By Starlight (21 page)

Or maybe something else will happen.

Maddy believed that her faith in Jack would be rewarded, that the love she again felt blossoming between them would be enough to make him abandon the dangerous life he’d become involved with and let them have the future she’d always dreamed of. She clung to it tenaciously, ready to fight whoever she had to, do whatever it took to make it so, even if she risked failure.

But whatever happened, the consequences were hers to bear.

“But why didn’t you tell me the truth?” Silas continued, not willing to let his argument go. “Why did you have to lie?”

“Maybe it’s because I’m tired of having to listen to all of your complaints about Jack,” she snapped back, finally allowing her anger and irritation to show. “Ever since the day his family came to town, you’ve never given him a chance. No matter how hard he tried, no matter what he said or did, you turned your back on him and made certain you told me he wasn’t worth my time!”

“You’re my daughter,” Silas offered. “I only wanted to protect you.”

“Until Jack left the way he did, he’d never done anything to deserve the way you treated him! You should’ve been happy for me! You should have wanted him to be the son you never had, for us to get married and have a family of our own! But you couldn’t do that. Instead, you did everything you could to keep us apart, making him wait outside the store out of sight, making it so unbearable that I had to sneak out my bedroom window in the middle of the night just so we could be together!”

“You did what?” her father asked incredulously at the secret she’d just revealed to him after keeping it hidden for years.

“But I’m not the girl I was then,” Maddy vented, ignoring his question. “I’m a woman now, and I’m going to make my own decisions, right or wrong, regardless of what anyone else thinks! If that means I want to spend time with Jack, if I want to tell him I love him, that I want to be with him, then that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”

With that, Maddy stalked from her father’s room, slamming the door shut behind her, her heart pounding and her head spinning.

From behind her, she heard Silas shout out to her, “Maddy! Maddy, wait! Let’s talk about this! Maddy!”

But she kept right on walking, down the hall and then the steps. Tonight she’d tell Jack everything. She’d insist that he tell her about how he’d gotten tangled up with organized crime, and together they’d find a way out. She’d offer him her heart and trust that he wouldn’t break it again.

And to hell with whoever disagreed.

STOP HERE.
”

Clayton did as Jack asked and pulled the battered truck to the sidewalk in front of the bakery. Outside the dirty windshield and open windows, night had descended on Colton, wrapping it in a blanket of stars. Even at such a late hour, just like the first night after his return, there were people out and about, many more than before, most of them headed in the same direction.

Maddy’s speakeasy.

The trip back to town had taken far longer than Jack hoped. He and Clayton had waited a long time to be certain Jeffers and Sumner had really gone and weren’t lying in wait, watching to see who might eventually walk out from the trees. When they’d finally made it back to the truck, Clayton had driven them on a different, winding road that had initially led them even farther from Colton, before eventually curving back. While it had only taken a couple of hours to get to the site of the illegal liquor transaction, the return had lasted nearly three times as long; even with the long days of June, enough time had passed for night to descend. Finally, they’d entered town from the opposite direction from which they’d left. Still, it had been the right decision; there was no point in taking the chance of being seen, even if it was well past sunset.

“You sure you don’t wanna go back to the Belvedere?” Clayton asked. “After all we just been through, can’t say I’d blame you fer wantin’ a hot meal and a bed. Ain’t no shame in callin’ it a night.”

Jack didn’t answer, watching the people head toward the tavern, his mind spinning, a plan forming.

“I don’t much like that look you got in yer eye,” Clayton said, correctly reading Jack’s intention. “I ain’t much of a gamblin’ man, but I’d put some coins down that yer thinkin’ ’bout goin’ to the speakeasy.”

“I am,” Jack admitted, nodding slowly.

“You sure that’s what you wanna be doin’? After all, Sumner just shot bullets at you. You come walkin’ through the front door, he’s gonna have an easier time of it than firin’ blind into the trees.”

“All the more reason to go.”

Clayton scratched his beard. “Talkin’ in riddles like that ain’t doin’ nothin’ but confusin’ me.”

“Just listen,” Jack said, warming up to the idea that was taking form in his head. “If Sumner believes he saw me in the woods, would he expect me to come to the speakeasy tonight? No,” he answered his own question. “He’d figure I’d stay far away. This way, he has to wonder about what he saw. It’ll confuse him. Hopefully, it’ll give me a chance to learn what they did with a truck full of alcohol.”

“I think yer givin’ Sumner too much credit for thinkin’,” Clayton disagreed. “That boy ain’t one for usin’ his head.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“Rollin’ the dice like that seems risky to me.”

No matter how much Clayton tried to dissuade him, Jack had made up his mind; he was going to the speakeasy. But there was more to his reasoning than he was willing to admit to. Though he’d seen what Jeffers and Sumner were up to with his own two eyes, there were still unanswered questions, first among them being where they had taken the liquor. Still, as much as he remained determined to do his job as an agent of the Bureau of Prohibition, to smash the illegal liquor operation and arrest those responsible, he was equally resolute in wanting to protect Maddy. If she was at the speakeasy, he was convinced she was in danger. He had to keep her safe.

