Rose Farm Trilogy Boxset

by Kennedy, Brenda

  She talks excitedly about our engagement. “Mom said that you talked to Daddy before you bought the ring.”

  “That’s right. I know how much he loves his daughters, and I wanted him to know what my intentions were.”

  She reaches over and holds my hand. “Thank you for considerin’ his feelin’s. Daddy’s kind of old fashioned. He likes the whole traditional datin’ and marriage thing.”

  “Yeah, I know. He isn’t none too happy with me living with you.”

  “He told you that?”

  “Not in so many words. He said something about me making an honest woman out of you.”

  I think I see Savannah Mae flinch. “Yikes, I’m sorry about that.”

  “That’s okay, he’s right. If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t want her living with a man either.”

  “So, are you gonna move out until we get married?”

  “Wasn’t really planning on it.” Not with a killer still at large. “I was thinking maybe we could have a short engagement.”

  She laughs and it makes me smile. “Even if we hurry, it’ll still take a couple months to plan a weddin’.”

  At work this week, Ethan came up to me to congratulate me on the engagement. I wasn’t sure how he was going to take me being engaged to his ex-wife. He told me he was relieved to know that Sawyer Jackson was going to have a good man as his stepfather.

  “She’s a good woman, Abel. Just treat her better than I did.”

  “Thank you, Ethan. I hope to be the man whom she and Sawyer Jackson deserve.”

  The week goes by with us working to try to finish the playground and to prepare for the grand opening. I have another project that I want to get started on as soon as this is done. I already hired the contractor, and he’s drawing up some blueprints for Savannah Mae and me. I haven’t told her about my plans to build us a house because I want to surprise her with the news.

  Mia and Levi invited us to dinner at their place on Saturday. Momma and Pops will also be there. It’s more like an engagement dinner, or a celebratory dinner of our engagement. Sawyer Jackson is coming with us. He’s excited about the engagement and Savannah Mae wants him to be included in the celebration and in the wedding plans. I think it’s a good idea. These are their lives that I’m walking into. I don’t ever want him to feel excluded in any way.

  On Saturday, we all get ready to go to Mia and Levi’s house for dinner. Savannah Mae made a chocolate dessert and it looks and smells like the one Mrs. Hackler makes at the church. Savannah Mae and I are excited to see Harley. She makes a point to see him several times throughout the week. And because of work, I try to see him on the weekends.

  “Is that baby gonna be there?” Sawyer Jackson asks.

  “He sure is. That’s Mia and Levi’s baby. He’ll always be there.”

  “Does he still have teeny tiny hands?” He motions with his hands how small the baby’s hands are. It’s funny to see how tiny they are in his mind.

  I have to laugh. “He does, he’s a baby. All babies are small.”

  “When will he be big so he can play with me? I don’t got no one to play with.”

  “It’ll be awhile, Sawyer Jackson. He still has to grow and that takes time.”

  I look at Savannah Mae and say, “You never did say what the other baby name was that you had.”

  “I know, it’s a secret.”

  “Even from me?”

  She laughs, “No, I guess not from you. But you can’t tell anyone.”

  “Okay, I won’t.”

  “I mean it. You can’t tell anyone. If you do, I’ll have to think of another name.”

  I want to laugh, but I don’t. “You can trust me with our future child’s name.”

  “Okay. If you tell anyone, I’ll know.”

  “Cross my heart,” I say as I take my finger and cross it over my heart.”

  “It’s Stetson. It was Stetson James, but now, it’s Stetson Lee.”

  “You’re baby’s name is Stetson Lee?”

  She smiles. “It is. It’s a great name, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it really is. I like it.”

  “I knew you would.”

  “What if it’s a girl? Do you have that name picked out, too?”

  “I don’t.”

  “You mean I might actually get to name one of our children?”

  She looks over at me. “One of? How many children do you want?”

  “If they’re anything like Sawyer Jackson, I may want twelve.”

  “We’ll need more names.”

