Shine On (28 page)

Three. There were all sorts of people there. Folks in suits, folks in overalls. There was no filter. She and Ava were two of maybe six girls in the whole place.

Four. The bar area was the only nice area in the place. It was a brick wall with about five stools pushed up to a heavy wooden bar. The bartender looked almost identical to the one in Smith’s Grove. He wore a long white apron and was quickly moving down the length of the bar pouring drinks for people.

But the last one was probably the most surprising thing she found…

Five. Silas was sitting at the table near the back of the room with Gabe, Trick and three men she didn’t recognize.

Emmie grabbed Ava’s hand and pulled her as quickly as possible across the room to the bar. Fly on the wall, Emmie repeated to herself.

“What are you doing?” Ava asked, pulling away from her friend. “Let’s go over and say hello. Didn’t you have something important to tell him about Mr. Thomas?”

“No, no please. We will in a minute because he has some serious explaining to do.” Emmie paused keeping her anger under control. “I just want to see something before he knows I’m here,” Emmie said.

“What on earth do you want to see?” Ava asked.

Emmie didn’t have time to explain all about the apple pie moonshine. She didn’t really want to yet. She wanted to wait until just the right moment.

“I’ll tell you all about it later, promise. I’m looking for…” Emmie stopped in her tracks. Sitting behind the bar was a jar of amber colored moonshine with a blue gingham wrapped lid. It was hers. It was the ’shine she made. Emmie was surprised how proud she felt to see that the jar was nearly empty. When she peeked behind the bar, she saw a bin with another one of her jars that was completely empty.

Emmie pulled Ava down to the end of the bar where the jar of apple pie ’shine was.

“What’ll it be?” asked the bartender, wiping his hands on the long white apron.

Ava opened her mouth to speak but it was Emmie who spoke first, abandoning their earlier agreement.

“Two of those please,” Emmie said, pointing to the gingham wrapped jar.

The man poured, Emmie paid, and Ava looked confused at the whole interaction.

Emmie took a quick glance around the bar and noticed two or three other folks were drinking her ’shine. It was obviously darker than the clear white lightning but lighter than bourbon, so it was fairly easy to spot. The people drinking seemed to be enjoying it. Fly on the wall mission, almost a success. She looked at her glass and tipped it back taking a little sip.

It was just like she remembered. Good, smooth. It was as sweet as apple cider with the warmth of moonshine. The pig had to buy the rest. Emmie glanced at Ava. Her friend was looking at her like she had grown another head.

“What?” Emmie asked confused.

“Emmie, what is going on?” Ava asked.

She smiled. “Just give it a sip and tell me what you think.”

Ava looked at the glass for a moment and then tipped it back, swallowed hard, and nodded. Emmie leaned in waiting for judgment. “Wow, that is really good. It’s like a warm apple pie.” She took another sip.

Emmie smiled, proud.

“What have I missed…? Why are you smiling like that?” Ava asked, looking around.

“I’m smiling because…” Emmie whispered, “I made it.”

Chapter Forty

A
va rolled her eyes. “Oh, Emmie. Really, tell me what all of this is about.”

“No, Ava. It’s the truth.” She nodded her head pointing at the jar on the edge of the bar. “I did that with the moonshine we found in the pantry. I swear.”

Ava cocked her head to the side, waiting for Emmie to say “Just teasing” or “Gotcha” but she didn’t. Ava stretched her arm across the bar and picked up the jar for closer inspection. The bartender gave her a look, obviously questioning her decision to touch the liquor but said nothing.

She turned the jar over in her hand and then rubbed her fingers against the fabric-covered lid. Ava looked up and stared at her friend composing her thoughts. Her eyes were wide, her mouth set in a straight line. She was genuinely shocked. Emmie had expected Ava to laugh or ask her a million questions but she didn’t. She bit her lower lip and continued inspecting the jar. All at once Ava’s gaze moved back to the table where the guys were seated.

