Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2)

by Jewell, Allison J.

  Emmie stood and pushed in her chair with more force than necessary. Ava walked over and squeezed her arm but she pulled away. Emmie wondered what the hell she was doing here. She didn’t belong in this room full of… of…

  “Emmie, wait. Where are ya going?” Silas asked. His arm still draped around the mousy angel.

  She opened her mouth but found no words. No words she could say in public anyway.

  Chapter Four

  “Silas,” Ava said through gritted teeth. “Don’t you think you should introduce your sister to Emmie?”

  Sister. Sister. Sister. Sister.

  The angel was his sister. Emmie was a fool. Or she felt like one anyway. This is where that term lovesick fool came from wasn’t it? Because when you care for someone you lose all your ability to not overact. Your ability to not act like an idiot.

  Emmie closed her eyes and took in a breath, still frozen. She was pulled from her thoughts when Ava rubbed her arm. She bit her lower lip and looked up at her friend. Ava was fighting back a smile.

  “It’s okay. No big deal,” Ava mouthed without sound, her back to the others.

  Emmie turned around to face the others hesitantly. Maybe they didn’t notice she was planning to leave with her feathers in a ruffle… literally. But one look at Silas stopped that. She hadn’t seen him so amused since… well… maybe never. She had actually never seen him look so smug.

  Silas pulled his arm away from the angel. “Emmie, I’d like you to meet my baby sister, Jem.” He turned to his sister, “Jem this is Emmie.”

  Jem extended her white-gloved hand and smiled down at Emmie. “Emmie, nice to meet you, again. Do you know Silas?” She looked confused.

  Emmie nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but words failed her…

  Yeah, I know him.

  I tried to sell him moonshine… his moonshine.

  Yeah, I know him.

  He just beat the living daylights out of my boss… ex-boss.

  Yeah, I know him.

  When he kisses me, I can’t breathe.

  All the ways she knew him flashed in her mind. Her eyes widened, she smiled and nodded again, shades of embarrassment coloring her neck and cheeks. Her eyes traveled to Silas. This was for him to explain. He was going to have to name it publicly. These were his people, not hers. He would be the one to tell or not.

  Silas rubbed his jaw hiding his emotion. Was he embarrassed too? When he moved his hand away from his chin she decided he wasn’t. He was just finding the right words. Emmie knew he wasn’t much on talking about things. Especially things involving his personal life.

  “Jemma, this is Emmie. I think Trick might have mentioned to you I was seeing someone down there.” Silas turned his body and closed the space between them as he spoke. “Well, this is the someone…” He grinned at Emmie and the last part came out as a whisper, “My someone.”

  Jemma’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “Oh, Emmie? This is your someone? Well, that’s great. Silas doesn’t usually date girls. I mean not since he was about nineteen, right?” Jemma said quickly.

  Ava laughed. “What does he date back in Chicago?”

  “Shut up, Ava,” Silas said.

  Thank God Ava never missed the opportunity to break conversation with some sassy comment. The laugh was welcome. The anxiety of the previous few moments finally caught up to Emmie and she let out a laugh louder than she meant to, then covered her mouth with her hands.

  “Oh, that’s funny is it?” Silas asked, pulling her hands down from her mouth and leading her to a corner away from the others.

  “Yeah, it kind of was,” Emmie said with an arched brow.

  He nodded and pulled out a cigarette from his vest pocket, as he was often inclined to do when he needed a moment to think. He lit it never taking his eyes from her. He took an exaggerated draw through a quirked sideways grin.

  “I guess it was kind of funny,” he mocked her words, “but not as funny as you being jealous of my sister.” He laughed.

  Emmie opened her mouth. Her pride scrambling for a reason to make an excuse for the way she had behaved. “Well, I…” she licked her lips. She had nothing to say, no retort to offer. So, she got angry. “It is just when you…” she started with a hand on her hip.

  Silas smashed the just lit cigarette out on the ashtray at the table just behind her. She faltered. What was wrong with her? She could smell him. Cigarettes, leather, soap. She breathed him in before she finished her sentence. He paused when he was at eye level, just inches from her face.

  “Jealousy suites you,” he whispered. Emmie noticed his hat had tilted down closer to his eyes.