  We pull up to Levi and Mia’s house. Momma and Pops are already here. Mia and Momma are on the porch swing, swinging the baby. Pops and Levi are sitting in the wooden chairs that are on the porch. Savannah Mae gets out and her yellow sundress blows in the breeze. Her high ponytail keeps her long blonde hair out of her face. Sawyer Jackson is wearing a pair of Khaki shorts and a white tee-shirt. He carries a large bag of toys to the front porch. Everyone greets him with hugs and kisses. I carry the chocolate cake and follow behind Savannah Mae. I get a whiff of the cake and I swear it smells like Mrs. Hackler’s homemade chocolate cake from the church. I would love nothing better than for Savannah Mae to get that recipe.

  While Savannah Mae visits with everyone on the porch, I set the cake inside the house. I’m eager to visit with my nephew. I watch as Savannah Mae holds and talks to Harley. He smiles when she talks to him and I’m shocked.

  “How long has he been doing that?”

  “For a few weeks now.” Mia says, proudly. “He startin’ to recognize us.”

  I hold Harley and he immediately smiles at me. I hold him carefully and talk to him softly. He likes to be talked to.

  “The support group I go to has been very helpful.”

  “That’s good, I’m glad it’s helping.”

  “We make sure Harley gets tummy time everyday, and he also gets two story times a day.”

  I have no idea what tummy time is, and I don’t ask. I figure I’ll find out soon enough.

  During dinner everyone talks excitedly about the engagement and the upcoming wedding. When Momma asked where the wedding would be held, I had assumed it would be at the church. Savannah Mae and I haven’t really talked about details of the wedding. Sometimes I forget this is Savannah Mae’s second marriage. I’m sure she doesn’t want to repeat anything from the first marriage. I need to try to remember that from now on.

  “You could always get married on the farm,” Momma says.

  “You did like the spot where the evergreens are.” I look over at Savannah Mae, not sure what she’s thinking. It makes me wish I knew more of what she wanted in terms of this wedding. I decide to give her another option. “Or maybe you’d like to marry on your parents’ property.”

  “I do like the farm’s flat field where the spruce pines are. The view of the sunset is incredible there. Nelly and Bud, are you sure you wouldn’t mind us getting married up there?”

  Momma smiles like this has just made her night. “Oh, Lord, no. I can’t think of anything that would make us happier.”

  We talk about what would need to be done to prepare for a wedding on the farm. The girls talk about the time of year that would be perfect for an outside wedding. Valentine’s Day is out of the question. It’s far too cold in February in Ohio to have an outside wedding. It looks like Savannah Mae might be a June bride.

  As we finish our supper, the girls talk with enthusiasm about the wedding, and the guys head outside with the kids. Sawyer Jackson swings on the tire swing by the garage and Pops plays with Harley.

  Since it’s just us guys and Sawyer Jackson is playing, we talk about Heather Sue’s murder and the lack of clues and suspects that everyone is talking about, or not talking about. Although we try not to mention it in front of the girls, it’s still very fresh on our minds. Several months passed between Megan Rose’s and Heather Sue’s murder. I think everyone is worried that history may repeat itself, and if that happens, we’ll have another murder happen in the near
future.

  Levi looks up from holding the baby and says, “You know, Abel, Rose Farm used to be a nice place to live until you came back.” He laughs as he attends to Harley.

  He’s joking and I know it’s to lighten the mood of the conversation, but I think about what he said. Didn’t these killings start when I came back home? Megan Rose was the first murder. It happened the first night I returned. Then Heather Sue. Is it a coincidence that I was acquainted with them both? What about the notes I started getting? And the notes Savannah Mae was getting? Is that a coincidence, too? Her last note was dropped off on her doorstep. If the killer is the same person who is writing these notes, he knows where Savannah Mae lives. If the killer is the same person writing these notes, then I probably know him. Maybe I don’t know him, but he definitely knows me.

  Savannah Mae

  Mia, Nelly, and I clean up and talk about the weddin’. I am beyond thrilled that Nelly offered for us to get married on the farm. The night when Abel Lee and I rode the horses out to the evergreen field, I knew it was a special place. The smell of the spruce pines, the view of the sunset settin’ over the hill. It’ll make a perfect place for an evenin’ weddin’.

