Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) (36 page)

“Sorry, I don’t have anything made of flour sacks.”

She snorted. It was music to his ears that he’d made her laugh. “Well, I guess that will have to do.” She slipped on his shirt and shorts and braided her wet hair.

Silas leaned down and kissed her temple. He was surprised when she grabbed his face and ran her thumb along his jaw. “I love you, still.” She kissed his mouth gently.

“Emmie.” They heard a familiar voice from outside the bedroom door.

Silas opened the door to reveal Trick, Millie, and Gabe. Emmie frowned. That was an odd combination of people. What in the world were they doing up here? That’s when Bo stepped around them grinning from ear to ear.

“Good news, Emmie. Millie saved him,” Trick said.

Chapter Fifty-two

“S
potty…” Emmie shouted and covered her hands with her mouth.

She scrambled off the bed as fast as her broken rib would allow. Silas helped steady her on the floor. The dog sighed and gave her a courtesy lick as she squeezed her arms around his neck in a quick hug.

“Easy there, Emmie. His belly is bound to be a little sore. He’s been upchucking for the last half hour,” Bo said pulling the dog back a little.

Emmie turned her eyes, wet with unshed tears, up to Millie, who was still standing in the doorway with Trick. “Thank you. How did you…? I thought he was gone?”

“When I heard ’em say Steven had poisoned him, I figured he’d used something around the farm and I was right. He’d given him some of our tranquilizers. If you can get ’em to get up before all of it gets in their blood, you got a chance at saving the animal. So, Bo and Trick took me to your house, we poured peroxide down his throat until he started to vomit.” She smiled. “I think he’s gonna be okay now. I’d just watch him tonight and tomorrow, makes sure he eats and gets water.”

Bo smiled with pride, “She tends to the animals on the farm being as Pap ain’t got much time for the actual farming. Thinks she’s gonna be some kinda woman vet someday.”

Millie just smiled shyly. Emmie noticed the way Trick grinned at her before he spoke. “I’ve got a feeling that woman can be anything she wants to be.” Her cheeks blushed at his words. Bo turned and frowned at Trick before laying Spotty on a blanket on the floor.

Trick added, “Emmie needs some rest. I think we all do.”

Emmie walked over to the girl and hugged her. “Thank you Millie. Trick is right, you are one smart girl. I am in debt to you for this.” Then she turned to Bo. Leaning up on her tiptoes she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “I’m so glad you are okay.” With her eyes closed she saw the image of him in the sights of Will Thomas’s shotgun. A cold shiver ran through her body.

He wrapped a long arm around her waist and tugged on her wet braid like he did when they were kids. “Oh, I’m alright. Don’t be getting all emotional on me now.” He attempted to brush off the seriousness of the afternoon. “Barely a scratch.” He touched his arm where the bullet had grazed his skin.

Silas stood still as he watched their embrace. She was wearing only his shirt and boxers and clearly her dress had never entered her mind or she’d be turning a lovely shade of crimson. When Emmie moved away from Bo, Silas wrapped his arm around her waist and tucked her firmly into his side.

“Looking a little informal up here, Emmie,” Bo said, giving her a good once-over.

Silas clenched his jaw and arched his brow at Bo in warning. Trick grabbed Millie’s elbow and laughed, “And that’s our cue to head back downstairs.”

Millie grabbed her brother’s shoulder. “Come on, Bo. It’s been a long day.”

Bo nodded, looking down at his feet. “You sure you’re okay, like this, with him?”

Emmie tilted her head to the side and gave Bo a sad smile. “I’m good, Bo. Thank you for everything and bringing me Spotty. You’re the best friend a gal could ask for. I will be fine, I swear it.”

Bo leaned down and scratched Spotty’s ears. The dog leaned into him for just a moment before going back to sleep. Bo headed downstairs and Silas closed the door blocking out the conversation from downstairs. This time when he picked her up it was a surprise. He tucked her tightly in the covers and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead, like she was made of glass. But the thing he did next surprised her most. He picked up Spotty and laid him at the foot of the bed. She stared at him with wide eyes.

“What? He’s had a rough day too,” he said defensively. “I think you need each other.”

He was right she realized. But the dog wasn’t all she needed. “Yeah, I guess so.” She tossed back the covers and patted the empty side of the small bed. “I need you too.”

Silas slipped off his boots, vest, and holster and slid in behind her. He held her tightly until her breathing slowed and she fell asleep. He watched while she slept, she looked like an angel. There was no crease of anxiety in her brow, no pain from her bruised body, nothing but peace. He was taking her away from here for a while. She needed a break from this place and so did he. Only the dog noticed when he snuck out of bed to get back to work.

**********

“Rise and shine, Emmie girl,” Silas said, putting a cup of coffee on the nightstand.

For the past few hours Emmie had hung in the balance between slumber and consciousness. She sat up and stretched. It had been nearly a week and Silas had all but kept her confined to this bed. Nearly everything that was broken about her body had healed but her rib and that was just going to take time.

Spotty bounded up the bed and danced around for her attention. She patted him and gave him a little back scratch before Silas shooed him off the bed. Then he went to the hallway and pulled in a large suitcase. Popping it open, he laid it on the end of the bed and she noticed it was full of her clothes. All in perfect rows, and organized by type of clothing.

“You packed me up?” she asked curiously.

“Yes. Pick out something to wear and leave the rest in there,” he said with a smile.

She squinted at him and frowned. “Are we going somewhere?”

“Home.”

