Rose Farm Trilogy Boxset

by Kennedy, Brenda

  I want to hide my head under the sheets, again. I didn’t expect him to see this. “This is just a rough draft of what our weddin’ day could be. It’s country, it’s simple, and it’s who I am. I’m a country girl, livin’ a country life, and there’s no changin’ that.”

  “This is your vision of our wedding?”

  “Are you disappointed?” I hold my breath and wait for him to answer.

  “No, not at all. Did you draw this after Momma suggested we marry on the farm?”

  “No, I sketched it right after your proposal. I did add the trees later.”

  “You just want a simple wedding?”

  “Abel Lee? The weddin’ shouldn’t just be what I want. It should be what you want, too! I was just messin’ around with this. What do you want? Maybe you want a big city weddin’ in New York. Maybe you want to elope and marry in Las Vegas with an Elvis impersonator conductin’ our weddin’.” I look at him and say, “We’ll need to see what each of us want and then make it happen. I would marry you at the Justice of the Peace and be just as happy as marrying you in a big fancy weddin’.”

  He lays the sketch pad down on the nightstand. We make love and he doesn’t mention the weddin’, or his wishes. He kisses me passionately and holds me tenderly.

  Chapter Eleven (Country Life)

  Abel Lee

  I hold Savannah Mae all night. She sleeps and I lie awake. The visions of her sketches replay over and over in my head. Savannah Mae made progression sketches of Sawyer Jackson and of her life with Ethan. She envisioned her life with Ethan to last forever. Why wouldn’t she? Marriage is supposed to be forever. Ethan was an idiot to cheat on her.

  She sketched an idea of our wedding day. Just a simple country wedding. That’s her dream. When she asked me what I wanted, I couldn’t tell her I wanted whatever she wanted. If she wants a big church wedding, then so do I. If she wants to get married on the farm surrounded by evergreens, then so do I. I want whatever she wants.

  She has access to my money and she can have whatever she wants. Does she know this? Have I made it clear to her that my money is hers? Although she has access to the money, she has never used any of it. Would she choose a different kind of wedding if she could? I doubt it. Savannah Mae is a simple girl, but she’s anything but plain. She’s beautiful, smart, and talented, and she loves with her entire heart.

  As soon as I get this mess cleared up with my past, I’m going to let her know that whatever she wants I’ll get it for her. Whatever she needs, she can have. I want her to have the life that she’s dreamed of.

  I get up and shower before she and Sawyer Jackson get up. It’s his first day of school, and it’s an exciting time for him. I make Momma’s breakfast casserole and put it in the oven before I wake them. Savannah Mae showers and dresses before she gets him up. As he is getting dressed, Momma and Pops pull up at the house. Savannah Mae’s mom and dad and her sister also show up. The house fills up quickly with people who are here to show their support and love to Sawyer Jackson. Mia, Levi, and Harley also come. I don’t think I have ever seen this many people in this small house before.

  Sawyer Jackson is excited, and Savannah Mae looks worried. We all have breakfast before we leave to take him to school on his first day. Everyone takes pictures and I’m worried that we’ll be late. As we walk off the front porch, Ethan pulls up. I’m glad he’s here for his son’s first day of school. I stay back and let them visit. Ethan looks sad and I wonder if it’s because he isn’t included in this special day. He is Sawyer Jackson’s father, but he’s also the one who messed that up.

  I check my cell phone and walk off the porch in the direction of Savannah Mae, Sawyer Jackson, and Ethan. “I have a call I need to make, Ethan, so would you mind riding with Savannah Mae to take Sawyer Jackson to school?”

  “What? You’re not going with us?”

  I look at Savannah Mae and I can see disappointment in her eyes. I feel like an ass for doing this to her. “I’m sorry, it’s important.”

  “I understand.”

  “No, I would love to.” Ethan is smiling and I know I’ve done the right thing.

  When Ethan is buckling Sawyer Jackson into his booster seat, I whisper to Savannah Mae, “I think it’s important for Ethan to take his son on the first day. They’ll be lots of other days for me to take him.”

