Tennessee Whiskey

by Donna K. Ford

  It was rare to get thanks from Emma. And it was nice to be on her good side for a change. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I showed up when I did. What was with the crowd tonight? I’ve never seen it like this.”

  Emma took a long drink from her beer. “It’s like that sometimes. Things will be slow for days, and boom, everyone shows up at once.” She took another drink. “Someone said the Black Mountain Saloon got shut down a few days ago. We’ll probably get a lot of that crowd for a while, at least until the owner can straighten things out, or a new place opens up.”

  “Why did they get shut down?”

  Emma shrugged. “The word is they were smuggling drugs through the bar. There are always a few low-life dealers around trying to move their product through reputable businesses.”

  Dane frowned. “Have they tried that here?”

  “I wish I could say no, but if I had a dollar for every time they’ve tried, I wouldn’t need to run the bar at all. It’s a problem. It can be a lot of pressure. But there are some good cops looking out for me. The trick is knowing who’s the good guy.”

  “How do you deal with it?” Dane asked. She had the feeling there was more to the story.

  “I say no. I have good insurance, and a good security system.”

  Dane looked around the bar. “What security system?”

  “Samson.”

  Dane choked on her beer. “Samson? You can’t be serious.”

  “You underestimate his will. He may be old, but he’s still got skills.”

  Dane stared at Emma. She was joking, wasn’t she? Dane wasn’t sure, but this was the most relaxed she had ever seen Emma.

  “Have you ever thought of hiring someone to help out around here?”

  “Nope. The minute I turn my back, the dealers will have a hold on the place. As long as I do the work myself, I can sleep at night.”

  “So how do you have fun?” Dane asked, hoping to crack Emma’s hard shell.

  Emma didn’t answer.

  “I have an idea.” Dane went to the jukebox and loaded a playlist. A moment later Chris Stapleton’s voice filled the room. She took Emma’s hand and led her to the center of the floor.

  “What are you doing?” Emma asked, grinning up at Dane.

  “Dancing.”

  “I don’t dance,” Emma said in protest, allowing herself to be guided around the room.

  Dane took Emma into her arms, swaying gently to the melody of the song. “You’re good at this,” she said playfully.

  “You’re a bad liar,” Emma countered.

  Dane spun Emma around. “I would never lie to you.”

  Emma tilted her head back and peered up at Dane, a sly grin curving the corners of her lips.

  Time slowed. Emma’s hair fell across her shoulders, her eyes sparkled in the dim light, and the skin of her neck presented itself like an invitation. Dane desperately wanted to press her lips to Emma’s neck and taste her.

  Emma leaned closer into Dane letting herself be swept up in the moment. The air grew thin. It had been a long time since she had been this close to a woman. Too long.

  Dane wrapped her arm around Emma’s waist. Emma watched Dane’s lips, only inches away from hers.

  “This is nice,” Dane said her thighs brushing against Emma’s.

  Emma drew in a shallow breath. Her heart raced, and her hands were clammy with sweat. It felt good to be held. Dane’s lips were only inches from hers now. Dane was going to kiss her. She wanted Dane to kiss her. Butterflies danced in her stomach in anticipation. Emma leaned closer.

  The phone rang, making Emma jump. She blinked, breaking the spell. The phone continued to ring but Dane didn’t let go. “I should get that.” Emma pulled away, letting her hands slide down Dane’s arms, not ready to give up her touch.

  Dane went back to the bar and opened another beer. She watched Emma as she talked. As if sensing something was wrong, Dane moved closer to her.

  “I won’t be able to do anything tonight. I’ll have to wait till tomorrow morning when the courthouse opens.” Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. The sigh that escaped her carried the weight of her hurt and disappointment. “I don’t want to hear any excuses right now, Curtis. You got yourself there, and you can sleep on it tonight.”

  Emma slammed the phone back onto the receiver.

  “What is it?” Dane asked.

  “Curtis is in jail.”

