Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) (15 page)

“Cain, I need one of these guys to deliver a message to this Jim fellow that we won’t be buying any of his shine, ever,” Silas said, looking down at the kid. “The other one you can deliver to your brother. Which do you want?”

Cain nodded at Ray. “Well, looks like today’s your lucky day kid. You know what you need to tell Jim? If he’s got any questions, I’m sure he knows where to find me.”

“Wait. What are you gonna do with Ray?” the boy asked with wide eyes.

“None of your business, kid.” Trick jerked the boy out of his seat and pulled him through the front of the butcher shop. Gabe followed behind him.

Silas turned to Cain. “I’m sorry about your brother’s operation and his man that died in the fire. I know this doesn’t make it right but trust me that I’m working on it.”

Cain nodded. “I know you are a man of your word.”

Silas folded the papers and put them back in his pocket. “I know nothing about this. I was not here tonight. Nothing happened.”

“Understood,” Cain spoke.

“And I expect this call will be taken care of… completely,” Silas said.

“You know you ain’t even gotta ask,” Cain said. “Did the name Johnson mean something to you?”

“Yeah,” Silas answered, not wanting to elaborate.

“Well if that asshole’s gonna screw over some other moonshiner like he did my brother…” Cain trailed off and paused for a second before he spoke. “Well, you just know I’m willing to help out however you need me.”

Silas nodded. He hoped the boy would be able to carry the message that his speaks wouldn’t buy his moonshine and that’d stop whoever this Jim was. But Silas had a bad feeling about this fellow.

“Thanks Cain. I’ll be in touch,” Silas said as he walked out of the butcher shop and to his car.

He swore silently to himself as he waited for Trick. There was only one Johnson that supplied to him… and he was getting back there immediately.

Chapter Twenty

E
mmie was standing outside the general store on the square, her hand gripped against the door pull, pausing while she worked up the courage to enter. Silas had promised her that Mr. Thomas was broken but not beyond repair. It had been nearly two months since that confrontation. He was bound to be healed by now. She let out a sigh and gave the door a firm pull. This was ridiculous. The only other grocery store was three miles from here. She wouldn’t walk six miles to and from the grocery just to avoid the possibility of seeing Mr. Thomas. It was a small town; they were bound to cross paths someday anyway. At least now she could control the place… it was probably better that it be a public place.

She grabbed a basket by the door and began filling it with goods. The store was empty but she could see the shadow of someone in the office. A man came out of the shop that she hadn’t seen before. She let out a sound that could only be described as relief. Emmie quickly threw two or three things in the basket and made her way to the counter. She wanted to be rung up by this man she didn’t know.

“Good afternoon, miss,” the man spoke loudly.

Emmie nodded in reply. She was afraid to speak. The person in the office was only feet away. As she unloaded the goods from her basket she decided it would have been better to walk the six miles to the other store than to stand here with her heart pounding out of her chest.

“That’ll be ten dollars,” he said, writing down the last of her belongings.

She slid the money across the counter. It wasn’t until then she noticed her hands were trembling. The worker smiled up at her. He was an older man, probably somewhere near Ronnie’s age. She was sure she’d never seen the man before but something about him looked familiar. His two front teeth jutted out like a rat. He had a face that was difficult to forget.

“Ya feeling alright, miss?” he asked, nodding to her shaking hands.

“Yeah, yeah. Just haven’t eaten today. Gives me the trembles.” She lied.

The man counted out her change. Emmie couldn’t help but notice the person in the office stilled. Deafening silence engulfed the store. She couldn’t take her eyes off the office door or her mouth from falling open as she took in the sight of Mr. Thomas. His once towering frame was gone. One arm was wrapped in a sling and kept firmly to his side. He pushed his wheelchair through the doorway and to the counter. He put his working hand on the counter and pulled himself up to his full height. Emmie’s trembling hand covered her mouth.

He gave her his same cool smile. “Well, hello Emma. I hadn’t expected to see you.”

The worker frowned as he finished loading goods and looked over at Mr. Thomas. Emmie attempted to regain her composure, dropping her hand at her side. Had Silas done this to him? Surely not. No. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have left a man so badly broken.

She couldn’t even find the words to return the hello. Every instinct told her to leave the shop. This had been a mistake. She reached out and collected her bags.

“Forgive my manners. After you and Will quit the shop I need another worker and I was lucky enough to meet Steven. He’s a hard worker. Steven this is Emma. Emma, Steven,” Mr. Thomas said with false politeness. Like nothing had ever passed between them.

“Nice to meet you.” Emmie smiled at the man.

“Emmie I believe I never gave you your last check. If you’ll come in the office I’ll be glad to make it out for you.”

“No, no. I’m fine. I’d say we just call it even,” she said, taking a step backward, arms loaded with groceries. This had been a bad idea.

“Oh, I’m not sure about that,” he said coolly.

When she made it to the door she could feel her pulse pounding in her temples. Before the door shut completely he called from behind the counter, “Tell Silas hello for me, Emma.”

She was an idiot. What had she been thinking going in there like everything was just gonna be fine? Emmie walked to the bench facing the fountain in the center of town. She knew Silas had busted him up for what he’d done to her and trying to bust up the pig. But she hadn’t expected him to be virtually immobile. Would Silas do that? She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that said he would. What was worse than that was she didn’t know how she felt about it.

