“She comes in occasionally.” Daniel turned to Marcie, feeling the sudden urge for company. “Marcie, you’re more familiar with the fountain drinks than I am. What is your favorite?”
The young woman pushed a lid back onto a jar of chopped nuts. “It’s all good, sir. But my favorite is the chocolate malted.”
One corner of Ray’s mouth lifted. “I’d rather have my malt in other forms.”
Daniel placed his hands on the counter, ignoring Marcie’s giggle. “How about a soda? A cola, maybe?”
“Yeah, that’ll work, I guess.” Ray rubbed his eyes. “I hear that’s good to perk a person up.”
Marcie bobbed her head as she reached for a tall glass. “Oh, yes. I make sure to have one every morning. It wakes me right up.” She settled the glass under the tap.
Daniel leaned against the freezer. “I’m more of a coffee man, myself. I guess I never cared for the sugary sweetness.”
“Good man. You know what they say about too much sweets.” Ray winked at Marcie as she set the tall glass in front of him. “Of course, a little sweetness never hurt a fella. If you know what I mean.”
Daniel’s stomach churned. “I’d better get back to work. Let me know if there’s anything else I can get for you.” He started back to the storeroom.
“There might just be one thing, there, Daniel.” Laurie’s dad trailed after him, the soda glass still gripped in his palm. He glanced behind him before turning his bloodshot eyes back to Daniel. “I need some of my medicine.” He rubbed his shoulder and grimaced.
A weight lowered onto Daniel’s chest. I’m going to need some help here, Lord.
Ray took a swallow of the soda and coughed. “I’m all out at home . . . and . . . and I gotta work tonight. My shoulder’s been paining me something fierce.”
Daniel set his jaw. “I’m afraid that’s the one thing I’m not going to be able to help you with.”
Burke’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? I have a prescription. Just talk to Doc Pierce.”
Daniel took a deep breath. “Mr. Burke, I’ve made a decision. I cannot in good conscience give out alcohol to customers who—um—who . . . ”
The man straightened to his full height, his eyes narrowing to a squint. “Who what?”
Daniel placed a hand on the counter for strength. “Who I don’t feel are actually in need of it.”
“And how do you know what I need? Are you a doctor?”
No, not a doctor. Just a drunk like yourself. Or a former drunk.
Rubbing a hand through his hair, Daniel shook his head. “Look, Mr. Burke. I understand your struggle with alcohol. I can’t be a party to that.”
The corner of Ray’s lip twitched. “A party.” He snorted. “I ain’t got a problem with alcohol. I got a problem with pain. And I got a problem with a boss who wants me to work two shifts after I was up half the night with that pain.” He took a step closer to Daniel. “Right now it seems my biggest problem is you.”
Daniel kept silent.
“Miles Larson never had a problem filling my prescription.”
A sick feeling twisted in Daniel’s gut. He hadn’t told his grandfather of his new resolve. He didn’t yet have the authority to make those kinds of decisions for the store—only for himself. “I have a problem with it.”
The large man leaned against the counter. “She got to you, didn’t she?”
“Who?”’
His lips drew back from his teeth. “My bossy, good-for-nothing daughter. The one who keeps telling me to quit drinking—like it’s a choice.” He brought a finger up into Daniel’s face. “You want to get in good with her, so you’re letting her order you around.”
“I make my own choices. I have to stand up for what I believe.”
Ray curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it down against the counter. “What kind of man are you, anyway? You—in your starched white shirts with your egg creams and root beer—you’ve probably never done a real day’s work in your life. You don’t know nothing about what a real man puts up with.” He snarled, spittle forming at the corner of his mouth. “You stay away from my daughter.”
Daniel set his jaw. “This has nothing to do with Laurie.”
Laurie’s father pressed his hands against the counter and leaned in. “Your grandfather’s going to hear about this, Shepherd. The whole town is going to hear. Let’s see what that does for business.”
Ray strode to the front door. As he reached the front, he turned, face twisted. He lifted the half-filled glass and heaved it across the room. It smashed against the tile floor, shards of glass and sugary syrup spraying across the store.
He stomped out, slamming the drugstore door behind him, vibrations rippling through the blue liquid of the show globe like a storm kicking up waves in the blue sea.
Laurie gathered her pocketbook, hat, and gloves from the exchange’s coatroom, stretching the tension from her shoulders. She dithered for a few moments, folding and refolding her handkerchief as she waited for Mr. Quinn to work his way to the far side of the building. She didn’t need another quarrel with him. Her job dangled by a thread already.
When he fixed his attention on Susan’s station, pointing out three misplaced switches, Laurie jammed the handkerchief into her pocket and darted for the door. Stepping into the bright sunshine, she lifted her chin, allowing the rays to warm her skin.
“Rough day?” Daniel stood on the corner, a smile lighting his face, a bouquet of pink dahlias in his hand.
Laurie measured her steps, fighting the urge to dash to the man’s side. They’d settled into a comfortable routine, sharing a coffee before work and ending the day with a sunset stroll. But tonight, he leaned against his freshly washed Buick. The automobile lacked the allure of Samuel’s fancy Studebaker, but she much preferred the owner.
