Chapter 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?”

Johnny’s expression darkened. “Laurie?”

Her scarlet-colored lips pressed into a thin line. “After you were arrested and I went to tell him you were innocent . . . ” Her voice quavered. “He said he would let you go, if . . . ”

Daniel’s palms grew damp. “If what?”

Johnny’s hands closed over the chair back, his nostrils flaring. “You’d better not be saying what I think you’re saying.” His back tensed, as if he were preparing to leap over the table.

Daniel thrust an arm across Johnny’s chest. “Easy.” He took a deep breath. “Laurie, what did you . . . ”—he swallowed, acid crawling up his throat—“what did you promise the man?”

Her skin paled, but she lifted her chin in defiance. “I only said that I’d keep seeing him. Nothing else.” She pushed up from her chair.

“I’ll kill him,” Johnny growled.

Daniel lowered his arm, fire crawling through his chest. Brown had extorted him, arrested him, and trashed his office. And now he had the gall to threaten Laurie? He clenched his jaw. “You might have to beat me to it.”

Laurie’s blue eyes flashed. “I make my own choices, remember?”

“This wasn’t a choice. You were bullied into it.” Johnny banged his hand on the table.

She settled a fist onto one hip. “I tell you what. I’ll stop seeing him—on one condition.”

Johnny’s brow furrowed. “Oh, you’re going to stop seeing him, all right.”

“Listen to me.” She glared at them. “I’ll stop seeing him, if you two agree to stop selling—or giving—Dad any more booze.”

“We’re not cutting bargains here, Laurie.” Daniel braced one hand on the table. “I don’t think you understand the risks you’re taking.”

“I choose who I see and who I don’t.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

The implied threat in her words came like a punch to the stomach. He pulled his coat from the back of the chair. “I think it’s time for me to leave.”

Johnny grabbed his arm. “Hold it. I need you on my side, here, Daniel.”

Daniel crushed his coat in his grip. The floor swayed as if he stood in a canoe. He could no longer deny the depths of his feelings for Laurie Burke, but he refused to allow her to trifle with him. Save those tricks for Brown.

Daniel’s jaw ached. “I’ve already stopped supplying your dad with liquor. You really expect Johnny to stop providing him whiskey just so you’ll stop socializing with Samuel Brown?”

Laurie nodded.

Daniel shook his head. He’d expected more from her. Maybe he didn’t know her at all.

Johnny growled, running a hand across his chin and neck. “Done.”