by C. M. Albert
“Help me,” Rosalie whispered, knowing the words that would spill from Arden’s lips before she even said them. “Rosina,” she called out to her aunt before an arm dropped and the baby’s nurse frantically tried to resuscitate her. It was no use. Rosalie watched as the life drained from Arden’s eyes and she slipped away.
“Rosalie!” she heard as the reality of a pair of hands shaking her leg brought her back to the present moment. “Are you okay?”
“How much do you know about Arden Bisette?” Rosalie asked.
“Why? And what just happened?” Inez asked.
“I had a vision when you sat down,” she said. “Things are usually connected when that happens.”
Rosalie expected Inez to laugh, but she didn’t. She said, “I heard Agnes gave you some of the family’s stuff.”
“Yeah. She thought I might like it since it was linked to your grandfather Javier and his great grandfather, Manuel. Did you know Manuel had an affair with Arden Bisette?”
“I did, actually. I didn’t know that the letters existed, though. But it led me to some of my own digging around after Agnes shared what she learned with me and showed me the family tree. I was curious about what happened to Arden’s aunt Elizabeth and the baby girl.”
“Me too,” Rosalie said. “It’s one of the only pieces I haven’t tracked down yet. There are no hospital documents on record, and the baby never came back home to Arden’s Glen, as far as I could tell.”
“No, she didn’t,” Inez said. “That would have been a scandal to Arden’s family.”
“I suppose so,” Rosalie said. “What ever happened to Manuel?”
“It was a long time before he got over the heartache of losing Arden. Her family blamed him for her death and tried to take back the land from him. Though, since they were covering up the reason for Arden’s death, and would vehemently deny any personal association with Manuel, they could hardly do that. Besides, it was rightfully his by law, despite his not being of American decent.”
“Is anyone really, other than Native Americans?” Rosalie scoffed.
“Good point. But back in the day, it was unusual for a Hispanic man to own land. He was granted the land the Vega property sits on today by the emerging town council that was parceling out the land and creating the new town; he had to pay for it through hard labor, but eventually, he worked off the debt and the land became his. But Arden’s family never thought he was good enough for her, or the land. They owned the adjacent property that was supposed to be rich in gold and other minerals. And it was. But the Vega property ended up sitting on the largest emerald mine in the southeast. They didn’t know that at the time, but they knew enough to be bitter over it. Especially after Arden’s death.”
“So why was the town named after Arden then?”
“The Vega farm brought in the most opportunity for the new town that was forming, and soon, despite the Bisettes’ protests, Manuel became pretty influential. He was on the council that named the new town, and he insisted it be named in Arden’s memory. The story goes that her fiancé, James, suggested it, in honor of his loss. But the trail leads back to Manuel. He never got to claim the baby, though, and as far as I knew, she never came back to Arden’s Glen. I did track down some of her ancestors, though, as they had the aunt’s last name. I’m assuming the aunt ended up keeping and raising the baby alone instead of giving her up for adoption like she was supposed to.”
“That’s amazing, Inez! You’re a rock star! If I can get Halcyon to let me cover the story, will you share some of this history on air with me?”
“Of course,” she said. “But I think there’s something else you need to know first.” She handed Rosalie an envelope. One that would change her life forever.
She pulled out a family tree and started reading it. “This is a combined Vega/Bisette family tree? This is incredible!”
“It’s more than that, Rosalie. Read Elizabeth’s line.”
Rosalie looked down and skimmed the names. They meant nothing to her. “I don’t understand.”
“Look at the last baby born.”
“There’s no name. It says ‘adopted.’”
“That’s right. Look at the date of birth.”
Rosalie gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “What . . . what are you saying?”
“I’m saying, Rosalie, that I think we’re like sixth cousins ten times removed or some shit.”
“You think I’m the baby this woman gave up? This ancestor of Elizabeth’s—of Arden’s?”
“I know you are,” she said quietly.
“But how? I don’t even know my real parents’ names. The Alexanders told me the records were sealed and they never met the birth mother.”
“They were lying, Rosalie. Your biological mother used to live in Arden’s Glen. I asked around and found out that she had a drinking problem, and she stayed with the wrong men—if you know what I mean. She was a writer for the paper here, until something sent her spiraling downward. She got pregnant with you, but her drinking caught people’s attention, and they had to take you away. It wasn’t safe for you, Rosalie,” Inez said, quietly. “Do you remember any of your time with her? You were awfully young.”
Rosalie sat in stunned silence, questioning whether any of this was true or not. But she already knew in her gut it was. The implications staggered her.
“I have flashbacks sometimes, but I convinced myself they were visions of someone else’s life. Why didn’t I ever go back to her?”
“She passed away. The last boyfriend she was with was a transient, just some guy passing through town. She picked the wrong guy, Rosalie. I’m so sorry.”
“So, he what? Killed her?”
“It was chalked up as an accident, but everyone knew he was physical with her.”
“How come I never heard about any of this?”
“Because the Alexanders adopted you,” she said. “And they were well respected. Especially with the church and the council. I guess people let sleeping dogs lie.”
