Rose Farm Trilogy Boxset

by Kennedy, Brenda

  I haven’t told anyone yet, but I’ve decided to build my home on the empty lot I bought with the school. A ranch-style home with a couple horses, some chickens, cows, and a dog. I’ve also decided to ask Savannah Mae to marry me. We have been through so much and it hasn’t even been a year. I love her, and I want to marry her. I have the special night all planned out in my head. It’s perfect. Candlelight, soft music, champagne, and a ring. I just hope the night goes as planned.

  Megan Rose and Heather Sue’s killer is — or killers are — still at large. No more clues or updates have been mentioned. Ethan is slowly moving on and has started seeing someone. Fear of the killer or killers still haunts the community, but people aren’t letting it control their lives.

  I dress in a black suit and tie with a crisp white shirt for the special night I have planned. “I’m taking Sawyer Jackson up to Momma and Pops’. Will you be ready when I get back?”

  She yells from the other room, “I hope so, drive slow.”

  I chuckle to myself. It’s a two-minute ride, how slow can I drive?

  “C’mon, Buddy. You’re ready, aren’t you?”

  “Yep, I have everything I need.”

  I look down and he has a bag full of toys. He looks ready to me. We drive around the old school and it looks amazing. What a difference from when I first got here. I drop Sawyer Jackson off at Momma and Pops. I don’t give them any instructions. They don’t need any. They wish me luck and they both hug me before I leave. I kiss and hug Sawyer Jackson and tell him I love him.

  “Abel, wait. Don’t forget your flowers.” I wait for Momma to go to the refrigerator and get the dozen red roses from the top shelf. I can’t believe I almost forgot those. I have everything planned out in my head. Now, I wonder what else I’ll forget.

  “Here ya go. Do you have the ring?” Momma whispers.

  I pat my jacket pocket and I can feel the small jewelry box tucked safely inside. “I do.”

  She kisses me again and pats my cheeks with both of her hands. “You look so handsome.”

  “Thanks, I gotta go. I don’t want to be late for our dinner reservations.”

  I take some deep breaths before I knock on Savannah Mae’s door. I want this to be like a real date. I wait and she doesn’t answer. I knock again and wait. I know she’s in there. Why isn’t she answering? Finally, she answers the door.

  Her hair is down and in big curls. Her eyes are done in a smokey color of black or gray, I can’t tell which color because of her thick long eyelashes. Her lips are natural color and shiny. She’s wearing a black form-fitted dress, no stockings, and black stilettos. I look down her body and back up slowly. I notice her curves and her cleavage. I notice the small gold and diamond necklace and the matching earrings.

  “Why are you knockin’?”

  “You look stunning.” I don’t recall ever seeing her so dressed up.

  She smiles and blushes. “Thank you.”

  “Here, these are for you.”

  “I love red roses, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I’m grateful to Sawyer Jackson for knowing his mother’s favorite flower.

  “Let me put these in water.”

  I walk into the house and wait at the door as I would on any date. But this isn’t any date. This is my wedding proposal date. I have rehearsed this a million times in my head, and it went perfectly each time. In my mind, she says yes, and we live happily ever after. But in reality, we never talked about marriage. I have no idea if she would even marry again after the way her last marriage ended. On YouTube, I have seen videos of guys who proposed in public and got rejected. I try to clear those thoughts from my head.

  “I couldn’t find a vase, sorry it took me so long.”

  “Are you ready?” I ask as I offer her my elbow.

  She stands tall and with confidence. Picking up a small black clutch, she loops her arm through mine. “I’m ready.”

  Once we are headed to Zanesville, she asks, “Where are we goin’?”

  I never told her where we were dining because I wanted to surprise her. “I thought I would take you to The Old Market House Inn.” It’s the best restaurant in Zanesville, and it’s just as good as any place in Columbus. “Have you ever been there?

  “I have. Ethan proposed to me there.”

