Page 44 of Stronger Than Blood
“Well, we don’t make assumptions. Before we did anything, we’d test the waters first. If they aren’t accommodating, well, we can let it go. But let’s both be honest here, Tennessee folks have always loved their whiskey. Despite the years they fought against it, most of them were sneaking it behind the cowsheds."
I chuckled at the stories of my great-grandparents and their internal war with that very subject. I shook my head and sighed. “It’s a risky endeavor. I don’t want to invest all my savings into something that could fail, and… well, I’m set well enough that if I only ever use my interest, I won’t have to worry about making a living. I’m gonna guess, with the prices of downtown Memphis, you’re in or about to be in a similar situation. Are you sure you want to make this kind of move?”
She nodded and winked at me. “I had a dream the first night after meeting Eddie, the guy who had the stash. In that dream, I saw the walls lined with stills and equipment. I saw a glass wall that separated that area from the front, where tables sat among shelves of merchandise.” I looked at my hands, enjoying the imagery that was just a little too easy for me to imagine. “Later, after we found the safe, I immediately thought what a great place for tastings.”
“It all sounds—”
“Shh, let me finish,” she said. “Two years ago, I was hired to go up to a small Kansas town right above Kansas City called Atchison. It’s supposed to be the most haunted town in America, and I’m not sure I disagree. On the way up there, my friend and I stopped in a different little town where they make McCormick’s brand liquors. They did tastings in the cutest little shop you ever saw. They charged a quarter per shot. My friend and I had a couple too many and had to sit on a bench next door, laughingas several other customers did the same thing. You see, the town had embraced the distillery, and as a result, people were able to go in and out of the store, and I remember just how many people must’ve spent good money there. It was quite a business.”
I closed my eyes and brought up the images of what she’d said. I could see the architecture inside the building, preserved and even accented. I didn’t think I’d want to fix everything; the ruined effect almost made it more appealing. I could see the glass wall between the equipment and the store. I’d seen something similar down in Florida a few years ago.
I sighed and opened my eyes. “Damnit, I’m in,” I said, and Madam Bellamy bounced up and down in her seat a couple of times before putting her hand on my arm.
“Oh, Rory, this could be so much fun. A lot of work, for certain, but I love the idea of having my cute little apartment above the store and hiring professionals, which you and I are certainly not, to run the distillery. Oh, wouldn’t it be cool to make it like they are old moonshiners?”
I laughed. “It sounds fun, and I’m sure there’s more than a few of them still around even in the twenty-first century.”
We sipped our tea and nodded greetings to a few of the folks we recognized who passed by our table. “What about Mick?” Madam asked.
“What about him?” I asked, confused.
“Well, do you think he’ll want in?”
I laughed. “I have no idea. You know I’ve only known him a short while. But my gut tells me he’d love the concept.”
“Do you think he and Ida would let us use the building, pay rent, or do a lease-to-own thing? That might save money in the long run or at least minimize the initial investment.”
I shrugged again. “I would bet if we sat down with them and explained our thoughts, they’d be open to it. There’re severalbuildings in town that are empty and as dilapidated as that one. So, I doubt there’s a list of people waiting to buy it.”
She nodded. “I think that’s true. While we’re in Memphis, we can broach the subject.”
“Speaking of, when is your niece coming up?” I asked.
“She’s already at my apartment going through what’s left of the inventory now the big sale happened over the weekend. I told her she could have anything that was left.”
“Really? Does she have a store?”
“She’s opening one and managed to secure a small venue down in the French Quarter nonetheless.”
“Really?” I asked, shocked. “How rich is this niece of yours?”
Madam smiled. “She’s a savvy one, that’s for sure. You’ll see. She’s fixing supper for us tonight since we’re driving back as soon as your boyfriend gets here.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I mumbled, although I wouldn’t mind it if he was.
“Yet, but there’s time. Anyway, let’s get packed and load the car. I want to leave as soon as Mick shows up.”
I agreed and hugged Mrs. Kennedy on the way out. “We’ll be back soon. Mick is gonna come with us, and he said he needs to be back by the weekend.”
She nodded seriously. “That’s the truth. I have orders coming out of my ears,” she said. “I swear, you’d think that boy was the only person around here who knows how to make a meringue pie.”
“Considering I’ve not had one yet, I can’t confirm nor deny his skill, but it does appear he has a following.”
She smiled and patted my hand as another family came through the door. I waved at Elias, who was holding court with a group of men in the back. One of which, Jonah, I’d met briefly.
I loved the little town already and was confused how, in such a short time, I’d gotten to know so many people. Leaving it, evenif only for a few days, made me sad.Damn,I thought,maybe it’s time for me to pull up roots officially and make the move as well. Whether or not the microdistillery idea worked out, I knew I liked the town and liked a particular man who lived here even more.
I forced myself not to think about how Mick played into all of this. I wasn’t a man to hide from the truth. Even when it was scary or uncomfortable. In this situation, though, I just wasn’t sure where Mick fit into my plans.
