Tennessee Whiskey

by Donna K. Ford

  Tears welled in Emma’s eyes as she imagined the horrific scene as Dane described the death of her friend. “Oh, Dane. I’m so sorry.”

  Dane shook her head. “If I’d been there when I was supposed to be, she would be alive. My carelessness killed her.”

  Emma gripped Dane’s hand. “There’s no way you could have known.”

  Dane’s skin burned with the depth of her grief. Emma couldn’t imagine what it would be like to see someone she loved die in such a horrific way. She understood Dane’s guilt. She knew what it was like to believe things could be different—if only.

  “You were there, Dane. You didn’t let go. In the end she had you with her. She was with someone she loved.”

  “It should have been me.”

  Emma put her arm around Dane, pulling Dane’s head to rest against her shoulder. “You fought for her. She knew that.”

  “It doesn’t matter though, does it?”

  Emma sighed as she brushed her fingers through Dane’s hair. “I believe it does.”

  Dane fell silent. She let go of some of the tension ravaging her body. Emma didn’t move. She held Dane until she heard Dane’s breathing change. She had managed to break free of the nightmare.

  Dane sat up. “I’m sorry to put all that on you. Thank you for listening, for being here.”

  “I’m glad I could be here. That’s something you shouldn’t hold in. It sounds like Michelle loved you, and I can’t imagine she would want you to blame yourself for what happened.”

  Dane looked across the room at a spot on the wall, avoiding Emma’s gaze. “I just can’t get the image out of my mind.”

  Emma looked at Dane. The side of her face was swollen and bruised. Her shoulders were slumped, and her heart was broken.

  “Tell me about her. How did you meet? What made you friends?”

  Dane smiled at the memory. “We met on a blind date.” She shook her head. “It was a complete disaster. We spent the whole evening debating every topic we could think of. We were opposites in almost every way. She had a way of telling me I was an idiot without completely picking a fight. The friends who set us up were right to introduce us, but not for the reasons they thought. We were a horrible match as a romantic couple. We knew instantly that would never work. There was no attraction between us. But we were fast friends. We were pretty much inseparable after that night.”

  Dane talked most of the night, sharing stories about Michelle. She made herself sound like she was a selfish scoundrel, but the stories of their friendship said differently.

  Emma got the impression that Dane was a kind soul, even if she could be a bit reckless. Her heart was wounded, and she had lost faith in herself. The space Michelle left in Dane’s life had left her ungrounded. Dane had come here looking for her family because she needed to feel connected to someone. She needed a place to belong. She needed to be loved.

  Dane curled up on her side, gripping the pillow in her arms. Emma sat with her back against the wall and watched Dane drift off to sleep. She was glad Dane was there. She was glad she was able to offer her a respite for a little while. She knew the nightmares would return, but for now, at least, Dane could rest.

  Chapter Five

  Emma paced the lobby floor, waiting for Curtis. She was anxious to have him home, but afraid of what he might do next. She would set some strict rules but knew there was no way she could stop Curtis from doing anything. If he wouldn’t listen to her, maybe his probation officer could get through to him.

  She stopped pacing as the door opened and an officer escorted Curtis from holding to the lobby. Curtis looked sheepish, pushing his hands into his pockets and looking at his feet.

  Emma smiled. Curtis had only been in jail for a few days, but it had taken a toll. It was good to see him in the open, not behind a glass partition and locked doors.

  Curtis stopped in front of her, looking like a puppy that knew he was in trouble. “Hey, Emma.”

  Emma pulled Curtis into a hug. “Hey, sweetie.”

  Curtis wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. “Are you still mad?”

  “Yep. But I still love you too.”

  Curtis pulled away and looked at her. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know,” she answered. “We have a lot to talk about.”

  Curtis groaned. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  Emma brushed her fingers through his hair. “We’ll get to all of that later. Come on, let’s get you home.”