  Dane flinched. “What the hell? What did he do?”

  “He said he’s been charged with possession with intent to sell.”

  Dane swallowed hard. “Oh shit.”

  “Oh shit is right. I’ve told him a million times to stay away from those guys.”

  “What did he say?”

  Emma glared at her. She took Dane’s beer out of her hand. She turned up the bottle and drained the contents in one drink. She took a moment before answering.

  “It’s the same old story every time. He always has an excuse. How many times does this have to happen before he realizes those guys are not his friends?”

  “What will happen to him?”

  Emma got them both another beer and sat down at the bar. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “If they don’t plea it down, it could mean jail time. Right now, I’m just hoping it isn’t a felony charge. If we can get it down to a misdemeanor, he’ll be okay. Probation would probably do him good.” Emma raked her hand through her hair. “I don’t know what to do with him sometimes.”

  Dane nodded. She knew what she meant. Curtis did what he wanted. He didn’t seem to get that there were consequences.

  “There’s nothing I can do until morning. He’ll be arraigned tomorrow, and we’ll see what the charges are and what the judge has to say. He’ll be assigned a public defender. The Lord knows I can’t afford to hire a lawyer every time he does something stupid.”

  “It sounds like you’ve been through this before. You know the ropes pretty well.”

  “He’s been in jail for driving without a license, breaking and entering, trespassing, vandalism, and simple possession. Every time he’s been in trouble, it’s been because of his so-called friends putting him up to no good. I can’t babysit him twenty-four seven. At least in jail, I know where he is.”

  Dane was surprised Emma was so calm. She expected her to throw a fit, get angry, even storm down to the police station and demand to see her brother. But Emma seemed resolved, even a little relieved.

  “Will you bail him out?”

  Emma tossed her empty bottle in the trash. “Yeah. I can’t leave him there long. I can be mad as hell, but he’s still my little brother. I’ll make him pay for it though.”

  “How?”

  Emma smiled. “His chore list just grew by a mile, and this bar just got a busboy.”

  “Why doesn’t he work here already? You could use the help. He should do his part.”

  Emma shook her head. “You’ll see. He’s a total disaster. After a few days, he’ll drive me so crazy I’ll be ready to pay him to leave me alone.”

  Emma’s kidding was quickly replaced by a more pensive mood.

  “What?” Dane asked, reading the change as if a light had just turned on.

  Emma looked at her. “I have to wonder what he’ll get into next. I’m afraid he’s going to do something one of these days that I won’t be able to get him out of.”

  Dane thought of the meeting with Trevor, wondered if he had anything to do with this. “Who are these guys you were talking about that get Curtis into trouble?”

  “Mark and Johnny are the two he’s around the most. They used to think it was funny to get Curtis to do things when he was a kid. They almost got him killed with a couple of their stunts. Curtis never knew better. They were assholes then and they’re assholes now. Both have been in and out of jail for various drug crimes, domestic violence, child neglect…” Emma rubbed her eyes. “You get the picture.”

  “What about Trevor?” Dane asked.

  Emma’s eyes shot open. She glared at Dane. “How do
you know Trevor?”

  Dane felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The electricity vibrating off Emma at the mention of Trevor’s name was enough to scorch hair.

  Dane shook her head. “Curtis met him in the woods a few days back. I didn’t like the guy and asked Curtis not to go around him without me anymore. Curtis said he was a friend, but he didn’t want you to know he was talking to him. He said you didn’t like Trevor.”

  “He’s dead right about that. Trevor is bad news. He’s been trying to get me to move drugs through the bar for years. If he’s got my brother selling drugs for him, I’ll kill him.”

  “Whoa,” Dane said, putting her hand on Emma’s. “Let’s just slow down a little. We don’t know he got Curtis to do anything. I just thought you should know he’s been around. Now that I know who he is, I can keep a better watch on Curtis. He promised he wouldn’t go around Trevor without me.”