Emmie turned and followed Ava’s eyes across the length of the long narrow room. It was easy to spot what had captured her attention. Clearly, the boys were in some sort of intense discussion. All attention seemed to be focused on the man in the center. He grinned and said something pointing at Silas. They weren’t speaking loud enough to hear but you could tell by the reaction of the others at the table it wasn’t good. All at once Silas reached across the table and grabbed the guy by the back of the neck. Bringing his hand down in one quick motion, he slammed the man’s face against the table. The thump echoed off the walls. The entire place stilled at the sound. Slowly and disoriented, the guy pulled his head back up. Trick and Gabe stood almost in unison looking around the place. The other two guys they were seated with picked the guy up and led him through a door behind the side of the bar. Silas followed close on their heels. Trick followed his brother, while Gabe continued to check the surroundings.

The rest of the blind pig customers went back to their business like nothing had happened. But Emmie couldn’t drag her eyes away from the door they had just entered. That man—she knew him. Not well but she knew him; she’d even seen him at the barn party the other night, sitting at the table near Bart Johnson. He had also come to her house just after Ronnie had died. He said that Ronnie had borrowed some tools to work on the truck. He told Emmie he was sorry to bother her but his car was broken and he really needed those tools back. Why in the world would Silas be fighting with that guy?

Emmie spun around on her stool to ask Ava. However, Ava’s eyes were still fixed in the distance. She lifted her hand in a bashful wave and shrugged her shoulder like she was saying, “Sorry.”

Emmie turned around to see Gabe closing the distance between them. Pushing people out of the way in the process.

“What the hell are you doing here? I thought I made it clear you were never to come here alone,” Gabe shouted as he walked up to them.

“Emmie’s had a rough day. We won’t stay long, promise.” Ava smiled up at him. Her smile almost always worked on him. His expression softened only his eyes showed he was still annoyed. She reached up grabbed his tie and pulled him down for a quick kiss.

As he pulled away she said, “And technically. I’m not alone. I mean, you’re here, right.” Her eyes were full of humor.

“Don’t push me.” He grabbed her chin. “And don’t leave until I can walk you down. I’ve got something I need to take care of here first.” Then he turned his eyes to Emmie. “You know, I have to tell him you are here… and he’s going to be pissed off.”

She didn’t need to be told who
he
was. “I know, he probably won’t be happy.”

“Sweetheart,” he laughed without humor, “there’s no probably about it.”

Gabe turned and headed for the door the boys had disappeared through earlier. Emmie’s stomach turned. Maybe she should just go. Folks were drinking her ’shine and enjoying it. The night was young and the bartender had already gone through two jars. That had to be good news. Emmie was sure they would buy the rest of the apple pie ’shine from Walt. Fly-on-the-wall mission was complete. She had seen what she came here for… and honestly, she’d seen more than she came for.

“Ava what in the world were they doing with that man… Sam Young, I think that’s his name?” Emmie asked.

“What makes you think I would have any idea? Do you know him?” Ava asked.

Emmie shook her head, “Not really. One of Ronnie’s friends…” But she never got to finish her sentence.

The ground below her was gone. She kicked her feet but felt nothing. All at once the world shifted and she was flipped upside down. Emmie still couldn’t see who had grabbed her. But her face was planted into the back of a dark brown suit coat. She continued kicking her feet and beating this man with her hands. A strong arm clamped down across her legs to keep them still. That’s when she smelled the familiar aftershave and leather. She knew who this kidnapper was and what was coming. Emmie stopped fighting and peeked her head around to his torso to see Ava grinning and waving. She held up her drink and mouthed, “Good Luck.” A lot of help she was.

“Silas,” she said calmly. Well, as calmly as you can speak when someone is carrying you like a sack of potatoes.

He said nothing. He just continued walking through the pig. People moved out of his way and gave Emmie little more than a passing glance.