  “Nelly, are you sure you don’t mind havin’ the weddin’ on the farm?” I ask. I want her to be sure. There’ll be a lot of people in and out of her home.

  “Oh, Lord, yes, I’m sure. Nothin’ would make me happier than for my baby boy to get married on the farm.”

  Mia leans in and whispers but talks loud enough for Nelly to hear, “She don’t care about that. Nelly was made to be a hostess. She loves to entertain, and entertainin’ guests for her son’s weddin’ would make Nelly happier than a pig in waller.”

  Nelly laughs, “That’s right, Mia. You tell her.” Nelly looks at me and says, “I didn’t think Abel would ever settle down. I’m just so thrilled that you’ll be my daughter-in-law.”

  “Thank you, Nelly. I’m still tryin’ to wrap my head around all of this. It’s just happenin’ so fast.”

  “The next several months, leadin’ to the weddin’, will go by quickly.” The screen door opens and in walks Bud, Sawyer Jackson, and Abel Lee. Levi is carryin’ Harley, who is kickin’ his feet with excitement. Sawyer Jackson runs and jumps on my lap. Levi walks over and places the baby in Mia’s waitin’ arms, and Bud sits on the arm of the chair that Nelly is sittin’ in. Abel Lee sits beside me on the loveseat. “I think,” Nelly continues, “that you guys need to set a date, so we can get things planned out. These weddin’s take time to plan for.”

  “Momma, we’ll have a date planned later this week. At least now we have a location.”

  “You still plannin’ on havin’ the grand openin’ for the old school in the next couple of months?” Pops asks.

  “We are. Just waiting for the playground to get done for the kids. We want everything to be finished before the grand opening. The dedication plaque should be done this coming week.”

  “First things first, get the business up and runnin’ and then you kids can start plannin’ the weddin’,” Pops says.

  “You’re right, Bud. One thing at a time. I can’t concentrate on two major events at once. Abel Lee and I have plenty of time for the weddin’. Havin’ a huge grand openin’ for the furniture store is the first priority.”

  We talk about the grand openin’ before we say our goodbyes. Abel Lee seems to have his mind on other things. He seemed fine when he and the guys went outside. Abel Lee and I never talked about the weddin’ before. Maybe he wants a small weddin’, or a church weddin’. Ethan didn’t care much about plannin’ our weddin’ but then again, Abel Lee ain’t Ethan. I really need to stop comparin’ the two. Ethan is my past, and Abel Lee is very much my present and my future.

  On the drive home, Abel Lee is quiet. I have things I want to ask him, but it doesn’t feel like a good time. When we pull up at home, he says, “I need to make a few phone calls, I’ll be in shortly.”

  “Okay, I’ll get Sawyer Jackson ready for bed.” He smiles but it isn’t a true smile. When Abel Lee smiles for real, his eyes crinkle and his dimples show. He walks me to the front porch and holds the door open for me.

  I bathe Sawyer Jackson and read him a bedtime story before Abel Lee comes into the house.

  “Is everything okay?” I watch as he goes to the refrigerator and pulls out a beer.

  “It’s fine. I had to call my old manager and trainer.” He opens his beer and takes a large gulp.

  “Are they comin’ to the weddin’?”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “I assumed you called them about the weddin’, are they comin’?”

  “They’ll try to make it. It’s still some time away, a lot can happen in the next year.” He takes another drink of his beer as he leans against the kitchen counter.

  “Is there something goin’ on that you’re not tellin’ me? I sense something’s wrong.”

  “Savannah Mae.” He runs his hands through his hair. “I’m not sure yet. As soon as I know for sure, I’ll fill you in on everything.”

  “You’re scarin’ me.”

  He pushes off of the counter and closes the space between us. “Don’t be scared.” He cups my face in his hands and kisses me. “I’ll never lie to you, and I will never keep anything from you. I need you to trust me. As soon as I know something, I’ll tell you everything.”

