Them Holler Boys (A Southern Outlaw Series Book 1)

by Girty Thompson

  “JJ, this is a nice telescope. It must have cost a fortune,” she murmured. “And you bought it for me?”

  JJ nodded. “I figured it was time for you to see the stars up close and personal.”

  Lynne bent down to peer into the eyepiece pointed at the sky, smiling the whole time. She looked at the telescope again, admiring her gift from JJ.

  “I don’t know what to say. Thank you doesn’t seem like it's good enough to say for a present like this,” Lynne said, grinning at JJ.

  JJ showed her how to work the controls on the telescope. Once she knew how to find specific constellations, he pulled the paper out of the bag.

  “Now, can you find this star for me?” he asked.

  “Alright, tell me the coordinates,” she replied.

  JJ rambled off the number of the star he had purchased for Lynne. She punched the numbers into the telescope, and it automatically adjusted to the sky and pointed her directly to the star she needed to see.

  “What’s so special about this star?” Lynne asked as she peered through the lens at the star.

  “It’s your star,” JJ replied, handing over the congratulations paper telling her she owned it.

  “What?!” she exclaimed. “You bought me a star!?”

  “Yes, and I named it for you,” he replied, smiling.

  “What did you name it?” she asked, snatching the paper from his hands.

  “Shine Runner,” he replied, peering at her.

  “JJ, this is the nicest and sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, like ever. My mama and daddy ain’t ever done something like this for me,” Lynne marveled. “Thank you,” she said as she kissed his cheek.

  “It was nothing,” JJ replied. “Pretty things for pretty girls.”

  “Shhhhh. Now, stop. I am not a pretty girl,” she shushed, looking around quickly. “Don’t be making boys think they can take me on in fights, now.” She glanced around then cackled at her own joke.

  JJ laughed heartily. “If there is a boy that thinks they have a chance at taking you head on in a fight, then he deserves the ass beating you give him.”

  Lynne wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. “This night is as perfect as it can ever be,” she murmured. “Makes you wish time can stand still, and you can live in a moment forever when you choose.”

  “One day, there will be all the time in the world for us to stay like this, wrapped up in each other’s arms like the world around us doesn’t exist,” JJ replied quietly.

  “Lynnelle Brown!” her mama called out.

  “That night is not tonight, apparently,” he laughed.

  “Can I take this home with me and show mama?” she asked.

  He smiled. “Of course, you can. It’s yours. I just don’t know if you should be telling who gave it to you,” he replied.

  “I tell my mama everything,” she said with a wink.

  She packed her telescope up and carefully rolled her paper back up and tucked it into the bag with the telescope. She laid the telescope in the truck seat and turned to JJ.

  “You sure do know how to make a girl feel special, Jackson Jay,” she smiled.

  Very quickly, she lightly pecked him on his lips and then jumped in her truck, starting it and closing the door. JJ watched as she pulled her truck out of the tiny trail and made her way to her house. And for once in his life, he truly felt alive inside.

  Chapter Two

  Every year after Easter, Charlie Brown throws an outlandish Bluegrass Festival. Everyone in the holler enjoyed the festival, but most of all, Charlie enjoyed them. Charlie had grown up in a tight-knit family that played music. His daddy taught him and his brothers to play the banjo, the guitar, the bass, and the fiddle so they could play at family functions for entertainment. After realizing how well they all played and sang together, they started traveling, doing Bluegrass gigs at festivals in the tri-state area. Charlie enjoyed it far more than his brothers ever did, and soon, it was just he and his dad doing the gigs. There was an expensive guitar that Charlie made a trade for at one of the festivals. He landed a Gibson Martin D45 with inlaid opal accents that Charlie Wallers from the Country Gentlemen himself tried to trade for.

  Charlie ran all kinds of publicity for the Bluegrass event and headliners and had been in the festival gig for so long that he was able to land Bluegrass bands such as Allison Kraus, The Lonesome River Band, The Cox Family, and The Grascals. Even Blue Highway made their way into the events, as well as lesser-known bands that found their way to the gig. The festival usually lasted two weeks, so everyone in the holler stayed busy with some job handed to them by Charlie. Miners would work all night just to stay awake through the next day to help get things set up before the grand opening day of the festival.