  “Okay, I understand.”

  “You have a great today, Buddy,” I say as I lean into the car.

  “I will.”

  “If you need me, you have my number, right?”

  “Yep.”

  It’s not like he has a cell phone to call me. But I do feel better knowing that he knows my number if he needs me. I smile. “Good. I love you, Buddy.”

  “I love you, too, Abel Lee.”

  “I’ll be there to pick you up after school with your mom, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  I watch as they drive off together. Mia, Momma, and Harley leave to go do some shopping. Savannah Mae’s parents and sister also leave. Levi stays behind with Pops and me; he took a vacation day.

  “Do you guys have a minute?” I ask when the girls are out of view.

  “Sure, I have lots of minutes. What’s up?” Pops asks.

  “Come on in, I have something I want to talk to you about.”

  We sit around the table and have a cup of coffee together. I explain that when we were at Levi’s the other day, he said this town was a great place to live until I moved back.

  “You know I was kiddin’ about that.”

  “I know you were, but I got to thinking about it.”

  “Abel, you can’t think you’re responsible for these murders.” Pops looks serious.

  “I’m not sure. What if Levi’s right?” I wrap my hands around the mug of hot coffee. “Hear me out. Megan Rose died on the night that I met her. It happened to be my first night in town. Someone sends Savannah Mae a photo of a contender that I almost beat to death. Heather Sue was killed not long after.”

  Pops sets his cup down. “Why would they do this, and why would it have anything to do with you?”

  “What if someone has a vendetta against me? What if the person is a friend or family member of Greene?”

  “It’s a pretty far-fetched idea, don’tcha think?”

  I look at Pops. I don’t mention Maria. “It could be anyone. I fought many people professionally in the last 10 years.”

  “Exactly, Abel. It was professional. You’re not some street fighter. These guys signed up and they all know the consequences and risks of a fight.” Pops sighs and then says, “That’s why your Momma refused to go and see you.”

  “I know that, and I understand. I don’t hold ill feelings for you guys not coming to see my fights.”

  Levi thinks for a minute. “Have you called Mack or Tony? Maybe they can shed some light on this for you.”

  “I did. I’m waiting to hear back from them. I think it’s just too many coincidences.”

  Pops says, “Don’t say anything yet to anyone. Just wait and see what they find out. I guess it is possible for someone to go crazy after losing a loved one. But it does seem pretty extreme.”

  “Damn, Bro. This is so crazy. I can’t imagine that everything goin’ on is happenin’ because of you.”

  “But if it is, you should watch Mia and Harley more closely.” I look at Pops. “I would also watch Momma more closely, too. I may be out of line, but if this nightmare is because of me, they’ll be coming for the people I love the most.”

  Pops stands and pushes his chair in. “Let’s just hope you’re wrong.”

  Levi leaves and Pops and I get to work. Savannah Mae waves to me as she leaves for work. I wanted to talk to her before she left, but I know she was in a hurry. I got a text from her saying she’ll pick me up before she goes and gets Sawyer Jackson from school.

  Ethan doesn’t say anything to me about dropping off Sawyer Jackson at school. Why would he? I know he’s his father, but sometimes, I wish I was. He’s such an incredi
ble kid. I hope my son will be just as amazing.

  To take my mind off of waiting for Mack or Tony to call me, I decided to call my contractor. He’s free this afternoon and has agreed to come to see me at the building site. I have an idea for Savannah Mae, and only he can help me with it.

  Most of the hard work is done, and Pops and I just mostly oversee the work on the playground. Ethan and his dad, Kevin, have started training some of the workers on how to make wooden furniture. I’m excited to be able to offer permanent employment to the guys who have been with me from the start of this project.

  Pops and I talk about the quality of the furniture. “Have you actually taken a good look at the craftsmanship of the furniture that Kevin and Ethan make?” Pops asks.

  “I have. The detail and quality of their work is amazing.”