  “Jealousy suites no one.” She rolled her eyes. “It makes you look a fool.” Emmie shook her head thinking of what to say, “I’m sorry. It’s just… I don’t belong here. And when I saw you kissing some pretty girl… I,” she swallowed hard.

  “First off, that’s disgusting. She is my sister, not some pretty girl. And second… Even if she was some pretty girl, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You think I’d want some…” he looked around, “deck of cards?” He nodded over his shoulder.

  Emmie laughed. “I’m sorry. I was dumb. I’m just not myself here. It’s like I don’t fit in and everyone here knows it. Square hole round peg, ya know? Even this dress, it’s lovely but I can hardly breathe. And these damn feathers are digging into my stockings.”

  “You do fit in. But I understand. You’ll get used to them. You’ve just never been away from home. No one is square or round, Emmie. We’ve had this conversation before,” he said and then he leaned in closer.

  Emmie took a step backward and felt her back against the wood paneling at the corner of the room. He was so close she could feel his breath against her ear. “And if that dress is bothering you…” He ran a finger along the seam of the bodice and tightly grabbed her waist where the feathers began on the skirt. He took a breath and paused there for a moment before he spoke again. Silas looked up to be sure they were still alone. His grip loosened on her dress and he ran his hand down the length of the skirt. “If these feathers are poking into your legs…”

  Oh dear. Emmie couldn’t find air. It had all been sucked from the room. His hands found the hem of her dress, then her stockings. He spoke again as he trailed his fingertips up her thigh. “Sweetheart, I can take care of this dress for ya.”

  He brushed a quick kiss on her neck just below her ear and moved a step away. His attention moved to her side. He grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the wall, into the open room again. She didn’t know if she loved him or hated him for that. She was panting… like a dog and he was there all calm and breathing like a normal human.

  “Silas, there you are. Ma and Pop are looking for you. They are serving dinner. You eating with us Em?” Trick asked, jogging up to them.

  “Of course, she’s eating with us,” Silas answered.

  “Ya, alright Emmie? You look a little… haggard,” Trick asked, genuinely concerned.

  Oh great. This night was getting better.

  “It’s just been a long day.” Emmie smiled.

  “I’m gonna go grab us a cup of tea. We will be there in a sec, eh,” Silas said, pulling her over to the bar.

  As soon as Trick was out of earshot Emmie spoke, “Silas, I’m gonna need more than tea after that.” She laughed resting against the barstool.

  Silas looked down at her with wide eyes. If his eyebrows raised any further, they may have met his hairline.

  “Wait, that’s not what I meant. It came out wrong. I meant about the tea…” she tried to clarify her need of a drink.

  “Shh.” He shook his head. “I like the way it came out better.” With that he turned and motioned for the bartender.

  Chapter Five

  Emmie was surprised when the bartender emerged from below the bar with two cups of tea. She blinked as she took in the sight of Silas taking them from the man in the long white apron. They were actual teacups. Floral china resting on delicate little sau
cers. The kind you were supposed to drink with one pinky finger pointing to the sky. She smiled at Silas as his large hands wrapped the entire cup foregoing the small handle. The bartender watched as Silas took a manly swig from the dainty cup. Silas nodded, set the cup down and reached for his wallet.

  Five dollars? Good lord, that tea better shine your shoes and do your laundry. Emmie reached for her cup. Silas brushed her hand away and gave the guy his money.

  “I’ll take it for you,” he said, carrying both cups.

  “Silas, I am perfectly capable of carrying my own tea, which was ridiculously expensive by the way. In the future, I am perfectly happy with the punch,” she said, following next to him.

  “We have to be careful. You don’t need to be carrying this around,” he said.

  Emmie frowned and glanced around the room. She noticed a few others had the mismatched cups of overpriced tea. On the far side of the room she noticed a male server carrying a tray of the empty cups. Odd that he passed over some of the other punch glasses and only went for the china. Her wheels were turning. Something was up with that china.