  The scenery wasn’t anything really elaborate at all. Most of the work was setting up the sound stage, the chairs for the audience, making sure the campground was ready for all of the RV’s that had paid for their space, cutting the grass, and maintenance type stuff. However, even with all of the hands they had helping, Lynne still felt it best to get JJ added in on the festivities planning.

  “Have you ever been to a Bluegrass Festival before?” Lynne asked as they unloaded hay from a bailer’s truck.

  “No, I have not, which is why I don’t know why we need hay here,” JJ replied back.

  “Daddy don’t want them messing up the grass,” Lynne replied, rolling her eyes. “Do you know how long it took to grow that grass,” she mocked and laughed.

  JJ chuckled. “Who all is playing this year?”

  “So, you have heard about daddy’s festivals,” Lynne asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow.

  “Of course, I have. We were never here except for summertime, so I never got to experience them,” JJ replied.

  “Who is your favorite band?” Lynne asked.

  “I don’t have favorites,” JJ replied.

  “Name me some you do like then,” Lynne requested.

  “Let’s see…” JJ stopped to think. “I like Daily & Vincent. The Foggy Mountain Brothers. The Grascals. Blue Highway. Rhonda Vincent. IIIrd Tyme Out. The Lonesome River Band,” JJ replied.

  “What’s your favorite Lonesome River Band song?” Lynne asked.

  “Perfume, Powder, and Lead,” JJ replied.

  “That’s mine too!” Lynne exclaimed.

  “One less commonly known that I like is I Wish my Baby was Born. It’s sung by Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus, and Tim O’Brien,” JJ said.

  “I don’t think I have heard that one,” Lynee replied.

  “It’s such a beautiful song,” JJ mused. “You can feel the heartbreak in the draw of the fiddle in that one.”

  “Sing it to me?” Lynne asked.

  “No,” JJ replied with a laugh. “I don’t think so.”

  “How about you sing it at the festival then?” Lynne asked.

  “I’ll think about it,” JJ answered with a smile.

  “Are you two done yapping? There is more work to be done, and we open in less than an hour,” Charlie blathered, rounding the corner carrying a crate full of hotdog buns. “We still have to set up the food stations.”

  “On it, Daddy,” Lynne replied softly.

  “That’s my girl,” Charlie said, smiling. “You. I can’t point at ya, but ya know I’m talking to you.”

  JJ groaned quietly. “Yes, sir?”

  “Go grab the meats before they spoil in the heat,” Charlie demanded.

  “Yes, sir,” JJ answered.

  “Don’t go calling me, sir. I’ll get used to it, and no one else says it,” Charlie joked.

  Charlie walked off as JJ and Lynne scampered off to do what they were told,

  “Oh!” JJ shouted across the field to Lynne. “Jack White is another good’en.”

  “Did you just say good’en, JJ? You need to stay away from my daddy. He’s rubbing off on you,” Lynne hollered back with a laugh.

  JJ walked around humming Wayfaring Stranger as he unloaded the
hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, and chicken from the trucks. He found him a dolly to help carry the crates in one single stack as opposed to one at a time and had the truck unloaded within thirty minutes. Lynne had helped Charlie carry all of the crates with buns, sauces, and condiments to the cooking station. Charlie had this industrial-sized smoker that he ran off a generator already heated up and smoked the meats. JJ walked the last crate up to the smoking tent and wiped the sweat from his brow.

  “Alright, that’s the last stack of crates,” he hollered into the tent. “Who am I handing this all off to?” he asked.

  “Well, hello, JJ,” Mrs. Brown cooed, stepping out from the tent with an apron on.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Betsy,” JJ stated, tipping his head at her. “How are you today?”

  “I am mighty fine, thank you for asking,” Betsy replied with a smile. “I’m surprised you and Lynnelle didn’t sneak away when you had a chance. It seems like all the other boys did.”