  “Have you thought about —”

  “— selling the larger, more expensive pieces online, or in catalogs, or in bigger cities where people actually have the money to pay for this kind of quality work?” I interrupt. Pops laughs and I laugh, too. “I have.”

  “I can see that. Well, let me know if I can be of any help.”

  “I will. Thanks, Pops.”

  Since, Momma, Mia, and Savannah Mae kicked me out of the old school, I don’t really have an office. It’s my building, but I don’t dare enter it against their orders. I imagine the furniture would be built here and then sold either in Zanesville or through mail-order catalogs. We’ll need a webpage for sure. We can sell some smaller affordable items here, and then sell the larger, more expensive pieces online. I know the quality of their work and I know that their furniture is made to last. Savannah Mae has a couple of chairs on her porch, and they still look new. I have no idea how long the chairs have been there. Probably since before her divorce.

  After lunch the contractor shows up and I tell him my plans. Pops and I walk around the property I bought and I tell him my thoughts. He makes suggestions and Pops also offers some other ideas.

  The contractor asks, “How soon do you need something drawn up?”

  “How soon can I get it?”

  “Is Friday soon enough?”

  “Thursday would be better, but Friday’s good.”

  “I’ll drop it off to you on Friday.”

  We walk around the property and Pops has a couple ideas that he shares with the contractor and me.

  “I’m on it. I’ll see you Friday.” We shake hands and he leaves.

  Savannah Mae picks me up and I’m excited to see Sawyer Jackson. We exchange seats so I can drive. I always drive when Savannah Mae and I are together. Ethan watches us leave and I ignore him. He had his time this morning with Sawyer Jackson, now it’s my turn. We leave to pick up Sawyer Jackson at school.

  “How was your day?” I ask Savannah Mae.

  “Long. I can’t believe Sawyer Jackson’s in school. Time was draggin’ at work today.”

  I pull out onto the main road and say, “Our boy’s growing up.”

  “I know. I don’t want him to. He’s still my baby.”

  We wait in the parent pickup line to get Sawyer Jackson. The line is extremely long. I imagine that every parent out there is in line picking up their child today. By the time Friday comes, most of these kids will be walking home.

  Sawyer Jackson gets into the car and is quickly buckled into his booster seat. He talks fast and excitedly about his first day. He talks about his new friends he made. I’m relieved that he’s had a great day. I was worried about it. Maybe not in kindergarten, but as you get older, school may not be as much fun. Kids can sometimes be cruel.

  I remember when I went to school, someone shoved a kid in the locker. That same kid took another kid’s lunch money from them. I would watch as the bully made his way through the school, bullying each kid. When it was my turn to get bullied, I threw my cup of juice at the boy’s crotch and it looked like he peed himself. It took several hours for the juice to dry and several kids made fun of him. It was the last time he ever bullied anyone. When the kids laughed at him, he would glare at me.

  Savannah Mae now works dayshift since Sawyer Jackson is in school. She felt she needed to be home with him in the evenings. I’m not sure if it’s because she wanted to spend more time with him, or she didn’t trust that I could step up to play the daddy role. I’d like to think I could, but I’m glad that wasn’t tested. I’d hate to fail that test. I’m certain that would be the end of my relationship with Savannah Mae. I couldn’t blame her.

  Sawyer Jackson is excited and talks all through dinner. I help with the cleanup as Savannah Mae helps him with his homework and bath. Since when did five-year-olds have to do homework? Sawyer Jackson has to write his name five times for his homework. To my surprise, he can. We both read Sawyer Jackson a bedtime story before bed. This is becoming one of my favorite times of the evening. Sawyer Jackson falls asleep before the end of the book. I think this is a first.

  When we go to bed, I tell Savannah Mae to leave Friday night open.

  “You plannin’ something?”

  “I have a small surprise for you.”

  “My birthday isn’t until next week. You’re not plannin’ something early, are you?”

  Her birthday? I didn’t know she had a birthday coming up. God, I really need to be better at this. “No, it’s in addition to your birthday surprise.” Not really a lie. It is a surprise since I just found out it was her birthday.

  “Really?” She smiles.

