B00CZBQ63C EBOK (18 page)

Chapter
30

L
aurie slumped on the same bench where she had waited for
Samuel
months before. The fragrance of roses—normally her favorite—pricked at her raw nerves. When the door finally opened and Daniel strode out into the evening air, a wave of exhaustion swept over her. She slumped against the backrest and waited.

He eyed her posture and cocked his head to the side. “You look like you’ve had nearly as bad a day as I have—though I have difficulty believing it.”

“Daniel, I’m so sorry. I can’t begin to tell you how foolish I feel.” Tears stung her eyes and she blinked to force them back. “I can’t expect you to forgive me, but I need to explain.”

Daniel’s mouth opened and closed with no sound. His face pinched. “You—you did this? You’re the eyewitness?”

She picked at her nails as the words rushed from her mouth—everything from the first night until her encounter with Samuel Brown at his home.

Daniel sank onto the bench beside her, rubbing a palm across his face.

She touched his sleeve. “I’m very sorry. I can’t believe I thought you were one of them.”

He shook his head and laughed ruefully. “Well, I assumed you were part of it, too, at first. You and your ‘oyster picking.’ ”

“I feel horrible about what happened. Was it very bad?”

“Not the best day I’ve had, but it’s over. I’m starving, though.” Daniel pressed his hands against his stomach.

“Let me buy you dinner. It’s the least I can do after what I’ve put you through.”

He shook his head. “I couldn’t possibly sit in a restaurant. How about I make some sandwiches at the store and we take them down to the waterfront? I’ve been sitting in that cell all day; I could stand some fresh air and exercise.”

Warmth rushed through Laurie. “That sounds nice. But if your grandfather doesn’t mind me behind the counter, I’d like to make them.” She fell in step beside Daniel, casting a quick glance up at his face. Handsome, honest, forgiving . . . his list was growing longer by the moment.

And best of all—not a rumrunner.

Seagulls rose and fell on the breezes drifting inland at the Port Angeles Harbor. Large rafts of timber floated on the water, men jumping from log to log with long poles clutched in their hands, guiding their bounty toward the mills along the shore.

Daniel turned and watched as Laurie balanced on one of the logs washed up on shore, carefully placing one foot in front of the other with her arms spread, like a tight-rope walker at the circus.

Laurie tipped to one side and her arms flailed for a moment before she righted herself. She turned and walked back in his direction, chewing her lower lip in concentration. When she came close, she took his offered hand for extra balance, a smile toying at the corners of her mouth. She tugged his arm. “Come join me.”

With a deep breath, he hoisted himself up onto the massive timber, careful not to unsteady her in the process. “What if it rolls? I’m not as light on my feet as those fellows out there.”

“It’s half-buried, it’s not going anywhere.” She released his hand, executed a perfect pivot turn, and walked with confidence along the straight trunk.

Daniel stood with his hands outstretched, willing his feet to stop wobbling on the rounded perch. He tried turning his toes forward to walk along the line, spinning his arms to catch himself. Choosing to keep the larger amount of surface area in contact with the log, he edged sideways down the log, arms splayed.

Laurie laughed, the gentle sound trilling through the damp air. Walking backward, she reached her hand for him.

“Show off.”

“I’ve been practicing all my life. It’s not a particularly useful talent, but I had a lot of fun doing it when I was little.”

“I’ve always preferred to keep my feet on the ground.” He slid his shoes along the log until he could grasp Laurie’s steadying hand.

“And here I thought you were a risk taker. I really don’t know you at all, do I?” She shook her head, her blue hat curving around to her chin.

He stepped closer, grasping her hand and pulling her close under the guise of support. “A risk taker? Like your brother, you mean?”

She ducked her head. “Yes.”

“No. I’m more the make-a-plan-and-stick-to-it type.”

She glanced up, her eyes warming. “Steady. Honest.”

He wobbled and she placed her other hand in the small of his back. “Steady? Maybe when I’m safe on the ground. Of course, I hope steady isn’t just another word for boring.”

She cocked her head and examined him. “No. More like . . . responsible, trustworthy.”