Jack opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Clayton got out from behind the wheel, looking at him over the truck’s roof.

“Yer gonna go through with this crazy idea?” he asked.

“I have to.”

“Well then.” Clayton said with a chuckle. “I reckon that means I’m goin’ with ya.”

“This isn’t your fight,” Jack replied.

“Aw, hush that talk! What kind a friend would I be if’n I let you go alone?” With a wink, Clayton added, “ ’Sides, last time you treated me to one hell of a show!”

“Here you are.”

Maddy placed the glass of whiskey on the makeshift bar in front of Seth Pettigrew anticipating that it would quickly disappear, so she was more than a little surprised when he didn’t reach for it right away; it wasn’t often that a drink set before the former lawyer remained in place for more than a few seconds. She was even more mystified when she looked up to find him staring at her intently.

“Is…is something wrong…?” she asked.

“With me, no,” he answered. “But I can’t help but wonder the same of you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“My dear.” Seth smiled easily, his face turning up as smoothly as a well-oiled door. “You don’t spend as many years as I did trying to pry the truth out of witnesses, information most of them were hell-bent on keeping to themselves, without learning how to read what’s written on a face.”

“And what is mine telling you?”

“That you’re lost in thought, with a touch of worry and unease thrown in for good measure.”

As much as Maddy would’ve liked to contradict him, she knew there wasn’t much point; after all, Seth was right. Ever since she’d left home and walked hurriedly to the speakeasy, her thoughts hadn’t drifted far from the heated argument she’d had with her father. It wasn’t like her to raise her voice like that, especially toward Silas, but when it came to her relationship with Jack it often felt as if
everyone
was determined to stand against her, against
them
. Though she had let her frustration boil over, Maddy didn’t regret it.

“Is it that obvious?” she asked.

“As the nose on your face.” Seth chuckled before finally picking up his drink and downing it in one swallow. “Now, if I were standing in a courtroom, trying to convince the members of the jury to see things my way, the next question I’d ask was whether your current doldrums had anything to do with Jack Rucker…”

“You must’ve been a pretty good lawyer.”

“One of the best, if I do say so myself.”

“Then I’m sure you’d be happy to know you’re right,” she admitted. “Ever since Jack came back, it feels like he’s the only thing on my mind.”

“Understandably so.”

“When I first saw him, I couldn’t help myself; all of these emotions came rushing back and there wasn’t anything I could do…”

“What I witnessed from this very stool that night was quite a testament to that,” Seth agreed. “But then I think most everyone in this room would have agreed that Jack had at least one good slap coming to him.”

“When I ran out of here…”

“You didn’t want to talk just then, you were overwhelmed…”

“But then when I saw him again, it was easier, I listened to his explanations, and things began to change…”

“After all those years together, things couldn’t have changed that much…”

Maddy wondered if this was like being a witness in one of Seth’s trials, baring her thoughts, eased along with words of encouragement until she’d spilled every last secret she held. It occurred to her that it might be best to hold her tongue, but now that she’d started she didn’t feel like stopping.

“Now that we’ve spent time together, now that we’ve…,” she explained, trailing off, unable to speak of their kiss, “there’s a part of me that wonders if we might still have a chance to be together, that we can start over, but everywhere I turn, it feels like everyone’s against me, like I’m a fool for even hoping…”

“That’s because most people are either unwilling or unable to take a chance,” Seth replied with a hint of pity. “They’re afraid. Whatever the reward, it isn’t worth the risk. But that’s not how I see things.”

“It isn’t?”

“Absolutely not,” Seth answered, giving her a smile that must have been quite successful in the courtroom. “I’ve always been a bit of a risk taker, and while things haven’t always worked out as I would’ve liked, even with a couple of complete disasters mixed in, I don’t have many regrets. But when it comes to love,” he explained with a wink, “my advice would be to take that leap of faith. If your number comes up, it’ll change your life.”

“But what if it doesn’t work out? What if I fall flat on my face in front of everyone?”

“Then you get back up, dust yourself off, and try again.” He shrugged. “You’ve already done it once. Remember, you might not like how folks in this town flap their gums about you and Jack,” he said, cutting her off, “but that’s because they all remember the unmistakable love you had for each other. Most people live their whole lives without a single taste of what you’ve had. That’s why, if you don’t take the chance you’ve been given, you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting that you didn’t try to get it back.” Seth looked at her long and hard, letting his words slowly sink in, before his face broke into a wide grin. “Now how about another one?” he asked, holding up his empty glass.

“On the house,” she said, before placing her hand lightly on his and adding, “Thank you for that.”

