My heart slowly calms. I’ve never been so happy to see these guys in my whole life.
“You bastards, you shot me,” one of the guys from college yells.
“Oh, shut up.” Tony says looking over at the guys rolling side to side holding their knees. “You’ll need to save your tears for when you become someone’s bitch in prison,” he says, laughing. Just a few minutes ago I thought Maria and I were going to die. Now, it feels good to laugh at the gunmen lying on the ground in pain. The screen door opens and slams shut. I don’t need to look to know it’s Blake.
I hug Mack, and then Tony. “Thank you.” I don’t say I thought I was a goner. I’ll never admit that to anyone. Blake doesn’t say anything as he storms across the yard over to the injured men. He holds one by their shirt and hits him mercilessly. When there’s no sign of him stopping, we walk over — in slow motion — to put an end to it. I understand his rage towards the guys responsible for harming Maria. I look at the other two, and they are cowering in a fetal position. I get a visual image of them being someone’s prison bitch, and I smile internally.
I feel someone watching me and look and see that Savannah Mae is standing in the kitchen doorway hugging herself. Maria is standing behind her, looking over her shoulder. When I hear sirens I say, “Watch them.”
I turn around and walk to comfort Savannah Mae. She runs out and meets me halfway. I hug her and she hugs me tightly. I can feel the tremors beneath her embrace. “It’s okay, Savannah Mae.”
She buries her face into my neck and cries. Maria screams and I turn around in the direction she is looking. Blake is now beating another one of the injured men. I don’t rush over, they deserve a taste of what they’ve done. Mack and Tony stop him. They aren’t in a hurry either.
“Blake!” Maria yells.
He looks up at her and the anger and hatred on his face are replaced by pain and sadness. He kicks the last man on the ground and whispers something only they can hear, before he walks over to Maria. He opens his arms and she runs into them.
Savannah Mae and I sit quietly for a few minutes. I have to tell her about the baby. I need more time to process everything Maria told me. We’ll need privacy for this conversation, and I need to find the right words to tell her. This wasn’t easy for me to hear, and I know it won’t be easy for Savannah Mae to hear either.
Savannah Mae
The ambulance came and rushed the guys off to the hospital. After several hours, statements, and tears, I think — I hope — we can finally put this nightmare behind us. I’ve listened to the statements of Abel Lee, Maria, Tony, and Mack. I’ve learned that Tony and Mack knew the stalker wasn’t Josh, Maria’s brother, so they put in motion a plan to stalk the stalkers. They thought it was best to not tell Abel Lee, as he might interfere with their plan. Tony and Mack contacted Josh, met him in person, and made him see that Abel Lee wasn’t the one responsible for hurtin’ his sister. They also told him not to contact his sister or answer her calls. I don’t know Tony or Mack, but I do like them. What they have done for Abel Lee makes me glad to know that they were with him durin’ his boxin’ career. I can see they want only what’s best for him, even if it means puttin’ themselves in danger.
I was shocked to learn that they rented the ole Smith house. The house has sat empty for years, and I hadn’t even noticed that someone was livin’ there. We learned they moved in at night, hid their car in the garage, slept in sleepin’ bags, and rarely left the house. When they moved in, they made sure they had enough of everything they would need to last them awhile. They also had a perfect view of my house, the old school, and the only driveway leadin’ up to the Kennedy Mule Hill Farm. All those times I felt I was bein’ watched, I really was. It’s good to know I’m not crazy.
The guys from college framed Maria’s brother to make it seem like he was the stalker. They sent the pictures and the notes and said the girl in the photo was his sister. My mind races with the grand scheme of it all. The guys, all three of them, are disturbed. They killed Megan Rose and Heather Sue to get back at Abel Lee. Their thinkin’ and mindset are deranged. They were obsessed with Maria in college and hated Abel Lee for his success. To carry a grudge for so long seems crazy to me.
When the police leave, we all sit around the table, speechless. I know we are all tryin’ to process what has happened. It’s hard to understand.
Maria says, “It still doesn’t explain where my brother is.” She describes the photos and newspaper clippin’s that were scattered on the table at her brother’s house.
Maria and I make breakfast and the guys talk in the livin’ room. The television news stations are filled with the coverage of the capture of the Rose Farm killers. It’s big news, and I’m more than happy that Abel Lee’s name wasn’t mentioned.
“Well, I guess we can head home now,” Blake says. “We also need to find out where Josh is.”
