“I’m sorry, Silas. I just . . . I saw that skillet,” she started and then opened her eyes and looked around the room. Remembering they weren’t alone and swallowed the rest of her sentence.
Molly and Al watched her from a distance. Silas turned her face, so she was looking at only him again. “It’s okay.”
She heard his words. She knew he was right. It was okay. She wasn’t in that cabin. Mr. Thomas was dead. She closed her eyes slowly and found her breath. Emmie opened her eyes and looked into Silas’s. They were so full love, concern, and compassion. How could this be the same man she’d seen in the cabin? The second part of the scene flashed through her mind—the second part in the cabin she hadn’t let herself remember.
Silas had walked in, guns drawn. He’d shot them. His eyes had been cold. So cold. Even as his arms had wrapped around her, he’d shot Mr. Thomas. Did Mr. Thomas deserve to die for his sins? The tall revenuer had called her a moll. A gangster’s girl. Was he right?
“Emmie.” His deep voice brought her back to the present.
She shook her head again and forced a smile. “I’m fine, Silas.”
He frowned. He didn’t believe her. How could he? There was no effort in her lie. He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her forehead, leaving his lips there a little longer than was appropriate, given the company they were in.
Al cleared his throat. “Silas, I think you and I need to talk about a thing or two.”
Silas ignored him for a moment and kept his eyes on Emmie. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
He gave her an easy smile and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be right back.”
Al frowned at her before leaving the room. It wasn’t the same look of disapproval as he’d given Gabe. Curiosity or pity, maybe? Emmie wondered if he knew what had happened in Bowling Green since he’d left town.
Emmie leaned down and picked up the skillet as Silas made his way out of the room. She put it back on the stove and started cracking eggs. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand and she knew she was being watched. She turned to face Molly who was leaning against the kitchen table staring at her. Her expression was as much amused, as it was curious. She looked just like Ava.
She wasn’t quite sure what to say, so she turned around and started cooking the eggs. Molly wasn’t so quiet though.
“So, Ava was right,” Molly said.
“About what?” Emmie asked, never moving her eyes from the eggs.
“You really did catch my nephew’s eye,” she said.
Emmie was flabbergasted. With everything that had just transpired, that’s what she’d pulled from the last few minutes. She couldn’t help but smile to herself. She really was like Ava.
“I suppose.” Emmie laughed.
“You two . . . you’re just so different,” Molly mused. “But I guess that’s good. I guess he’s not so sorry he got sent to ‘that little hillbilly town’ now. That’s what he used to call Bowling Green, you know.”
Emmie laughed. “Did he really say that?”
Molly nodded and grinned. Emmie snorted.
“Is it serious?” Molly asked, traces of humor leaving her voice.
“I don’t know.” Emmie avoided the topic.
“Do you have any questions? I mean your ma died before you had a chance to talk to her about things. And sometimes when you find a beau things can get confusing,” Molly asked.
Oh God. She was not having this conversation. She knew Molly had good intentions but she was not talking about this with her or anyone. Well, maybe Ava.
“No. I’m figuring it out,” Emmie answered.
“Well, I’ll have a talk with him then, as your ma would have had,” Molly said with a shrug.
“I’m not sure you need to. I’m pretty sure Walter’s already given him an ear full,” Emmie thought aloud.
“Really, Si has met the old man? Hmm. I’m surprised they have crossed paths,” Molly said.
Emmie’s heart sank as realization dawned on her. It wasn’t until that moment she realized just how out of the loop Molly was with the reality that surrounded her. At times she seemed to know everything but at other times she was completely clueless. “Umm . . . yeah. He came by the house one day when Silas was there.”
“Silas was at your house?” Molly frowned. She left the words how improper unsaid but Emmie could read them from her face.
“Yeah . . . I mean it’s been cold at home.” Emmie made up the lie as the words came out her mouth. “He came to pick me up for church once and Walter was dropping off a pie Mae baked.”
“Oh.” Molly smiled and looked relieved. Maybe she wanted the lie, Emmie mused. It was always easier to believe something you wanted to hear.