  I cough and my hearts drops to my stomach. I wanted to plan a perfect evening, and now I find out I’m proposing at the same place her first husband did. “Really?”

  “Nah, I’m messin’ with ya.” She smiles and it makes me smile. What a relief. I would have had to rethink everything and planned for this for another night. There’s no way I would propose to her at the same place Ethan did.

  “Do you know the Jolly Bar?” She doesn’t wait for me to answer. “That’s where Ethan proposed to me at. In there in the back corner booth.”

  “Is that the truth?” I look over at her and back to the road again. She got engaged in a bar?

  “Sure is. Not that you care about that. Not sure why I shared that with you, either.” She pauses briefly before she continues. “I think I might be a little nervous. I’ve never been to the Old Market House Inn before. It will be the fanciest place I’ve ever eaten.”

  “It’s nice, and they have great food.” Well, at least they used to. I haven’t been there in years. But it’s still owned by the same family, so I’m certain it’s just as good as I remember. “Don’t be nervous, you look absolutely beautiful.” I reach over and take her hand in mine.

  “Thank you. I’ll try. This just feels so formal between us. We’ve never been on a date like this before.”

  “I know. I’m going to change that. I wanted to do something special for you.”

  “Abel Lee, you always treat me special. I don’t need a fancy restaurant or expensive food to feel loved. You show me every single day that you love me.”

  “I feel like I should do more for you and Sawyer Jackson,” I confess. I want to give her the world. I want her to know how much I love her.

  “Abel Lee, you do plenty. I couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend.”

  Boyfriend? I’m about to change that, I hope. I want a promotion.

  I park the truck and walk to the other side to help Savannah Mae out. She smiles and we walk confidently into the crowded restaurant. Savannah Mae and I have never really been out of Crooksville together. It’s been less than a year since my retirement from professional boxing. My name still carries some weight. When I called and reserved a table, I told them I wanted the best table in the house. I spoke with the owner and left strict instructions on how I want the night to go.

  I live in the country, but I’ve lived in a big city for many years. I’ve learned a few things while I was there. I made a lot of money and learned how to live with the higher class. Savannah Mae isn’t like most girls, and I love that about her. We walk up to the hostess, and I give my name: “Abel Kennedy.”

  She looks at me, then Savannah Mae, before looking down at the seating chart. “Your table’s ready.”

  “Thank you.”

  I take Savannah Mae’s hand and lead her through the restaurant to a private room. When I see the large bouquet of red roses, I know that is our room. The gas fireplace in the room is lit and looks inviting. The hostess steps aside and I pull the chair out for Savannah Mae. She sits gingerly. I can tell she’s nervous.

  “Thank you,” she whispers.

  “You’re welcome.”

  I walk to the other side of the table and notice that with her heels the hostess is almost as tall as I am. I whisper a few last-minute instructions quickly to her before taking my seat across from Savannah Mae. On the table is a bottle of chilled champagne and two shrimp cocktails.

  Savannah Mae sits up straight with her hands on her lap. I want her to relax. I want this night to be memorable. I watch her as she looks at the place setting on the white linen table. The red roses and white baby’s-breath sits in the center of the table. She leans up and whispers, “Abel Lee, I don’t thi
nk this is our table.”

  I also lean in and whisper, “I bought these roses for you, and I went ahead and ordered our dinner. I hope that’s all right.”

  She smiles, “These flowers are for me?”

  “They are.”

  “Does everything meet your expectations?” the hostess asks.

  “It does, thank you,” I say, never taking my eyes away from Savannah Mae. I know the hostess is talking about the table and the location, but when I answered her, I was talking about Savannah Mae. “She exceeds all of my expectations.”

  Savannah Mae blushes. I smile as I watch her lean in and smell the red roses. “These smell so good.”

  “I’m glad you like them.”

  “I do, thank you.”

  “Champagne?”

  “Yes, please. I love champagne.”