  They pushed through the doors into the open air. Curtis blinked against the bright sun, his eyes unaccustomed to the light. An engine revved. Emma looked up to see a black Dodge truck with dark tinted windows pass in front of them. She watched as it circled the parking lot and stopped at the end of the row facing them. Emma had the feeling they were watching her and Curtis.

  “Do you know them?”

  “No. I don’t think so. I can’t see inside.”

  “Let’s go.” Emma took Curtis by the arm, turning toward her truck. She stopped dead in her tracks as Trevor stepped around the truck parked next to hers.

  “Hey, Trevor,” Curtis said cheerfully.

  “Get in the truck, Curtis.”

  “But—”

  “You heard me. Get in the truck.”

  Curtis did as he was told.

  Trevor crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the truck, blocking Emma’s way.

  Emma stepped in front of Trevor. “What do you want?”

  “I told you. Curtis has something that belongs to me.”

  “I doubt he has anything that belongs to anyone at the moment,” Emma countered, “unless you’re interested in the pair of tube socks I brought him and dirty underwear.”

  Trevor smiled. “I wanted to remind Curtis that he owes me. I’ll give you a few days to work it out, but I’ll be back for what’s mine. If he doesn’t have what I need by then, you and I will have to talk about other arrangements.”

  Emma ground her teeth together, holding back her anger. “There will be no arrangement between you and me. I told you before—my bar is off-limits. If you bring any of your filth around there, I’ll call the police.”

  Trevor pushed away from the truck, using his six-three frame to intimidate her. She refused to back down.

  “We’ll see.” Trevor rapped his knuckles across the window of her truck and pointed his finger at Curtis. He turned back to her, taking another step closer. “Talk to your brother.”

  Emma refused to back down. “Stay away from us.”

  Trevor leaned to the side and spit on the ground next to Emma’s boot. “Talk to your brother. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  Emma seethed as she watched Trevor walk away. She hated everything about him. Whatever Curtis was into was bad.

  She sighed, opening the truck door. She slid onto the leather seat and slammed the door. She wanted to get away from this place and Trevor.

  “What’s up with Trevor?” Curtis asked.

  “That’s what I want to talk to you about. Trevor says you have something that belongs to him. What’s he talking about?”

  Curtis looked nervous. “I don’t know. Maybe I should go talk to him.”

  “No,” Emma said, her tone stern. “Listen to me, Curtis. I know Trevor had something to do with the drugs you had on you when you were arrested.”

  “But I don’t have those anymore,” Curtis insisted. “The police took those.”

  Emma closed her eyes and tried to rein in her growing anger. “Is there more? Do you have more drugs somewhere?”

  “No,” he said in the familiar tone he used when he wasn’t telling the truth.

  “Curtis, this is serious. I need you to be honest with me. Trevor means business. You have to tell me everything.”

  “Can’t we just go home? I’m hungry.”

  Emma sighed. “You aren’t leaving the house until I know what happened. And I mean everything. Plus, you’ll be working at the bar with me. No running around on your own. I expect
you up in the morning to take care of the animals too.”

  “Aw, Emma, that’s not fair.”

  “Really? You don’t think that’s fair. You will pay me back every penny you owe, and you’ll be paying your own probation fees and all your fines. I can’t trust you not to get out and get yourself in trouble, so you can work it off. You have a year of probation—get used to it.”

  Curtis slumped down in his seat. He wouldn’t look at her and didn’t say another word during the drive home.

  He jumped out of the truck the moment it came to a stop in front of the house and ran to the porch. He stopped, looking around from side to side. He turned to Emma as she climbed the steps.

  “Where’s Samson?”

  Emma heard the worry in his voice. “He’s fine. Dane has been taking him with her when she’s out. He likes riding in her Jeep.”

  Curtis shrugged and pushed through the door, heading straight for the kitchen.

  “Oh no, you don’t. You go get a shower and put on some clean clothes. I’ll have lunch ready for you when you come down.”

