“Sure, no problem. I’ll do that tonight and I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Call me as soon as you hear something.”
“Okay, I’ll call you the minute I hear something. But honestly, I think you need to focus your search on someone else. There’s no way it’s Josh.”
“Well, the guy who left the package fit Josh’s description.”
“It could just be a coincidence.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Okay, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“As soon as I hear something, I’ll call. And Abel?”
“Yeah?”
“I always thought we should have come clean about you being drugged at the party. It would have cleared up a lot of misunderstandings with people.”
“I know you did.” Now I think it would have been a better idea. “I just wanted to put it behind me. I still feel responsible for what I did to you.”
“You need to let it go. I did. Abel, I don’t blame you and you shouldn’t blame yourself either.”
I know she’s right. “Okay, I have to run. Call me later.”
“I can see I’m not going to get through that thick skull of yours. I’ll call ya soon.”
“Thanks, Maria. I appreciate it.” I start walking back towards the entrance.
“I know you do. See ya.”
“Bye.” I still have no idea who is responsible for this mess. I was hoping to have answers by now. I walk into the very loud and very busy pizza parlor. I’ve never been to a Chuck E. Cheese before. Savannah Mae waves when she sees me. She said Brea knew of a kid-friendly restaurant, I didn’t expect this.
Sawyer Jackson excitedly runs up to me. “Abel Lee, did you see all these games?”
“I did, Buddy. Do we need to get you some tokens so we can play?”
“Nope, they have lots and lots of tokens on the tables for the kids.”
We walk over and I hug Savannah Mae. I whisper in her ear. “She doesn’t know anything, I’ll fill you in later.” Next, I am reintroduced to Brea and Sara and I meet Sara’s husband, Donovan, and their two adopted children, Sofia and Nicholas. Sara is still petite with an athletic build. Brea still has fiery red hair and a sassy attitude. I meet her husband, Vincent, and their son, Arturo. While the kids play, we talk. We talk about our upcoming wedding, and they give Savannah Mae tips and ideas. We also talk about Sara and Brea’s insurance business and how successful it is. I learn that they asked Savannah Mae to be a partner while they were making plans with the move, and Savannah Mae declined. If Savannah Mae had accepted to go into business with them, and moved to Florida, I may have never met up with her again in my adult life. I’m suddenly glad she declined and stayed in Rose Farm, but it’s good to hear when someone becomes successful after leaving their hometown. It isn’t until the kids get sleepy that we decide it’s time to go home.
On the way home, Sawyer Jackson sleeps and Savannah Mae talks excitedly about seeing her friends again and then we talk about Maria.
“Maria called and said she’s been out of the country. She also said she hasn’t seen her brother in weeks or maybe even a month.”
“Oh, I was hoping to get some answers.”
“Me, too, Savannah Mae. She said she’ll try to get ahold of him and she’ll call as soon as she does.”
Over the next few days, we go to Disney World and we stay and watch the fireworks. We also go to Busch Gardens, Sea World, and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to see the dolphin in the movie Dolphin Tale. It’s nice and relaxing, and it also feels more like a vacation. On Wednesday, Sawyer Jackson begs to stay home and swim. We do. Savannah Mae soon realizes she isn’t a big fan of the sand or the salt water, but she likes to look at the ocean and the beach from the lanai.
We cook out and spend a leisurely day home. We swim, collect seashells, walk the beach, and watch movies and play video games in the game room. Savannah Mae puts Sawyer Jackson to bed and takes a shower.
My phone rings and it’s Maria. “Omigod, Abel! You’re right. It’s Josh. Josh has been stalking you!”
“Calm down and tell me what happened.” I sit on the edge of the bed and wait impatiently for her to speak.
“After you and I talked, I called and called Josh and he never answered. I would drive by his house, and his car was never there. After two days and no replies, I called the police to do a well check on him. I seriously thought something might be wrong with him.” I can hear her sniffle. “When we went into his house, he had all of these newspaper articles of you lying out on the table.”
Savannah Mae walks in and stands in the doorway.