  “You do? I didn’t know that.” I open the bottle and we both laugh as it pops. I slowly pour the champagne, being careful to not let it bubble over. I would have ordered the champagne to be opened and ready, but Savannah Mae likes her drinks to be unopened when she gets them.

  “I only drink champagne on special occasions.” She picks up the flute and watches the bubbles in the glass. The light from the fireplace reflects off of the glass.

  I fill my glass and hold it up, “A toast?”

  “Sure.” She lifts her glass to mine.

  “To a lifetime of happiness and love.”

  She clinks her glass to mine. “To love and happiness.”

  We eat the shrimp cocktail and soon Savannah Mae relaxes. She is no longer as stiff as a nudist wearing a brand-new starched fancy-dress shirt. I may be exaggerating about how nervous she was. I’m pretty sure that I’m the one who is the more nervous — I keep remembering those YouTube videos of rejected proposals. The waitress clears our plates and brings us two salads and quickly disappears.

  “I didn’t know you could pre-order your dinner in restaurants.”

  If you have money, you can do anything that costs money. I wish money could buy more things. If it could, I would make frequent visits to the Happiness Store — and one visit to the “Yes, I Will Marry You” Store.

  “I know the owner, so I asked him for a favor. I wanted to take you out, but I also wanted to have some privacy with you.”

  “That’s really sweet, thank you.” She thinks for a moment and asks, “Just out of curiosity, if you wanted something from the waitress, how would you get it?”

  Does she need something? Maybe she doesn’t like her salad dressing. Maybe she needs more rolls. I raise my hand slightly and someone comes from around the corner.

  “Did you need something, Savannah Mae?” I ask.

  She looks at the waitress and then to me. She looks embarrassed and quickly shakes her head, then the waitress leaves. I laugh at her embarrassment. I have never met someone like her before.

  She leans in and whispers, “Are they just standing there waitin’ for you to raise your hand?”

  “This is the waitress’ only table. I wanted to ensure we had excellent service.”

  “You hired a waitress by the hour? She won’t make much money tonight, will she?”

  With Savannah Mae being a waitress, I should have figured she would be concerned over the waitress’ tips. I’ve already settled up the check and left her a very hefty tip. The waitress will make more today than the other servers will make all week.

  I tell Savannah Mae, “I’ll make sure to leave her extra.”

  “You put a lot of thought into tonight.”

  It’s not a question, but I answer it anyway. “Yes, I did. I wanted the night to be as special as you are.”

  “Thank you, Abel Lee. Tonight is perfect. If I forget to tell you later, this is the best date I ever had.”

  After dinner, Savannah Mae stands to use the powder room. I stand and watch as she exits the table. I nod for the waitress to make sure Savannah Mae finds it okay.

  Once she is out of the room, I remove the one-carat solitaire diamond and gold ring from the black velvet box. I hold it and watch as it sparkles from the light of the fire. I hope it’s not too flashy for her. It’s only one carat, but for a country girl, it might be too much. Kissing the ring before I drop it into her flute of champagne, I pray for a yes to my question that I’m about to ask her. I carefully watch as the rings sinks to the bottom of her glass.

  I play with my Golden Glove boxing cufflinks as I wait for my future bride to enter the room. I hope she’s my future bride. I pray she says yes when I ask her to marry me. When I see Savannah Mae and the waitress, I stand. She smiles as she makes her way to me and the waitress disappears behind the wall. I pull out her chair for her and wait until she’s seated before I take my seat across from her.

  I unbutton my jacket and take a deep breath. The waitress brings out the last course. One Cream Brulee with two spoons. “I don’t think I can eat another bite.” The waitress doesn’t say anything, but sets the dessert in the middle of the table and puts two cups of hot coffee down before she leaves.

  “We don’t have to eat it.” I watch as Savannah Mae adjust the white linen napkin on her lap. Her eyes sparkle in the firelight, and her blonde hair shines beneath the muted lighting. Her fair skin is flawless, and her smile lights up the room.