  Silas led her to a small door that could have easily been missed. It blended in perfectly with the elaborate wood paneling. It appeared nothing was as it seemed. The paneling continued into this new room. Dark. Cozy. Claustrophobic. It was the size of a large dining room. Down the center of a room was a single table, long enough to seat at least twenty. It was nearly full. Ava and Gabe had made their way in and were sitting at the end nearest the door with their families. Ava smiled and waved as they walked by. She and Kate, Vince’s new fiancée, were discussing wedding dresses. Silas walked to the far end of the table but Emmie paused. She realized that she hadn’t said a word to Gabe since the big moment. She patted his shoulder as she walked by.

  Leaning down she whispered, “You did great, Gabe. It was perfect for her… for both of you.”

  Gabe spun around like she’d scared him. He forced a smile. “Thanks Emmie.”

  An awkward silence passed. What was going on? “Okay, well. I best get down there to Silas.”

  When Emmie turned to move away she caught sight of Gabe’s father. She hadn’t seen him in years. He had even less hair than she remembered. He was almost totally bald. But it wasn’t his lack of hair that stopped her in her tracks. It was his stare. If she had startled Gabe that was nothing to what she had done this man. He looked like he had seen a ghost. When they made eye contact he recomposed himself, nodded hello, and took a swig from his cup. Gabe’s mother caught sight of her husband’s expression and turned to face Emmie. She was beautiful. Gabe favored her.

  Emmie smiled and extended her hand because it felt rude not to do so. “Hello, I’m Emmie Talbot.”

  Gabe’s mother frowned and looked back at her husband.

  “Mother, this is Ava’s friend, Emmie, from Bowling Green,” Gabe said, clearing his throat.

  Ava’s friend? Really? Were they not all friends? This was weird. Emmie wondered.

  “I see.” She swallowed hard. Her eyes glassed over. “Well, it is nice to meet you, dear. If you’ll just excuse me.” She dropped her napkin and made her way to another door on the far end of the room. Gabe’s father started to stand but Molly grabbed his hand and stood instead. She whispered something Emmie couldn’t hear before pushing her chair in. When she passed Emmie she gave the girl a brief hug.

  “You look lovely, girl. So glad you could be here and meet everyone,” she said quickly.

  Emmie looked down at Gabe. “I’m sorry. Did I do something?”

  Gabe shook his head. “It’s fine. She gets headaches. Don’t worry.”

  Well tonight just kept getting more and more odd. She traveled to the far end of the table and was greeted by Silas. He stood and pulled out her chair. She found he had already laid the teacup out for her. He was oblivious to everything that had passed.

  “Ma, Pop, this is Emma Talbot. She goes by Emmie though. Emmie this is Ma and Pop,” Silas said.

  “Nice to meet you.” Emmie smiled.

  “So you’re the infamous girl Trick’s been telling us about. Well, I see how you took his mind off work for a while. She’s a beauty, Silas.” Silas’s father had a beautiful accent. It was almost unchanged from his last thirty years here in the States. Michael, Silas’s father, was sitting at the head of the table. Ann-Claire, his wife, was seated to his right. She smiled and shook her head.

  “Forgive my husband for his Irish manners. It’s nice to meet you, girl. You are lovely. Thanks for taking care of my son while he was down there. Looks like he’s been eating well,” Ann-Claire said, smiling. He had her smile. Emmie also guessed she could see where Trick got his boastful personality.

  “How’d ya like your tea, Emmie?” Trick asked, smiling at the china.

  She realized she actually hadn’t tried it yet. She tipped the cup up to her mouth and took a sip. The liquid was stone cold but warmth coated her throat. Her eyes widened and she gave a little cough. She blinked a few times and took a drink of water from the table that she hoped was hers. Trick laughed loudly, as did Michael. Silas handed her a napkin. A laugh escaped her.

  “What in the world kind of tea is that? I guess I see why it was so expensive,” she said to Silas.

  “Whiskey, girl. Take a smaller drink next time or we’ll be carrying you out of here,” Michael said.

  The meal arrived and Emmie enjoyed dinner with Silas’s family. It was better in this room than out with the crowd. Glancing around the room, she thought the others probably felt the same way. At one point Silas grabbed her knee under the table and smiled.

  “Can you breathe now?” he whispered.

  Emmie smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Better air in here.”

