Forget Me Never

by Sable Hunter

  “It’s too quick. You need to spend more time with me, live in my world for a little while before you decide. I don’t want a proposal from you because of some fortune teller or worse, from,” she almost choked on the word, “pity. All of this just makes me feel helpless.”

  Patrick was strong and fast and before she knew it, Savannah was lying flat on the couch and Patrick was on top. Oh he wasn’t crushing her, he straddled her. But he was looming over her, big and formidable – and totally lovable. “Savannah, you don’t ever have to feel helpless as long as I am alive and breathing. I’ll be your strength.”

  “God, that sounds so perfect, but,”

  “No but - just hold on a second, we need to get a few things straight. First off,” he cupped her chin, making sure she was looking at him, “I’m not proposing to you because of that prediction or because I saw your face in the well years ago. It’s true that I think we were meant to be, we were written in the stars or whatever – but I assure you of this - I’m proposing to you because I can’t imagine living my life with you. I want you.”

  “But . . .” She started to speak and he kissed her quiet. “I’m not through. Your world has never appreciated you. Your world is not worthy of you. I’m asking you to live in my world.” He bent down and kissed her softly, tenderly, with all the passion in his heart. “Come live with me and be my love.”

  Savannah melted.

  “No, don’t say anything, Savannah – not yet. We’ll do as you ask, but instead of me taking the time to consider what I’d be risking if I became part of your life – I want you to consider what you’re risking if you choose not to become part of mine.”

  *****

  Everything Patrick said, Savannah pondered. Could he be right? She had work to do, so she left him at home and headed to the Cultural Center. He was planning on visiting his grandfather and raking leaves in her yard. The thought of him making himself at home at her place just made her want to hug herself tight and marvel at the changes in her life.

  As she pulled into the parking lot, she made some mental notes. On Wednesday, she would guest teach at LSU on Louisiana folk-life. The program that she was participating in was six weeks long. It was only one day a week, but the opportunity to be involved at the iversity was exciting. Part of her time would be spent winding up a lecture on Spanish moss. She loved to open the minds of the children. At first they would laugh at the topic, but when they began to realize how the plant had done so much to define, if not shape, the romance and mystery of Southern culture, they became interested. The oaks in front of her home were draped in the moss and she loved it. But it always surprised people to find out that what they referred to as Spanish moss is neither Spanish nor moss. It also isn’t a parasite in the host tree like many have always believed. Actually it is an epiphyte, a plant which grows upon another without harming it. This epiphyte draws its nourishment from the very air that surrounds it. During the early days it was used as mattress stuffing, furniture padding and even went to make blankets for the Confederate Calvary. So, Spanish moss was not only necessary for domestic comfort, it was also a viable cash crop. Just recently the first preserved saddle blanket made from moss was unearthed in a trash pit twenty-one feet beneath the earth. Excavation for a mall in downtown Nashville had resulted in the cleaning of this pit and the first remnant of a Spanish moss saddle blanket was found. What had been a speculative footnote in history was now a verified fact.

  Late Thursday, she had a meeting with the Park Service officials to advise on the creation of the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail. The Paddle Trail would be a joint effort of the parishes that were fortunate enough to have the Bayou flow through them. Plans were being implemented to create low-impact foot and water trails to give more access to pirogue, kayak and canoe traffic on the Teche. Tourism was a consideration, but also allowing a public appreciation of the beauty of the region and the importance of the Bayou in history was a factor.

  Savannah parked her car and noticed that the girls were waiting for her at the front. They weren’t smiling. Gathering her things, she exited the vehicle and walked to greet them. “Hey Guys. How are you?”

  “The question is - how are you?” Fresca looked serious.

  “I’m fine,” Savannah didn’t want to think what this may be about.

  “Are you?” Tammany asked, pointedly.

  “Why didn’t you tell us about the leprosy?” Cato asked, as always, too loudly.

  “Shhhh,” Fresca poked her. “Loud mouth.”

  Cato didn’t look contrite.

  Savannah thought she was going to be sick. “How did you find out?”

  “One of the men overheard Randolph talking to the police after March was arrested for attacking you – which you also neglected to tell us about.” Tammany pushed a lock of Savannah’s hair behind her ear. “Did yo really think we wouldn’t understand? We’re your friends, Savannah.”

  “Yes,” Savannah admitted. “Being misunderstood and feared has been my lot in life so far.”

  “Well, Mr. Randolph doesn’t work here anymore and our sweet boss explained it all to us. We just can’t believe you’ve been carrying this burden alone so long.” Fresca’s voice was kind, but there was hurt in her eyes.

  A group hug had not been what Savannah expected this morning – but that was what she got. Their acceptance went a long way toward making her believe that she could have the happiness that seemed to be just within her grasp. Wait till she told them that Patrick had proposed – and even more amazing – that she was considering accepting.

