Shine On (20 page)

“Are you dressing up?” Ava asked Silas.

“No way,” he laughed.

“Oh, you and Gabe are a pair of wet blankets. I cannot get him to either.” She elbowed Gabe.

“Well, we better find a seat,” Silas said, grabbing Emmie’s elbow to lead her away from the table.

The place had filled up quickly. Nearly every available table was taken. Families had spread out their picnic blankets in every space for kids to pile onto the floor. It was warm, busy and loud—such a contrast from the environment at the church. Emmie took her basket up to the row of tables to hold the food. She added a couple of jars of applesauce to each side and put a serving spoon out with each.

“Got us a seat over here,” Trick called from a small square table in the back where he, Silas, and another young man were seated.

When she reached the table her breath caught in her throat for a moment, then she composed herself and sat. Sitting opposite her was the tall blond man that had let them into the speakeasy in Smith’s Grove. She swallowed hard and nodded a polite hello to him.

Her mind raced with questions. How should she act? Was she supposed to act like she knew him? Her mouth felt dry. She was such a fool. Why had it not it occurred to her that she may see someone from the joint out in public.

“Emmie, this is Robert Drake. I believe you know his father, Sheriff Tim Drake.” Silas pointed to the short dark-haired man sitting with his family in the corner.

Emmie swallowed hard trying to get enough saliva in her mouth to form a word. “I do,” she nodded. “I do know Sheriff Drake. It’s nice to meet you, Robert.” She held her hand out over the table. He smiled and his eyes looked like they may be laughing at her discomfort. Robert glanced over at Silas but was met was a look of indifference, so he kept his amusement to himself.

Trick had the same natural talent as Ava. He struck up some conversation about the World Series, trying to ease an awkward moment. Something about the Giants vs. Senators in game seven and a new record. Thankfully, baseball was something that she knew almost nothing about. It would not be obvious if she bowed out of the conversation.

Silas scooted his chair closer to hers. “Ya alright?” he whispered.

“I’m fine, really.” She gave him a smile that she hoped looked confident and easy. She could do fake faces. She’d had to give a lot of them in her life. When your step-dad was a drunk and you didn’t even know your real dad, you learned to give fake faces of indifference or happiness. Silas seemed to buy it.

“Just didn’t think about seeing folks out. But it’s fine,” she whispered. “So, you said his dad’s the Sheriff?”

Silas sighed. You could always count on Emmie for a loaded question. There was so much more to that question than the words she asked. He chose to avoid the loaded part and just go for straight-line honesty, “Yep, that’s what I said.”

She stared right at him, blinking her eyes. God, he should take her in when he’s questioning people. She communicated more with each blink than he did with a mouth full of words. Where was she going with all of this?

“Let’s go get food before it’s all gone,” Silas said, interrupting the World Series discussion.

Silas grabbed her hand and led her to the makeshift buffet. It was odd holding hands in public. Not a bad odd, just odd. People noticed because Silas was a stranger in a small town and they were curious. If he noticed, he didn’t let on. But then again, he wouldn’t let on anyway. It wasn’t his style. He didn’t really seem to care about what folks thought.

While they waited in line she stood on her toes behind him and whispered, “I have some more questions… about the sheriff.”

He nodded never looking back. “I thought you would.” Then he helped himself to a couple spoonfuls of beans and a sliver of cornbread while grinning up at her. She caught his meaning and laughed in spite of herself.

When they returned to the table the conversation turned back to sports. Emmie had completely tuned them out to watch a couple of kids on the floor play a game of jacks. She laughed as one little girl continually beat an older boy. He didn’t like it and pouted away before they could finish the last match.

“You did a good job,” she smiled down at the child.

“Thanks.” The little girl smiled back showing she was missing at least three teeth.

“You changed your mind on my offer of school, yet?” Silas asked. She hadn’t noticed he was watching the jacks’ game too.

She shook her head. “I already told you. I want to try this myself. You were right though.”

His eyes widened, “I was? What about?”

“There is no timeline. Just because it doesn’t happen now, doesn’t mean it won’t. I’m going to figure this out.” she said. Nothing like a little rain and a good service to help clear your head. Well, that and watching Bo talk to passionately about his family’s moonshine tradition. She wanted to speak with passion about something. The only thing she felt that strongly about was teaching. When she worked with Max, she felt like she was doing something important, something that mattered. Just like Bo felt when he was talking about his family’s tradition.

Robert interrupted their conversation, “So, what about that Harris case against Mr. Johnson? You were working with Johnson, right? I heard he got off.”

“Yeah, we represented Johnson. He was acquitted of all charges.”

Silas shrugged. Emmie knew he wasn’t going to elaborate.

“Well, I still say that Johnson was a scapegoat for him. He was afraid to put the blame on the real fellow. Johnson’s just an old man, easy target. Cliff Harris is a…” Robert started then looked Emmie and chose his words carefully, “…coward for throwing the blame at him.”

Silas said nothing just shrugged noncommittally again. But something about his eyes told Emmie that he agreed with Robert.

Cliff Harris, she had just heard that name. It was with Bo and Walter last night. Silas was representing Bo’s pap? Was this the case he’d been spending all of this time on lately?

“The barn trial,” Emmie said aloud. All three of the guys turned and looked at her. So she added, “Sorry, the barn that burned, right… that’s what you’re talking about?”

Robert nodded, “I’m surprised you know that. Most women around here don’t keep up with the ’shine wars.”

Emmie chewed her lip trying to think quickly. “Oh, I think I just overheard someone talking about it at the shop the other day.” She felt guilty for the lie as soon as it came out of her mouth. She didn’t want them to know how she’d heard it. No doubt they would be curious why Bo and Walter would talk to her about that sort of thing.