  Silas nodded in agreement. “What’d I say. No one’s square or round… we’re all just pegs, eh?”

  “What are you two whispering about?” Trick asked.

  “Leave them alone, Trick,” Jemma laughed. “Come out here with me. James asked me to dance. I hear the music picking up.”

  “You are not dancing with James,” Silas said.

  Jemma rolled her eyes and pushed in her chair. Trick nodded, “Sorry, Jem. James is no good. How about Willem?”

  “I am seventeen. You don’t get to decide this. Ma?” She stamped her foot when she spoke.

  “Go dance. Boys, she is fine, we are here. James is a nice boy. You’ve been friends since before you could walk,” Ann-Claire said to Silas.

  “Which is why I know he should not dance with her,” Silas said, leaving no room for argument.

  Michael compromised. “Trick go watch your sister dance.”

  As they tore off she heard Jem arguing about not needing a nanny. Emmie loved listening to every second of it. She had always imagined that’s what it would be like with a big family. Big brothers. Younger sisters. Protection. She’d grown up alone, only her ma and stepdad. Needless to say, none of their arguments were playful like the ones she had just witnessed. Emmie settled into an easy conversation with Ann-Claire. It turned out she had been a seamstress years ago before she met Michael. Before long the room had basically cleared. Most of the younger couples had headed back out to dance. The parents sat around drinking their “tea.”

  “Silas, have some manners. Ask her to dance,” Michael said.

  “Oh, it’s okay… I’m not much of a dancer really,” Emmie answered.

  “That’s okay. I am, remember? I’ll show you,” Silas said, pulling her from her seat.

  On their way out the door Emmie noticed that Gabe’s parents were gone. Come to think of it, she’d never seen his mother reemerge from the door she’d left. Bless her heart. She must have had a horrible headache to miss her son’s engagement dinner.

  Emmie was relieved to see a large chunk of the crowd had dispersed from the main hall also. Smaller was better. More air. Silas found a spot near the edge and pulled her in close. She felt so at home in his arms. The whiskey had relaxed her enough to enjoy the music… and the feeli
ng of his arms encircling her waist.

  Two. Three. Five songs. She lost count. Some were fast and he spun and dipped her. Some were slow and she enjoyed the rhythm of his soft steps. When the party was down to around ten couples, waiters started bussing the tables. Housekeepers began sweeping the floors, but the band played on. After an hour she felt like her feet were going to fall off. These heels were not made for dancing.

  Silas took a swig from the flask hidden in his jacket. By the way he tipped it up, he was finishing it off. It was her shine. He’d drunk it the whole time they were dancing. Was it wrong that it made her happy to see him drinking what she had made in her little kitchen? Probably.

  “Silas, I’m not sure I can make it much longer in these shoes. What time is it?” she asked.

  He pulled a pocket watch and looked. “It’s a little after one.”

  “Good night, Silas.” Emmie laughed. She hadn’t been up this late in a long time. Certainly not doing anything fun.

  He laughed. “My sweet, beautiful Emmie,” he said. He voice was deeper… his shoulders were relaxed. Now she was sure. He’d drunk the whole flask. He wasn’t slurred… but he wasn’t exactly himself. She was feeling pretty happy herself. Life was good here. The music was good. The only problem was her feet.

  “Seriously, Silas. Me and these shoes have seen our last dance. I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Okay.” With that he picked her up.

  “Silas McDowell. Put me down.” But she was laughing so hard she could barely get the words out. He put her on a table near Trick and Gabe. Ava laughed out loud at the sight.

  “You sure do know how to make an entrance, Emmie,” Ava laughed.

  Emmie rolled her eyes and sat in the chair. “Ouch. These darn feathers.”

  Silas smiled. “Is your dress bothering you?”

  Emmie turned a deep crimson remembering his promise. “Yep. The feathers keep stabbing me in the legs.”

  Silas grinned, rubbed his jaw as the thought and then got his brother’s attention. He leaned in and whispered something Emmie couldn’t hear. She saw Trick nod and look at his watch. Gabe frowned and glanced back toward Ava and Emmie. She wondered what they were talking about. Surely not business this late at night? Hadn’t they taken care of that earlier?