  *****

  The smell of fall was beginning to creep in the air. God, he didn’t want to go back to the Middle East. He wanted to stay here. Hopefully he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, but it didn’t look good. Hawke had called and word was filtering down that one of the CIA’s prime sources had been arrested in Pakistan. It just amazed Patrick how the web of information was woven between countries that barely tolerated one another except for the promise of protection or foreign aid.

  Raking leaves was therapeutic, that is if Ciara would quit scattering everything he had piled up. “Excuse me,” an irate voice drew his attention. Three women stood about six feet in front of him. Shit, his sniper senses had gone to pot. If they had been an enemy he would have been dead by now. “Is this Miss Doucet’s home? I’d like a word with her, please. We want to speak with her about the negligence she’s shown in dealing with our children.”

  The rotund little woman’s tone immediately got Patrick’s back up. What was her problem? “No, I’m sorry. She’s at work. I’m her fiancé, Captain Patrick O’Rourke. May I help you?” He didn’t intend to come off as a hard-ass, but this was Savannah they were talking about.

  His Savannah.

  Another lady, one that was taller, blonde and a little more athletic, spoke up. “My son has been coming over to Miss Doucet’s home and eating her cookies and drinking out of her glasses. And now we’ve heard that she has some horrible contagious disease – like leprosy.” The woman visibly shuddered. “I want you to tell Miss Doucet that her neighbors don’t appreciate her exposing our children to her filth.”

  Patrick counted to ten, and then he counted to ten again. “Lady, Miss Doucet does not have leprosy. She is as healthy as anyone – in fact, she’s perfect in every way that I can see. There’s no possibility that she would ever hurt one of ood aboutchildren. It’s true that her parents were patients in Carville where they treat people for Hansen’s disease, but that condition is not passed down to a child. Savannah is not sick, she has never been sick, and anyone who is privileged to know her is damn lucky.”

  The third woman, a pleasant looking brunette pushed her way in front of the other two. “Look, we’re sorry. We didn’t understand. Someone over at the school told us that Miss Doucet was infected. If that’s not true, we apologize.” Her other two friends looked sheepish. “My name is Patty Nolan,” she stepped over to Patrick and offered her hand. “And thank you for your service to our cou
ntry. My brother is a Marine stationed in Iraq.”

  “You’re welcome, Miss Nolan. Savannah has a heart as big as all out of doors, and I don’t want her to be the victim of a bunch of lies.”

  “I wouldn’t want that, either.” Patty looked at her friends. “None of us do. We just thought it would be wise to ask questions when our children are involved.”

  Patrick mellowed somewhat. “I can understand that.”

  “Yes, we didn’t mean to upset you.” The first woman gave him a shy smile. “Miss Doucet has been good to our children. She’s taught them a lot.”

  “It’s okay. I just don’t want to see Savannah hurt any more than she already has been.”

  The blonde looked him over with unabashed appreciation. “She’s lucky to have you.”

  “No, I’m lucky to have her, and if I have my way, she’ll be wearing my ring very soon.”

  *****

  After work, Savannah went to Don’s Meat market and picked up a couple of chickens stuffed with rice and crab dressing. She knew how good they were and it would be a fast and easy meal for her to fix for Patrick. The day had been crazy; she had gotten a lot done, but knowing everybody knew about her past made her uneasy. Her friends had stuck close, however and Mr. Davis had gone out of his way to be nice to her. PROOF had called and the show they had filmed at The Grove had been so successful that they wanted to come back to Louisiana and had requested that Savannah be a part of the project. In fact, they had asked her opinion as to what would be their next location to investigate. Evermore Plantation was her first choice, but she needed to talk to Patrick first and get his opinion. That thought made her smile, she had a Patrick to talk to – she was blessed beyond words. No one else had a man as wonderful as she did.

  When she arrived at Don’s, it was crowded. And rightly so. The locals all knew a good thing when they tasted it. While she was there, she picked up a stuffed roast and some stuffed pork chops. Feed Patrick was fun. With her arms full, she headed toward the check-out counter and ran straight into Patty Nolan. “Well hello, Darren’s mom.” Darren Nolan was one of her favorites.

  At first Patty looked embarrassed to see her. Savannah couldn’t understand. “Is something wrong, Patty?”

  Her neighbor pulled her to one side. “I owe you an apology. Several of my friends heard about what happened to you and where you came from – you know the leper’s hospital.”

  “You mean that my parents were in Carville when I was born.” All of a sudden Savannah lost her appetite.

  “Yes, I had no idea what Carville was until the talk began and I decided to research it on the internet. What I found floored me. I was raised here and I had no idea that the only in-patient hospital for the treatment of Hansen’s disease in America was just down the road.”

  “I’m not surprised; most people don’t understand Hansen’s disease at all.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry anymore. You have a champion. That man of yours is something else.”

  “What?”

  “Several of us decided to pay you a visit and find out what was going on. I’m ashamed to say that it started out as something of a hanging party, but your Patrick set us straight. He defended you; he told us how lucky we were that you loved our children and that there was nobody any better than you.” Patty touched her arm and leaned closer to whisper. “He also said you would soon be wearing his ring. Damn, you’re lucky. He is one hot guy! And he seems to love you very much.”

