Shine On (9 page)

“You should do it more often, you know,” the words escaped her lips before she even had the chance to think.

“Talk about your dirty shoes?” He loved to keep her riled up as long as possible.

“No, smile. Makes you look years younger.” She tried to turn it into a joke but wasn’t as witty as he was.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” And just like that he looked more serious again.

“Oh, come on. I was just teasing. You know you don’t look old.” She smacked his arm playfully.

He rubbed his arm and looked genuinely surprised. “I never took you for a violent girl, Emma Talbot.”

“Only when forced,” she smiled.

“I’ll remember that,” he answered.

“And please don’t call me Emma. My mama only called me that when I was in trouble… and even worse than that… it’s what Mr. Thomas calls me.” She faked a shiver for effect.

“Why don’t you just tell him you don’t like it?” He arched a brow and glanced over at her as they turned into the driveway.

“I did correct him once when I first started working there. He told me ‘Emmie is a child’s name and you are a lady now, Emma,’” she mocked his voice perfectly. “It wasn’t worth the argument, so I let it go.”

Silas shook his head. “He’s a real pain in the ass isn’t he? Why do you work for him?”

“Ronnie took out a mortgage against the house last year and I’m trying to pay it off. Mr. Thomas pays me better than I deserve, so I put up with it. And you heard the rest the other day. I’m going to go to school and I’ll need money for that too. Doesn’t look like it’ll happen this semester but I have to keep trying, right? And I never really got to say thanks,” Emmie added.

“For what?” He looked puzzled.

“For telling Mr. Thomas that I am good enough for college.” She looked right at him. Her big blue eyes wide and honest.

“Oh, well it was the truth. You shouldn’t have to listen to someone put you down like that,” he shrugged.

“Well, thanks. Nobody really understands why I want to do it go to school so badly.” He looked over at her again as she spoke. He was surprised she was telling him all this. He wasn’t the type of person that people usually felt comfortable opening up to. She just kept talking and talking. Odd that he didn’t mind. He didn’t really want to think about that too much.

“See my momma wanted to be a teacher. But then she had me, married Ronnie, life happened. Mama put her dreams in me. She believed in me then I started to believe in me too. It wasn’t until this summer when Ronnie died and all the expenses fell on my feet that I really got scared. I may not be able to do it. I went to Mr. Thomas and told him about my plan. He laughed but said he’d give me a job to help pay for the house. He pays me too well and I hate it. I hate feeling like I owe that crazy man something.”

“Maybe you could find another job. Have you thought of talking to Uncle Al? I bet he could get you some secretarial work, answering phones or something,” he suggested.

“I really don’t want to ask him for that. If something came open there, I’d apply in a heartbeat. But I really don’t want any special favors,” she answered.

“Swallowing your pride might be worth it to get outta that shop.” He pulled into the carport on the side of the house and turned to face her.

Emmie thought for a second. “You might be right. I swear the next person that asks me if I’ve ever just considered marrying Mr. Thomas will get more than a soft smack to the arm like you got.” She tried to joke but he didn’t laugh.

Marry Mr. Thomas. Marry Paul Thomas. He’d seen girls back home do that before. Mr. Thomas was just the type of leach that would feed off her desperate situation too.

“You’re right. You’ll never have to marry that man. If I ever hear anyone suggest it you won’t have to be the one hitting. I’ll take care of that for ya.” He tried to smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was too annoyed at the thought of someone taking advantage of her.

Why do I care?
he inwardly shouted.

But he knew why he cared. No use kidding himself. If he was going to hell anyway he might as well ride this thing out till it was over. He scooted closer to her and brushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes. The color that crept into her cheeks was beautiful. She did this every time he touched her. He ran his fingers down the side of her face and leaned in and kissed her.

Heart pounding.

Intense.

Soft.

Sweet.

It was all those words mixed into one. She ran her fingers down the stubble that darkened his cheek. His eyes looked so alive, so warm, so kind when he was here with her. She could live in this moment forever.

“Whoo Hoo, it’s about time you two just got on with it. We’ve been about to explode from the tension around you both lately,” Trick shouted, jumping up and down on the side rail of the car—causing it to jerk side to side.

Emmie and Silas looked up to see they had not just one spectator but an entire audience.

Chapter Fourteen

“G
et off the damn car, Trick,” Silas laughed, then reached around Emmie and thrust open the door with more force than was necessary, knocking his brother off the side rail.

“After you.” He motioned for her to exit.

“How kind of you to open my door… and you said you weren’t a gentleman?” Emmie smiled sarcastically and stepped out of the car. She walked over and helped Trick up off the ground. “Sorry. He doesn’t like to be teased, I guess,” she apologized for Silas.

“Actually, I don’t like you teased.” Silas put a hand on the small of her back and led her through the door.

She arched an eyebrow. “I seem to remember you poking fun at my dusty shoes?” she made the phrase a question.

“That was different. It was me,” he shrugged then added, “I don’t like you teased about kissing and stuff.”

When they got into the house Ava was all smiles but she didn’t say a word about the moment they’d just seen. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“Swimming?” Trick suggested.

“Too cool. That water was like ice this morning. I think it’s about time to close it down.” Ava answered.

“I’m gonna take it easy tonight. I’ve got to head back to Chicago early tomorrow. I promised Kate I’d meet her this weekend to listen to something about wedding plans she’d made,” Vince said then pretended to hang himself.

“Oh! I wish I could go.” Ava pouted. “But I hope to be planning my own soon. Won’t that be so much fun, Gabe?” she squealed.

