“‘Cause of the bootlegging? Prohibition will end soon enough, and the Emerson name will go back to being respectable.” Trying to put uniform dollops of batter on the cookie sheet, Charlie wondered aloud. “Of course, you could just up and run off with Eli.”
Ruth snorted, reaching out with the tip of a towel to wipe a smear of flour off Charlie’s face. “If you think ending prohibition will make the Emerson name respectable, you just might be crazy. Everyone around here knows what they did to Harrison McCray. And he wasn’t the first. Anyone who crosses them… well, you know.”
Charlie couldn’t help but think of the sort of men she was used to dealing with. “The Emersons don’t strike me as the type to start trouble—just to end it.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Ruth darted dove eyes to Charlie. “I can see why Matthew likes you.”
“Nathaniel’s the one who likes me—a good friend of mine these days. Matthew tolerates my presence,” Charlie clarified, trying not to think back on the stolen kiss or how bad she’d been panting after him.
“That’s not what Eli says.” The petite brunette cooed, playfully wistful, “Seems he is quite taken with you. Good thing too. No local girls have even earned a glance since Alice ran off. It’d be a waste if a man so handsome didn’t settle down.”
Over the last few months, Charlie had forgotten all about the stunning waitress. Yet, one mention of the black-haired beauty’s name, and an odd feeling began to weigh in her gut.
Their acquaintance may have been brief, but Charlie had seen enough to know Alice was glamorous, had a look about her that drove men wild. Clumsy and awkward, Charlie could not hold a candle to the other woman.
Keeping her sinking feelings to herself, she feigned ignorance. “Who was Alice?”
Ruth shrugged. “A girl who waitressed up at Devil’s Hollow last year. Supposedly came from money but had nothing to show for it, if you get my drift. I don’t really know much about her except that she was real stylish and pretty aloof when it came to making friends with the women in town.”
“Why did she leave?”
“Rumors abound. General consensus was Matthew refused to marry her. But my personal opinion—well, based off all Eli told me—is that she wasn’t the kind to stick around. Big dreams, you know.” A timer dinged, and Ruth paused her chatter to pull out the first tray of cookies.
Smiling like a loon to find not one was burned or misshapen, Charlie declared, “If I didn’t have your help, they would have never turned out so good.”
Disinterested in garnering praise or discussing cookies, Ruth pressed, “What are Nathaniel and Matthew like? I have never been able to speak with them but once or twice in passing. All I got to go on is Eli’s point of view, which might be a little flawed.”
“Well, Nathaniel has the mouth of a sailor and drinks like a fish. I like him, but he may be a little too rough around the edges for most ladies. Matthew is the brooding type, a man of few words who glares a lot.”
“Maybe he ain’t glaring…” Ruth hinted. “Maybe he’s just off kilter around you.”
There was nothing off kilter about his lips the morning before. In fact, the amount of times their kiss had replayed in Charlie’s head was flat out shameful. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Why?” Ruth set the cookies to cool. “‘Cause you traipse around the woods and hunt deer when nobody’s lookin’?”
Charlie froze, instantly unsure and uncomfortable.
Seeing her friend nervous, Ruth hurriedly explained, “Eli told me last night. Would you take me with you next time? Take me hunting?”
Growing red-faced, Charlie stammered, “I have a feeling, uhh, Eli would not approve.”
“If I don’t listen to my father, what makes you think I’m gonna listen to Eli?”
Ruth had a point.
Chapter 11
There it was, boxed up on the seat next to him. He’d driven all the way to Charleston to get the damn thing—could hardly believe he’d spent all of thirty dollars. Glaring at the box stuffed full of his new suit, Matthew tucked it under the seat, out of sight, so he wouldn’t have to answer any damn questions about it to his kin.
“Where the hell have you been, Matthew?” Nathaniel complained, climbing in the truck.
Shifting the toothpick to the other side of his mouth, Matthew hit the gas. “Where’s Eli?”
“He’s off chasin’ that girl again.” Nathaniel waved a hand, the gesture annoyed.
“‘Course he is…” There was already enough work to do, leaving Matthew moody and tired. The last thing he wanted to deal with was slaving over a hot still while his fool cousin shirked responsibility to woo Ruth Cormac.
One man short, the