Roses Collection: Boxed Set

by Freda, Paula

  Julie stared up at him, afraid to say a word, afraid she misunderstood, wishful interpretation. She didn't move as he reached across the table near to where he'd been sitting, and picked up the gift. She'd forgotten about it, unaware he'd brought it with him when she led him into the kitchen.

  She remembered her gift. "I have one for you, as well." Again she started to rise.

  "Sit down, Julie, please."

  She sat, and almost gasped as he knelt down before her and offered her the gift."

  The book inside the box must be a rare edition, she thought. Perhaps a book of poetry. He knew how much she enjoyed the Barrett's collection. My humble gift will pall next to his, she thought with a sigh as she tore off the wrapping and opened the box.

  But it wasn't a book. Lace wrapped around a smaller box. The lace turned out to be a chapel veil. She opened the small box and it contained a blue crystal beaded Rosary. "It's lovely," she said, taking it out to show her appreciation. As she held it high, something slid down its length and landed on the chapel veil.

  Julie gasped. It was a platinum band with a star diamond set at its center."

  " Julie, I know it's not a large diamond, a carat. But it's flawless ... like my love for you."

  "You love me? You want me for your wife?" Julie asked, part of her refusing to believe this wasn't another dream.

  "Absolutely, sweetheart. I apologize I didn't make my feelings clearer. Like the average fellow considering marriage, I was afraid. It's a big step. I almost made a mistake with Carol years ago. But the more you and I interacted, the more I knew I was falling in love with you all over again, and this time I wasn't a nerdy young boy in high school."

  Nerdy! Julie thought, baffled. He was the handsomest, kindest, understanding boy in the school."

  "I had to take Carol home to her parents. She threatened to kill herself. I spent the entire evening explaining that I had fallen in love with you not because you were any lovelier than her, or more desirable, but because you were the only woman for me, the only one I loved with my whole heart and my whole being, my soul mate, the woman that made me feel whole and safe. I drove Carol home to her parent's home to make sure that in her emotional state, she was left in safe hands.

  "I intended returning immediately, but Cybelle and Mark insisted I sleep a few hours before heading back. I called my sister, but begged her not to say anything to you as yet. Just keep you there until I got back. I didn't want to discuss the situation on the phone. I was afraid you'd think the worst of me.

  "If you can forgive my silence, understand and forgive, and accept my proposal to spend the rest of my life telling you how much I love you—Julie, I want no other, but you. I never have. Marry me, dearest, sweetest, most loveliest Julie."

  Julie studied the sincerity on his face, a gentle, yet strong face, its expression determined, expectant, yet pleading. She unclasped his hands and lifted the ring and handed it to him. She saw his gaze grow desperate.

  "No, no ..." I'm not refusing you. "I mean ... Yes. Would you put the ring on my finger."

  The expression on his face grew radiant. He picked up the ring and placed it on the fourth finger of her left hand. Rising, he gently pulled her with him, and encircling her with his arms, he kissed her ardently with passion. She felt him tremble, restrain himself and draw back. "Maybe we should go tell the family."

  A loud cheering and applause. Julie and Evan turned. So immersed in each other, they hadn't noticed the family gathering to observe them."

  "Okay, we didn't hear a word," Kathleen said to minimize any embarrassment. "But we have a clear view from here."

  Little Drew and Michael ran toward them excitedly and hugged them.

  "Now she'll be our real Aunt," Michael exclaimed, as the family closed about them, congratulating and hugging them in turn.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Only two people were missing, Julie thought, reliving the memory in her bed, two nights later. Abby, her dearest friend, who was spending Christmas and New Years with her family in California. The other person not there to share her dream coming true, was her mother.

  Evelyn's reaction when Julie called her with the wonderful news didn't entirely disappoint. She was pleased to hear that Evan had finally declared himself. And even somewhat excited to be helping with the wedding plans. She hoped Evan would prove a better man than her ex-husband.

  Abby's reaction to her news when she returned to her apartment had the tenants on her their floor grumbling for weeks. Julie knocked on her door. "Abby, it's me." When her friend opened the door, Julie thrust out her left hand, the ring prominent and glittering. Abby stood a moment speechless.

  "Well?" Julie inquired excitedly. She swore the building shook when Abby leapt into the air with a jubilant scream, causing doors to open and tenants to inquire nervously, "What's wrong!? Is there a fire!?"

  Upon her return to work, Captain Liam asked her, "How was Christmas?" She showed him her engagement ring.

  "Evan?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  Well, that's wonderful. The Mrs. will be thrilled and want the two of you over for dinner and finally meet this fellow Evan. We were all rooting for you."

  "You told her about him?"

  "Yes, naturally. Cynthia tends to be on the jealous side, and it's policy between her and me that she knows as much as I do about a secretary as pretty as you who works for me." He shrugged. "Of all things, I value peace in my marriage," he smiled.

  One year later, a few weeks before Christmas, Julie managed to locate her father. "Dad, it's your daughter, Julie."

  Silence, then, "What do you want? ... Has anything happened to your mother?"