Silas frowned and faltered for a moment before picking up the conversation. He didn’t believe her lie.

***********

Trick caught a ride home with Ava and Gabe. It was weird that Emmie seemed to spend more time with Silas than Ava now. So much had changed in her life in the last few months. She guessed it was just as well considering Ava would be a married woman soon. Things change.

“I’ve still got my questions, you know,” she said on the drive back to her house.

Silas nodded. She had expected him to tease her for asking so many questions but he didn’t. He seemed to be as lost in thought.

“I may not be able to give you all the answers,” he said cryptically.

She nodded unsure exactly what that meant or why he looked so serious now.

“You should probably know, I’ve got a few questions of my own,” he said.

That caught her off guard.

I may not be able to give you all the answers either,
she thought to herself.

He spoke again as he pulled into her drive, “Maybe I should come in and we can talk? Or would you rather do this another time?”

Emmie grabbed her picnic basket and umbrella. “Now is as good of time as any, I suppose.”

Chapter Thirty-one

H
er stomach somersaulted while she fiddled with the key to unlock the door. She walked in and put her wet umbrella on the hook by the door. Emmie unloaded the applesauce in the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. The four hours of sleep she’d had the night before… and the grim expression on Silas’s face made her think they were each going to need some caffeine. He pulled out one of the small kitchen chairs and sat down. His long legs folded double, barely fitting under the kitchen table.

“We can go in the living room, it would be more comfortable,” she suggested.

“It’s up to you. I’m fine in here though.” He put his elbows on the table and rubbed his face like he was trying to get the courage to speak. He looked so torn. What was going on in his mind?

“So, who goes first?” she asked with a smile trying to lighten the mood.

“Ladies first,” he said.

“The sheriff’s son that I met today, he works at the speak. Is that normal? I mean is that intentional?” She dove in headfirst—beating around the bush wasn’t her strong suit.

He thought for a minute. Trying to decide how to answer. “Yes.” He was surprised at the honesty in his reply. At lunch today he expected just to tell her a lie. Just sell her on the story that Robert was just some young rebellious kid working at the joint behind his father’s back.

She sat in silence waiting for him to continue explaining. When he didn’t she opened her mouth and started to ask, “Why is…”

Silas cut her off. “Ah ah, my turn. You’ve already gone.” For the first time since he entered the house, he smiled.

Well, she cut right to the chase, he would too. He didn’t like that she had known about the moonshine wars between the bootleggers and revenuers. He had an uneasy feeling about her knowledge. The girl he thought she was, wouldn’t have known that. She was Ronnie Talbot’s stepdaughter after all… any knowledge had to make him suspicious. What else did she know?

“How do you know about Cliff Harris’s barn and the trial?”

“I already told you…” she began.

The sound of his hand smacking the table made her jump out of her seat. She visibly flinched away from him. “Do not lie to me like you did at the lunch. I want the truth.”

Damn, he’d scared her. He didn’t mean to do that. Silas took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Emmie.” He stood and turned, walking to the window. He rubbed his face again like he might rub the shadow of a beard he had right off his chin. This is why he knew it was a bad idea to mix business and pleasure, too much emotion tied up in it to do a good job with either.

He felt her small hand on his arm. When he looked down she was shaking her head with one hand on her mouth. For that instant she looked older than her years.

“Look, I’m sorry that I lied to you. I don’t really know how to say the truth. I don’t want to get people in trouble,” she answered honestly and then continued. “But don’t intimidate me, Silas. I will not be scared of you or anyone else. I’ve lived too many years afraid of Ronnie’s next drunken move. For as long as I can remember it was like that. I won’t have it now.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” he opened his mouth but then closed it. “I shouldn’t have talked to you like that, like you were one of the guys.” He wanted to reach out and hug her but didn’t for fear she may jump again.

She nodded and grabbed his arm. “Let’s sit back down.”

Once they were positioned for conversation again at the table, she started talking. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied to you. I’m going to give you as much of the truth as I can, okay? You’ll have to just trust me with the parts I can’t say.”

He nodded. That’s all he could ask for right now because it’s all he could offer her.

“I heard it from a friend that used to work with Ronnie.” She swallowed hard and picked at her fingernails for a while before she finished. “Silas, I’m pretty sure Ronnie was doing more than just drinking ’shine.”

She looked up at him to see how he processed that information. If he was surprised, he kept it hidden well. “I think he may have been selling it.”

“I still don’t understand why this mystery person would tell you about Cliff’s barn being burned down,” he said.

“Well, I told that person that I found some of the ’shine. I guess they just wanted me to know it was not a safe business.” Emmie had justified that this was totally true. She was just focusing on the first time he mentioned about Cliff’s barn rather than last night. She couldn’t quite think of how to tell him any piece of information from last night. Hanging out at a still with Bo and Walter wasn’t going to go over well.

He did not keep the surprise off his face this time. His eyes were wide.

“What did you do with the moonshine you found?” he asked. He had searched this house top to bottom and not found any moonshine two weeks ago. What had she done?

“Ah ah,” she repeated his phrase, “One question at a time, remember?”

He looked like he wanted to argue but then crossed his arms conceding.

“Ask away,” he said.

“Why would you intentionally want the sheriff’s family at the speak? It makes me question our law enforcement,” she wondered.

“You are a smart girl Emmie,” he answered, which is probably why she asked all of these questions. All of the other girls he’d taken to speaks in Chicago wouldn’t have put any of this together. They would have been just so happy to be out at a secret place. Everything else would have passed right on by. He guessed that’s what he found intriguing about Emmie, but it was also what complicated things.