“Yeah, can’t wait babe,” he said with a laugh.

Well that was news. Emmie thought. She had somehow missed when they’d gotten that serious. A glance around showed no one else looked so surprised.

“I probably should have directed that question at Emmie. Lord knows she will probably be more help planning than you will,” Ava added.

“Can’t wait,” Emmie repeated his answer but with a much more excited tone.

“As exciting as this conversation is,” Trick added, “we still don’t know what to do tonight. I am so tired of just sitting around here. There has got to be something to do in this town.”

Gabe walked over and said something to Silas that the others couldn’t hear. Silas thought about it for a minute and then nodded in agreement.

“You all go get ready. We’re going out,” Gabe said with a sly grin.

“Where?” Emmie asked.

“Surprise. Can you all be ready in half an hour?” Silas answered.

Ava clapped her hands excited, grabbed Emmie’s hands and pulled her upstairs before she could ask any further questions.

“Ava I don’t have any clothes here. Can I borrow something? I’m not sure my work shift is going to be fitting for where we are going,” Emmie said, looking at herself in Ava’s full-length mirror.

“Of course! I have just the thing. This is way too short on me, so it should be perfect for you. And here put these on.” Ava tossed a dress and what seemed to be fifteen pounds of pearls on the bed next to Emmie.

“All these?”

“Yes, and this is for your head,” she added, throwing a brown headband with a cluster of white beads on the front.

The girls got ready with lightning speed, barely talking as they rushed around the room. Ava stood in front of her friend, gave a little spin and put her arms out for inspection.

“You look gorgeous,” Emmie said because she did. Ava had the body and personality to pull off this crazy eclectic look. Her dress was black lace dropped and cut out in all the right places.

“What about me… are you positive I don’t look ridiculous?” Emmie asked.

Emmie was stunning; Ava could never understand how she didn’t see this about herself. She could wear men’s overalls and have dirt caked on her hands and still be pretty. Emmie didn’t need all the makeup and fancy clothes but she wore it well.

“Will you believe me if I tell you look amazing?” Ava questioned.

“Probably not,” Emmie smirked.

“Then let’s just see what Silas says… So, are you happy, you know about you and Silas?” Ava asked, leaning in to her friend.

Emmie fidgeted with her beads. “Yeah, I mean it’s kinda early…”

“Pish Posh. It’s not early. Silas kissed you, again. That was a real kiss. He’s crazy for you, I just know it,” Ava bounced.

“It was real, wasn’t it?” Emmie touched her lips.

***********

Silas drove. Ava and Gabe took the back, which left Emmie smashed next to Trick in the front.

“Where are we going?” Emmie asked for the hundredth time. They’d driven away from town toward the north end of the county.

“Patience is a virtue,” Silas replied.

“If we are going to some field party, we are all sorely overdressed,” Emmie warned.

“I promise you that we will not be partying in a field tonight,” Gabe laughed.

The drive was long. It seemed they had been in the car forever. Emmie was sure she would have a permanent imprint in her leg from whatever Trick had in his pocket.

“Ooh…” she called out when they went through a particularly sharp curve and she was slammed into him.

“Good grief, Trick. What is that?” She felt around on the outside leg of his pants.

Trick just smiled, “That’s a little personal don’t you think?”

Silas tried to look disinterested in their conversation. He failed.

“Really Trick, what in the world is that?” It tinged when she tapped on it. They went over another bump and it… sloshed?

“Patrick McDowell! I know what that is,” she laughed.

He faked his best innocent smile then took the flask out of his pocket and had a sip. “Sweetheart if that bothers you, you’re not going to like where we are going,” Trick said.

“Shush, Trick. You’ll ruin our surprise. And I just love surprises,” Ava cried.

“It doesn’t matter. We are here anyway,” Gabe said, pointed to the row of shops in the small downtown area.

“This is the surprise… Smith’s Grove? You wanted to eat here? What does this tiny town have to offer that we don’t have in Bowling Green?” Ava asked confused.

“Just trust me, eh?” Gabe said kissing her hand.

They pulled up to a row of three connected buildings: a bank, a general store and a run-down restaurant.

Emmie looked up at Silas with her eyebrows raised in question. He decided not to say anything. Her curiosity was a part of the fun for him. He wondered how she would take this. It would either a wonderful night or a total disaster. Either way he needed to know this about her. She was such a good girl but if she was really going to be with him, he needed to see how she would handle the unexpected. This was definitely going to be unexpected. Silas smiled in spite of himself, looking forward to her reaction.

“Looks like they have a frog legs special tonight! Yum,” Trick said, walking up to the sign out front and rubbing his belly to add emphasis to the words.

“I am not eating in there.” Ava looked thoroughly disgusted at the grimy windows of the restaurant.

Emmie elbowed her friend. Honestly, she could be rude. The guys had put thought into this outing, so there must be a reason they wanted to eat here, even if it didn’t look like the most appetizing place. “I’m sure it will be really good. Can’t judge a book by its cover, right Ava?”

“Emmie this book has a really bad cover,” Ava snarled, reading down the sign. “Chicken livers platter. I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

Gabe belly-laughed, grabbed her hand, and led her around the edge of the building. Ava’s mouth dropped open and a light bulb of awareness flashed in her eyes.

What in the world?
Emmie wondered, as she stood by the door and watched Gabe, Ava, and Trick disappear around the corner.

Silas walked up, put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body, “Don’t let go of me, okay?”

She nodded completely confused.

“Trust me?” he asked sincerely, his deep blue eyes searching hers.

She nodded again.

Chapter Fifteen