“Your home?”

“Yes. Thanksgiving is next week and I’m thinking maybe we could stay through the holidays. What do you think?” He paused as he pulled clothes from his closet.

Emmie rubbed her face as she thought. She let out a deep sigh. “Silas I should probably clean things up at my house before we go.”

He shrugged. “I’ve already had that done.”

“What?”

“Yeah, it needed to be done… I took care of it.” He folded a stack of shirts.

“Oh.” She paused. “Well, thank you.”

She unbraided her hair and thought. “What about Spotty? I’m not sure he will like it in the city. He’s not really a city slicker, if you know what I mean. He likes a life of chasing squirrels and roaming the woods. Without Walter’s family here, I’ve got no one to feed him.”

“Trick’s already called Bo and his sister. They’ll take care of him.”

“Well, sure does sound like you’ve got all the details worked out without me.”

He stopped moving and looked up at her. His brows wrinkled in thought. “Of course it was without you. It’s called a surprise, Em.” He put a hand on his jaw and thought for a second before adding, “But, if you don’t want to go… that is fine.”

Surprise. Oh… She’d never really been surprised with something like this. “No, I don’t mean that. I just… I could have helped plan it.”

He laughed and pulled her off the bed and into his arms. “That wouldn’t have been much of a surprise. Do you not want to go home with me?”

“No I want to go.” She forced a smile. She hadn’t left the house since that day. The day she tried not to think about but occasionally little clips would play back in her mind.

Silas rubbed his hands down her cheek gently. “I think a little vacation from this place would be good for you. Everything will be here when you get back. Besides, my family wants to see you. Jemma’s been asking me questions nonstop. She wants to know if you’ve checked on the admissions for that teacher’s college.”

Emmie’s stomach sank. Of course she hadn’t. Gabe was right. She’d come back here and thrown herself into this little moonshining adventure and away from everything that used to be important. “I haven’t had a chance.”

“You will though. We have colleges up north too, ya know. Maybe we could check there.”

“Silas are you asking me to move to Chicago?” Her mouth dropped open.

“I don’t know. I just think you should keep your options open. This trip is a good place to start. Take a look around, see if you even like my city.” He smiled and added a stack of pants to the pile.

Emmie smiled. “Thanks for planning this. Getting away from here might be good for the soul.”

“Yes,” he said. “Good food. My family. No moonshine stills.”

She picked up a shirt and tossed it at him. He caught it without looking and laughed. “Train leaves in an hour.”

Emmie exhaled slowly. A little vacation was just what they needed. This was maybe one of the most perfect surprises she’d ever had in her life. It would be so good to see Ava and get away from the ugliness she’d found in her sleepy little town.

Chapter Fifty-three

E
mmie sat on the front porch of Ava’s house waiting for Bo. Apparently this was the arranged pick-up location for Spotty. He lay curled lazily at her feet. It was an unseasonably warm day for the end of November and perfect porch weather. When Bo pulled up in his pickup Emmie was surprised to see Millie with him. She usually didn’t travel around town with him. She probably just wanted to check on the dog, being that she’d saved his life and all.

Bo grinned as he slammed the car door and stepped toward the house. Walking to meet him, Emmie gave him a wave before whistling and patting her thigh for Spotty to join her. He followed her out into the grass diligently, wagging his tail when he caught sight of the two Johnsons making their way to him.

“Thanks so much for watching him while we’re gone. I’d like to bring him but he’d be miserable cooped up in the city,” she said, feeling guilty.

“It’s fine. You just leave us country boys at home and run off with your Yankee.” Bo said with a grin bending down to scratch Spotty’s neck.

Emmie frowned and crossed her arms over her chest playfully.

“Oh, don’t pay him any mind, Emmie. He’s just sore you’re leaving with Silas,” Millie said, smacking her brother’s arm.

Bo laughed, picked up a stick and threw it for Spotty to retrieve. That’s when Emmie was sure he wasn’t too hurt about being left behind. He and Spotty were a lot alike she decided. Emmie watched her dog dance as he laid the stick at Trick’s feet. They were both sweet, loyal companions but it wouldn’t take much for them to have their mind on something else.

“Got something for you,” Bo said with a crooked grin that showed his deep dimples. He pulled a pint-sized jar from his overall pocket.

Emmie gasped. “Put that up, Bo Johnson. Honestly, dragging that out here in front of God knows who.”

Bo laughed and Millie just shook her head at her brother as he put the jar back in his pocket.

“We finished it. While you were resting, Millie and I got it done.”

Emmie looked from Bo to Millie in surprise. “Of course. Walter needs the money. How could I have forgotten about it? You finished all of it?”

Millie nodded. “I hope you don’t mind. It was a good recipe. I cooked up the apples and mixed the spices. Hope it works as good as I hear yours did.”

“Well, I’m sure it will. Did you make your own recipe to finish it?” Emmie asked curiously.

Millie looked at her brother with wide eyes. “Umm… Not exactly.”

Bo grinned, “I might have paid pretty good attention to what you were putting in those pots… Did you forget at how good I was at remembering stuff in school, Em?”

“You stole my recipe?” Emmie laughed with genuine surprise.

“No, I didn’t steal it. I’m not gonna sell it or anything. Just needed to finish this out for our friend,” he said with his arms up in the air.

“Well, you should have called me I’m sure I could have rested on that cot as good as I did here.” The words caught in her throat. That cot… she never wanted to see that cot again. She pushed the thought away and forced a smile.