“Well, I’m tired of waiting around here for y’all. Let’s get going,” she said with a smile.
Mr. Johnson must have heard her because he gave a throaty snort of laughter. “I guess if you’re in a hurry we best be going. Walter we’ll meet you back here in a couple hours.”
“No.” Walter shook his head.
“Walter you can’t make this walk. It ain’t about us not wanting you there,” Mr. Johnson said.
Emmie could tell by the look in Walter’s eyes he didn’t believe him.
“I ain’t gonna send her off without me. I think it’s for me to decided where these old legs can go,” he said, jutting out his chin.
She took a look around at the landscape. If they were going down in the holler there was a good chance they were being honest. There had been times she had worried about Walter moving around that cave by himself and the cave was easy land compared to this. She did wish she had someone else with her though. But, she’d known Bo nearly all her life. She was sure she’d be okay.
“Walt. I’ll be okay,” she said with more courage than she felt. But she’d learned courage was contagious. Act brave and others around you will feel safer.
“I don’t like it,” he said.
“Two hours. I’ll be right back here,” she assured him. “That’s it.”
“You think I want her boy coming after me? I’m gonna take good care of her.” Mr. Johnson laughed.
“He is okay with this, right. You talked to him?” Mr. Johnson asked her.
Emmie only hesitated for a brief second. She might be able to talk Walter into things without Silas’s approval but she knew she wouldn’t be able to do that with Mr. Johnson. So she told a half-truth and hoped he didn’t ask any questions. “He wants the best for Max too, ya know.”
Mr. Johnson frowned for a moment then Bo spoke up. “Let’s get a move on it. Emmie’s freezing.”
Walter handed Emmie his shotgun. “Remember what I said. You ain’t even got to be able to aim with this one.”
Emmie nodded and took the gun from Walter.
“Two hours or I’m coming to find you… with Silas,” he said pointedly. He knew she hadn’t breathed a word of this to him yet. That was his warning to her not to drag this thing out.
She nodded again and turned to face the men. She smiled and gripped the shotgun tightly as she headed into the woods.
Chapter Twenty-eight
When everyone kept telling her they were going on a hike, she thought they were kidding. It turns out they weren’t. After she’d fallen the second time, Bo had offered to carry her down the ravine. Mr. Johnson had taken Walt’s shotgun away from her too. It turns out her probability of falling and the loaded sawed-off made the boys a bit jumpy.
“So where are you all dragging me to again?” she asked after they’d walked about ten minutes.
“The place you’re gonna make us our shine. Today we’ll keep it short. Just make sure you got the equipment and supplies you need,” Bo answered.
“Well you boys clearly went to too much trouble on this little excursion. Last time I did just fine making it right in my own kitchen.” She stumbled over a fallen tree that was half covered by rotted leaves.
“We can’t have you doing this right in your kitchen. That was a fool’s move, girl,” Mr. Johnson said. “And you’re gonna be making a little more than you did then.”
“How much is a little more?” she asked, turning to face him.
“You’ll see.” He spit a wad of tobacco on the ground.
When they got to the bottom of the holler there was a small creek running across their path. It wasn’t very wide but it was enough to get her feet wet. At least she’d had the good sense to put on her old boots. Mr. Johnson crossed first. Emmie looked down the creek to be sure there wasn’t a log draped across the water to cross on but there wasn’t. The boys made quick work of moving through the water. She took her time. It was better to be slow than soaked to the bone.
“Come on, Em.” Bo laughed from the other side.
“Haven’t you people heard of roads?” she asked, keeping her eyes on her feet.
“That would make it easy for folk to get down here. We don’t want it easy,” Mr. Johnson answered.
She heard a splashing near her and looked up to see Bo moving through the creek like he was walking on water. He was beside her in just a few seconds. She frowned at him and continued to find her footing. But that was in vain. Bo picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder and crossed the creek like he did this everyday.
“Bo Johnson.” She tried not to laugh.
“Sorry Emmie. But Walt only gave us two hours and at your pace we never would have made it past that creek.” He plopped her down on the other side.
Mr. Johnson gave Bo an odd look but kept his thoughts to himself. On the other side of the bank Emmie spotted a tree. It was the most unique off-white color. The bark was peeling and the branches were bare but Emmie was struck by its beauty. She wanted to ask about the tree but the men had moved on ahead of her.
Her eyes followed the men’s footsteps. In the distance she could see a tiny cabin with puffs of grey-black smoke coming from the chimney. They reached the cabin in a matter of minutes.
The doorway was so narrow they entered in single file. Bo’s brother-in-law, Steven, was waiting in the cabin for them. Nobody really talked to him other than checking that he had all the supplies organized. Then he just disappeared into the walls. He looked familiar to her but she couldn’t place him.
To say the cabin was small would have been an understatement. It was tiny with one little room, two windows, a small cook stove on the far right wall, a cot, and a large fireplace on the opposite side. There was a small table with two handmade chairs. She didn’t see a single supply but Steven had named a whole list of items they’d secured.
Bo must have guessed her question, telling her everything was in the cellar. He walked over to the cot, pushed it to the side, and revealed a door in the floor. He lit a lantern and motioned for her to follow him. She did not want to follow him down that dark cellar.