“I thought you might prefer to take a little drive tonight.” Daniel swung open the automobile’s door.
She abandoned the dignified act and hurried to his side, squeezing his elbow in greeting. “How did you know?”
The low rays of the evening sun emphasized the dimple in Daniel’s cheek when he smiled at her. She settled herself on the seat. “We don’t have time to make it to the lake, I’m afraid.”
He laid the flowers on her lap and made his way around the automobile to climb in beside her. “How about Crescent Beach? I imagine there’ll be a lovely sunset this evening.”
She laughed. “Where we first met? Perfect.”
He glanced down at her thin sweater. “Are you going to be warm enough? You know how breezy it is down there.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I’ve got a picnic blanket you could probably wrap around your shoulders.”
She scooted closer to him as he guided the car out onto the downtown street. “Or I could just stay close to you.” She wove her hand through his arm.
He lifted one hand from the steering wheel and looped it around her shoulders. “I’ve got to be the luckiest fellow in all of Port Angeles.”
“Probably.”
The evening sun offered little opposition to the cool wind blowing in off the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Laurie didn’t wait for Daniel to open her door, springing from the automobile as soon as it came to a stop on the windswept bluff. She hurried to the overlook, pulling her sweater snug to block the biting wind.
Daniel caught up a few breaths later, wrapping both arms around her waist, leaning his chin against the top of her head, his body radiating warmth. “I want to tell you something.”
She held her breath. He couldn’t have brought her to such a romantic location to deliver bad news.
“I’ve decided to stop filling your father’s prescriptions.”
Laurie relaxed. “You have? That’s . . . ” She thought about her words. “I’m pleased. Thank you.”
He sighed, his breath stirring her hair. “You’re not going to be pleased for long.”
“What happened?” She tugged his arms tighter around her mid-section,
tucking her icy fingers inside the sleeves of his coat.
“He came in this afternoon and—and it wasn’t pretty.” He nestled his chin into the gap between her neck and shoulder, his stubble tickling her skin. “I’m afraid that he blames you for this decision, even though I assured him that you were not responsible.” He took her hand and turned her to face him. “I’m concerned for your safety, Laurie. I saw the look in his eye.”
She ran her fingers down his lapel. “My father would never hurt me. He’ll be better off without the booze, Daniel. You did the right thing.”
He placed a hand over her fingers, stilling their progress. “I’m only a piece of the puzzle. And a small piece, at that. What are you going to do about Johnny?”
“I’ll talk to him.”
Daniel’s brow furrowed. “You cannot make this decision for your father. He has to come to it on his own.”
She pulled her hands free, his words pricking her skin like a needle. How could he possibly understand? “I have to do something. The men in my family are all throwing their lives away and mine with them.”
“So, what will you do?” Daniel pulled off his coat, draping it around her shoulders.
She laid her head on his arm. “I don’t know. Protect them. Clean up all this . . .”—she lifted a hand to the sky—“mess. The only trouble is, once I have one mess contained, they go and create another.”
Daniel took her hand, cradling it against his shirt front. “It’s not your job to protect them. How would you do that, anyway?”
She chewed on her lower lip. How much could she tell him?
“I think the person you need to protect is yourself. Is your father as volatile as he seemed today? Should you really be staying there?”
“Maybe I should let him cool off a little.”
He stroked her back. “Maybe I could help you kill some time until he’s calmed down.”
She smiled. “Maybe you could.”
The sun dipped lower in the sky as he leaned toward her. Laurie held her breath as their lips touched. Keeping her face close so she could feel his warm breath against her temple, Laurie reached up with one hand and touched his rough jaw line.
His voice whispered in her ear, “I’ve wanted to do that since the first night we met.”
“Me, too,” she sighed.
36
Why would you do that?” Red spots flared before Laurie’s eyes as she glared at her brother. “He was supposed to work tonight and you gave him booze?”
Johnny lounged on the back steps of their house. “He’s at work, Laurie. If I hadn’t of given him enough to take the edge off, he’d have scoured the town until someone else did. Then he’d be dead drunk.”
Daniel placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “I told you, you can’t make his choices.”
She folded her arms, the evening crickets rankling her nerves.
Johnny curled his lip as he stared at Daniel’s hand. “So, Amelia was right? You two are officially an item?”
Laurie looked away. She didn’t owe him any explanations. “You’ve got to stop supplying him booze, Johnny.”
Johnny ran his hand through his hair. “We’ve been over this before. If I don’t give it to him, someone else will. Plus, when he gets desperate, he gets mean. You know that.” He glared at Laurie. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Daniel’s grip tightened. She shook it off and stepped forward. “I can watch out for myself, but I’m sick of taking care of his drunken messes. He showed up at the exchange today. How long will I keep my job if he shows up there drunk? How long will he keep his job at the mill?”
Johnny spit on the ground. “How long is he going to keep his job if he’s spending all his time searching for booze?”
Daniel took a seat on the steps next to Johnny. “I know of places that could help him, but he needs to be willing. If you and Laurie talk to him together and convince him he needs the help—”
Johnny’s eyes flashed. “You mean a hospital? Like my mom? Now I’m the one paying for that, ten years later, just to keep my family afloat.”