  I nod. “I do trust you. I trust you with my life.”

  Abel Lee

  I kiss Savannah Mae and carry her to bed where I make love to her. I needed to feel her and to be with her. I called my manager and trainer from when I was boxing. Mack and Tony are my most loyal friends. They knew me from early in my boxing career, and they have always looked out for me.

  I briefly told them about the notes and about the picture of one of my boxing contenders that someone sent to Savannah Mae. I don’t know which contender it was, there were so many whom I beat mercilessly. I’m just glad it wasn’t a picture of Tyler “Striker” Greene. He died quickly, and he didn’t make it out of the ring alive. The image of him lying lifeless on the mat still haunts me.

  I couldn’t talk long and I couldn’t go into detail about what’s been going on. I wanted to get everything straight in my head first. I also didn’t want to be on the phone longer than I had to.

  When Savannah Mae is asleep, I go outside and call Mack again.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  I fill him in on the murders and I give him a timeline of the events.

  “You think it has to do with Tyler Greene’s death?”

  “No, not Greene. The photo wasn’t of Greene. The person was on a ventilator. Greene died too soon to need a vent.”

  “Maybe it’s one of Greene’s family members and the person is trying to throw you off by using someone else’s photo.”

  “I never thought of that. I did think that maybe it was someone in Maria’s family.”

  “Maria?”

  “Yeah, my ex-girlfriend. Her sister was at the press conference in Vegas. She was actually one of the reporters.”

  He pauses and I know he’s recalling that day. “How could I forget that? She caused quite a scene.”

  “She sure did.”

  He exhales loudly. “Give me a few days. I’ll get with Tony and we’ll see what we can come up with.”

  “You’ll need to check out Maria and her family.”

  “And Greene’s family. Send me a picture of the person on the vent. Maybe Tony and I can figure out who it is.”

  “I’ll forward it to you. Savannah Mae has the picture stored in the hall closet.”

  “Okay, sounds good. Be careful, Kennedy. If it is Greene’s or Maria’s family, they could be out for blood. Just be careful.”

  “I will. Let me know when you hear something. I’m thinking I should go to the police with this.”

  He pauses and says, “And tell them what? You’re a professional boxer and people might be out to get you or the people you know? Yo
u’ll need more than that.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “Don’t say anything. I’ll be in touch.”

  I quietly walk into the house and scan the photo that was sent to Savannah Mae and email it as an attachment. Mack can then find the photo on the internet and hopefully learn the name of the person. Sadly, I don’t remember his name. Did I beat that many people that I can’t remember all of their names? Was it necessary for me to beat them so badly? I was a good fighter, and I fought to win. Nothing stood in my way. But not once did I ever consider the consequences. I search the internet to see if I can’t find the person in the picture.

  When Greene died as a result of my deadly punches, I felt bad. I still do. He was my next-to-the-last fight. Bobby Grether was my last fight. He’s the one I lost my championship title to. He fought like a champ. I think I held back in that fight. I kept having visions of Greene’s bloody, lifeless body lying on the damn bloody mat.

  I held a grudge against Grether for 10 years. We went to college together and he witnessed what happened between Maria and me. He doesn’t know the entire story; no one does but Maria and me. People just assumed the worst of me after that. That was the last college party I ever went to, and she was my last steady girlfriend up until Savannah Mae.

  I’ve spoken to Maria since then, and I have helped her out as much as I could. Partly because I felt responsible, and partly because of the guilt that consumed me. I wasn’t able to help her in the beginning, but as my boxing career took off, my finances improved. Finally, I had money that I didn’t need to use immediately to pay bills. We made amends, but we never made it public. We talk on occasion, but again, it’s done in private. Her parents, brother, and sister would never understand. Hell, I couldn’t fully comprehend what happened either.

  A sexy, sleepy voice asks, “What are you doin’ up?”

  Closing my laptop I smile. “I was just coming to bed.” Savannah Mae is standing in the dark doorway. Her hair is messy, but she looks incredibly beautiful.

  “Are you workin’?”