Marie’s phone rings and she leaves the room to answer it. We can hear laughin’ comin’ from the other room. After several minutes Blake stands and joins her. When they come back into the dinin’ room, they are both smilin’.
“Mystery solved,” Maria giggles.
“You found Josh?” Abel Lee asks.
“He’s in Vegas.”
Abel Lee looks at her. “What?”
“He got married,” she giggles.
Abel Lee lines his brows in confusion. “That doesn’t explain the newspaper articles, or the pictures left on his table.”
Blake and Maria take their seats. “He said after talking to Mack and Tony, he realized his anger was ridiculous and he was cleaning everything out to discard it. That’s when his girlfriend called and asked him to go to Vegas.”
Blake asks, “To get married?”
“No, but it happened as a result of them being there.”
Maria tells us that her parents rushed off and got married in Las Vegas when they were twenty-four. It seems to be acceptable in her family. I guess what they say about what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas isn’t correct. A marriage certainly follows you home. I’m glad everything worked out, but I feel sad. I’ve just met Maria and I like her. “Will you be headin’ home in a day or two?”
“Yes, today maybe,” Blake says.
“Us, too,” Tony says.
“You’ll be back for the wedding?” Abel Lee asks Tony and Mack.
“I highly doubt it. We’ll be training the next fighting champion.”
I look at Maria and Blake. “You guys will come, won’t you?” It’s a silly question, since we don’t have any idea when it is.
“I don’t know. If we’re available, we can,” Maria says.
“I understand. I know we just met, but, I really took a likin’ to you both. I can see what Abel Lee saw in you.”
“Thank you.” Maria stands to hug me.
Abel Lee clears his throat. “If you can plan a wedding in a few days, we can get married while everyone’s here.”
I turn around and look at ’im. “But we have the grand openin’ of the old schoolhouse next weekend .”
“Who’s to say we can’t do both? It’ll be a week apart. I don’t think one will interfere with the other.”
A million things run through my head. Can I prepare for a weddin’ in such a short amount of time?
Abel Lee says, “Maria, you used to be good at planning things and organization.”
She looks at Abel Lee and smiles. “Used to be? I still am. I planned my own wedding in seventeen days.”
“Can you help plan a wedding in five days?”
“Is money an issue?” she asks.
“No.”
She smiles. “Then yes, I can plan a wedding in a few days.”
I look at Mack and Tony. “Can you stay long enough for the weddin’? It doesn’t seem right to have it without you both here.”
“Savannah Mae, we wouldn’t miss it.”
Maria claps her hands. “First thing we need is a marriage license.”
I smile and I get butterfli
es in my belly. “We’re really doin’ this?”
Abel Lee stands to hug me. “We are.”
Blake and Maria leave to check into a hotel. Blake is excited to resume his honeymoon in private. With the killers and the stalkers behind bars, there’s no need for us all to stay in the same house. Mack and Tony also leave to check into a hotel. We make plans to meet up for dinner in Zanesville, since that’s where everyone will be stayin’.
Abel Lee and I shower and go to his momma and Pops’ house to get Sawyer Jackson and to tell them about the updated weddin’ plans. I’m excited and nervous about the weddin’. I love Abel Lee and I’m meant to be with him. I’d marry him today if I could. It’s marryin’ him in front of a crowd of people that scares me. His momma and Pops are just as excited as we are. Even Sawyer Jackson is excited.
We have sweet tea and talk over everything that’s happened since yesterday while Sawyer Jackson plays in the other room. They are shocked and relieved that it’s over. Nelly hugs Abel Lee and you can see the relief on her face. To know that her son was drugged and then stalked by college students has been tough on her. I thought she was gonna say something about if he’d stayed in Rose Farm, this never would have happened, but she doesn’t. He doesn’t need the guilt of hearin’ that.
We talked about gettin’ married on the Kennedy Mule Hill Farm, and we also talked about gettin’ married on the property that Abel Lee bought to build our house on. But we decide gettin’ married at the church will require a lot less work and preparation. It’ll take more time than we have to prepare the land for our weddin’. We anticipate mostly the people from Rose Farm will be in attendance, so it’ll be mostly friends and family.
We take Sawyer Jackson with us to get our marriage license. We also call Pastor Jenson about gettin’ married in the church. We need to make sure he’ll be available for the ceremony and he is. We have dinner with everyone before we head home for the night.
The next mornin’ the old school is ready for the grand openin’ scheduled for next week. The only workers there workin’ now are the furniture makers. The playground is finished and we are just waitin’ for the grand openin’. Last night at dinner, Abel Lee and I got our list together of the people we wanted at the weddin’. I wasn’t surprised by his list, and he wasn’t surprised by mine. There was quite a lot of overlap.
