17

I slowly got out of the truck and looked around wondering why Forrest had brought us here. We met in front of his truck and his hands were casually in his pockets.

"What are you planning?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Figured we'd spend an evening away from our brothers. I'll show you around the mountain and we will worry about nothing that's at the bottom of this mountain." he replied calmly and looked at me. I blinked with shock thinking his plan was like another word for spa. I blinked now and looked down at my dress.

"I wish you had told me this earlier so I could bring something else to wear." I said. He closed his eyes while he shook his head.

"Got that already taken care of." he replied and moved to the back and pulled out a brown bag and threw it at me and I caught it and stumbled a bit and looked in it to see rolled up brown pants. I arched a brow and looked up at him and he let out a short dry laugh.

"Just put em on… in the tent. I'll wait right here." he told. I arched a brow.

"What are we doing?" I asked moving towards the tent. Forrest followed a bit behind me.

"Going fishing. Gotta catch us some dinner." he replied. I was surprised for I had never gone fishing before. That was a boy thing. My mother said it was not lady like to get dirty or do boy things. I moved inside the tent and saw a bunch of blankets over the grass and pillows. I chuckled thinking tonight would be very warm. I sat the bag down and removed the clothes. The pants were large and baggy but there was a string attached to it like a belt. I began to slide out of my dress and I started to slide on the pants. There was so much space in them and I smiled and continued to look around in the bag for a shirt and then I was curious to see if Forrest was watching me dress. I swiftly turned to see if he was looking and surprisingly he wasn't. His back remained at the entrance of the tent. I blinked silently at how much of a gentleman he was and I continued to get dressed in the white buttoned up shirt that came with it. It was a bit short and my stomach showed a bit and I was even more stunned to see he had socks and shoes in here for me.

I guess he didn't want to get my nice clothes dirty and return me home looking as if I had been in sup kind of trouble. Once my shoes were on I noticed they were pretty comfortable. I looked myself over before coming back out of the tent and Forrest turned and looked at me and blinked as if taken back and I smiled up at him.

"Do I look like a real country girl or what?" I asked. He let out a small smile before chuckling.

"You're missing one thing." he replied and moved back to his truck then paused and looked down before smiling with confidence and looking at me. "Close your eyes."

An odd request but I did and I saw a few seconds of darkness not knowing what to expect before I feel something placed on my head and I tensed at the feeling and opened my eyes on instinct and looked up to see the dark rim of something and I slowly took off the object to see it was a black Fedora hat. It looked almost new and it had a small badge on it and I looked up at him with deep eyes and he smiled.

"That's the badge I got from the war. This was the hat I war before I went away to fight. I want you to have it." he replied and I felt so touched by this and I looked down at the hat and then back up at him before leaning in and kissing him lovingly. He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me closer replying to the kiss quickly. Once we pulled back I placed the hat on my head.

"Thank you." I replied lovingly and he grinned and then moved to the back of the truck once more and pulled out two fishing rods and a can of worms. Well it was long string with hooks on them attached to sticks. He handed me a rod and I smiled and he began to move down a trail and I followed.

"So I can only assume you've been here before correct?" I asked looking up at my cool hat.

"Hm... Yeah as a kid. Howard and I would run around here sometimes." he replied. I nodded. "What about you, how'd you live in Chicago?"

I smiled now remembering some good times.

"Well as I grew up my father taught me that the world was not for families like ours. Whites didn't like anything that wasn't white, especially blacks. I learned this and always kept my mouth shut. My brothers always watched out for me though. If any white kid messed with me my brothers would mess them up. This was how they were growing up. When they got older dad let them join him and his business with Mr. Capone-"

"Mr. Capone. You mean…Al Capone? The Al Capone?" he questioned and for once I saw shock on his calm and smooth face. I nodded.

"Yes. My father was a mob/hit man who was very trusted by Mr. Capone." I replied watching the shock on his face.

"You knew him?" he asked and I smiled and looked forward then back at him.

"Yes. I met him when I was…six?" I replied. Forrest had lit a cigar by now and he tilted his down a bit.

"What did he think of you?" he asked. I grinned now feeling so popular now.