“Did you say anything to the police?”
“No, I was afraid to. I told them that my brother was a huge fan of yours.”
“Maria, do you know what the last date is on the newspaper articles?”
“No, I didn’t think to look. I did take some pictures. I’ll text them to you when we hang up.”
“It’ll be all right. Text me the photos and give me a few days. I’ll call you when I know something.”
“Abel? If you find him, you have to promise me you won’t hurt him. He isn’t in his right mind. You have to know that.”
Savannah Mae walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. “I give you my word. I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay, I’ll text you the photos.”
“Thanks, Maria.” I hang up and look over at Savannah Mae.
“She’s worried about her brother?”
“She is.”
“Can we go home now that you know who we’re lookin’ for?”
I wish I could say yes. I know Savannah Mae is a homebody. “Not yet, I’m sorry. Let me call Pops, Tony, and Mack. Maybe we can head back in a few more days. I can’t go back until I know you and Sawyer Jackson will be safe.”
“Okay. Whatever you think is best.”
“Thank you.” I lean in and kiss her. My phone pings that I have a text message. Savannah Mae and I look over the picture texts. There are no visible dates, but there is a photo from the newspaper’s real estate section that mentions I purchased the Rose Farm school.
“It really is her brother who’s been stalkin’ us, isn’t it?” She shivers and I know it’s not from the cold.
“I’m afraid so.”
“Is there a picture I can see of him?”
Does she think she’s seen him before, or does she want to be prepared in case she ever sees him? “I think I can get you one. Just give me a minute.” I text Maria and ask her whether she has a recent photo of Josh. After a few minutes my phone pings again with an incoming text. I look it over before I hand the phone to Savannah Mae. I give her a few moments to look at it. She taps on the screen to make the image larger. “Have you seen him before?” Josh is tall with dark wavy hair, thin, and clean shaven.
She shakes her head. “No, I thought maybe he might have been in the restaurant before, but I don’t recognize him.” Thank God. I slowly take the phone from her hands.
“I’m going to take the laptop and my phone downstairs and make some calls. Why don’t you try and get some sleep.”
Savannah Mae
He begins to stand and I say, “I have an idea.”
Sittin’ back down, he says, “I’m listening.”
“What if we have Maria come and stay at the house with us?”
“What house? In Rose Farm?” he asks.
“Yeah. What if we have Maria stay with us at the house in Rose Farm? I think we can lure her brother out of the shadows with Maria there. He’ll have this need to protect her, and he’ll eventually reveal himself.”
“You want to use Maria as bait?”
I didn’t think of it like that, but yes, I guess that’s what I’m thinkin’. “Yes. If he sees her with you, he’ll want to keep her safe.”
He runs his hands through his hair. “Let me think about that. Go to bed and get some sleep. I have some calls to make. I shouldn’t be long.”
Abel Lee kisses me and then leaves; I lie i
n bed awake. Thinkin’ back on my suggestion, I wonder did I just make a mistake? Do I really want Abel Lee’s ex-girlfriend in my house? Do I know anything about her or about them as a couple? Maybe they were deeply in love and they only broke up because of what happened. Were they engaged in college? How long did they date? I honestly know nothin’ about her. But I want this over with, so maybe it’ll be worth it.
I sleep and dream of stalkers and college sweethearts. I dream of engagements and beatings, and I dream of a girl named Maria.
I wake and stare out the window at the full moon. Abel Lee isn’t in bed. I don’t expect him to sleep tonight. Tossin’ and turnin’, I think of Sawyer Jackson. Am I puttin’ my son in danger by having Maria in my house? Am I not thinkin’ of my son and only thinkin’ of myself? No, I want this over with for him and for myself.
As soon as the sun comes up, I walk downstairs and find Abel Lee sittin’ on the lanai with a cup of coffee in hand. I join him after I fill a large mug with steamin’ java. “You never came to bed last night.”
He watches me as I sit beside him. “I’m sorry. I slept on the couch. I was working on some stuff.” I take a sip of the hot coffee. Before I can say anything, Abel Lee says, “I was thinking about what you suggested last night.” I don’t say anything. “I called Pops and he thinks Sawyer Jackson should stay with them for a few days while Maria stays with us.”
