“I’m impressed,” John said. “I didn’t think you’d do it.”
“Do what? Drink whisky?”
“Because your sister told us that you—” He stopped suddenly. “Uh, she said you only liked sherry.”
Marie sighed and looked at Adele. “You told them about the temperance thing, didn’t you?” She shrugged. “Well, that’s all over with now.”
“That’s a really good thing,” Adele said, looking at Jerry. “Really good.”
Marie put down the glass. “Why? What’s going on?”
Adele let out a long breath. “Because John and Jerry made the whisky you just tasted. They made it, bottled it, and sold it to this place.”
At first, Marie said nothing, merely dropped her eyes to her glass and ingested what she’d been told, and Adele worried that she’d misread Marie’s change of heart earlier. Then she looked up, her expression more interested than shocked. “You’re dating a rumrunner?”
Adele beamed. “He’s much more than a rumrunner, Marie.”
Jerry pressed his foot against Adele’s, and from his smile she could tell he was impressed that she’d told her sister. Relieved too, she imagined.
“All right,” Marie said, nodding slowly, then her face creased into a wry grin. “I have no idea how I’m going to break this to Fred.” With that, she took another sip of whisky, and John let out a hoot of a laugh.
When their plates were empty, Jerry winked at Adele then turned to Marie. “I think it’s time you tried dancing with someone who knows what he’s doing.” He got to his feet. “May this rumrunner have a dance?”
Marie accepted, and they moved to the dance floor.
“Quite a night, isn’t it?” John said to Adele.
She tilted her head, feeling on top of the world. “Thank you for showing my sister such a good time.”
“I can behave like a gentleman, despite the rumours.”
“I know that,” she said. “I’ve always known that about you, John. From the first minute I met you.”
He tasted his whisky, watching her through eyes that were so like his brother’s. “You know, I never did thank you. For saving him, I mean. Not properly, anyway. I trusted you with my brother’s life, and you kept him safe.” He lifted an eyebrow. “And now, from the things he’s been saying about you, it looks like I’m going to have to do it again. This time I’m gonna have to trust you with his heart.”
“His heart is safe with me.”
He nodded, already knowing that.
“But John, I owe you a thank-you as well. And it’s long overdue. You saved him that day. You dug him out, then you brought him to me. I’ll always owe you for that.”
“No need.”
Her throat ached with every emotion. “I have a favour to ask. I need a promise from you.”
“Whatever it is, you know I’ll say yes.”
She blinked, and a tear escaped one eye. “I need you to promise you’ll never stop looking out for him. I know what it is you do out there, and I need to know you’ll keep him safe.”
John shook his head. “You don’t need to ask, Adele. You never will. You just need to understand, that’s the way it is between us.” Then he flashed the smile no woman could resist, she was sure. No woman but her. “Lucky for you, Adele, if you’re with him, you’re stuck with me as well.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she assured him, then she reached up and kissed his cheek. His reaction, soft and grateful and a little bit embarrassed, was adorable.
On the way home, Adele sat with Jerry in the back seat, their thighs pressed against one another in an atmosphere that shivered with desire. John and Marie sat in front, chatting companionably, pretending not to notice the wall of heat behind them.
At the door, John took Marie’s hands and bid her goodnight. “You’re a helluva dancer, Mrs. Everett. Your husband’s a lucky fellow.”
“I’m sure my feet will be feeling it tomorrow,” she said, then she turned to all three. “Thank you all for showing me such a good time. It really was wonderful.” She winked at Adele. “Now I’d better get in there, make sure Maman survived my children.”