  “I gave Lynne my word I would help get it set up today,” JJ answered.

  “You’re such a doll,” Betsy replied, smiling. “You’re a perfect match for my Lynnelle.”

  JJ glanced around nervously before his eyes resting back on Betsy’s face with a grin.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” JJ replied his face flushing red.

  “Now, don’t you go calling me ma’am,” Betsy laughed, placing her hands on her reddening cheeks. “An old gal can get used to that.”

  “So, I hear. Manners seem lost around here,” JJ grunted.

  “Naw, we just treat each other like family too much is the problem,” Betsy replied. “Some of them don’t deserve that respect.”

  “No kidding,” JJ agreed.

  “I heard you and Lynnelle talking earlier. You thinkin’ about singing?” Betsy asked.

  “I don’t think so,” JJ answered, chuckling.

  “I know the song you mentioned,” Betsy said. “I can play it on the fiddle for you if you want to sing it for Lynnelle.”

  “I will keep that in mind,” JJ replied. “Thank you.”

  “Betsy,” Charlie called out. “How’s the meat coming along?”

  “It’s coming, Charlie. It will all be ready when the festival begins. I have the rest in an icebox,” Betsy replied.

  “That’s my girl,” Charlie yelled back.

  Not only did Charlie provide food to those that came for the music, but he also had some rides for the kids to play on. He always had a Merry-Go-Round, a ferris wheel, bumper cars, and a petting zoo for the little kids. Lynne gave horseback rides to the younger kids as well. JJ sat under one of the misting tents trying to cool off from the hot growing sun. The gates were about to open, and people were already lining up outside to come in. The campground had filled up quickly, and you could smell the mix of different grills cooking their own foods. Some of them sat around picking their guitars and banjos until the music set started with the first band.

  JJ watched as Charlie and Betsy huddled together, talking. Whatever they were talking about, Charlie wasn’t happy about. JJ stood up and made his way over to them.

  “What’s going on, Charlie?” JJ asked. “Something wrong?”

  “Yes,” Charlie spouted. “Our first band can’t make it. They broke down in Kentucky and have been trying since early morning to get their bus fixed.”

  “What time will the next band be here?” JJ asked.

  “They weren’t scheduled to come out until later this evening,” Charlie explained. “So, for like six or so hours, we are going to have an empty stage.”

  JJ looked back at all of the people sitting around and picking their instruments when a thought came to mind.

  “Why not open mic it until the next band gets here?” JJ offered. “Everyone will be entertained and feel like part of the opening of the festival.”

  “That ain’t a half-bad idea, son,” Charlie replied. “But who will go first?”

  “Why, we will,” Betsy interjected, smiling. “How about it, JJ? Sing that song for me while I play?”

  “I have never performed in front of anyone. I don’t even know if I am any good,” JJ replied, shaking his head. “It was a fun idea, but I don’t want to disappoint paying customers.”

  “I used to listen to your daddy sing, boy,” Charlie said. “If you have any of his talents, they will love you.”

  “Alright then,” JJ huffed. “It ain’t like y’all will let me weasel out of it anyway.”

  Charlie made his way to the stage as everyone started to gather around the concession stands for drinks, food, and sweet treats. JJ glanced around the festival grounds to see if he could find Lynne in the crowd. However, he didn’t see her nor any of the guys. She probably cut loose from the festival as well for a little while. No one was there that he personally knew, so cutting loose and singing on stage wouldn’t be so bad since there wasn’t anyone there who could make fun of him after if he was horrible.

  “Good afternoon, folks!” Charlie shouted into the microphone.

  JJ began to migrate over to the stage as everyone began looking for a seat to sit, eat, and enjoy the show.

  “Now, I know on our scheduled guest itinerary we had Mountain Heart performing for the first half of the day, but they ran into some issues with their bus and can’t make it,” Charlie said.

  The crowd began to murmur and grow in a displeasuring roar.

  Charlie raised his hands. “Now, now, calm down. We decided to do an open mic for those of you that know how to play and sing. Just until the next band gets here,” he informed.

