Madison had just finished preparing a hot chocolate and put it on the counter for Danielle to pick up. “Give me a minute.” She was about to go to the basement when someone tugged at her arm. She turned to a male customer in his mid-forties. “Yeah?”

He held up his half-empty beer. “My beer’s stale.”

It couldn’t have been that bad considering he’d already drained half. She was about to tell him that when she remembered her resolution to be nicer to the customers.

Danielle had praised her repeatedly and was already scheduling her for more shifts.

She took his glass of beer. “I’m about to head down to connect a new barrel. I’ll bring you a new glass when I’m done.”

“Does that take long? I’m on my lunch break and have to get back to work.”

He was having a beer on his lunch break? Madison bit her tongue to hold back some snippy remark. “Two or three minutes max. But I can give you a bottle of beer instead. What would you like?”

“Corona.”

Madison nodded and got him his choice.

After mumbling a “Thanks,” he strolled back to his table. Apparently, he was no longer in a hurry.

Madison turned away from the bar, rolled her eyes, and started toward the basement.

Passing the kitchen on her way, she ran into Sherry heading there. “Careful.” Sherry put her tray with two empty mugs on the bar counter before smiling at Madison as if she were the nicest thing she had seen all day. “You handled that customer well. You’ve gotten really good.”

Madison straightened. The praise felt damn good, but she shrugged not to show it.

“Madison, the barrel!”

“I’m on it, Jack!”

Sherry caressed her arm. “What would you say to bringing home some takeout tonight so that Rita Mae doesn’t have to cook? We could drive by Alfredo’s.”

Sherry’s touch was much too distracting, and it took her a moment until Sherry’s words registered in her foggy mind. “Sure. But then we would have to leave here early so that we can pick Jake up in time.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem today. I’ll let Rita Mae know.” Sherry’s hand was still lingering on her arm, but as much as Jack was waiting for her to get going, she couldn’t bring herself to end their contact.

When their gazes met, all urgency deserted Madison, and she gave in to the temptation to wrap her arms around Sherry.

After a slight hesitation, Sherry hugged her back.

When they let go after a pleasantly long embrace, Sherry asked, “What was that for?”

Madison smiled at her. “Just because.”

Now that the fog in her brain was lifting, she was kind of embarrassed about her childish behavior and hurried down the stairs to the basement.