Moonshine Hollow

Chapter Fifteen

                  

The next week was uneventful and Rose found herself falling into the rhythms of the store and the brothers. She couldn't remember a time when she had been able to sleep so well.

The house was always quiet at night, but not the kind of quiet that had haunted her since her parent's death. Since they had died she had always felt like there was something lurking in the quiet, something that was going to get her. Here she felt the peace that came from knowing she was safe.

Sure there was violence, and it gave her pause, but it was always left at the bottom of the stairs. Upstairs was always happy, and the brothers teased and joked with her, making her feel as though she had always been there. Upstairs even Forrest seemed to relax, more than she had even seen him.

She worked the counter and the kitchen. She wasn't much of a cook so it was pretty simple fair, but no one complained. A few of the regulars inquired after Miss Lilly but more out of concern than anything else. She cleaned up between meals and even the evenings were becoming easier on her.

Since her first night every other night one of the brothers stayed at the store with her while she tended counter. Peter would sit at the counter and chat all night with her. Arthur usually had a few drinks and enjoyed himself, though she never saw him as drunk again when it was his night to watch the store. She wondered if Peter had given him a talking to after what happened with Cassidy. Her nights with Forrest were her favorite though. She was not self aware enough to willingly admit it to herself why that was, but it didn't change the fact.

Since the night he had brought her here Forrest had barely spoken two sentences strung together to her. Once in a while she would catch him looking at her, but he always glanced away, and never did it again for the rest of the day. The nights he watched the store he would sit at the end of the counter and silently go over the books.

There was just something about the way he commanded the room. Those nights were always more peaceful with the customers as though even those who frequented the store were as afraid of him as the rest of the town. She had never seen him fight, never so much as raise his voice. Instead he exuded peace while he worked through the books. Rose found herself looking forward to their evenings together. She never felt afraid when he was there. Not that she didn't feel like Peter or Arthur could handle any one of their regulars and indeed did from time to time, it was just that he never made her feel like she had to wonder about it in the first place.

Late Friday night Arthur came stomping in followed by several friends and set up a game of poker in the back room. He asked her to serve the table and she did so without much thought. It was Forrest's night to watch the store and she could feel his eyes on her whenever she went out from behind the counter. She was becoming more comfortable with it, but nothing beat the peace of having the counter between her and all the strange men.

She was serving drinks when one of Arthur's friends placed an unwelcome hand on her rear. She jumped and dumped her tray on the table, in her effort to get as far away from him as quickly as possible.

Arthur was on his feet ready to yell at his friend when suddenly Forrest was there. He slammed into the man, sending him crashing into the wall several feet behind him. The man hit it with a sickening thud and wisely didn't get back to his feet. Every eye in the room was on Forrest. Forrest stood there for several seconds, breathing deeply as he stared the man down. When the man made no move to further the altercation Forrest addressed the room.

"For those of you who don't know, or are too stupid to know. This is Miss Rose. She lives here with us. And she, just like any woman who comes in here. Is not to be touched without explicit invitation. Do I make myself clear?" He didn't yell, and to Rose it didn't even seem like he raised his voice. But everyone in the room was nodding into their drinks and avoided looking at Forrest again.

Forrest stooped and picked up the tray, handing it back to Rose. He touched her elbow with a feather light touch. "Are you okay?" he asked, leaning into her ear so no one else could hear.

Rose nodded. "I'm fine. Sorry about the glasses. He startled me."

"You don't have to apologize. Timmy here is going to clean all this up, ain't you Tim?" Forrest said.

The young man was nodding so profusely Rose wondered that he didn't give himself further injury to his head.

Tim stayed late that night and cleaned the entire main room of the store, going as far as to scrub every last table and chair and section of floor on hands and knees. Forrest stayed at the counter with Rose until he left. Then he locked the door, and walked upstairs with her.

"I'm sorry about what happened tonight," he said standing outside her door. 

"You already said that, and it wasn't your fault. This is a bar, things like that are bound to happen. He didn't mean anything by it. It just...it startled me. I'm still a little jumpy I'm afraid."

Forrest nodded, staring at the wall behind her instead of looking her in the eyes. "Seemed like it was getting better."

Rose reached out and took Forrest's hand. It was warm and rough from hard work. "It is Forrest. I just...I can't explain it. Sometimes even when my head knows everything is fine, my mind...it takes me back to that place..."She dropped his hand and looked away, suddenly feeling ashamed. She had never told anyone what happened to her, not completely and tonight wasn't the night.

Forrest shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back again. "Something like that can be like poison in your blood, just takes time to work itself out. Sleep well Rose."