"Well he was shocked to see a white family adopted a Negro into their home, especially his best friend, but he was happy as well that he was open on color and didn't see the world like most of his men did. I grew up with him in my life. Since my mom was a singer, my dad wanted us all to see her perform. But most clubs were whites only, but Mr. Capone helped me get in. He was always nice to me." I told then held up the necklace I wore and he gazed down at it. "He gave me this the day we left our home."

He mumbled a reply and then looked up at me.

"I never would've guessed my girl grew up with the most notorious mob boss in Chicago." he replied. This was the first I had heard him admit that I was his and I chuckled.

"Yes well I hope I see him again one day." I replied. We could hear running water and I smiled as we came across a river and I could see little and big fish swimming around down the river and I looked at Forrest was who setting his pole down and he began to attach a worm onto the hook and I watched him do this and I felt so bad for the little worm. He looked up at me and blinked with a bit of uncertainty.

"Uh you need help with your pole?" he asked and I jumped a bit startled by his voice and I nodded.

"Yes please." I replied and he motioned me over towards him and I moved over to him and gave him my pole and he attached a worm to my hook and I stared at the creepy little thing and Forrest moved towards the edge of the water and cast his pole out into the water. I moved to the edge myself and placed my pole into it. I still hadn't told him I couldn't fish so I was trying to wing this without him noticing.

"Eula… you're doing it wrong." Forrest commented and I looked at him and his pole to see it was like mine.

"What? I am doing it just like you." I replied. He rolled his eyes and sat his pole down and moved up behind me and wrapped his arms around mine, his chest colliding with my back and he placed his hands over mine and began to lower my pole and I bit my lip and cleared my throat.

"You won't catch any fish if you're holding it up too high. They aren't going to jump out of the water and bite the hook." he told and moved back to his pole and continued to fish. I blinked already missing his body on mine and I nodded.

"Thanks for the lesson." I told.

"Ain't you ever fished before?" he asked. I shook my head and watched the water.

"No. My mom never let me. That was a man's thing. While my dad took the boys hunting and fishing I stayed home with mom and she taught me how to cook and bake things. She and I shopped and did all that girly stuff." I told. Forrest replied with a simple mm and we continued to fish. He pulled out two fish and I pulled out four and grinned at him and he frowned with jealousy. Once the sun began to fall behind the hills we headed home. I was starving and Forrest made a fire and began to cook the fish. I sat on one of the logs which was huge and could fit another person. Forrest placed the fish on sticks and put them over the fire.

"Where'd you learn to cook animals and stuff?" I asked. He glanced up at me and then at the fire.

"My father, he and my mother died of sickness." he replied. I nodded with a soft gaze knowing that feeling all too well.

"Forrest, why do you bootleg?" I asked softly. He looked up at me with a small frown, but it faded.

"You ain't gonna tell the sheriff on me is ya?" he asked. I chuckled.

"I don't think they would care what I have to say." I replied. He smiled a bit and then placed the fish on two plates, which had two forks, and moved towards me and sat beside me.

"Well for some people money grows on trees, but not for my brothers and me. We have to survive anyway we can even if that means breaking the law. My daddy taught me that with power you can do whatever you want as long as you have a reason for it." he explained and handed me my plate and a fork. I looked down at the fish we caught not use seeing a cooked fish. I had never had a fish like this. Forrest was chewing a piece of his fish when he looked at me.

"What's wrong? Never had fish before?" he asked. I nodded and looked at him.

"I have just not the fish I've caught before." I replied before cutting a piece of the fish and placing it into my mouth and it tasted odd but after a few more chews I swallowed and a small smile played on my face.

"It's good." I replied. He nodded.

"Well of course, you caught it." he replied and I grinned and looked up at the sky. They were so beautiful. There were so many too. The fire kept us warm as we continued to eat and talk about each other's families. Once the moon was up high and we were both full we remained in the tent. Even though all we did was fish, I did not expect anything else from Forrest. This was a good enough date for me and I had a great time just being around him without thinking of my family. We laid down slowly. Forrest's shirt was off and he was only in pants his hat by his side as well as mine. I turned to Forrest now and made him look at me, my fingers caressing his cheek.

"We're even." I replied softly. He blinked and looked at me gently before shaking his head.

"Not yet." he whispered and leaned in and kissed me deeply.