Silas watched as her eyes began to droop heavily and her breathing slowed. He rubbed her legs as she fell asleep. Soon enough Gabe and Trick came back to the small car for the night. They’d be home in a couple hours.
“Shh,” Silas said, pointing to Emmie as they walked in.
They settled on the bench across from he and Emmie. Trick attempted to stretch but ended up kicking Silas in the ankles. He laughed.
“You’re lucky I’ve got Sleeping Beauty on me over here,” Silas warned.
Gabe frowned. “She looks pretty comfortable. Maybe too comfortable. You know she can’t stay at your house up there.”
Silas arched a brow at his friend. “I’m letting your comments go because I understand you are trying to find your place as her new brother but you will not make decisions for her.”
“Silas you can’t seriously expect her to stay with you. I’m sure Mom and Pop would let her stay with us. I think they’d like to get to know her. Your mother would kill you if you had a girl in your apartment. If she knew you’d been staying with her she’d probably send you to some Irish monastery,” Gabe said with a laugh.
“I’m pretty sure she won’t want to stay with you and your father. You make it clear, by the way, he is not to come around her until she is ready. He will not taint this trip for her.” Silas argued.
“Ava then, she can stay with her. She will not stay with you up there, Silas. I won’t have it.”
“I’m not sure you’re exactly in the position to be making decisions about morality… in light of recent circumstances.”
“Yeah, what’s that supposed to mean Silas?” Gabe shouted.
Silas looked down to check and see that Emmie was still asleep and glared at Gabe. “You know what I mean.”
Gabe’s teeth ground together. “Don’t you say a crude word about Ava.”
“I’m not. I’m just saying maybe you’ve got enough of your own problems to deal with that you could stay outta mine, eh?” Silas shrugged nonchalantly.
“Yeah, you guys have been looking a little to close lately with you staying at her house. Probably sleeping in her bed. What if something happened to her? You’ve made her no promises. What would you do, Silas? Send her back to Kentucky with some cash like my pop did her mom? Think about it, Silas,” Gabe shouted.
Silas leaned forward, supporting Emmie’s head and chest with one arm and darted his finger in Gabe’s face with the other. He spoke quietly through gritted teeth. “She’s still as pure as the day I met her, asshole. Not that it’s any of your damn business.”
“Kind of a heavy conversation for this tiny train car, boys,” Trick said.
They both ignored him. Silas leaned back against the seat and repositioned Emmie, staring at Gabe waiting for his reply.
“So is what’s your plan then, Silas? Bring her into this life? Lying for you. Killing people with iron skillets? We both know she’s not like the others. She’ll never stay completely out of your affairs.” Gabe crossed his arms over his chest.
“Damn it, Gabe this is nothing to do with you.” He spoke louder than he meant to. “And if I ever, ever, hear you breathe a word of that iron skillet again, I will beat the shit out of you. She will never know. That was for my conscience to bear, not hers. I will never let my life, my shadows, put out her light.”
Gabe exited the car in a huff. Trick just shook his head and looked out the window. Silas leaned back and rubbed Emmie’s hair. He meant what he said. He would never let his shadows put out her light. That had almost happened at that cabin. He’d seen it in her eyes that night and every now and then in the days that followed. He and his brother rode the rest of the distance in silence. Each too lost in their thoughts to talk. Before he knew it, the dark country turned into city lights and tall buildings. What was quiet became noisy. What was still was busy. He took a deep breath, he was home.
“Rise and shine, Mo Chuisle, we’re home,” Silas whispered in her ear.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Allison Jewell lives in southern Kentucky with her husband, two sons, and dog. When she isn’t hard at work on her next novel, she can be found doing one of her favorite things: watching her oldest son chase the puck at the local hockey rink, secretly eating her mother’s homemade brownies, hanging out at home listening to records with her husband, or making up silly songs with her youngest son. She is currently writing the third book in the Shine On Series titled Come Rain or Shine.
Facebook: Allison Jewell
Twitter: @AuthorAJewell
The Shine On Series
Emmie Talbot is a quintessential good girl.
Smart, Southern, Kind
Church Goer
Small Town Seamstress
Aspiring Teacher
And
A Misguided Moonshiner
Emmie’s sole purpose in life was taking care of her moonshine loving step-father. When he is killed in a fiery crash on their farm, she is left alone and frustrated with a mountain of debt. Working as a seamstress for a crazy-old-coot shopkeeper is not the kind of life she had imagined for herself.
The curious events that surround her step-father’s death send Emmie on a quest for answers. Answers that lead to a dangerous secret tucked away on her property. Stumbling on a moonshine still was an unfortunate event for most folks in the hills of Kentucky. She was lucky not to have been shot on the spot. Emmie saw hope in the steam escaping the curved copper pipe of “Ole Maizy”. However, a series of mishaps put her front and center in a local moonshine war.
In the midst of chaos, Emmie is befriended by an attorney recently transported from Chicago. Silas McDowell is a man seeking some answers of his own. In an attempt to find a little roaring twenties glamour in the small town, he introduces Emmie to the underground world of Speakeasies and Blind Pigs. Loyalty, lies, and murder conspire to push Silas and Emmie together or rip them apart. Cloaked in secrets and unsure whom to trust, Emmie must decide to drown in darkness or find a way to Shine On.
Buy Shine On at Amazon.
Rise & Shine is the second book in the Shine On Series.
Emmie Talbot is a quintessential good girl.
Sweet, southern, kind.
Church Goer.
Ex-bootlegger.
And
In love for the first time.
Emmie’s life is a little less complicated. There will be no more working for crazy ’ole Mr. Thomas and she now has the clues she needs find her real father. Emmie may have the best apple pie moonshine recipe in Kentucky but her bootlegging days are behind her. Or so she thinks. When Max’s condition worsens and he needs the help of doctors and hospitals in a far away town, Emmie is faced with another dilemma. To ’shine or not to ‘shine. How can Emmie not rise to the occasion to help Walter’s family?
Silas McDowell’s life is not so uncomplicated. A fame seeking revenuer is hot on his trail. Busting up his stills, raiding his speakeasies, and smiling for newspaper pictures. It is a dangerous time for Emmie to be toying in the business again. Risky or not, she will always Rise and Shine.
Buy Rise & Shine at Amazon.
Connect with Allison on Substance B
Substance B is a new platform for independent authors to directly connect with their readers. Please visit Allison’s Substance B page where you can:
• Sign up for Allison’s newsletter
• Send a message to Allison
• See all platforms where Allison’s books are sold
• Request autographed eBooks from Allison
Visit Substance B today to learn more about your favorite independent authors.
-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) Page 28