“So my parents knew and never said anything to me.” Shock and anger rippled through her body. How could they do that?
“I’m sorry, Rosalie. I was really little when you were born, so I don’t remember any of this myself. But my parents were around, and they remembered it all very clearly. We didn’t know at the time that you were in any way connected to the Vega family, otherwise they would have filed for custody of you. But everything happens for a reason, and you got placed with a good, safe family.”
Rosalie busied her fingers on the hem of her leather jacket, unsure what to make of everything she learned, or how she really felt about it. She felt betrayed. At the core of it all, she was angry. Her real mother didn’t fight for her sobriety, or for Rosalie. And her adoptive parents flat-out lied to her about her adoption records being sealed. There is so much she would never know about the woman she truly came from. But hopefully, now that she had the other names on her family tree, she could do some more research and reach out to her distant family and those who may have known her birth mother. Sylvia Rose Blanchet.
Despite all the questions still swirling through her mind, Rosalie felt a flood of relief. All this time she’d had family, right here in town. Her whole life she believed the only family she would ever know was her small, adoptive one.
“So, we’re distant cousins?” Rosalie asked.
“Seems like it,” Inez said, her eyes scrutinizing Rosalie’s reaction. “You okay with that? We don’t have to jump right into family reunions or anything,” she teased.
Rosalie jumped up and flung herself at Inez, wrapping her arms around her. “I’d actually like that very much! I’ve never felt like I was at home before, or like I belonged. Now I know why. Now I know where I came from,” she said, pulling back.
Inez grinned. “That you do. I can share some of the official documents I dug up so you can have them for the show.”
“Thanks, Inez. This is the best Christmas gift I could ever get!”
> Rosalie smiled. She knew a miracle was possible, but she’d never expected something as amazing as this. Her first thought was of Brecken. She couldn’t wait to tell him! But then she remembered what he was going through and knew it was not the right time. Her eyes immediately sought out Zade’s. She now not only knew her place in her real family, but she was actually a part of the family that created the whole dang town. She more than fit in.
Arden’s Glen was her legacy.
THEY ENDED UP spending the whole night awake as Rosalie predicted, only it wasn’t for the carnal reasons they both imagined. Rosalie filled Zade in on everything she and Inez talked about earlier at the hospital as she snuggled Kismet close to her chest.
Her story left Zade speechless, but he was thrilled that she finally had some answers. More than answers, hope. He wished it was enough to make her want to come back to Arden’s Glen, but he would never be selfish and suggest it. Instead, when he proposed, he would absolutely tell her his plans. He was moving to California to be with her, if she would have him.
They got only a few hours of sleep, but Zade woke up full of energy and excitement. It was Christmas morning, and today was definitely, absolutely, the day he would propose to Rosalie.
They showered after breakfast, taking an extra-long time beneath the hot spray as he pressed Rosalie up against the glass and slid into her from behind. They were like frisky teenagers making up for lost time. He made her Christmas breakfast—a Zampogna family tradition of scrambled eggs, sausage, and red peppers. He even surprised Rosalie with a smoked apple and sage vegetarian sausage, much to her surprise and delight. After they washed dishes, Zade started the fireplace and set Kismet in her soft cat bed that she had grown to love while living with him.
“I knew you’d make a good daddy,” Rosalie said, sneaking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “Thank you for taking care of her. She seems really happy here.”
“She is, but I know she’s missed you, too,” he said, turning in her arms to face her. “Just like her daddy has,” he said, brushing her hair from her face.
“If it’s okay with you, I invited Zada over for Christmas dinner. It’s tough being the first year without Mom around for the holidays. I think she’s having a really hard time with it.”
“Oh, Zade,” she said, remembering that the anniversary of his mother’s death was upon them, “of course I don’t mind. I know how hard it is being without your parents at the holidays. She’s welcome to come over sooner so she doesn’t have to be alone.”
“That’s okay. She actually likes to go to church on Christmas morning, and then she volunteers at the hospital to be with the kids whose family can’t come until later.”
“That’s so sweet of her,” Rosalie said, snuggling into him. She looked up at him, her eyes lighting with mischief. “Can’t say I’m too disappointed, though, since that means I get you all to myself today. And I have something I want to tell you,” she said, full of excitement.
“Good. I have something I want to tell you, too,” he said. “Can we go up to my room since it’s more festive up there? Let’s have some coffee by the fire.”
“I’d love to,” she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “That way we won’t have as far to go to stumble into bed afterward.”
“That sure of yourself?” he teased.
“That sure of us,” she said. “A kiss if you can catch me before we get to your bedroom?” she teased, just as she had that afternoon at the quarry.
God she was sexy when she was feisty. He chased her up the stairs, grabbing her by the waist before they reached his bedroom. She squealed as he pulled her into his arms, her heart beating fast. Her eyes were alive, and her heart felt more open than it ever had before with Zade. Now was definitely the time.
“I let you catch me,” she said breathlessly. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently, teasing and pulling in his lower lip, her tongue slowly brushing by his and caressing it in the most sensual way. Damn if every kiss didn’t feel like new with her.
“I thought you said it was just that once—that day at the quarry,” he teased.