  “Oh, my goodness, you talked to Patrick.” She didn’t know whether to be thrilled or embarrassed. She opted for thrilled.

  “Yes, and like I said, he was amazing. And I’m sorry that we jumped to conclusions, we were wrong.”

  “Thank you.” Savannah slowly continued on her way. She had a lot to think about.

  *****

  The more she considered what Patrick had done, the more she smiled. He loved her, he really loved her. She wasn’t used to expecting good things in her life. Dreaming about a future filled with love and happiness was foreign to her. Now, it didn’t seem so far-fetched. For the first time, happy-ever-after seemed to be within her reach. She danced around the house and noted that he had straightened the living room, put a load of towels in the dryer and raked a pile of leaves outside. It thrilled her that his clothes hung in her closet, his shoes sat beside her bed and his big ole’ black dog was sacked out on the couch. All of a sudden her house seemed like a home.

  Patrick had left her a note in his big, bold scrawl. Beside a trip to the nursing home, he indicated that he was meeting Revel Lee for coffee. So, she had a little time to wait. The chicken was out of the oven, there was a banana pudding in the fridge and now she was going to get ready for some fun. Taking the nerf guns, she loaded both of them with bullets. This would surprise him. Right by the door, where he couldn’t miss them, she placed his toy gun and a note. Then she waited.

  *****

  Whistling as he walked, Patrick was glad to be home. Savannah’s house was almost as welcoming as she was. Ciara heard him arrive and padded over to meet him. “Where’s your mama?” he asked. Then he noticed that a table had been pulled over in the path and there was a note – and a gun, a toy gun. Strange. But when he picked up the note, he smiled. There was a lop-sided skull and cross bones drawn on it. Obviously, he was going to be the artist in the family. And written on it were these words:

  The gun is loaded. I have one, too. And you are under attack

  As of

  NOW!!!

  A wave of love for her almost knocked him down. Could she be more perfect? Now he knew she was his dream girl. His baby wanted to play. Patrick grabbed the gun and cocked it. And no sooner had he become alert to what was around him – Savannah stepped out from behind the kitchen door, grinned, aimed and shot a nerf bullet right slap dab at his crotch. It landed with a good little thump right on his dick.

  “Gottcha! Bullseye!”

  “Why, you little rascal.” He fired back and she dodged, let out the cutest bubble of giggles he had ever heard and dashed up the stairs. Patrick took off after her. She stopped at the top and fired again, this time it bounced off of his abs. He returned fire and he connected with one of her tits.

  “Ow!”

  “Surrender, and I’ll kiss and make it better.”

  “Never!” She took off again. He heard her footsteps falling and then heard her slide across the floor. Bump! Thump! What in the world?

  “You realize that your ass is mine, Baby. I’m a United States by-God Marine. Are you ready to give up?”

  Silence. Oh, that couldn’t be good. He grinned like an idiot. This was a side of her he hadn’t seen. And he loved it.

  Patrick went into stealth mode. He walked silently, making every move precise. Where had she gone? He wanted to laugh out loud, but he didn’t want to give away his position. The hall ahead of him was empty and all the doors were shut. Ah, the closet, she was probably in the linen closet. Edging up to the door, he turned the knob slowly – threw it open and aimed. It was empty. Maybe she was in the bedroom; that would be convenient. Once he captured her, he could ravish her.

  Savannah waited until just the right moment. She had been holding the bathroom door closed with the door knob tight in her hand so when she heard him go by, she could pounce. A stool was at hand and when she opened the door, she wasn’t going to be peering around it – he was going to be attacked from above!

  Oh, the man was good. She could barely hear him moving around. Savannah had excellent hearing. The gift had been both a blessing and a curse, because sometimes she had heard things that she’d have been better off not knowing. Conversations still rang in her mind, ‘Keep the little leper away from the kitchen. We don’t want her germs everywhere. It’s bad enough she has to be in the house. If I had my way, we’d chain her in the back with the dog.’ Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind. Times had changed. And she owed it all to the man that she was just about to - - - - attack!

  Patrick
heard the door squeak right behind him and he wheeled around to fire – and there was nothing!

  “Put your hands over your head, I think I’ve got you cornered, Marine.” He looked up and his little doll was hanging over the top of the door.

  She held the gun pointed right between his eyes.

  “You think you’ve got me, don’t you?”

  She had him, no doubt about it. Savannah had him wrapped around her cute little pinky finger.

  “Yea, I’ve got you. You’re mine now.”

  Truer words had never been spoken. But he couldn’t let her think she was in charge here. “No, I think you’re mine.” And he reached up quickly, slipped his hands under her arms and pulled her to him. “Now, I’ve got you!”

  “Hey, no fair! You’re gonna hurt yourself. I’m chubby!”