She finished breakfast. Al, Trick, and Silas reappeared. Silas looked a bit more sober but gave Emmie a squeeze on her arm and a crooked smile before he sat down. Ava never came down. Emmie wanted to ask about her but knew she shouldn’t. An easy conversation filled the breakfast table but she couldn’t bring herself to participate. Something felt off. All she could think about was getting to Ava to figure out what was going on.
After breakfast Emmie got up to help clear the table but Molly stopped her.
“Miss Potts will take care of the dishes for us.” She smiled and jerked her neck toward a woman Emmie hadn’t noticed before. She was standing in the corner of the dining room.
“I don’t mind helping,” Emmie said, grabbing for Silas’s plate.
“Emmie. You don’t need to help.” Silas laughed. When Emmie didn’t let go he grabbed her hand gently. “Walk me to the door.”
Her heart sank. Walk him to the door? He was leaving. Of course he was leaving. She dropped the dish and muttered a thank you to the woman wearing the fancy uniform. Emmie noticed another woman enter as Silas wiped his mouth and put his napkin on the plate. How much help did they have, she wondered. At home they only had a couple of folks. But this house had to be at least three times the size of that one.
Silas grabbed her fingertips and pulled her into the living room, leaving Trick and Ava’s parents just sitting there. Emmie was sure he was breaking all kinds of rules of etiquette.
“Are you okay, really?” he asked as soon as they were alone. With his fingertips on her temple, she leaned into him without realizing what she was doing.
She closed her eyes and nodded. Although she knew he had to leave, a part of her could not believe he would soon walk out the door. “It’s just I’ve not been by myself since . . .” she started but couldn’t find the words to finish.
Silas frowned and rubbed his jaw. “You won’t be alone.”
“But I won’t be with you.” She forced a smile and a laugh.
She had never been needy. “Do you want to stay at my parents’ home?” he whispered. “I could stay there with you.”
“No.” Emmie shook her head. “I have a feeling Ava needs me. I just . . . I’m going to miss you.”
“Thanksgiving is in just a few days. My whole family will be here then.” He gave her a crooked grin. “I’ll also plan a day for us in the city soon.”
Emmie smiled. “Shall I see if Ava and Gabe can join us?”
“You can try,” Silas said cryptically.
“Silas, Al said we can have his driver take us home,” Trick said, walking into the room. “I’ll go find him and meet you outside. See you soon, Em.”
Silas leaned down and brushed a quick kiss on her lips, so quick that it seemed it was over before it began. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mo Chuisle.”
“Yeah. See you then,” she said as she watched him walk away. She swallowed hard, unsure what bothered her worse: the fact he was leaving or that she was so bothered to be without him.
Chapter Six
Emmie had half expected her things to be brought to Ava’s room. She’d assumed they would be staying together like they always had at home. But when one of the housekeepers showed her upstairs, she was taken to a large and airy guest room. The spac
e was roughly the size of her kitchen and living room at home. She felt lost in its abundance. She slipped off her shoes and rubbed her feet on the plush rug that covered the hardwood floor. Emmie tried to relax as she sat down in the large red upholstered chair near the window that looked out over the front lawn. It was cold. Little specks of frost still clung to the corners of the glass. Silas’s car was long gone. It occurred to her that she didn’t know how to contact him. She scanned the distance for other houses. She spied a few homes farther down the road. Did his family live close? She’d never thought to ask. They had so much to talk about.
Closing her eyes, she laid her head back against the plush chair. She was exhausted and needed to rest but she couldn’t. Her gut was churning anxiously. There was only one thing she wanted to do right now. She had to find Ava. Her bare feet padded against the floor quietly as she made her way into the hall. It was long and the floor creaked and popped under her. She felt like she should keep quiet but she wasn’t sure why. Why would Molly and Al keep Ava from her?
