Page 8 of Tennessee Trouble

Luna freezes, eyes doubling in size. Oh, shit. That wasn’t meant to be accusatory. I wanted it to be playful. For her to have a witty comeback about being a connoisseur or something.

“I like to know what I’m drinking, that’s all.” She swallows hard, her nervousness shining through. “Pure, mountain moonshine, based on a recipe that is more than a hundred years old. The way God intended.”

A hundred years…what?!

I step in a bit, partly to be closer to her, but partly to be able to say this quietly. “You wanna check that math?”

Luna tilts her head, taken aback by my question. She doesn’t balk though, simply narrows her eyes at me. “Just what are you implying, Brewer?”

“Only that I’m not buying that a hundred years ago, someone deep in the hills of Tennessee was thinking about making a watermelon-flavored spirit.”

Luna shakes her head, her scrunched expression easing and flowing into a smile. “No, no one was thinking that. But the basis for Wink & Shine is Ol’ Reverend. And that has been around that long.”

Now it’s my turn at being dazed. The stripper shine is based on Ol’ Reverend?

No, don’t call it the stripper shine…that’s what got us in trouble…

I take a minute to digest the revelation. Now that I really think about it, this all makes sense. Wink & Shine falls under the Tennessee Trouble umbrella, the brand that owns the whiskey by the same name along with Ol’ Reverend. Of course the legendary old family recipe was used as the base. How could I not have realized that?

“Ol’ Reverend, just like Tennessee Trouble, wasn’t founded until the 1930s, after prohibition,” I counter, testing her knowledge.

She doesn’t miss a beat. “It’s cute you think that both brands just happened to be created the year prohibition ended.”

I step into her more, locking my gaze with hers and smirking. Hoping that she’s about to confirm something I’ve suspected since I was a teenager and have never been able to find out anything more on. A confirmation that will give me a great sense of personal pride. And maybe a little professional pride as well.

“So, what are you saying?”

Luna stands her ground though, smirking right back at me. “Nothing. Tennessee Trouble and Ol’ Reverend were officially founded in 1932, right here in Trouble, Tennessee.”

Oh…the party line…

“If you say so.”

“I do.” She winks at me, stepping back and letting cool air rush between us. I miss her instantly, and we hadn’t even been touching.

Licking her lips, Luna tucks a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. The move is simple and more than likely a reflex, one she doesn’t even realize she’s making. I’m so caught up in her that it sends sparks through me like a plug in a faulty outlet. I want nothing more than to reach out and run my fingers through that hair while I press my lips to hers, finding out if the taste of Wink & Shine is still lingering there.

“Ready for more?”

“Absolutely.”

Luna takes my hand, weaving us through the crowd toward the Ol’ Reverend tent. I follow, trusting that she knows her way around. As we reach the tent, I watch her closely as she scurries behind the table, grabbing two more little cups identical to the ones before, and fills them up from a jug on the table. The clear liquid is intriguing, and my mouth waters. Although, that might also be from the sight of Luna’s backside in her jeans.

“Here.”

I take the cup, sniffing it, trying to savor the aroma before throwing it back. Much like its predecessor, it’s smooth, but this version packs more of a punch, the signature tang making my taste buds tingle. It’s fresh, invigorating, and all around fun. Exactly what this spirit should be. The jolt it gives me is nothing compared to Luna’s smile though—and the look she gives me as she watches me.

“Thoughts?”

“It’s…brilliant. But you know that. Because nothing beats the original.”

There’s no other word for it. Sheer spirit perfection. Which also means I have a confession to make. Something I’m going to have to tell her.

“Lu—”

“Glad you think so.”

“They all that good?” I ask, trying to find a way to work in my secret.