He locked his knees and gazed at her beauty. Her honey-brown hair curled around her chin and her blue eyes danced. He released her hand and reached to touch a freckle on her cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. He wanted nothing more than to reach down and kiss that lone freckle.

“And trustworthy is hard to come by these days,” she sighed.

He hardly dared to breathe as she leaned against him. He put his arm around her back as she rested her head on his shoulder, gazing out across the harbor.

Chapter
31

T
he warmth of Daniel’s shoulder remained on her cheek during
the walk home. Daniel had wanted to escort her, but she insisted they part ways at the drugstore. Her father would be home by now and she didn’t want him to spoil the evening. Her heart took wings as she walked, swinging her arms as if she might float off at any moment.

And Daniel hadn’t even kissed her.

Finding her father hungry and irritable didn’t squelch the spark of joy growing inside of her. She pulled together a quick dinner, tidied up, ironed clothes for tomorrow, and packed his lunch without a single moment of resentment.

“What’s with you tonight?” Dad gathered the evening paper from the table.

She smiled as she breezed past him with a load of laundry. “The world just seems a brighter place this evening.”

He burrowed down into his chair, the paper on his lap. “Yeah, well, that will wear off. Just read some of this news.”

Laurie put away the last of the dishes and kissed her father goodnight. “At least that’s all far away. Everything and everyone I care about is right here in Port Angeles.”

Her father huffed and snapped the paper closed. “I think I’ll go out for a bit.”

Laurie paused on her way to her room. “Go out? This time of night? What do you need?” She frowned.

He shoved the gray cap down low on his forehead. “None of your business. Get to bed, now.”

A few of the sparkles from her day fizzled as she watched him push open the door and disappear into the night. She left the porch light on and sauntered off to bed. Plumping up the pillows, Laurie fetched her book. Summoning Daniel’s face, she lowered the pencil to the paper. She sketched him with one foot on the ground and the other propped up against the log, gazing across the harbor toward the curve of the spit and the lighthouse in the distance. No bootleggers, no G-men, no storm. Just strong shoulders. Her pencil shaded the curve of his back.

Strong enough to do the right thing.

Daniel sat at his grandfather’s table, his arms resting on the table. “So, how bad is it?”

Granddad leaned against the kitchen counter. “They swept through the records like a tidal wave. The paperwork is in shambles. What they didn’t take with them is strewn around the basement.”

“Brown claims our numbers don’t add up.”

His grandfather shook his head. “He just grabbed as much paper as he could and shoved it into boxes, carrying it off. He wasn’t crunching any numbers.” He scratched his chin. “If you ask me, he wasn’t even looking for numbers. He was looking for names.”

Daniel’s blood chilled. “Names?”

“Who’s using prescriptions to drink and who’s not.”

Daniel leaned back against the chair. “He can’t do that. It’s supposed to be confidential between doctor, patient, and pharmacist.”

Granddad lifted his hands. “I don’t understand why he’d even care. When someone comes in with a prescription, the Volstead Act doesn’t apply.”

A headache simmered behind Daniel’s eyes. He pushed fingers against his temples. “I thought he was just trying to lay in a case against me. Why would he care who is buying the liquor? It doesn’t make any sense.”

His grandfather walked around the table and refilled Daniel’s coffee cup. “For the sake of our business, we need to call off his dogs.”

“I hate the idea of buying him off.”

“What choice do we have? If Brown continues digging, he’ll find something that will either shut us down or lock us up. Or both.”

“He’d have to fabricate something.”

“You think he wouldn’t?”

Daniel closed his eyes. “No, you’re right. I just wish I knew what he was up to. Why is he targeting me?”

“Other than his obvious interest in Laurie Burke?”

Daniel opened his eyes and stared at his grandfather. “He pressured her into giving him my name.”

“So you said. But it’s clear that he has his eye on her.” Granddad picked up his breakfast plate and walked it to the sink. “And you are the competition.”

Daniel looked down at his plate, still full. He couldn’t seem to summon an appetite this morning.