She traveled past several doors, peeking in to find empty rooms just as beautifully decorated and cavernous as the one she’d been given. A few doors away she noticed something that caught her eye. One of the doors had a pink ribbon tied to it. Of course, sneaky Ava would do something to help Emmie find her. Emmie smiled to herself as she skipped up to the door.
Emmie had expected to find Ava inside listening to music, smearing powder on her nose, pinning in a new headband. She saw nothing of the sort. The room was dark and cold. Nothing around Ava was ever dark or cold. She padded quietly over to the bed and found Ava was still sleeping. Sleeping? It was going on ten in the morning. She sat on the bed with conflicted emotions. She wanted to shake her, wake her, hug her, and tell her everything that had passed since Halloween. Ava looked at peace. She knew should leave her alone but she couldn’t. Emmie reached a hand out and gently touched her best friend’s auburn hair. Ava’s eyes popped open almost instantly.
“You finally came.” Ava’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Emmie nodded.
Ava smiled with her eyes squinted at the corners.
“I’ve missed—” Emmie started but didn’t get to finish. Ava’s arm reached out and all but pushed her off the bed. She caught herself as her feet hit the floor, wincing and grabbing her ribs in the process.
“Sorry, Emmie, I’ve got to—” she said as she blurred past Emmie and through a small door in the far corner of the room.
Gut-wrenching, vile sounds came from the room Ava had disappeared into. Emmie ran in behind her friend. A bathroom? Ava’s bedroom had its own bathroom and it was enormous. Pink tile of varying shades covered every surface. It was shiny, new, and clean. Ava started to empty the contents of her stomach again. Emmie ran over to her and pushed her hair away from her face. When she finally stopped Emmie turned and grabbed a washcloth from the counter and wet it with icy cold water. Ava sat by the toilet with her eyes closed. Emmie sat on the floor next to her friend and put the cloth on her forehead.
A silence passed between them as Emmie tried to think of what to say.
“Are you okay now? Can I get you something?” Emmie asked.
Ava shook her head slowly, opened her eyes and tried to smile but came up short.
“I’m sorry you’re not well. I should have let you sleep. May I help you back to bed?” Emmie asked quietly.
“No. I’ve wanted to see you,” Ava said, reaching out to touch Emmie’s hand. “Sorry about that. When I first get up it always happens. It’s getting better though. Two weeks ago I couldn’t get out of bed. Now once I get it out I feel better.” Emmie still didn’t understand.
“Ava two weeks is a long time for a stomach flu. Have you seen a doctor to be sure everything is okay?” Emmie asked, helping her stand.
Ava walked over to the sink and turned on the water laughing to herself. She rinsed her mouth, splashed her face with water and then stared at her reflection in the mirror a moment before she spoke. She turned around slowly and shook her head.
“It’s not the flu. And yes, I’ve seen the doctor. I’m not sick.” Ava smiled. “Now that ugliness is over I actually feel nearly myself. Like I said before, I’m a lot better than I was two weeks ago. I think I’m over the worst of it. I hope so anyway. It goes on for months for some people.”
Ava pulled a dressing robe over her shoulders and tied the belt around her waist. She sat at her white vanity and started to dab her face with powder. This was the sight Emmie had expected to see earlier. However, now she was more confused than she was when she first walked through the door and found a dark cold room.
“Ava, I’m thinking you should get back in bed. You just upchucked everything you have eaten for the last couple of days. That’s not normal. We need to find you a new doctor.” Emmie walked over to her friend and pulled the brush from her fingertips.
“Honestly, I’m fine,” Ava said defensively. “The doctor was right.”
“Ava, your family wouldn’t keep you up here in quarantine if you didn’t have something catching,” Emmie said.
“Catching? Something catching?” Ava actually snorted. “Honey you can’t catch this from me. Maybe you could catch it from Silas, especially after how Gabe told me he found you with feathers all over the floor in Louisville but I wouldn’t know. I really don’t know anything about you lately, do I?” Ava asked, annoyed.
“Stop speaking in riddles, Ava,” Emmie snapped. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“You’ve been too busy to call or talk to me. Even though I’ve needed you,” Ava said louder than she meant to.