“This is very caveman like Silas, don’t you think?” Emmie asked, smacking his back with her palm. When she tried to give one more kick for good measure she was met with a swift smack to her bum.

“Put me down, Silas. You made your point, okay? You don’t want me in there,” Emmie shouted.

They left the pig through the same narrow door she had entered. He shouted at the young guy who was sitting in a barstool next to the stairwell door that admitted the customers.

“Get your ass over here and open this door,” he said, walking to a large wooden door on the opposite side of the hall.

“Yes, sir.” The guy flew off the stool and pulled a ring full of keys out of his pocket, taking his time to find the right one.

Really, he is not even going to question the fact he is carrying a girl out of the joint, Emmie thought. This is absolutely ridiculous.

Finally the guy unlocked the door and held it open. Then he spoke to Emmie as Silas carried her past him. “Ya should have mentioned that Mr. McDowell was the beau you’ve been fighting with.”

“Shane,” Silas spoke the boy’s name.

“Yes, sir,” he said, standing in the doorway.

“Take one step back.” Shane did as Silas instructed. Then he kicked the door shut leaving the boy alone in the hall.

Silas flipped Emmie off his shoulder and onto an old worn-out couch that sat along the wall.

“If you need me I’ll just be out here, sir,” Shane shouted from the hall. Not a smart one that kid.

Emmie pushed her blue dress down, stood, and put her hand on her hip, bracing herself for the upcoming confrontation. She met his glare with one of her own. Her heart was pounding out of her chest but she refused to let it show.

“Emma, why in the hell are you here?” Silas shouted.

“Well, I’m in here,” Emmie emphasized the word here by spreading her arms out, “because some Neanderthal threw me over his shoulder and carried me in here.”

“Don’t you get sassy with me, Emma,” he said, pointing at her. “Now is not the time.”

It didn’t slip by her that he called her by her given name. His glare was ice. His face was stone. It was only upon closer inspection that she noticed his face was cut just over his eyebrow. It was freshly scabbed over. You could see the red blood along the outer edge. The cut hadn’t been there this afternoon. What on earth was going on tonight?

He turned his back to her and rubbed his jaw, pacing the length of the couch. She stepped away from the sofa and walked up behind him.

“I didn’t know you would be here because you said you were working late at the office,” she spit. “This sure doesn’t look like any office to me.”

“Damn it, Emmie,” he said, walking toward her. “This isn’t about me. We are talking about you. What the fuck are you doing here?”

She took a step backward and felt her knees buckle when she reached the couch. She sighed and looked away from him. “I just…” Emmie swallowed hard, “I just wondered if this really was a blind pig.” The lie caught in her throat. It felt wrong. It burned in her mouth like her first taste of moonshine. She swallowed hard and continued. “I asked Ava to bring me.”

He looked down at her with his hand rubbing over his mouth like he was trying to decide what to say next.

“Emmie that place,” he pointed across the hall. “that place is a shit hole. Nothing good comes from in there.” He scrunched his eyes. “It’s full of drunkards, bums, and liars. I don’t want you in a place like that. You don’t know what goes on in there…” he started.

“I saw you…” she nodded her head. “I saw what you did to that man. Sam Young, I saw what you did to him.”

A quiet moment passed between them, each too overwhelmed to know what to say next.

“Did he do this to you?” she reached up and gently touched the cut.

He was surprised that her eyes didn’t look afraid at what she had seen; they looked curious and sad. He flinched away from her touch.

“So you do know him,” Silas spit. “It’s him isn’t it?”

“What?” Emmie looked confused.

“It is him—Sam Young is the man who used to work with your father,” he said.

“Yeah, I don’t know how much they worked together but he was one of Ronnie’s buddies,” she said, her eyebrow arched with question.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Emmie. Sam sent someone in here a few weeks ago selling some of your stepdad’s ’shine. I saw him at that barn party and he is the man you gave those jars of ’shine to. He’s the one you have been keeping a secret from me… admit it… tell me the truth,” Silas yelled.