  “The one on Friday will be more personal. Nothing fancy, but it should be very interesting and fun.”

  “Thank you.” She snuggles into me. “I can already tell that I’ll love it.” She stretches her head up and looks at me. “Will you promise me something?”

  “Anything.” That’s the truth. I would promise her the world if that’s what she wanted.

  “If you’re plannin’ something for my birthday, can it be small? You know, just family.”

  “Whatever you want.”

  “When’s your birthday?” she asks sleepily.

  “It’s already past. It was March 17th.”

  “St. Patrick’s Day. How did I miss your birthday, when we were together…?” She stops mid sentence. “We weren’t together, were we?”

  “We weren’t. It’s all right. I don’t really celebrate birthdays anymore.”

  “I’m sorry. I made a terrible mistake. I should have….”

  “Savannah Mae, you have nothing to apologize for. When we were apart, it only made us stronger. That’s in the past, and I would like nothing more than to leave it there.” She nods and looks away. “When’s Sawyer Jackson’s birthday? I should probably know that one, too.”

  She looks back at me with a smile. “His birthday is on September 15th. That’s why he was able to start school early. His birthday was just before the cut-off period.”

  “He’ll be one of the youngest in his class.”

  On Friday, Sawyer Jackson goes to school, Savannah Mae works, and I also work. The contractor shows up around noon with the plans I asked for. We go to Savannah Mae’s house to go over everything. His plans are clear and precise. I’m happy with what he’s chosen. I think Savannah Mae will be, too. This will be all new to Savannah Mae. I just hope she’ll see it as a positive move in the right direction.

  The contractor leaves and I get online to order Savannah Mae a few birthday gifts. Fifteen to be exact. I already knew what to get her, but to make it perfect I’ll need to find her something special. That’ll require some more thought. Happy with my decision, I close my laptop and get back to work.

  Ethan is going to keep Sawyer Jackson for the night. I let him leave early so he can pick him up from school. I’m running a business, but even I know that sometimes family interferes with work. I’m not totally heartless. Family will always come first.

  Everyone leaves for the weekend and I’m excited when Savannah Mae pulls up. I’m excited and nervous. I hide the information the contractor left in my back pocket. She walks in a
nd kisses me. “Are you ready for your surprise?”

  “Can I shower and change first?” She giggles.

  “No, you won’t need to. Just change into a pair of boots.”

  “Oh, okay. Just give me a minute.”

  She comes out into the living room wearing a pair of jeans, a tee-shirt, and a pair of old work boots. “I’m ready.”

  “Good, let’s go.” She walks towards the front door, and I walk towards the kitchen.

  She starts laughing. “You lead the way because I obviously have no idea where I’m goin’.”

  “After you. We’re walking this way.” I hold the kitchen door open and follow her outside.

  “Thank you.”

  We walk past the old school and across the street to the big open field. I purchased over 30 acres of land across the street from the old school.

  “Where are we goin’?”

  “Just a little bit further.” I walk her in the direction away from the street but closer to the creek. “We’re here.”

  She does a 360-degree turn-around and says, “This is real nice.”

  “Do you know what it is?”

  “Of course I do, it’s a nice piece of property.”

  “I bought it, you know that, right?”

  “I do. I’ve never been over here before.”

  I pull out the blueprints from my back pocket. “I was thinking maybe we could build a house on it.”

  “You wanna build a house? Right here? On this property?”

  I hide my smile. “I do. Can you read blueprints?”

  “Um, I’m not sure.”

  “I met with the contractor on Monday and he drew us up a rough draft of what our house might look like.” I hold the blueprint up so she can see it. “The house would sit right here, facing the street. There would be a horse stable over there, a barn over there, and a chicken coop on back aways.”

  She looks at the blueprints. Is this a wraparound porch?”

  “It is.”

  She studies it some more. “Is this a fireplace on a shared wall between the livin’ room and the dinin’ room?”

  “That’s right. We’ll get heat in both rooms from one fireplace.”

  “Where’s the bedrooms?”