Up until Harley’s birth, Nelly and Bud haven’t had small children in their house. Is Nelly going to want to be bothered with Sawyer Jackson for a few days? “What did Nelly say about that?”
“She’s excited, she’s planning on them making cookies, harvesting walnuts, and she even said something about Sawyer Jackson riding Bluebelle.”
I think back to when I was in school. The boys would come to school on Monday talkin’ about how much fun they had when they stayed with Abel Lee or Levi. Nelly and Bud always had a good reputation with the kids in the community. Because they didn’t have any daughters, I didn’t visit the Kennedy Mule Hill Farm until Mia started datin’ Levi. Abel Lee had gone off to college by that time. I think about what Bud and Nelly can offer Sawyer Jackson and how can I deny my son that? “I think he would like that.”
“Good. I’d feel better knowing he’s someplace safe.”
“Me, too.”
“So, do we have a plan in place?”
“We do. We fly home tomorrow morning. I found airline tickets and we’ll arrive at the Columbus airport within an hour of Maria.”
I take a sip of my hot coffee. My stomach flips at the thought of not just meetin’ Abel Lee’s ex-girlfriend, but actually livin’ with her until this is resolved. “Is there anything I need to know about Maria?”
He looks over at me, searchin’ my eyes. “Maria, or me and Maria?”
I swear that man can read my mind. “You and Maria.”
He rests his coffee mug on the arm of the wooden Adirondack chair. “You can ask me anything you want about my past with Maria.” He reaches over and holds my hand. “I want you to remember, Maria is my past, but you are my present and future.”
I think for a minute and I soon realize that whatever they once shared is over. I don’t need to hear the details of their relationship. I don’t need to hear that he loved her, or if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. It doesn’t matter. It’s over, and it’s in the past where it should stay. “I’m fine. I don’t think it’s important.”
“Savannah Mae, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“Thank you. I know you would.”
“Should we make breakfast before Sawyer Jackson gets up? We need to eat up some of this food.”
“We’ll never use up all the food you bought.”
He stands and reaches his hand out for mine. “Maybe we can call a food pantry to come and pick it up?” he suggests.
“Or maybe we can make a last drive along the beaches and then take it to them.”
“That’s a better idea.”
We make a big breakfast and we also make a large lunch. Sawyer Jackson seemed upset when we told him this was our last day here. Abel Lee does everything he can do to make this day count. We do everything, well, almost everything, Sawyer Jackson wants to do. We still haven’t figured out a way to be invisible and fly, but we hunt for more broken seashells, we swim in the ocean, and we go putt putt golfin’. He didn’t know what it was, but it looked like fun when we drove past. We also take the extra food to the food bank. Abel Lee explains to Sawyer Jackson, “It’s important to be kind to others and to help them out whenever you can.”
“Do you mean like givin’ them this food?”
“Yes, that is exactly what I mean.”
“A lady dropped her keys once, and I picked them up for her. Does that count?”
I smile and look in the back seat at ’im. My boy is learnin’ early on in his life. “That definitely counts.”
“Helpin’ at the church, does that count, too?”
Abel Lee looks in his rearview mirror. “Yep, that counts, too.”
I don’t tell Sawyer Jackson this, but the United States has hungry kids. I once heard Irving Cramer, the Executive Director of MAZON: A JEWISH RESPONSE TO HUNGER, give a speech on TV. He told a story about a kindergarten teacher who was teachin’ her students about the importance of havin’ a good breakfast each mornin’. She asked her students which of them had eaten breakfast and which had not. Only about half had eaten breakfast. She asked the students who had not eaten breakfast why they hadn’t eaten. One of her students told her, “It wasn’t my turn. We have five kids in my family. But we don’t have enough money to buy enough food so that everybody can eat breakfast every day. We take turns eatin’ breakfast, and today it wasn’t my turn.”