  Emma shook her head. “I wish I could believe that. Curtis likes to make promises. But he’ll also make up a lot of excuses to get around those promises.”

  Dane’s gut twisted. She wished she had said something to Emma before. Maybe they could have stopped this from happening.

  Emma seemed to read Dane’s thoughts. “Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know. But for the record, you can’t trust Curtis.” Emma pulled her hand away. “You’ll tell me if he goes around Trevor again, right?”

  “Of course.”

  Emma sighed. “Let’s get out of here. I have a long day tomorrow.”

  Dane climbed into her Jeep and waited for Emma to start her truck. As she turned out of the lot, her headlights bounced off a black truck parked at the end of the road. Someone was watching them. Dane stopped, peering into the night, trying to see who was there. She took out her phone and snapped a picture, but it was too dark to make out anything.

  Someone started the truck and turned on the lights, blinding her. She blinked and covered her eyes as the truck pulled out and turned down the road. There was a dark cover over the license plate obscuring the number. She had a bad feeling about this. She was tempted to follow the truck, but what would she do when they stopped? She sat in the lot for a while, waiting to see if the truck came back. Nothing happened.

  She didn’t know what this meant, but it gave her a bad feeling. Were they watching Emma or the bar? Dane turned the Jeep and headed to the farm. Maybe this had something to do with Curtis, or maybe they were just a couple of people hanging out after the bar closed. She shrugged it off. She was probably just jumpy after what happened with Curtis.

  * * *

  Court was an experience Dane would never forget. Curtis and six other men and three women were led into the courtroom in bright orange jumpsuits, white socks, and slip-on sandals. Their hands and feet were shackled and chained. But it wasn’t the inmates that made the biggest impression—it was the people in the gallery.

  Most of the men wore blue jeans, or camouflage pants and jackets, with work or hunting boots. More than half had a plug of tobacco in a bulging cheek and regularly spit into plastic soda bottles. Most of the women looked like they hadn’t bothered to change out of their pajamas, and some obviously hadn’t brushed their hair in days. Dane had been to war-torn countries, and she had never experienced this kind of culture shock.

  People talked to each other like this was a family reunion, laughing and making jokes about the police and the judge. No one seemed worried about what would happen. Court seemed more like an inconvenience than a serious situation.

  Emma had been right about it being a long day. They sat through child abuse cases up for review, civil suits, traffic violations, and domestic violence cases, before the judge got to Curtis.

  The judge looked over the bench at Curtis and shook his head. “Mr. Reynolds, we meet again.”

  Curtis stood at the podium looking like a child. He glanced back at Emma, who waved him off.

  “Pay attention,” she mouthed.

  “Mr. Reynolds, I thought you and I had an agreement. I recall you promised not to come back to my court.”

  Curtis grinned. “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you have an attorney, Curtis?”

  Curtis shook his head.

  “Speak into the mic, please,” the judge ordered.

  Curtis jumped as if he’d been pinched. “No, sir.”

  The judge looked around the courtroom. “I see your sister is here today. Ms. Reynolds, will you please come up?”

  Emma stood and went to the podium as requested.

  “Ms. Reynolds, I am aware this is not the first time Curtis has put you through this. Are you willing to take your brother back in?”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” Emma answered.

  The judge nodded and shuffled through some papers. “The court will appoint Mr. Zack Long with the public defender’s office to represent Mr. Reynolds. The court will hear this case next Wednesday. Mr. Long, does that work for you?”

  An attorney stood at the end of a long table facing the judge. “Yes, Your Honor.”

  The judge nodded. He looked back to Emma and Curtis. “Mr. Reynolds, normally I would be inclined to let you go under your sister’s supervision with bail, but in this case, I feel that would be a waste of her money and my time. These are serious charges against you, Mr. Reynolds, and this is not your first rodeo. Your sister works hard to keep you up, young man, and I think it is unfair to continue to punish her generosity by asking her to be responsible for you when you clearly lack personal responsibility for yourself. I am going to hold you in jail pending your hearing. That will give you ample time to meet with your attorney and to think about what you have done.”

