Columns and Jesse Hall

[hutchhitched]

Today I consumed the world's greatest dessert. It's been eleven months since my last consumption. #flatbranch #flatbranchbrewery #stoutbrownie #stoutbrowniesundae #como #homesweethome #mybffgetsme (at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqbe8yIhhgQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15rguw1m8sbzj