  Curtis rolled his eyes. “Maybe I should have stayed in jail.”

  “Maybe you should have,” Emma countered as Curtis bounded up the stairs.

  * * *

  Dane parked the Jeep next to Emma’s truck. She had hoped to be there when Curtis got home but had some trouble finding some of the old addresses she’d been researching. Samson turned out to be a great guard dog. She wasn’t convinced he was really deaf. That or he had a sixth sense about trouble. He would seem sound asleep or oblivious to things around him until the moment someone approached her or her Jeep. Samson would growl and show his teeth if anyone came near the Jeep, and he would stand between her and any person who approached her. She’d never been afraid to be out on her own before, but after the beating she took at the bar, she was happy he had her back.

  Samson jumped out of the Jeep and ambled onto the porch. He circled his usual spot by the door and lay down with a groan. Dane patted his head. “Thanks, buddy. Have a good nap.”

  The smell of fried squash filled the house, making Dane’s mouth water. She stepped through the door to the kitchen to find Emma sitting at the table. She looked worried.

  “Hey, you okay? Where’s Curtis?”

  Emma unlaced her fingers and pushed back in her chair. “He’s taking a shower.”

  Dane could tell something was eating at Emma. “What’s wrong?”

  “Trevor was waiting for us outside the jail. Whatever Curtis has gotten into must be bad.”

  Dane frowned. “What did Curtis say about it?”

  “He says the police took the drugs he had. He says he doesn’t have anything else.”

  “What’s the story?”

  Emma sighed. “I don’t know yet. That’s what I’m waiting for him to tell me.”

  Dane was unsure what to do next. “Do you want me to stick around? Maybe he’ll talk to me.”

  “Let me see how far I can get. Maybe he’ll open up to you more later if he doesn’t think we’re ganging up on him.”

  They heard footsteps on the stairs. Dane nodded. “Is that lunch I smell cooking?”

  “Yes. It will be done in a few minutes if you’re hungry.”

  Dane turned as she heard Curtis behind her.

  “Dang, Dane. What happened to you?”

  The bruises to her face were just beginning to heal, and she still looked like she’d gone a few rounds in the ring.

  Emma spoke before Dane could answer. “Someone beat her up outside the bar the other night.”

  “Why?” Curtis asked, still staring at the bruise on Dane’s face.

  “Someone thinks I’m a Fed, and they don’t like me asking questions about my family.”

  Curtis whistled. “Man, that’s bad. Is that why you took Samson with you today?”

  Dane nodded.

  Curtis took a seat at the table across from Emma. “Who did it?”

  “We don’t know,” Emma answered.

  Curtis jerked as if he’d been hit, his eyes wide with surprise. “It’s like before, when Daddy died?”

  Emma nodded. “Dane didn’t get a look at the guy’s face. He jumped her when she took out the trash. When you come to work tonight, I don’t want you going out by yourself. One of us needs to be with you at all times.”

  Curtis looked a little green.

  “There’s a lot going on right now, Curtis. That’s why it’s important for you to tell me what happened with Trevor. He’s been coming around trying to make me push his drugs through the bar. I won’t have drugs around here. You know that. Whatever you’ve been into, you’ve brought me into it now. You have to tell me the truth.”

  “I just took some stuff to one of Trevor’s friends, one of the regular guys. It was no big deal. But the police showed up and the next thing I know, the guy was cussing me out, saying I was a narc. I tried to tell him I wasn’t, but he kept yelling at me. Then the police arrested us and took me to jail.”

  Dane studied Curtis. “What happened to the other guy? Did he give you a hard time in jail?”

  Curtis shook his head. “They kept me in solitary for a couple of days. When they took me to the pod, he wasn’t there.”

  Dane frowned. She looked at Emma. “Sounds like a setup. It’s possible this guy is working with the cops and rolled on Curtis. It’s easier to take out the little guy than go after the big guy.”