  There was some clapping, but mostly everyone was upset that the band wasn’t showing. JJ already had a knot in his stomach.

  “Now, up first is the young man that had the idea for an open mic to begin with. We had to pull his arm in getting him to perform for you fine folk. His daddy was one of the best singers up and down the east coast. We used to frequent bluegrass festivals a lot as teenagers. So, everyone, give a warm welcome to Jackson Jay accompanied by my wife, Betsy Brown,” Charlie yelled, clapping his hands.

  The crowd joined in clapping, mostly half-heartedly, to give JJ some steam. JJ breathed deeply and exhaled, trying not to have an anxiety attack.

  “You got this son,” Paul said, walking up behind him.

  JJ whipped around. “What are you doing here?”

  “No time to talk. Get up on that stage,” Paul demanded.

  JJ climbed the steps to meet Betsy standing up there waiting for him with a fiddle.

  “You’ll do fine,” she whispered.

  JJ nodded and headed to the microphone. It was quiet across the campgrounds as everyone waited for the sound of music to start. You could hear the crickets singing in the brush on the outskirts of the trees. JJ’s heart raced rapidly in his chest.

  “I told someone that if I sang today, I’d sing them one of the most heartbreaking songs I had heard in a while. Some of you may know it; others might not. It’s called I Wish my Baby was Born by Tim Eriksen and a couple of others.”

  JJ stood there for a few seconds before he began the song.

  “I wish I wish my baby was born.” The crowd remained silent as Betsy joined in with the fiddle. “And setting on its papa’s knee. And me poor girl.”

  “And me poor girl,” Paul sang in the backup microphone as JJ jerked his head over to see.

  It had been years since he had sung in public.

  “Were dead and gone. And the green grass growing o’ver my feet.”

  JJ and Paul sang in unison at the parts noted for the song until it was over, and Betsy rested the fiddle at her side. Not a dry eye was left in the crowd after hearing the folk song sang. Everyone clapped and cheered, yelling for more. Charlie danced up on stage, carrying a banjo, and he handed a guitar to Paul.

  “Paul and I, as I said before, go way back,” Charlie announced into the microphone. “And I am sure he taught his son this song as well. It’s called Them Holler Girls written by Paul and me.”

  “You never t
old me you wrote the song,” JJ replied, surprised. “Of course, I know it.”

  Charlie began fingerpicking his banjo as Paul picked the guitar. Betsy added the fiddle to the background, and JJ smiled widely.

  JJ began to sing:

  There was a pretty old lass

  They called her Harper Lynn

  She walked the moonshine jugs filled up

  Down the rivers bend

  And when she'd get close to town

  There the sheriff stood in wait

  But she'd done emptied the moonshine jugs

  To a lad by the lake

  She'd hop a train a runnin’

  And back to the holler she'd go

  Until it was high moon time

  And down the river she'd go

  There was a pretty old lass

  They called her Molly Sue

  She walked the moonshine jugs filled up

  Hidden in a pair of boots

  And when she'd get close to town

  The sheriff stood red and mad

  Cause she'd done tossed them boots, she had

  After filling up her lad

  She'd hop a train a runnin’

  And back to the holler she'd go

  Until it was high moon time

  And back out with the boots she'd go

  The sheriff he got tired

  There was nothing he could do

  Harper Lynn was just too quick

  Just like Molly Sue

  What else could he expect

  From sisters of the hills

  Them holler girls sure were smart

  Their daddy raised them well

  They'd hop a train a runnin’

  And back to the holler they'd go

  Until it was high moon time

  And to their lads they'd go

  The crowd tapped their feet, clapped their hands, and some of them even stood up flat-footing to the beat of the song. It had turned into a good old, hillbilly shindig. JJ looked out into the crowd as the banjo and guitar continued on after he finished the lyrics. He scanned the crowd looking for Lynne but still didn’t see her face.

  “Y’all may not know it, but my daughter has some pipes on her too,” Charlie yelled out. “Everybody holler for with me.” The crowd cheered and jeered. “Oh, Lynnelle!”