Laurie’s heart jumped. “What do you mean?”
A shadow crossed his face. “Nothing. Forget it.”
Daniel cleared his throat. “If he learns how to lick this, you and Laurie can get on with your lives instead of keeping an eye on him all the time.”
Laurie lifted her hand. “Wait—Johnny, what did you mean by that?”
“I said, forget it.”
Claws ripped at her heart. “No. I won’t. Tell me!” She took another step toward him.
Johnny jumped to his feet and stormed up the creaky porch steps.
She turned to Daniel. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”
Daniel’s eyes closed briefly, his head lowering.
Laurie’s heart dropped in her chest. “You do.”
“That’s his story to tell you, not mine.
Laurie pushed free of Daniel’s arm and ran up the stairs, bursting through the door.
Johnny sat at the kitchen table, the newspaper spread in front of him like nothing had been said.
Laurie snatched the paper away. “I want answers. Now.”
His eyes blazed. “I was reading that.”
She crushed it in her hand and pushed it behind her back as Daniel entered the room behind her.
Johnny blew his breath between his teeth. “There are still bills from Mama’s hospital stay.”
“That was ten years ago.” She sank into a chair across from him.
He rapped the table with his knuckles. “That don’t stop the bill collectors from knocking.”
“Didn’t Daddy . . . ”
He looked up at her, his eyes tired. “He’s put every extra dime into the whiskey bottle and you know it.”
Laurie grabbed the edge of the table. “How much does he—do we—owe?”
Johnny leaned forward. “That’s just it. I’m almost done paying it off. With what I’m getting from the weekly runs—and what Dad’s donating through his ‘purchases,’ I’m almost done paying. I’ll be able to quit.”
Laurie looked between Johnny and Daniel, her heart swamped with emotions and questions. “Why—why didn’t you tell me?”
Johnny shrugged. “You already take on more than your share of responsibility. You try to do everything, for everyone. You didn’t need one more burden.”
“I could have helped.”
He smirked. “With what you make as an operator? Not likely.”
Daniel spoke softly. “Johnny, I could help. I’ll loan you the rest, you can pay me back slowly, from your wages at the mill.”
Johnny shook his head. “No more loans. I’m not going to be beholden to anyone ever again.”
Laurie pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose as she struggled to process all that her brother was telling her. “This has all been for hospital bills? You weren’t trying to buy a ring for Amelia?”
Johnny laughed. “Is that all you girls think about? No, I wasn’t doing this for a ring. Dad gave me Mama’s ring for her. I’ve had it for months.”
“Then why haven’t you asked her?”
“I figured I’d wait until I was done with the rumrunning. I didn’t want to give her a reason to say no to me.” He looked at his hands, a shadow crossing his face.
“You dope.” Laurie shook her head. “As if she could ever say no to you.”
A smile turned the corners of his lips. “Well, maybe it was more about being worthy of her.”
Laurie patted her brother’s hand, casting a glance at Daniel. “I’m sometimes wonder if any of us are worthy of love.”
Daniel reached for her other hand and squeezed it.
Daniel rocked on the back legs of his chair, watching the two siblings dance around the delicate issues without declaring war on each other.
His chest ached with words left unsaid. His story—his recovery—could give Laurie and Johnny reason to hope. He gazed at Laurie, her face pinched in worry
for her family. If he spoke up . . .
Several times he opened his mouth only to snap it shut, his stomach churning. How would Laurie react? Would he ever see her again?
Laurie filled her coffee cup from the pot on the stove. “I don’t like it.”
Johnny straddled his chair and rested his chin on the back rail. “I got two or three more shipments to go and we’ll be free and clear.”
“Not if Samuel gets a hold of you.” Laurie drummed her fingers on the table.
Daniel settled his chair legs back on the floor. “Brown’s out for blood, Johnny. He strikes me as the type to shoot first and deal with the consequences later.”
Johnny lifted his hands. “Laurie’s keeping an eye on him. And we keep switching the landing zones. He’s never going to catch us.”
A chill washed over Daniel. “Keeping an eye on him?” He sat up in his chair. “You’re still seeing him?”
She glanced up at him, her chin tucked low. “It’s not like that, exactly.”
The force of emotion in his chest surprised him. “Then tell me what it’s like.”
“I’m just—well—I don’t have any feelings for him. . . . ”
“And that makes it all right?”
The hurt on her face was unmistakable. “What are you accusing me of?”
Daniel pushed his hands across his eyes, his pulse echoing in his head. “It sounds like you’re ‘seeing him’ socially—leading him on, perhaps—in order to protect your brother and his cronies.”
Johnny turned. “Hey—”
Daniel lifted a hand to prevent his interruption. “Does Brown already know about Johnny’s activities?”
She bit her lip. “I think he’s suspicious.”
“If he already knows, then what kind of information are you hoping to get from him?”
Her gaze darted between him and Johnny. “I’m hoping he’ll tell me if he plans to go after them.”
Daniel leaned across the table. “Did it ever occur to either of you that he may be using you to get information on Johnny?”
After a pause, she nodded.
“Then why are you still doing this?”
Mistaken Page 20