“Nah…You can just tell me what’s down there. I trust you,” she said quickly.
“Miss Emmie are you scared?” he asked with a laugh. The men joined in.
She’d known Bo all her life. She did trust him but these other men, she didn’t know from Adam. Her stomach turned as she faked a smile. She wished for the second time that Silas was with her. As she took in her surroundings, the potential danger of the situation settled in. If Bo wasn’t here she would be scared to death. Subconsciously she took a step near him.
“I’m just funning you Emmie. You ain’t gotta go down there.” His face fell and he reached out and grabbed her arm.
“So what all do you have for me?” She forced a smile and rubbed her hands together.
“We need you to do around two hundred jars this time. We figure then we can store ’em and use it up as we need over time.” Mr. Johnson said.
“Okay. Sounds like a plan to me. Get it all made in one trip, use it when you need it,” she said. “You want me to make it just how I did last time?”
“Yeah. That’s what James said sold well. So I think it’s best to stick with that,” Mr. Johnson said. “Well, minus how you decorated up them jars. We don’t decorate our moonshine round here. Just not that kind of outfit.” He spit another wad of chew in an old mason jar. A few of the men snickered at his comment.
Emmie’s stomach churned at the sight but did her best to keep her composure.
“No gingham jar covers. That’ll save me time anyway.” She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to let them get her rowed up.
Steven went over the supply list of apples, sugar, cinnamon, and spices. They had more than she’d need. She was glad they were supplying everything. It made the whole thing easier. The whole time he was talking Emmie got a sinking feeling in her gut. Something was amiss with this one. She just couldn’t place it.
Bo led her
over to the cook stove, showing her the water pump and the cooking pots they had to be sure she had everything she needed. Everything was fine. Did they think she would need some sort of kitchen fit for a king? She thought it weird they would bring her out here for a test run like this.
“Well, it all looks good to me. So when do we start?” she asked eager to move this little visit along.
“Tomorrow good for you?” Bo asked. “From now on we won’t have the whole gang. I’ll meet you out here and bring ya out and take ya back home.”
Emmie breathed easy. She was relieved not to have everyone there the next time. “Tomorrow’s fine. This shouldn’t take more than a few days.”
“Sooner we get this done the better,” Mr. Johnson said. “Working with people that ain’t named Johnson gets me a little jittery.”
Emmie didn’t know what to say to that. Mr. Johnson then turned and said something to Steven. He was being sent for different supplies. She didn’t want to hear their conversation. She had the distinct feeling the less she heard the better. She moved to the other side of the cabin and warmed her hands at the fire in preparation for their cold walk back. She squatted to get as much direct contact with the flames as possible. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Bo spoke. He had bent down next to her.
“I think this is real brave of ya.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “You ain’t got to be scared as long as I’m here. I promise.”
It was on the tip of her tongue for her to tell him she wasn’t scared but she stopped. Lying was going to get her nowhere and if Bo was offering her protection in this place she knew nothing about, she’d take it. She just nodded and looked him right in the eyes. She hoped he could see the thank you in them.
“Let’s get you back before Walter hurts himself trying to find you.” Bo smiled, trying to lighten the mood. He reached for her arm and pulled her back up.
“Pap, I can take her back, if you want. No sense in all of us taking the long way home,” Bo offered.
Mr. Johnson was still for a moment while he thought it over. Emmie wondered why he was so cautious with her. “Yeah. Take Luke with you.”
Luke must have been the youngest boy because he jumped to attention when he heard his name. Just as Emmie was almost out the door Mr. Johnson spoke, “You must think a lot of Walter’s boy to get into this for no money.” His eyes squeezed tight together like he was analyzing her every motion.
“They are as close as family to me.”
He nodded in approval. She’d given him the perfect answer. If there was one thing Mr. Johnson understood, it was family.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Bo carried her across the creek this time. Again, he hadn’t asked. He’d just picked her up like a sack of potatoes and thrown her over his shoulder. She was surprised at his strength. He set her down easily on the other side.
“You know that is completely unnecessary, right?” She laughed and punched him in the arm.
“No. We’ve only got about fifteen minutes to get back up and outta this holler. At your creek crossing pace we would never make it.” Bo pushed her back.
“Well forgive me if not all of us can walk on water,” she said and pushed on ahead of him.
Growing up walking around her own woods, she had a pretty good sense of direction. When Bo and his brother passed ahead of her, it wasn’t because she was lost. It was because she could hardly breathe. The cold air stabbed her lungs with each breath she took. If she thought making it down the hill was rough, it was nothing compared to going up it. A couple times the boys had held her hand as she went over rocks and fallen trees. She felt her dress catch on a branch and rip as she tugged it loose.
“Good Lord, Bo. This is a ridiculous hike. Who would build their house in a place that takes this much trouble to get to?” She used her hands to help her up the final incline that led to the flattened ridge where Walt would be waiting for her.
Bo looked at her seriously and answered, “Somebody that didn’t wanna be found.”