  "No we're fine. I'm getting married, and I thought you'd like to know ... and meet my fiancé. Perhaps ... walk me down the aisle?"

  Julie, I'm glad to hear you're getting married. But my presence at your wedding wouldn't benefit either of us. I don't trust your mother's reaction to my wife, or to me. And I'm sure you know by now, how hurtful her words can be. I thank you for the thought, and it sounds like you've grown up to be nothing like her. And that's good. I wish you and your fiancé all the best. Thanks for the offer. Merry Christmas, Julie. Goodbye."

  That night, her fingers clasped around the blue crystal beads of the Rosary Evan had gifted her, she prayed for her Dad and cried herself to sleep. The next evening she told Evan about her call. He held her tightly in his arms, stroking her hair comfortingly. "Not all our dreams can come true. At least he did wish you well, and showed some pride in you when he said it sounded you hadn't grown up anything like your mom. Although, she's been respectful to my parents and me. She may even eventually like me," Evan said, smiling. Drawing her face towards his, he kissed her tenderly.

  EPILOGUE

  "We're ready, boys. Drew bring Cathy over so Dad can help her put the star on top."

  Drew had grown six inches in the past five years. A few more and he'd probably out-inch Michael who had just entered his teens.

  "Drew, did you hear your aunt?"

  "Coming." Leading his two-year-old cousin by her hand, he came into the Living Room.

  Michael, with his young sister Lisa, a carbon copy of Kathleen at her age, and cousin Jasper on his heels, strode into the room.

  The four-year-old, a near carbon copy of Drew at his age, ran to Julie and tugged on her slacks. "Mommy, I want to put the star on the tree."

  Julie ruffled his short brown curls. "Sweetie, you put the star on last Christmas. This year it's Cathy's turn."

  "Awwww," he pouted, glancing up at his father. "Daddy—"

  "Mommy said no. It's Cathy's turn. Would you like to help me put the angels on the branches below the star?"

  Jasper considered the option a moment, then his pout turning into a grin, he nodded, eagerly. "Okay."

  Julie glanced up at her husband. Evan always knew what to say to keep the peace without spoiling the children, or hurting their feelings.

  "My star," Cathy tugged at Julie's slacks.


  Evan lifted his daughter and Julie handed her the shiny silver star with a long wide adjustable cone to fit over the top upright branches that Evan had twisted into a sturdy one.

  The star tipped to the side. Cathy tipped her head to the side.

  "I'll adjust it, sweetie," Evan said, handing Cathy to Julie.

  When the star stood firmly in place, Evan tweaked Cathy's small nose. "Good job," he told her.

  Cathy smiled at him, and then at Julie. "Mommy, good job."

  "Absolutely, sweetie," Julie said, hugging her daughter and kissing her.

  "Well, Evan asked Julie, how's it look?"

  "Beautiful."

  "As beautiful as my wife, on this our fifth anniversary?

  "And she still blushes," he added, chuckling, noting the color on her cheeks heightening.

  "I'm not blushing," she insisted. "It's the fireplace and the heat."

  His laughter made the color heighten more. "The tree is exceptionally beautiful this year," she said in a serious tone, attempting to change the subject.

  Cathy turned her head towards her father. In her mother's arms, her hazel gaze with a hint of blue was level with his own. "What's excep ... ly mean?"

  "It means special, like your Mommy, today on Mommy and Daddy's Anniversary."

  Jasper chimed in, "I know what Anivrsy means. Drew told me. It's the day mommy and daddy got married. I wasn't born yet."

  From inside, Kathleen's voice called, "Table's all set." Kathleen and Julie had adopted the custom of alternating Christmas celebrations at each other's homes.

  The children, followed by the adults, filed into the dining room. Julie had hung her Happy Anniversary banner at one end of the room and the Merry Christmas banner at the other end. On the buffet, as had become tradition in her home, she had placed the Nativity set with the figurine of the baby Jesus lying on real straw.

  Jasper, tall for his age, sat in his chair near his Dad. Julie placed Cathy in her booster seat and fastened the safety belt. While Evan and Bill supervised the children, both mothers went into the kitchen and returned with platters of Roast Ham, sweet potato fries, and assorted veggies.

  When all were seated and ready to eat, Evan bowed his head to say the prayer of thanks. Everyone joined him.

  As he spoke words of gratitude, thanking the Lord for the good times, and asking Him for strength and patience in the hard times, Julie recollected images in her dreams of such moments as these, images she'd never believed would come true.

  She thought of Abby, her best friend and maid of honor at the wedding, and of how Johnny, Evan's best friend and best man, had courted Abby and won her heart. They and their two children were spending this Christmas with Abby's parents in California.

  "Thank you, God," Julie whispered.

  At the back of her mind played her favorite lullaby ...

  Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,

  Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;

  Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,

  Lull'd by the moonlight have all passed away!

  Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,

  List while I woo thee with soft melody;

  Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,

  Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

  Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

  .

  Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea,

  Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelei;

  Over the streamlet vapors are borne,

  Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.

  Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,

  Even as the morn on the streamlet and sea;

  Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,

  Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

  Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

  ♥♥

  *****************************

  Silvereye's Hummingbird

  (Carol's Story)

  by Paula Freda

  © January 25, 2016 by Dorothy P. Freda

  (Pseudonym — Paula Freda)

  Smashword Edition

  Bookcover photo Licensed by Dorothy Paula Freda

  from iStockphoto

  Bookcover photo of Silvereye from Wikipedia by Noodle snacks licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

  Bookcover photo of Hummingbird from Wikipedia by Charlesjsharp (Sharp Photography, sharpphotography) is

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof. This is a work of fiction; names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  CHAPTER ONE

  "Hey, Cat, what are you sulking about now?"

  Carol turned on the bench under the latticed arbor, and sneered at Herbert. "As if you cared!"

  She had no idea how lovely she appeared to him, waves of dark amber-blonde hair falling softly across straight slender shoulders surrounded by the arbor's roses in full bloom. He wasn't about to tell her, either.

  He shook his head, exasperated. "Are you still moping over losing Evan? Although he was never yours in the first place."

  Vibrant green eyes sparked at him. "He was mine. Always!"

  Herb chuckled. "Too bad he didn't know before he met the love of his life."

  He saw her sneer intensify, the sparks in her eyes flame. A splash of sadness doused the fire, making him regret his hurtful remark. It wasn't her fault how beautiful and desirable she appeared to most, except to the one man whose heart she'd failed to capture.

  Herbert sat down beside her. Carol slid a good foot away to the corner of the whitewood bench.

  "I'm sorry," he said, respecting their distance, "that remark was uncalled for. I didn't mean to pour salt on your wounded heart. But you set yourself up for the broken heart. Evan never gave you any reason to believe he was interested in you more than a family friend."

  "I'd have changed that if it wasn't for Miss Twisty Piggy Tails," Carol rasped.

  "No, I doubt that. Evan was already in love with Julie, long before you met him."

  Carol's lips twisted with another sneer.

  "Don't do that," Herbert told her. "It makes you look ugly."

  Her eyes widened with shock. "Go away! You're always insulting me."

  He almost apologized again, but thought better of it. What good would it do? What he'd said was true. She had such beautiful lips, made for smiling, not sneering.

  Everything about her was beautiful, Herbert mused. Perfection incarnate. Except for one thing. She was self-absorbed and self-centered.

  He'd known her since grade school. A nice girl, with good principles, and a kind heart. Her parents were good people and passed on to her virtues of respectability, and sensitivity to others, including her sister and two brothers. The only shortcoming he could blame on her parents, Cybelle and Mark Carlson, was that they doted on her, because she was so beautiful and spontaneous. Mark's position in their society, heritage, and smart handling of his monetary affairs, assured his family never lacked for anything they needed. He loved his wife Cybelle, sixteen years his junior, with a passion equaled only by hers for him.

  "Go away," Carol repeated.

  A sweet, gentle girl, Herbert mused. Sometime during her teens, Carol had changed. Herbert suspected that change began the day she met Evan.

  "Unfortunately, I must go away — for a few hours. My boss, your dear father, is sending me to interview a new client who is seeking a patent for a technologically advanced washer/dryer he claims will also fold the dried wash — a housewife's and house-husband's dream."

  Carol glanced sideways at Herbert, arching finely shaped darker blonde eyebrows with skepticism. "Oh, come off it!"

  "No, it's true. Something about a special dial selection that allows hot air to blow in a certain direction to accommodate the garment's seam lines. He claims to have created a prototype and admits the invention will probably need tweaking by a bac
ker willing to foot the money for further research and development."

  "And Dad thinks this claim is worth investigating?"

  "That's why he is sending his most trusted employee to do the leg work." As soon as he'd made that statement, Herbert realized Carol would think him smug. He hadn't meant to sound self-aggrandizing. He was only stating a simple truth.

  Carol's father had worked for years for a government plant that researched worthy inventions. Around the time that Mark had semi-retired and opened a patent consulting firm that utilized the services of patent lawyers, Herb, offspring of an old friend of Mark's, had graduated law school and applied for a position. That was five years ago. He had worked hard and conscientiously, and earned Mark's trust and a high position in the firm. It wasn't fair for Carol to think him smug.

  "I've always admired your Dad," he said. "Even as a young boy visiting with my father. Mark has always been a smart and fair man, both as a friend to my father, and as my employer."

  Carol shrugged, apparently not willing to give him any verbal satisfaction. She was being catty again.

  Herb sighed. Whatever did he have to do, or say, to convince her of his sincerity and earnest wish to be her friend? If he could only win her friendship, then he might stand the slimmest chance of— Herb shook his head, frowning. Perhaps if he had her all to himself on a deserted island, and completely dependent on him, he might win her respect and capture her heart, much as Val Sands had captured the heart of Harriet, the housekeeper's daughter, when they were stranded on an island in the Mediterranean. That was unlikely to happen to him and Carol.