Moonshine Hollow

Chapter Thirty

A few hours later, Forrest gently shook Rose awake. She had laid down on the bench of the booth and drifted off. Forrest was already dressed, wearing a newer looking jacket. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and was holding hers in his other hand.

"Time to go."

She could just make out his face in the dim light. He had hadn't been kidding about first light.

They set off up the road into the hollow. Arthur led the way, with Forrest bringing up the rear, leading Tessa behind him. She had asked about that and Forrest had replied he wasn't leaving her behind and that they were going to be leaving her with a friend up in the hollow. It was an hour and half before they reached Forrest's friend. It was a stooped old man who appeared to never leave his small shack. He had a small fenced pen in the back. Forrest turned Tessa loose and spoke in a quiet voice to old man. The old man smiled and nodded, patting Forrest on the back and approached the mare. He slid something out of his pocket and Tessa took it from him, sighing before she went back to nosing around her new accommodations. Forrest waved once more to the old man before they set off up the road again.

Beyond this man's shack however the road was very quickly turning to a winding path, barely wide enough for a single horse and rider. The path continued to twist its way up the hill. The sun was high overhead which meant it was nearly noon when they left the path. Rose didn't see any sign or landmark that made this particular part of the path different from the rest. Arthur moved through the forest at a surprisingly brisk pace despite the thick underbrush and uneven ground. They set off perpendicular from the path and it wasn't long before the ground began to take a steady downward turn. They were descending from the hollow down the side of the hill as far as she could tell. She had never spent this much time in the woods and by mid afternoon she was so tired she had begun tripping over roots and weaving a little as she moved. They had eaten sandwiches as they walked but hadn't stopped to eat. The food was long gone and she was starting to feel shaky. She stumbled once more, and flinched as she felt a hand touch her elbow to steady her.

"Sorry," Forrest said softly from behind her.

She turned to face him and gave him a reassuring smile. "Just surprised me," she said in a quiet voice.

He nodded, but his eyes were on the trees and the woods. It took her a moment to remember Forrest was probably as at home in these woods as he was in the store with his brothers. He had worked in Dan's lumber camp for years, sleeping outdoors and working in the woods.

"We're going to stop soon," he promised her.

They finally reached the bottom of the hill. There was a small stream, only a foot wide tumbling over large rocks. There was a small clearing, barely ten feet across with a small ring of stones in the center. Rose paused outside of it and looked around. She didn't see any sign of a still, but this was obviously a campsite.

Arthur and Peter both dropped their bags near the ring of stones and set off into the woods. She assumed to gather firewood but she turned back to Forrest. He gave her a reassuring smile. "The only ones who knew about this place aside from us are dead."

For some reason that did little to reassure Rose.

He must of seen that because he continued. "No city boy is going to find us, and even the Klan isn't pissed enough to go to the trouble of bringing up dogs to track us...and that's the only way we could be found."

Rose sighed and sat on one of the larger cut off stumps. "Is there anything I can do to help set up camp?"

Forrest shook his head. He glanced up at the sky, the sun had already set behind the hill, and this deep in the hollow the night was coming fast. "Peter went to check the still, Arthur is collecting firewood. We have food packed for dinner. If you want to set up your bedroll you might be more comfortable."

Rose nodded. An owl hooted from somewhere near by and Rose jumped, spinning around to face the bird.

Forrest chuckled softly. "Ever been camping?"

"City girl," Rose said apologetically.

Arthur returned with an armload of branches and some small logs. "You wanna start the fire?" he asked Forrest. "I can go help Peter and we'll both bring back some more firewood."

Forrest nodded. "It's going to be a cold night, we'll want to keep the fire going," he said looking up at the sky.

Rose followed his gaze but didn't see what he saw. She had been comfortable hiking all day in her trousers and sweater. She hadn't even needed Forrest's jacket. The leaves were just starting to turn, hinting that fall was coming but the sky was clear.

Forrest lit the fire with practiced efficiency and started a pot of canned beans warming on the rocks. Peter and Arthur didn't return until full dark. She and Forrest were sitting in silence staring at the fire. They had chatted a little here and there, but she was so exhausted she could hardly think straight. She ate a little of the food Forrest pulled out but a chill was settling in. She reached back to her bag and pulled out Forrest's worn coat. It smelled like him, she snuggled deep inside and closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the moment.

Arthur and Peter were chatting lively, discussing the promising new batch. They explained to her this still wasn't as big as the one they would check tomorrow, a massive submarine still, but this one was better quality and would produce their fine white whiskey that was popular with their more affluent customers. Peter pulled out a jar and spun off the top onto the dark forest floor and passed it between themselves until they jar was empty and they were singing softly a song from their youth. She hadn't seen them this relaxed in weeks. It was obvious they were comfortable here and it made her feel better about what Forrest had told her. This was their private spot, and they had brought her here. She tried not to read too much into it but she couldn't help but feel it meant something and allowed herself to feel a little special about it. They had worked so hard to keep her separate from their business in the past that now, them bringing her directly to their stills was nearly shocking.

Forrest brewed some tea and was sipping it out of a dented metal cup. He passed the cup to her. She smiled at him over the rim as she sipped the strong black tea. She handed him back the cup and they silently shared it as they watched Arthur and Peter across the fire. Rose found herself feeling warm despite the chill evening air that seemed to reach right through her clothes and bite at her skin. She and Forrest shared small private smiles over things the boys said or did. They finally started to quiet down, and Peter dropped off to sleep.

Rose snuggled into her bed roll and listened to Forrest and Arthur talk quietly on the other side of the fire. She held still, thinking she would soon drop off to sleep. That wasn't the case, and as the hours slipped passed she found the night grew colder and more still. The brothers had ceased talking and judging by the quiet snores from Peter and Arthur she assumed they had all fallen asleep. She tossed and turned, snuggled deep in Forrest's jacket, but her breath came out in frosty clouds. The fire eventually burned low and she finally resolved to get up and throw more wood on in hopes it would help her warm up.

"Can't sleep?" Forrest asked in a quiet voice.

Rose nodded, surprised Forrest was still awake. He lay in his back with his arms folded beneath his head. It appeared as though he had been staring up at the small piece of sky that was visible above them.

"I can't seem to get warm," she explained tossing another log into the heart of the coals.

Forrest nodded, looking thoughtful and rolled onto his side towards her. He lifted the edge of his blanket, "Come here then."

Rose blushed profusely and scrambled around the fire before she could think too hard about it. She climbed awkwardly beneath his blanket. Forrest took her into his arms, wrapped himself around her, and pulled her intimately against his chest. She snuggled against him, her heart beating rapidly from his closeness but it seemed as though she had been made to fit in the circle of his arms. She laid her head against his bicep and between his heat, the fire and the steady beat of his heart she drifted off to sleep.

Sometime in the night, when the fire had burned down she woke at a nightmare. Forrest shifted, rolling onto his back he pulled her against his chest and shushed her softly, rubbing her back. "Sleep Lor, sleep," he whispered into her hair and for the first time since her father died, Lorelei wasn't afraid.