  Emma went white. Curtis looked at her wide-eyed. This clearly wasn’t what they expected. Emma was visibly shaking. She watched as Curtis was led out of the courtroom, back to jail. Once Curtis was out of sight, Emma turned and walked out of the courtroom.

  Dane grabbed her jacket and followed Emma. “Are you okay?” Dane asked catching up to her.

  Emma didn’t answer until they were inside the truck. She slammed her palm against the steering wheel until her frustration burned out. She laid her head against her hands. She didn’t cry. She didn’t seem to know what to do.

  “How can I help?” Dane asked.

  Emma shook her head. “There’s nothing you can do. I’ll come back and visit him tomorrow. I’ll put money on his commissary and bring him socks and long underwear.”

  Dane frowned. “What’s the long underwear for?”

  “They keep the jail cold to keep the germs down.”

  Dane frowned. “Good to know.” She learned something new every day.

  “I’ll talk to his attorney and see what we can do. But he probably won’t know anything right away.”

  Dane wanted to make things better. It was hard to see Emma so upset. “It sounds like they’re just trying to teach him a lesson.”

  “He is. The judge isn’t a bad man, and he’s been more than lenient with Curtis in the past. It’s just that Curtis is burning his bridges. Even I’m tired of his excuses.” She stared blankly out the window. “I don’t know what to do with him or what is going to happen to him.”

  Dane got out and walked around the truck, opening Emma’s door. “Move over. I’ll drive us home.”

  Emma sighed and slid across the long bench seat. “Thank you for being here. You didn’t have to.”

  Dane brushed a strand of hair off Emma’s cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “I wanted to be here. I want to help. Everything will be okay.”

  Emma turned to peer out the side window. Dane knew she didn’t believe her. She wasn’t sure she believed it herself.

  “What’s the plan for the day? Are you still going to open the bar?”

  “I think I just want to go home.”

  Dane started the truck. “Okay. How about something to eat? My treat.”

  Emma looked at her with a faint smile. “That sounds good. It will be nice to have someone serve me for a change.”
/>   * * *

  Emma couldn’t remember the last time she had gone out to dinner with anyone other than Curtis. Even when she wasn’t working, she didn’t see the point in going out. Most of the time she just wanted to put her feet up or soak in a hot bath. She was still too mad at Curtis to be worried. She didn’t want to let him spoil this for her.

  “It’s nice of you to do this,” Emma said as Dane pulled into the parking lot at the Crab Bucket.

  “I’m happy to do it. It’ll be a treat for both of us.” Dane opened the door for Emma and followed her inside.

  Wooden tables were scattered around the patio in a random pattern, allowing people to gather in small groups without feeling crowded. They were a little early for dinner, so they had the patio to themselves.

  Emma ordered a Crown and Coke.

  Dane raised her eyebrows, as if surprised by her choice of drinks this early in the day.

  “What?” Emma asked, daring Dane to say anything.

  “Nothing. Sounds good to me.” She looked to the waitress. “I’ll have the same.”

  Emma sipped her drink. Dane was calm and relaxed as usual. Nothing seemed to faze her. Emma stirred her drink, unsure what to say. She realized she and Dane didn’t talk about anything besides Curtis, and she really did not want to talk about him. She wanted to enjoy this time with Dane. A thrill of excitement made her skin tingle. This felt nice. It was almost like a date. She smiled to herself. She took a sip of her drink, sneaking glances at Dane. She felt bad that she hadn’t asked Dane how her search for her family had been going.

  “Any luck finding your family?”

  Dane quickly met Emma’s gaze, her eyes steady, but holding the faintest hint of disappointment.

  “I’ve had some leads, but I keep hitting these roadblocks. Most of the roads around here are not on my map, and when I do find something, no one seems to know anything, or they aren’t willing to talk to me.”