Emmie felt her chest sting with her friend’s words. That was true wasn’t it? She had been too caught up in her own life to talk to Ava. She’d brushed her aside when Ava had needed her most. Emmie looked down at the floor. She had nothing to offer other than an apology.
“I’m sorry, Ava. I had no idea you were so ill,” Emmie said, her voice a whisper.
“I’m not sick. Nothing is wrong with me,” Ava shouted, slamming her hands on the vanity. “I wish everyone would stop treating me like some kind of invalid or monster.”
In a rapid change of emotions Ava turned around and faced her friend. She smiled as a single tear ran down her cheek. She placed a shaking hand on her abdomen and reached out to touch Emmie with the other. And in that one quick moment a dawning of realization flooded over Emmie. The fights with Gabe, Ava’s cryptic words, the quarantine, the rushed wedding. She covered her mouth, unsure what to say. Ava nodded.
“Gabe and I are going to have a baby,” Ava said wrapping her arm around her friend. Emmie tried not to wince at the pain in her ribs. Emmie wasn’t sure what she felt. She wasn’t sure how Ava felt. Everything was changing so fast in each of their lives.
“You realize what this means don’t you?” Ava asked, stepping back. Emmie couldn’t help but smile back when she saw the joy in Ava’s eyes. She was happy.
“You’re going to be a mother?” Emmie answered her friend’s question with one of her own.
Ava laughed. “And you’re going to be an aunt.”
Chapter Seven
Aunt. Of course, her brother was having a child. She was going to be an aunt. That was going to take a moment to process. All of these years she had been so alone and now every facet of the word family she could have only imagined before was being thrust on her: brother, father, niece or nephew. It was what she had always wanted. This was a good thing, right? If she was being honest with herself, she had to admit that it felt overwhelming when it all happened at once.
“Please be happy,” Ava mumbled looking down at her hands. “Please.”
Emmie composed herself and plastered on a smile. “Of course,” she started.
“I need you to be happy. No one else is. No one.” Ava shrugged one shoulder and rubbed a tear away with the back of her hand. When she spoke her voice was cracked and was barely audible. “Everyone is just angry. I thought Pop was going to kill Gabe. Ma t
alked him down. And Ma . . . she is so disappointed. She’s not yelling at me anymore but she avoids me. So we spend all of our time in this house acting like I’m not walking around with Gabe’s baby in my belly, but look.” Ava pulled the fabric of her robe until it fit tightly to her belly. Emmie saw nothing at first but when she looked closely, she did notice a little bulge. She must not be very far long. It was on the tip of Emmie’s tongue to ask when the baby would arrive but she thought better of it. She could tell by the look on Ava’s face she needed to talk right now, not answer a thousand questions. Emmie understood that feeling.
Ava took a deep breath and let the fabric fall loose at her hips again, hiding the small bump on her lower abdomen. “Whether they want to see it or not, our baby’s there. I need you Emmie. I need you to help me show this baby love because there is no one else. Anger. Disappointment. Judgment. That’s all I find in this house.” Ava’s voice quivered and another tear escaped her eyes as she said the sentence.
“Of course, I’ll love your baby.” Emmie made herself sound stronger than she felt. Ava needed strength. She’d abandoned her the last few weeks. Emmie wouldn’t leave her alone now. “And you know they will love the baby too.” She reached a hand out and cupped Ava’s face, wiping a tear away with her thumb. “They will. It’s just going to take time for everyone to get used to the idea.”
Ava nodded and looked a little more resolved. She pulled Emmie into a hug, squeezing her tightly. Emmie bit her lip against the pain in her ribs. “Did you know I didn’t even get to tell Gabe? My father told him. Actually yelling at him through the receiver of a phone is probably a more accurate description. He said things to Gabe that would make a sailor blush. Hurtful, ugly sort of words that I’m worried Gabe won’t be able to forgive.”
Come Rain or Shine (Shine On Series, Book Three) Page 3
