Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) (9 page)

“Guess it’s good for me too,” she said, looking down at her menu.

“How’s that?” he asked.

“Well, I doubt your family would have sent a boat engineer, or whatever you’d be called, down to Kentucky. And I wouldn’t have met you. So, I guess it was best for me too.” She smiled over the top of the menu.

He snorted. “Well I’m glad my career worked out for you.”

“Hey.” She kicked him under the table.

He slid his chair next to hers. “Kidding. I’m kidding. And people think I’m the one with the quick temper.” He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, leaving his lips there longer than was probably appropriate for a restaurant. He was going to miss her.

“So, are we going to talk about last night?” she asked. He pulled his face away from her startled and amused.

“Do you want to? You said you were humiliated. Doesn’t sound like a very gentlemanly thing to talk about.” He smiled.

“I thought you told me a long time ago you weren’t a gentleman.” She laughed. “And it is humiliating but it’s also awkward to just avoid it. And since I don’t know when we will be alone again…” she trailed off.

Silas took in the sight of her. He didn’t know exactly what particular moment she was thinking of but he enjoyed watching her blush creep up her neck.

She worried with her hands. “You don’t… you don’t think of me as some sort of floozy now do you? I mean because you, and consequently Trick and Gabe also, have seen me in my drawers now. And you said you didn’t want me traipsing around the hall like some kind of floozy.”

“Emmie,” he said annoyed. “You aren’t serious, are you? How could I ever think that. Granted I wish my brother… and your brother,” he stumbled over the second part, “hadn’t seen you in your underclothes but I don’t ever want to hear you say that again. I am sorry for what I said. I’m sorry for last night.”

“You’re sorry for last night?” she asked.

“Well, yeah. Sort of. I mean it’s given me some nice images…” He paused and tapped his forehead and smiled. “And I’m still angry at Gabe. He shouldn’t have done what he did. But he was a sort of right. You deserve better than some drunken man.”

“Silas, you’re not just some drunken man.” She snorted.

“Yeah, I know. But last night I was. It should be different with you. You deserve more. I’m sorry I almost let it go too far,” he said, picking at his steak.

Emmie didn’t know what to say. She didn’t really even know how she felt. Was it important that she waited until she was married? She supposed that would make things easier… especially in light of how she ended up on God’s green earth. But she loved Silas. And last night, he set off some spark in her she didn’t even know existed. A comfortable silence passed between them while they ate their dinner.

The air blowing off the river whipped a bitter cold through her bones. He took off his long black coat and draped it over her shoulders while they walked back to the hotel. “It’s been nice up here but I’m sort of ready to get back home, ya know? Our little quiet routine,” she said when they entered the lobby.

He led her to the seating area in front of the lobby’s large fireplace. The fireplace was nearly as big as her loft in her house. When they sat, she noticed his face fell.

“What?” she asked.

“Well, about that. I’m actually not going back to Bowling Green right away,” he said.

“Oh,” she said and felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. “When are you coming home… I mean to Bowling Green.”

Silas shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve got something to take care of in Bardston.”

“What?” she asked. What could be in Bardston? It was smaller than Bowling Green, tucked away in the foothills of the Appalachians.

“Emmie, you don’t need to know the details. It’s just some case Pop thinks we can help with,” he said quickly. She knew him. She knew there was more to the story.

“Surely it won’t take that long then… if it’s just a court case,” she said, testing the waters.

He sighed and gave her a deep frown. She was needling him. He was not telling her. She would either worry or want to stick her nose in it.

“Agh… I see from that frown it’s more than a court case, isn’t it?” She pointed to his grimace.

He gently swatted her hand out of his face. “Emmie, it’s nothing to do with you. I’ll be fine and I’ll be home soon. I have a job to do. A job I have apparently been screwing up lately because I have been spending so much time with you.”

“You’ve been messing up your job because of me?” she asked.

“Apparently. I just need to straighten some things out. Are you going to be okay at home without me?” he asked.

It didn’t escape her notice he’d called her hometown home. “Of course. I was there twenty-one years before I met ya.” She tried to tease but it didn’t work. “When do you leave?”

“Tonight,” he answered.

Tonight? She wanted to shout. Surely he could wait until morning. But she didn’t say anything. There was no reason to make him feel guilty. So she just said, “Oh.”

“I know it’s piss-poor timing with the day you’ve had. I’m going to finish up as soon as I can,” he said.

“I’ll be fine. It’s really better to know. It doesn’t really change anything though. I’ll go home, see Spotty, Walter’s family… my life will just return to normal but I won’t have some mystery hanging over my head anymore, right?” she said with a more positive attitude than she felt.

“You are a horrible liar… but I do agree with one thing. You will be okay. Promise me you will stay with Ava and whatever family goes back with her,” he said. “I don’t like you on that farm alone.”

Emmie rolled her eyes. “Silas.”

“I mean it. Things are volatile there. You will be fine, I just don’t like you out there alone.”

Volatile? How were things volatile? “Okay. I promise.”

He smiled.

“Promise me you aren’t headed to Bardston to get shot by some hillbilly moonshiner,” she said with a laugh, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Promise.” He laughed.

“What time are you leaving?” she asked, breathing him in.

He groaned at the sight of Trick and Gabe headed down the stairs with their bags. He leaned forward and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. “Now.”

Chapter Twelve

E
mmie followed Trick and Silas to the door, her hand firmly tucked in Silas’s. She slipped his coat off and handed it back to him. Her heart sank as he took it from her. She hated that he had to leave without knowing when he’d be back. Even worse, she had a horrible suspicion that he wasn’t only going to help research and try a case. She didn’t like the thought of him in danger especially when she’d be so far away.