  I take a deep breath and say, “One more toast before we leave?”

  I pick up my flute and I watch as she follows suit. Her diamond ring sparkles as it swirls around in the bottom of the champagne glass. She gasps when she sees it. My heart picks up its beat and my hands become sweaty. I watch as she watches the ring, never taking her eyes off of it.

  “Savannah Mae, I have something to ask you.”

  She slowly looks at me before she looks back to the glass. I take the flute from her clutched hand. Her eyes follow the glass to my mouth. I drink the champagne and catch the ring in between my teeth. She stares at me but doesn’t say anything. Taking the ring from between my teeth, I stand then kneel down on one knee in front of her. Slowly, I take her left hand in mine.

  “Savannah Mae, I came back to my country roots for the holidays, but when I saw you, I knew I couldn’t leave. This year was one of the happiest of my life. I fell in love with you, and with your son, in a very short time. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” I stroke her knuckles and continue, “I can’t promise you a perfect life. There’ll be arguments, there’ll be misunderstandings, and there’ll be times when you’ll wish that you never met me.”

  She laughs.

  “But I can promise to always love you, to always adore you, and to always be faithful to you. I promise to love Sawyer Jackson like my own and to give you both the best life that I can.”

  She cries and wipes away a tear.

  “You would make me the happiest man on this earth if you would be my wife.”

  Savannah Mae

  Abel Lee included my son in his marriage proposal. He promises to love my son like his own and to give us both the best life he can. He didn’t make false promises. What more does a girl want? Nothin’. Even through my tears and blurred vision, I can see the large diamond ring sparkle. I wipe away the tears and lean in to kiss him. I hold his beautiful face with both of my hands and kiss him. He kisses me back, wrappin’ both of his arms securely around me. Only when we break apart does he say, “Should I take that as a yes?”

  I laugh and say, “Yes.”

  “Good, I think you made the right decision.” He slowly slides the ring on my finger, and it’s a perfect fit.

  “I love you.” I lean in and kiss him again.

  “I love you, too.” He gingerly stands and scoots his chair closer to mine.

  I admire my ring and try to grasp what has just happened. I honestly didn’t expect this. I knew Abel Lee was special and he was someone I could picture sharing my life with, but an engagement so soon was unexpected. Ethan and I dated for two years before we got engaged.

  He asks me, “What are you thinking about?”

  “I just never
expected this. I thought we were just havin’ dinner.” I move my finger and admire the sparkle of the diamond. “Did we really just get engaged?”

  “We did. You’re not having second thoughts already, are you?”

  I look up at him and smile. “No, not at all. I just have no idea how you were able to plan all of this. The ring, dinner, your speech, it was all so perfect.”

  “I bought the ring last week, and made dinner reservations a few days ago. Thankfully her mother knew Savannah Mae’s ring size. As for a speech, I didn’t write a speech, I probably should have. I just spoke from my heart.”

  “You didn’t rehearse that?” I search his eyes for the truth.

  “No. I spoke from my heart. I wish I could promise you a perfect life, but I can’t. I know that we’ll have our ups and downs.”

  “But you promised to love me and to love my son as your own.”

  “That’s true, I did. I didn’t promise you anything that I couldn’t keep.”

  “Abel Lee, I can’t tell you how much that means to me. I don’t need empty promises.”

  “I know that.” His phone vibrates and he ignores it. “And you won’t get that from me. You might not always like what I have to say, but I’ll always be honest with you.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  “Thank you.” I lean in and kiss him again. “Can we go home?” His phone vibrates and it’s becoming annoying.

  “Not yet.” He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his cell phone. He searches the missed calls or text messages before handing it to me.

  “Call your mom, Mia, and Momma first. They’re impatiently waiting your answer.”

  Abel Lee

  I sit back and watch as Savannah Mae talks excitedly to her mother, her sister, and Momma. The night isn’t over, but the proposal ended just like I had hoped. When she hangs up from talking to the last person, we leave.