“Emmie?” a familiar voice called from across the park. She nearly jumped out of her skin, clearly still on edge from her run-in with Mr. Thomas.

But the sight of Bo running toward her was a welcome one. She stood to meet him.

“Hey girl. I heard you was back in town.” He gave her a quick hug. The silver buttons of his overalls scratched her cheek as he pulled away.

“Yeah, I just got back a few days ago.” She started picking up her bags. He leaned down and picked up one of them for her.

“So, are you meeting someone?” he asked, giving a pointed look to Silas’s law firm building.

“Oh, no. Silas is out of town for a while.”

“You headed back to your place?” He took the second bag of goods from her.

“Yeah, but I can carry them.” She tried to take them back.

Bo peeked down into the sack and frowned. He looked at her surprised. “Did you go to Thomas’s store?”

She rubbed her forehead before she spoke. “Yeah.” She wasn’t sure exactly how much to say. Did he know that Silas had caused Mr. Thomas’s ailment?

“You mean to tell me you went in that shop after your beau busted him up like that.” Bo shook his head and whistled.

Emmie’s shoulders slumped forward. “I was dumb, Bo. Sometimes I think I’m doing the right thing and it’s just dumb.” She took off walking toward the road that would lead to her house.

Bo caught up to match her pace. “Well, I ain’t gonna lie to ya, Em. That was either very dumb… or pardon my language, very ballsy.”

Emmie snorted and smiled. She liked his description better but she wasn’t sure he was right.

He bumped her with his shoulder. “Don’t be hard on yourself. It was brave. You’re not afraid. It’s what I like about ya.”

“Well, thanks.” She laughed. “I like that you choose to think I’m brave and not dumb.”

“Let me give you a ride. I got the truck today.” He nodded toward the street where his car was parked. It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse him but honestly, she was tired. She followed him to the cab and slid in beside him.

When they had left the main downtown area, Bo looked over at her and grinned. “Heard Walt tell Pap you was back in town.”

Emmie nodded, wondering where he was going with this. She could tell by his smile this was only the start of the conversation.

“He said you are staying at your house again.”

“Well, you heard right.”

“Alone. And I just thought that was funny cause you’ve been spending every bit of your life with that Yankee boy lately.” Bo kept his eyes focused on the road but he lips were still spread with a wide smile.

“People sure seem interested in my life lately. And he has a name, it’s Silas,” she snapped playfully.

“I’m always interested in your life. Really what gives? Please tell me that man’s headed back north.” Bo shifted gears, speeding even faster as they reached the open dirt road.

“Ugh… Bo I am not talking about this with you.” She crossed her arms protectively around her middle.

“Ha.” Bo laughed. “So there is trouble in paradise. Walter said he thought you might be all alone again.”

“No there is not trouble,” Emmie shouted. “I just don’t have to explain myself to you. Or Walter. Why are a bunch of grown men talking about my love life anyway?”

“Love life.” Bo laughed. “You talking about personal stuff with me Emmie?”

“Please, let me out of this car. I knew I should have walked home,” she said as she rolled her eyes.

“Okay, okay. We’re not talking about your love life. We all thought this would probably happen. You and that Yankee were too different to last long. Walt was just worried about you being home again, alone when Silas eventually left ya. That’s why he had us—” Bo started but cut himself off mid sentence.

Emmie thought for a second before she spoke. “Why he had you what? What did he have you do?”

“That’s why he had us… fix those front porch steps,” he said quickly. “And you ain’t even told us thank you. We put a new rail up and everything.”

Emmie thought back at her house. “Oh. Well thank you. I hadn’t noticed. I’m sorry.”

They sat in the quiet for a moment. Emmie tried her hardest to picture her stairs. She didn’t have a new rail. She was sure of it. In her mind she saw Max bounding down the stairs holding it the other day. It was the same old rail Ronnie had put up years ago.

“Bo. I don’t have a new rail. You didn’t fix my stairs.” She pushed him.

“Well, you noticed anything else different around your farm?” He glanced over with an arched eyebrow.

Of course, she had. She was daft for not thinking of it sooner.

Ole Maizy.

Chapter Twenty-one

E
mmie pointed at him and squinted her eyes. “You moved Maizy. I knew Walt couldn’t do that all by himself.”

“Did that ole man say he moved it all by himself?” He was surprised Walter had discussed it with her.

“No. He won’t talk to me about it. I’ve called him twice. I walked over there this morning and Mae said he’d gone out. She didn’t even know where he was. I figure he’s partly not talking to me about it because he’s mad at me.” She slumped back in her seat and wondered what Bo had done with the old still.

“What’s he got to be mad at you about?” Bo asked.

Emmie opened her mouth to tell him but thought better of it. That was a longer story than he cared to know and she had time to get into. They were almost at her house.

“Oh, you know how he is,” she said noncommittally and then asked a question of her own. “Where’d you put Ole Maizy?”

He grinned over at her. “You really think I’m gonna tell you that?”

“Bo seriously, where is she? She should be in my cave,” Emmie said.

“Emmie, she’s not yours and you don’t need a still on your farm. In case you haven’t heard they been bustin’ up stills left and right in this state. People out there are getting greedy for that reward money,” he answered.

“Well, Walter needs her. Is she where he can use it?” she asked.

Bo slowed the truck down and pulled over to the side of the road, stopping the car completely.