looked like the last few spoonfuls of a very watered-down applesauce. “Now just hear me out before you give me opinions, okay?” she asked.
Emmie took a small cup down from the cabinet and poured a little of the liquid into it. Then she sat the cup down next to him. “Taste it.” She had that same mad-scientist look in her eyes as she did the day she made that first batch of paste for him.
He picked up the cup and threw back the drink. Sweet, warm, spice. It was good. “Ya making drinks now, girl? Cause you’ll want to be careful with this stuff.”
“Walt, it’s not for me. It’s for you. To help you pick up business. I figured if you had something better to offer it might take out the competition.”
“Competition,” he laughed at first then fell stone silent thinking about Ronnie. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about. This ain’t some kind of baseball game, child.”
Emmie was so tired of hearing that she was a child. She was twenty-one years old for goodness sake. Most girls her age were getting married, having kids. She did know about this—he was wrong.
“You think I don’t know? I know what this is. I also know this will sell. Last night I drank something called Georgia’s peach ’shine at a…” she started to tell him everything but stopped herself not wanting to get anyone in trouble. She didn’t really know if he was supposed to know about the speak. “Well, it doesn’t matter where but it was good. People are buying this stuff, Walt. I promise.” Her eyes widened as she spoke. She pulled out a chair and sat at the table across him.
If he were a younger man, he’d be angry with her for her mouthing back at him like that. But he was old enough to know she was just a child—just a child without a clue about the road she was driving herself down. He had to do the right thing and get her out of this.
“Emmie, I appreciate you trying to help out,” he paused, “but I don’t know nobody that’s looking for apple pie tasting moonshine. You know I’m selling to people my age that like the burning taste of this white lightning. No matter how good that stuff is, they wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.”
“But you could find new clients. Try to sell it to people like Ava or me that don’t really drink much and don’t like that strong taste. Just social drinkers, ya know?” she suggested.
Walter looked mildly amused. “You want me to walk around town and ask young girls if they want some of my apple pie ’shine? I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have a good ending for me.”
She looked at him annoyed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah, I know what you meant. But there’s stuff about this business you don’t know and I don’t want you to know. I appreciate you looking out for me and trying to boost my sale but you’re staying out of it. Here’s the new plan…” He took out his pipe and lit it, taking a few puffs before he finished speaking, “I’m gonna take that ’shine outta your pantry because you don’t need that in your house and I’ve got a place to hide it. When I sell it, half the money is yours. That should knock a dent in that tuition money that you need for next year. In the meantime, you’re gonna have nothing to do with any of this. We’re just going to go on living our life like normal. I’m going to keep doing what I do and you’re going to keep working there at Mr. Thomas’s store and tutoring Max. You’ll get to start that college next year. That’s the best I can do Emmie. I hope you know that.”
“Walter, I cannot just take your money,” she started quietly.
“You’re not. It was Ronnie’s ’shine too. Think of it as an inheritance. He didn’t leave you anything else.”
“What about the paste?” she asked.
“Child, with as much ’shine as you have in that pantry, it’s gonna be awhile before I need to make more.” He then added, “It’s better this way, trust me.”
She nodded but
Emmie took a small cup down from the cabinet and poured a little of the liquid into it. Then she sat the cup down next to him. “Taste it.” She had that same mad-scientist look in her eyes as she did the day she made that first batch of paste for him.
He picked up the cup and threw back the drink. Sweet, warm, spice. It was good. “Ya making drinks now, girl? Cause you’ll want to be careful with this stuff.”
“Walt, it’s not for me. It’s for you. To help you pick up business. I figured if you had something better to offer it might take out the competition.”
“Competition,” he laughed at first then fell stone silent thinking about Ronnie. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about. This ain’t some kind of baseball game, child.”
Emmie was so tired of hearing that she was a child. She was twenty-one years old for goodness sake. Most girls her age were getting married, having kids. She did know about this—he was wrong.
“You think I don’t know? I know what this is. I also know this will sell. Last night I drank something called Georgia’s peach ’shine at a…” she started to tell him everything but stopped herself not wanting to get anyone in trouble. She didn’t really know if he was supposed to know about the speak. “Well, it doesn’t matter where but it was good. People are buying this stuff, Walt. I promise.” Her eyes widened as she spoke. She pulled out a chair and sat at the table across him.
If he were a younger man, he’d be angry with her for her mouthing back at him like that. But he was old enough to know she was just a child—just a child without a clue about the road she was driving herself down. He had to do the right thing and get her out of this.
“Emmie, I appreciate you trying to help out,” he paused, “but I don’t know nobody that’s looking for apple pie tasting moonshine. You know I’m selling to people my age that like the burning taste of this white lightning. No matter how good that stuff is, they wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.”
“But you could find new clients. Try to sell it to people like Ava or me that don’t really drink much and don’t like that strong taste. Just social drinkers, ya know?” she suggested.
Walter looked mildly amused. “You want me to walk around town and ask young girls if they want some of my apple pie ’shine? I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have a good ending for me.”
She looked at him annoyed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah, I know what you meant. But there’s stuff about this business you don’t know and I don’t want you to know. I appreciate you looking out for me and trying to boost my sale but you’re staying out of it. Here’s the new plan…” He took out his pipe and lit it, taking a few puffs before he finished speaking, “I’m gonna take that ’shine outta your pantry because you don’t need that in your house and I’ve got a place to hide it. When I sell it, half the money is yours. That should knock a dent in that tuition money that you need for next year. In the meantime, you’re gonna have nothing to do with any of this. We’re just going to go on living our life like normal. I’m going to keep doing what I do and you’re going to keep working there at Mr. Thomas’s store and tutoring Max. You’ll get to start that college next year. That’s the best I can do Emmie. I hope you know that.”
“Walter, I cannot just take your money,” she started quietly.
“You’re not. It was Ronnie’s ’shine too. Think of it as an inheritance. He didn’t leave you anything else.”
“What about the paste?” she asked.
“Child, with as much ’shine as you have in that pantry, it’s gonna be awhile before I need to make more.” He then added, “It’s better this way, trust me.”
She nodded but
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