Hungry kids find it difficult to learn. Some teachers use their own money to buy granola bars and give them to students in the morning.
This is a great day to give food to the food pantry in part because it takes my mind off of tomorrow and the days that follow. Meetin’ Maria and spendin’ time with her is a big concern for me. Not so much because I worry about Abel Lee and her — well, that’s a small part of it. I mostly fear what will happen if it is her brother who’s been threatenin’ us. What measures will he take to protect Maria from Abel Lee? Will we all be in danger? Will he hurt Abel Lee because he thinks he intentionally hurt his sister so many years ago? Or will he realize that Maria came voluntarily to Rose Farm and is in no danger from Abel Lee. If Josh really is the killer, that second option won’t happen.
Later that night, I sit on the lanai with my sketch pad and pencils. I sketch Abel Lee and Sawyer Jackson in the pool playin’. I sketch the beautiful sunset over the ocean’s water, and I also sketch the sailboat out on the horizon. I never want to forget this trip, although I would like to forget the circumstances leadin’ up to it. But this trip has been an amazin’ one.
Drawing has been a gift, and I am thankful for my artist friends, especially Carla Jo Deen, who helped me overcome artist’s block — the fear that comes from lookin’ at a blank canvas. It’s just like writer’s block. Carla Jo taught me, “The most important thing is to make the first mark. Once you do that, you will go on to make all the other marks that will result in a finished sketch.” Similarly, the most important thing to do as a writer is to write the first word, although comic writer Robert Benchley once wrote “The,” paused for a while, and then wrote, “hell with it,” and went out to see some friends. Another artist friend — Autumn Storm — taught me how to see as an artist. She told me, “Look at the ground and tell me what you see.” I looked and saw nothin’ but some automobile oil floatin’ on top of a small puddle of water. I told Autumn Storm that, and she said, “Really look at it, and tell me what you see.” I looked closely at the oil, and in the sunlight it glistened and shone with the most beautiful and vivid colors that I have ever seen. Autumn Storm is the same friend who told me, “If you want to be an artist, look at three beautiful things each day.” One other, p
ossibly nonessential, piece of advice is to have an unusual name if you want to be taken seriously as an artist. A woman named Marjorie McMein was an artist, but she was ignored. She visited a numerologist, who told her to change her name to Neysa McMein. She did, and suddenly people began to regard her as a serious artist. Maybe I should change my name to Savannah Mae Georgia and sell my works of art at the shop.
Abel Lee
Today is our last day in Florida. It felt good to have a week of normalcy. I didn’t have an overbearing fear that I would need to protect Savannah Mae or Sawyer Jackson. In Florida, I still wanted to protect them, but I didn’t need to protect them from a serial killer or a small-town stalker. We were able to do normal things and it felt good. I think that I was able to show them a part of the U.S. that they may never have gotten to see otherwise.
After Sawyer Jackson goes to bed, Savannah Mae and I pack. We share a bottle of wine and skinny dip in the pool. We also make love under the stars and relax in each other’s arms. Tomorrow will be a new and different kind of day. Nothing like the last week we shared alone in paradise. Tomorrow we will put a plan in motion to catch a stalker. Tomorrow, my fiancée will meet and spend time with my ex. Why did I think this was a good idea? My ex-girlfriend and my future wife living under the same roof. What will they talk about? The better question is… what won’t they talk about? Maria is very sweet, I just hope Savannah Mae won’t want to invite her to our wedding. I erase those thoughts, and try to remember the reason why I’m bringing the two together. I need to be vigilant, and I need to be ready for whatever is going to happen.
The next day, we wait in baggage claim and watch the conveyor belt until we see our luggage. We didn’t spend money on frivolous vacation souvenirs, but it looks like we brought more stuff back than we took with us.
Sawyer Jackson insisted on keeping his broken seashells, and Savannah Mae was persistent about keeping the black and the white sea rocks she found. I have to admit, I also found a few seashells I thought were worth keeping.
Once we have everything, Savannah Mae fidgets as we wait for Maria to disembark from the plane.
Rose Farm Trilogy Boxset Page 39