  “Do you really think Trevor is mad at me?” Curtis asked.

  “This is so much worse than Trevor being mad at you,” Emma snapped.

  Dane cleared her throat, signaling Emma to calm down.

  “But Trevor is my friend.”

  “This doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not Trevor likes you, Curtis. Drugs are his business. If you lost his drugs, he lost money.”

  Curtis nodded.

  “What else do I need to know, Curtis?” Emma asked not ready to let this go.

  Curtis hesitated. “Nothin’.” He glanced back at Dane. “I promise I won’t do it again. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

  Dane took the hint that Curtis didn’t want to say any more with her there. “I’ve got some pictures I need to go through. I’ll let you guys talk. Let me know when lunch is ready?”

  Emma nodded.

  As she made her way up the stairs, Dane could hear Emma’s muffled voice pushing Curtis to say more. She was grateful not to be the one on the receiving end of Emma’s anger for once.

  * * *

  Emma tossed Curtis a bar towel. “I need you to clean that table at the end, then bring out more Bud Light.”

  “Got it.”

  Emma was relieved that Curtis had kept his head down and worked hard the first two nights at the bar. She knew he felt bad about the trouble he had brought on, but she worried he was more hurt by Trevor than afraid of what might happen next. He had been even more quiet since his meeting with his probation officer. She wondered how long his compliance would last. By this time, he would usually be driving her crazy.

  Curtis carried out two cases of beer and started stocking the cooler.

  “You’ve been a big help tonight. Thanks.”

  Curtis nodded.

  Emma’s heart ached a little. She worried she’d been too hard on him. His spirit seemed broken. His usual happy-go-lucky attitude had been replaced by quiet brooding. She was exhausted, and Dane was still nursing her bruises. They could all use a break.

  “I was thinking maybe we would get some of the family together tomorrow and do a bonfire. What do you think?”

  Curtis looked up, a glint of excitement in his eye. “Really?”

  “Why not? It’s been a while since we all got together and just had a good time.”

  “That’d be great. Paul could bring his guitar and James his banjo. You could even play your fiddle.”

  Emma smiled at his enthusiasm. “It’s been a while, but I guess I could dust off the old bow.”

  “Can Dane come?”

&
nbsp; Emma shrugged. “If she wants to.” She realized she’d just assumed Dane would be there. Dane had become a part of their daily lives. Emma hadn’t realized how much she’d accepted Dane until this moment. The thought made her uneasy. She wasn’t used to relying on anyone. Dane had earned some trust, but that didn’t mean Emma would let her guard down. She knew Curtis was attached to Dane and she didn’t want to think of what it would do to him when Dane decided to move on. Emma knew that pain. She never wanted to feel that emptiness again.

  “Emma?”

  Emma jumped at the sound of Curtis’s voice. She’d been lost in her thoughts and lost track of what she was supposed to be doing. “Yeah.”

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m okay. You just caught me napping.” She glanced over at Dane, sitting at the end of the bar nursing a whiskey. “When you finish, I’d like you to clean up in the back. Then you can take a break. I’ll bring you and Dane some dinner.”

  “Fried bologna and cheese for me.”

  Emma laughed. “You got it.”

  When Curtis was out of sight, Emma went to check on Dane. “Something wrong with my whiskey?”

  Dane glanced up at her and shrugged. “Just trying to slow things down a bit.”

  “Your eye is looking better. How are the ribs?”

  Dane took a sip of her whiskey. “Not bad. Doesn’t hurt much anymore, just looks ugly.”

  “Listen, we’re going to have a bonfire tomorrow. It won’t be anything big, just some family. We get together and tell stories, play some music, dance, and have a few drinks. Want to come?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, it was as if a kaleidoscope of butterflies had swarmed in her stomach. Why was it so important to her that Dane be there? Please say yes.

  Dane’s eyes widened and her brows lifted in surprise. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”