She nodded and thought about his words. That was probably true. She also thought there was more of a story that she didn’t want or need to hear. That one room cabin hadn’t been built for comfort but for hiding. Something about that place gave her the chills. Maybe it was just being surrounded by all those people she didn’t know or trust. Luke walked ahead of them.
“Would you consider letting me do at least some of the work in my own kitchen? Then I can carry the rest down there and cook it in with the shine?” she asked, figuring it was worth it to ask one more time.
Bo looked at her with a frown. “Emmie, that’s too risky. Besides it wouldn’t be easy to move that stuff back and forth. It’s better to just leave it all there until we unload the jars of shine. Are you really that creeped out by the place… or was it my family?”
“I don’t want to hurt your feelings or anything but something just sets me on edge there. Who is that Steven guy? He looks so familiar.”
“He’s married to my sister. He just got a job in town. Took Will’s place when he left Mr. Thomas’s store. Word has it Will’s left town to be a cop in some big city, Louisville or Lexington I think.”
Wow. That was a lot of information to process. “I don’t think you want Steven working with Mr. Thomas. You know I heard he’s dabbled in being a revenuer in the past. I used to hear him talk to Will about things. It doesn’t really make sense to me that you’d want someone like him so close to your family.”
“Nah. It helps us out really. Steven’s always been kinda worthless around the farm. He was from the city, he ain’t used to farm work and he has no talent for making shine. Most of the time he just seems to be in the way. He orders and gets supplies from Mr. Thomas’s store right under his nose. That old man don’t even notice his man’s pulled out three bushels of apples right under his nose. He just writes up receipts like they were bought from different people all over time. Makes it better for Pap. He ain’t got to worry about going to five different stores just to get what he needs. That old Thomas is so oblivious. You should hear the stories Steven tells.”
Emmie arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’d underestimate him, Bo. Tell Steven to be careful. Trust me. He’s not a harmless old man.”
She could tell Bo was brushing her off. “I ain’t worried about that ole coot. Besides I’m pretty sure your Yank scared him enough to keep his nose outta the moonshiners’ business. From what I hear he nearly killed him… and not with no gun. With his hands, Emmie. Like a damn grizzly bear.”
Emmie snorted at Bo’s expression and the way he’d brought his hands in front of his face, outstretched like claws. “That is not true, Bo Johnson. You just don’t like him. Which is odd because your family sure seems to depend on his connections to sell your shine. I’d think you’d be best friends.”
Bo shifted the shotgun he’d carried up the hill. “Yeah, well, to throw out your own words back at ya, I wouldn’t underestimate him.”
Emmie frowned but didn’t have the chance to ask any other questions. She could now see Walt and he was tearing up the space between them. He met Luke first and took his shotgun from the boy. Bo passed Emmie’s to her.
“Emmie,” he hollered a few yards away. “You alright?”
“Yeah,” she said. As she drew nearer to him she could tell he was freezing. He must have waited outside the whole time.
“Why’s her dress all beat up?” Walter asked Bo, gripping his shotgun.
“She’s a clumsy hiker,” he laughed.
“Walter, they weren’t kidding about the path. Actually there was no path. It was ridiculous.” She forced a smile. She didn’t want her uneasiness to rub off on Walt. He would call the whole thing off.
He gave one of his infamous noncommittal grunts.
“I’ll call you tomorrow morning and we can get started then, okay?” Bo asked before turning to head back to his truck.
She swallowed hard and nodded.
“You okay, really? You look a little fraz
zled,” Walter asked, rubbing his whiskers.
She swallowed and shook her head. “Yeah. It’s gonna be fine. Just nervous I guess.”
“Hmm,” he said, reversing the car and pulling down the dirt path leading to the main road. “You know them guns don’t do you a bit a good if you keep letting the boys carry them around. They was for your protection…”
“I honestly couldn’t carry it down that ravine. It was crazy steep. They moved up and down it like mountain goats. I looked like a fool.”
“Well, then I guess when you talk to Silas you better have him find you some kinda gun that you can keep in your pocket or something. I don’t want you down there unprotected.” He looked straight ahead.
“You really think I need one that bad?” she asked curiously.
He didn’t answer her. She didn’t like that. That meant he didn’t know. She decided to switch topics, focusing on the goal of this little endeavor. “So, you mentioned you’d bought train tickets. When do you leave?”
“We’re heading out on Monday, day after tomorrow. Not exactly sure when I’ll be back.”
“So, you’ve decided to go with Mae and Max?” she asked surprised.
“Mae’s having a hard time. She’s scared of the big city. Don’t know how she thinks I’ll be able to help her with that. I ain’t ever been north of LaRue County.”
“That’s good Walt. You should go.”
“Well, you have to promise that you are gonna tell Silas about this. I ain’t leaving you here sneaking off to the Johnson’s cabin,” he said gruffly.
“I’m gonna tell him tonight,” she said with a sigh.
As they pulled onto her road she could see two cars in her drive. She suspected all the boys were there… Silas, Trick, and Gabe. She looked down at her torn, dirty dress. This was not going to go well. There was no reason to kid herself but it had to be done, and in front of an audience no less. She eyed Walt. She may have to do this in front of him.
Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) Page 15
