She had nothing to say to them.
“I am,” she said to Leo, and she pushed away the unwanted memories. That life was over. Every day was another step forward, another step away from her past. One day, she’d figure out how to make the nightmares stop, too, and then she would truly be free.
She could not wait to be that new woman.
They walked down a narrow sidewalk, passing under a sign shaped like a liquor bottle hung from an old tree branch, and then Leo held the door so she could step inside first.
The place was wood from floor to ceiling, with shelves lined with bottles and bottles of booze. The still was situated at the front of the room, and a bar sat in the middle of the space, old whisky barrels marking each of the four corners.
Instead of rushing straight to the bar, Leo trailed her as she wandered around the perimeter, admiring the merchandise for sale, from seemingly endless bottles of liquor to kitschy signs and sweatshirts and barware.
Peace. Comfort. Enjoyment. Relaxation.
“Thanks,” she said to Leo, offering up a small smile that probably looked hesitant to him.
“We haven’t tried anything yet,” he said.
“I meant for today. For getting me out of my own head.”
“Oh, well, in that case, it is entirely my pleasure. Any time I can be of service, you just give me a shout.”
He was trying to make light of her words, but she suspected he was serious too. He was a fascinating combination of the two emotions.
“Okay, let’s go try this Jack Pine gin you keep raving about.” She stepped up to the bar, and the tender gave her a wide smile as he pulled shot glasses off a shelf and lined them up in front of her and Leo.
Leo laughed. “I’m pretty sure I mentioned it once.”
“Once is all you need,” the bartender said, and he showed her a fat bottle filled with clear liquid, a pinecone on the label.
Shannon nodded her permission. “Let’s do it.”
They tried the gin, which was as excellent as Leo promised. And a vodka that was made from local cherries. Shannon was definitely buying a bottle or two of that one.
Then there was the spiced rum that made her want to book a vacation to the Bahamas and drink pina coladas all day. They moved on to the specialty liqueurs, cherry and lemon and Mackinac Island Fudge, and Shannon was pretty sure she’d died and gone to boozy heaven.
After they were done and she was probably going to need a box for all her intended purchases, a chuckling Leo guided her to the back of the distillery, where a second bar and several small seating areas awaited.
“They make all kinds of cool drinks here,” Leo explained “Want to order one and chill for a bit?”
Yes, she did, although it took her so long to choose that both the bartender and Leo were laughing at her by the time she finally decided on something called a Chocolate Fizz because she wanted another dose of that Mackinac Island Fudge Chocolate liqueur. Leo scooped up his Gin Ginny, and they headed to a two-top in the corner, next to a bookshelf laden with the widest variety of funny signs she’d ever seen in one place before.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said again. “I doubt I’d have discovered this place on my own. Now I’ll have a fabulous memory and a serious dent in my checking account for your trouble.”
He gave an exaggerated wince. “Should I make sure you walk out of here with three bottles, max?”
She waved off his concern. “I can handle it. I hardly spend money beyond necessary expenses and clothes, since the sooner I can save up enough to buy my own B&B the sooner I can…” She was about to say, “quit my job,” which of course would lead to the natural question, “Oh, what do you do?”
And she definitely didn’t want to have to explain that. Especially not now. They were having so much fun, she had no desire to ruin it with the truth of her life.
She took a hefty swallow of chocolaty goodness and said, “Start living my dream.”
He picked up his glass and said, “Here, here.” After taking a drink, he added, “I’ll pay for whatever you decide you want today.”
It was funny; she understood triggers. She’d experienced plenty of them since her imprisonment and then her less restrictive but no less forced relationship with Davit. Still, she’d not thought Leo would be the cause of one.
And yet, here they were.
Her hand shook, splashing dark liquid over the edges of her glass, and a heavy weight pressed down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe for a moment. Focusing on mopping up the mess she’d made on the table, she snapped out, “No. I can pay for my own purchases.”
Leo’s hand landed on her forearm, and she stared at it for long moments, until he gave it a squeeze and said, “Hey, Shannon, look at me.”
She finally raised her gaze.
“I didn’t mean to offend you. Honestly, I don’t even know why I said it. I guess I’m just used to footing the bill. I didn’t think. I’m sorry. I get it; we’re friends. I have no expectations. And I wouldn’t, even if I did pay for your purchases today.”
Her breathing steadied; the weight lifted. She shifted her gaze to her drink and focused on bringing it to her lips, to savoring that not-bitter, not-sweet perfection.
Leo teased her about her drink, reminded her of the other three she’d been considering, and a laugh burbled up and burst out. Suddenly, the day was bright and sunny again, the moment gone, forgotten, hopefully.
When they were ready to