“And Daniel, one other thing.” He ran some water over the plate and turned to face his grandson. “How come he let you go so quickly?”

“That bothered me, too. He claimed he needed time to go over the paperwork.”

“Perhaps a certain young woman intervened?”

Daniel pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “Laurie said she explained her mistake to Brown.”

Granddad’s forehead creased. “I just hope that’s all it was.”

Daniel froze, his hand reaching for his plate. “What do you mean?”

“That girl has a heart of gold, Daniel. She’s protected her father for years. Now, as you explain it to me, she’s protecting her brother.” The older man rolled up his shirtsleeves as the sink filled. “She was willing to sacrifice you to protect Johnny, right?”

Daniel scraped his plate into the wastebasket. “Something like that.”

“What is she willing to give up to protect you?”

The words sank into Daniel’s stomach like a lead weight.

Chapter
32

T
he warm lump on the bed snored, face plastered into the feather
pillow.

Laurie shook her father a second time, her jaw aching from gritting her teeth. “Dad, you have to get up. You’ve got early shift this morning.”

She headed for the kitchen. The coffee gurgled in the percolator, but she added some bacon to the frying pan along with the eggs. Maybe the smell would rouse him from his liquor-infused dreams.

She banged the pan against the stovetop and glanced at the clock. He wouldn’t make it to work at this rate.

She spotted Johnny walking up to the porch moments before the doorknob rattled. Shadows circled his eyes, but somehow he still managed a grin as he strolled into the kitchen.

“Hey, Sis. Breakfast ready?”

She turned the bacon. “Why are you here? You’re not on morning shift today, are you?”

“Nah. But, I thought you might need a hand this morning.”

She wiped her hands on her apron, her curiosity nearly as strong as the coffee she poured for him. “You came to help cook breakfast?”

He chuckled as he took the cup. “That would be interesting, wouldn’t it?” His smile faded. “No, I saw Dad last night. I figured he was . . . how shall we say . . .
sleeping in
this morning?”

She frowned. “Where did you see him?”

“My house.” He took a sip and grimaced.

Laurie sank into one of the kitchen chairs. “Why would he go there?”

Johnny went to the cupboard and got a plate. “You made enough food for me, right?”

He dished up some eggs and a couple of pieces of toast. “Fix up his thermos with some of that oily sludge you call coffee, and I’ll go drag him out of bed.” Johnny shoveled the eggs up onto the bread and consumed them in a few bites.

“Why was he at your house, Johnny?” Laurie’s voice barely registered over the sound of her brother’s chewing.

He stared at her across the table a long moment before answering. “Look. I help him get what he needs. I knew you’d be mad—but Laurie, he’s going to drink regardless. Better that he gets clean stuff from me than the rotgut stuff other people sell.”

The floor seemed to drop away. She shoved her chair back. “Get out.” Her voice rattled, low and hoarse, as if her throat were full of sand.

His eyes rounded.

“Get out.” She pushed against his shoulder, knocking him slightly off balance. Her chest squeezed until she could barely draw a breath. “I want you out!”

He shook off her arm like she was an irritating child begging for a piggyback ride. “Are you going to haul him to work?” His brow furrowed, giving him a pinched look around the eyes. “Get the coffee.”

He stomped off down the hall, leaving Laurie standing in the kitchen alone. Turning around, she banged the pan against the stovetop, appreciating how the loud noise echoed in her empty heart. She bashed it twice more for good measure before daring to pick up the glass-lined thermos. Without bothering to pre-warm it, she dumped in the coffee and shoved the cork into its throat.
Someone needs to invent a cork for the drunken throat.

“A good daughter would add a slosh of whiskey to that,” her father’s voice slurred from the hall, where he leaned against Johnny’s arm. He turned his head and spoke into Johnny’s face. “She don’t know nothing, do she?”

Johnny gagged. “Dad, don’t do that. Your breath is awful.”

Laurie secured the metal cap over the cork and thrust the container at Johnny. “Here. He’s all yours. You two deserve each other.” She retreated to her room, listening as Johnny dragged their father out the door.