“Try to stay out of trouble while we’re gone,” Trick said, squeezing her arm. “Not roaming the streets in men’s blazers. No apple pie…”

She laughed. It felt good to laugh. She’d had enough tears the last few days.

“Shut up, Trick,” Silas said but his grin gave away his true emotion. “Is Gabe coming?”

“Yeah, he should be down any minute. I’m gonna head out to the car,” Trick said.

Silas turned his attention to Emmie. She looked beautiful tonight. He hated leaving her but he had to make things right with work. He’d worked too hard for years to screw up his reputation now. Lifting a hand he ran his finger down her cheek. Her skin was so smooth. He loved the way she leaned into his touch.

“I’ll be back soon. Before the holidays,” he said.

Thanksgiving was a month away, Christmas was two. She wondered which holiday he was referring to. But she didn’t ask. She didn’t want to be needy or make him feel guilty for leaving. She’d been fine for twenty-one years, she’d be fine another month or two.

“Stay safe, okay?” she whispered.

He grinned, “I’m gonna be fine. And Trick’s advice wasn’t that far off the mark.”

She smiled again and nodded.

Silas wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her in close to his body. Leaning down he kissed her forehead and then pressed his lips to hers. Just when she thought he was pulling away he leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Mo chuisle.”

Emmie pulled back and frowned confused. What had he said? She was just about to ask when he turned away and headed for the door. Gabe was standing at the car waiting for Silas. She hadn’t seen him move by her. He nodded then waved before dropping down into the backseat. When Emmie turned around she was surprised to find Ava standing a few feet behind her. Ava looked bad. Those were three words that she rarely ever put together. Usually Ava’s whole mission in life was to look good. For a second Emmie felt horrible. She and Ava were still in the middle of an argument and she had forgotten all about it.

Emmie walked right up to her. She wasn’t sure what she would say but thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about it. Ava spoke immediately.

“I have nothing to offer other than… I’m sorry.” She shrugged.

Emmie nodded. “I know. It sounded bad. I just can’t believe you’d actually think I would do something like that.”

Ava looked at her feet. “Well, I just,” she paused a while before continuing, “I have no excuse.”

This was rare. Ava never was speechless. Ava was never humble. She must feel awful. Emmie decided to just let it go.

“It’s okay. Let’s just forget about it. I’d like to pretend last night never happened,” she said, touching her friends hand.

Ava shook her head in agreement.

“I’m sorry if it ruined your engagement weekend,” Emmie said honestly.

“Pish posh.” Ava waved her hands sounding more like her self. “What are you talking about, I had a fabulous party… and last night, it didn’t happen, remember?”

A comfortable silence filled a few seconds before Ava spoke again. “Are you okay?”

Emmie looked at her friend’s eyes. She knew at once that Gabe had filled her in on everything. Emmie nodded.

“Want to talk about it?” Ava asked. Again this was unlike herself. Ava usually talked about things even if you didn’t want to.

“Not really,” Emmie answered honestly.

Ava bit her lip trying to keep her mouth quiet. “There is a silver lining, you know.”

Emmie laughed. If anyone could put a positive spin on this it was Ava. “Well now when I marry Gabe, we really will be sisters.”

Ava wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her like she hadn’t since they were kids. “I’ve got an idea. Let’s have some tea.”

“Oh, Ava. I’m not sure…” Emmie started but Ava was already pulling her through the hotel toward the great room where the party was last night.

But it turned out to be the right choice. They drink their “tea” from the fancy cups. Only a cup tonight though and it was mixed with water. Not as strong. Ava made Emmie laugh telling loud animated stories about the girls from Chicago. Apparently the queen had thrown herself at Pete and hilarity ensued. Emmie couldn’t say how much time had passed but it was nice to strip everything from her mind and focus on Ava’s storytelling for a bit.

“Give me your cups girls,” the bartender said in a clipped tone.

“What?” Emmie asked. She was only half finished.

Ava was staring at the doors to the restaurant that had closed on their own. She could hear loud voices on the other side. All at once people in the restaurant started to frantically move around the room. The bartender took their cups from each of their hands and dropped them into a drawer. The doors opened again and it all finally clicked. Fifteen police officers stood when the doors opened. They shouted something but Emmie couldn’t hear them over the scuffling. She grabbed Ava’s hand and moved from the stool she was seated on. She felt someone grab her arms. Emmie screamed and stepped on a toe. Her foot came down heavy on a boot… of a police officer. It startled him just long enough for him to loosen his grip. She tore away. Another pair of hands grabbed her. She tried her move again but this time it failed.

“Come with me, girl,” a male voice called. Emmie glanced from the corner of her eye. He was not a police officer. It was the waiter who’d given her the punch the night before.

She held tighter to Ava’s arm and they let the voice lead them to the same corner Silas had taken her yesterday. He moved a little further to the right and touched a panel, pushing the girls through the door that popped open to him. They walked through a long, dark tunnel, only able to feel their way out through the brick-lined wall. After walking twenty or so yards, Emmie stopped.

“Open it up,” the man said.

Ava and Emmie felt around on the cold steel door. “I’ve got it,” Ava said.

And with a quick pop, the door pushed open. The man grabbed their arms again and pulled them onto the street. It was dark and quiet. Emmie turned and took in the sight of their rescuer. She frowned. Odd that he wasn’t wearing his uniform tonight.

“Oh no,” Ava said under her breath. She grabbed Emmie’s hand.

When Emmie followed her gaze she saw what had startled her friend. A man in a suit and two police officers were walking toward them. Emmie did not like the look on their faces. It was smug. But what she found most alarming was the expression reflected on the server’s face. She tried to wiggle from his grip and he clamped down harder on her arms. That’s when she knew for sure. She and Ava were not being saved. They had been herded.