“You’re quite welcome, my dear.”

Maddy lifted the whiskey bottle and was just about to pour when she happened to glance across the crowded bar and see Jack coming in through the front door with Clayton Newmar. Jack was staring right at her, but their eyes met only for an instant, long enough for a flutter to race across her heart, before Sumner Colt blocked her view, his hands balled into tight fists, his body coiled like a rattlesnake, confronting Jack in such a way that Maddy knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that there was going to be trouble.

Jack betrayed no emotion as Sumner whipped open the door to the speakeasy, took a half step back, and looked at him with disbelief, as if he couldn’t bring himself to accept who was standing before him, as if the dead had suddenly come back to life. In the awkward silence that followed, Jack stepped carefully inside. He had just enough time to look toward the bar and find Maddy’s eyes. Relief flooded him that she was safe and sound; it was a struggle to keep his features calm. Clayton entered right behind him.

“What’n the hell’re you doin’ here?” Sumner asked, his voice low but full of bristling menace.

“I thought I might have a drink,” Jack answered.

“Don’t tell me we’re gonna go through this whole song and dance again,” Clayton added. “Where’s Jeffers? I wanna talk to him.”

Sumner’s eyes never left Jack’s face; he wondered if the flunky had even heard a word Clayton had said.

“I done saw you,” Sumner hissed, his face contorted in fury. “I saw you watchin’ us up there’n the hills. I know you was there!”

With all of his years as an undercover agent to draw on, Jack had no trouble making his face reflect bewilderment. “What are you talking about? What hills?”

Rather than giving Sumner a reason to doubt his claim, much as Jack had hoped, his denial only served to enrage the thug further; he’d taken a chance, one that appeared to have failed miserably. Angrily Sumner stepped closer, his hands balled into tight fists, looking like he wanted to tear Jack limb from limb.

“Don’t lie to me none,” Sumner threatened, his breath hot and sour. “I saw you with my own two eyes! I don’t know where you went when me’n Jeffers was lookin’ for ya, hidin’ like the coward you is, but I know you was there! If you’d a shown your face a second longer, I’d a put a bullet right ’tween your eyes!”

“You
did
see me today,” Jack said, making Sumner straighten up at the admission, “but it was when you and Jeffers drove past me near the Belvedere.” Now that he’d knocked the man off-guard, Jack decided to try to keep him that way. “What were you hauling in that big truck, anyway? Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been small. Or were you picking something up?”

“And what’s all this nonsense ’bout shootin’ a gun?” Clayton interjected. “I reckon he musta been drinkin’ too much of what’s bein’ sold in here. That’s ’bout the only way I figure he coulda come up with such a cockamamie story like that.”

“Look, I understand you’re still mad about what happened in the alley,” Jack added. “Let me buy you a drink and we can let bygones be—”

Before he could say another word, Sumner attacked, either unwilling or unable to hold his fury back any longer. Though he’d anticipated such a thing happening, Jack was surprised by the speed with which his foe struck, and a glancing punch landed against his jaw, dazing him with pain.

“I knew you was trouble from the moment I laid eyes on ya!” Sumner snarled, his fists raised, the sinewy muscles of his arms tight. “I told Jeffers you was no good, that you was gonna have to be dealt with, so now that’s exactly what I’m gonna do!”

Jack had never understood why, at the beginning of a fight, men suddenly started talking. By ranting and raving, Sumner had given up his advantage, allowing his opponent a moment’s respite to find his footing and chase the cobwebs from his head. Now it was up to Jack to make use of the gift he’d been given.

“I guess I’ll just have to show you how much trouble I can be,” Jack replied.

Fast as a bolt of lightning, Jack’s fist shot out and hit Sumner flush against his already-broken nose, snapping his head back, causing his eyes to water, and forcing a yelp of pain to jump out of his mouth. Jack followed up with a hook to the ribs, driving the air from Sumner’s lungs and sending him scrambling backward, surprise and pain written across his face.

An audible gasp rose from the crowd around them; Jack didn’t dare risk a look, but he imagined every face in the speakeasy was turned in their direction. Snippets of conversation drifted across the cellar.

“…can’t believe it!”

“I ain’t gettin’ involved with all that!”

“Jack better be careful!”

That last comment caused a smile to curl at the corners of Jack’s mouth. Everyone in the bar, heck, everyone in Colton, would’ve been surprised to know how many fights Jack had been in. Before he’d left town seven years earlier, he would’ve been far more likely to try to talk his way out of trouble than use his fists. But one of the lessons he’d quickly learned during his time with the Bureau was that, on occasion, there was no choice but to fight.

This was one of those times.

In coming to the speakeasy, his intention had been to learn more about what Jeffers had done with the illegal liquor he’d loaded, not to get into a brawl. But he’d underestimated Sumner’s hatred for him. He’d knocked the bootlegger unconscious once already; he’d have to do it again.