“I changed my mind,” she said playfully, biting his lower lip and tugging it in the most sinfully sexy way. “I found I rather liked being caught by you.”
“Rosalie,” he said against her mouth, “I thought we came up here to talk? If you don’t stop that sexy thing you’re doing with my lip, I’m going to change my mind and throw you down onto my bed to have my naughty Santa way with you.”
“Your naughty Santa way with me?” she said, laughing. “Oh, but now you must. Talking’s overrated.”
“Trust me,” Zade said, “not this time.”
He grew serious, drinking in Rosalie’s gorgeous brown eyes as she looked up at him expectantly.
“I have something I need to share with you, too,” she conceded.
“You first,” they both said at the same time.
“Ladies before gentlemen,” Zade insisted.
“Please,” she said. “Mine’s kinda big, so I want to hear yours first.”
She has no idea, thought Zade, laughing silently to himself. Here goes nothing.
“Okay. You might want to have a seat,” he said. He plugged in the Christmas lights on the small tree in his bedroom. He didn’t have many Christmas decorations, but the fairy lights that stayed on his balcony all year round, and the fresh scent of pine from his scrawny Charlie Brown tree made the room feel as festive as it was going to get.
He cleared his throat. He could do this.
“Rosalie, you absolutely took my breath away the first time I laid eyes on you at Ti’s adoption ceremony. My world completely stopped and I stood frozen. Transfixed. All I could see was you. I’ll never forget how you looked in that sexy yellow dress, your skin glowing in the afternoon sunlight. Your face was so alive and animated. I could see your passion and joy for life in your eyes as you talked to Dez.”
Rosalie smiled, remembering the same moment he was talking about.
“I know it hasn’t been long, but every moment since then has built upon the last. I’ve talked more on the phone with you and texted you than I’m pretty sure I have collectively my entire life,” he said, laughing. “But I wouldn’t trade a moment’s rest for all the late-night conversations we’ve had, all the ways you’ve shown your heart to me, and all the ways you’ve let me share mine with you, as well.
“You may be a few years younger than I am, Rosalie, but you are my equal in every way. I love how much compassion you have for others—especially those you let into your little circle. You are a fierce lioness once you love somebody. And I have never been happier than I was when you told me you loved me back.”
He took a deep breath. He needed to reign in some of his emotions, or he’d lose it and not be able to get the words out that he’d so carefully planned.
“Zade,” she said softly.
“Let me finish, beautiful.” He took her hands in his and searched her dark brown eyes. What he saw was his future staring back at him.
“I love you with my entire heart, Rosalie. Even though to some it’s just another organ, to me, it’s my lifeline to you. You captured my heart in a way no one else has even been close to doing before. That’s why I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Tears were wetting Rosalie’s lashes, so he knew he needed to ask her fast, before she was a complete mess. Before they both were.
“I reached out to the hospital in Los Angeles, and I have a job interview there after the New Year. I thought I could fly back with you and research the area. Meet with the other surgeons there to see if it would be a good fit for me. They have a spot open for a general surgeon, and I want it. I can’t go another day without you, Rosalie. You being here the last few days has only solidified that even more.
“You are the crackers to my cheeseball. You light me up during my darkest days. You make me feel alive and hopeful and—as dorky as this sounds—complete. I want to spend the rest o
f my life with you. I don’t care if it’s in California or here or Timbuktu. I will follow you to the ends of the earth, Rosalie Alexander.”
She gasped when he got down on one knee.
Zade pulled the ring from his pocket and held it up for her. It was a large, pear-shaped emerald that once came from the Vega mine. It was surrounded by tiny diamond chips that also circled the thin, gold band. It was bold and beautiful, like Rosalie.
“Rosalie Brandin Alexander,” he said, holding her tear-filled gaze, “this is our journey for the taking. Our life to build together, if you’ll dare to be mine forever. You are the answer to all my questions. The only one I crave each night. You are my home. My shelter from everything hard I go through at work, and the happiness that helps me bear it.
“Please,” he said, holding the ring up to her shaking finger, “will you marry me, Rosalie? Make me the happiest man in Arden’s Glen?”
She dropped to her knees, too, and nodded, grinning so big he thought she’d burst into a million fragments of sunshine.
“Yes!” she said, a thousand times over, peppering his face with small kisses and laughing. She held out her ring finger and gasped as she looked at the stunning emerald. “It reminds me of your eyes, Zade,” she said, cupping his face and kissing him deeply.
“It reminds me of your heart,” he said. “You are so brave and so brilliant, Rosalie. I will spend every day of my life reminding you of your worth.”
He kissed her slower this time, his hands roaming the sides of her body as he pulled her closer.
“Wait,” she said. “There’s something else we need to talk about first.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I got carried away. I just can’t get enough of being as close to you as I possibly can.”
“I feel the exact same way. Which is why I wanted to tell you, you don’t have to move to California to be with me. My ratings were so good I was able to renegotiate my contract, and I told them I would either be doing most of the taping from North Carolina, or I wouldn’t be renewing my contract. They were more than happy to let me tape here this season!”