Maria comes over to the house with Blake ready to get started with the weddin’ plans and details. Samantha Marie, Mia, Mom, Daddy, Levi, Harley, Mack, Tony, and Abel’s momma and Pops are also there. Maria gives Abel Lee a list of demands and he reads them off silently. He looks up at Maria with a raised brow, but remains silent. “You want all of this done today?”
“Before noon,” Maria says. Abel Lee starts to say something and she laughs. “Just kidding about the noon part, but it all needs to be done today.”
“Okay, we better get going then.” All of the guys stand to leave.
“Wait! Credit card,” Maria says.
Before I can say anything, Abel Lee reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. “Here, take this one.” He hands her a black credit card. I laugh to myself. Abel Lee knows I’ll hold back on spendin’ his money, and I don’t have enough of my own money to spend on this weddin’.
“Oh, the black one,” she teases.
Abel Lee kisses me and tells me to have fun before the guys all leave. She laughs and also holds out our list. “You ready to get started?”
I hold my hands to my belly because of nerves. “I am.”
“Good, we have a 9:00 a.m. appointment, let’s go.”
“Appointment for what?”
“A dress fitting.”
Abel Lee
We take two cars and start with the first thing on the list. We arrive to get fitted for our tuxedos first. I’ve asked my brother to be my best man, and I’ve also asked Tony and Mack to be my groomsmen. They’ve been with me for most of my adult life, and I want them with me for the most important day of my life. Marrying Savannah Mae trumps everything else in my life, even winning the championship fight.
We walk into Wades Clothing Store on Maple Avenue; they are expecting us. I should have known that Maria would have contacted them first thing this morning. I think back on the sketch that Savannah Mae made of our wedding day. I don’t recall me wearing any tuxedo. She sketched me wearing a white button-up shirt and Wrangler jeans.
“Do you have something less formal?” I ask.
“We have some really nice suits over there.”
“Something even less formal than that?”
The man looks confused. “Slacks and a dress shirt?”
“I was thinking maybe jeans and a dress shirt.” I look around the room and I don’t see anything but designer clothes.
“I think we have just what you’re looking for in the back,” a man says.
After we make our purchase, the guys leave. There’s no reason for them to hang around with Sawyer Jackson and me. We look over the list again.
1- Get fitted for tuxes at Wade’s Clothing on Maple.
2- Shop for wedding bands. Buy something stunning for your stunning bride. Ask for a female sales clerk when you get there; she’ll be the most helpful.
3- Buy your wife a wedding present. No, not lingerie.
4- Buy your son a wedding present, too.
5- Get you and Sawyer Jackson a haircut.
6- Relax and breathe.
Sawyer Jackson and I go to the jewelry store to pick out our wedding bands. Just like Maria suggested, the female sales clerk was a big help. I bought what Sawyer Jackson and I wanted, but she guided us in the right direction. Next, Sawyer Jackson and I get a haircut. The wedding gift for Savannah Mae is already taken care of, I got it months ago. I’ll have to buy Sawyer Jackson’s gift at a later time when he’s not with me.
Later that night when Sawyer Jackson is asleep, Savannah Mae and I sit on the front porch. She sits on my lap and rests her head on my chest. We are both excited and she’s nervous about the wedding. While I think all I need is for her to show up to be happy, she’s worried about everything being perfect, including the weather. “I just want everything to be perfect.”
“If you’re there, it’ll be beyond amazing.”
“I love you.”
“Oh, Savannah Mae. I’ll always love you.” When we are both quiet for a few minutes, I decide now is a good time to tell her about Maria and the baby. The last few days have been crazy and I never got the chance to tell her. To be honest, I’m not sure how to tell her. Will she be upset? I decide to just say it. “There’s something I need to tell you and there’ll never be a good time to say it.”
She sits up and she looks fearful. “Please don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind about marryin’ me?”
I chuckle and say, “No, never.” I pause and try to collect my thoughts and my words. “I do have something to tell you that may change the way you feel about me.” God, I hope not.
“Abel Lee, you’re scarin’ me.” She sits up even straighter, and watches me.
I tell her about Maria being pregnant at the time of the beating. I tell her about Maria losing the baby and suffering from irreversible damage to her uterus and ovaries. I also tell her that Maria will never be able to carry children because of me. I close my eyes and let the words sink in. It’s been only two days and they sound just as horrible as the day I first heard them. My child. I killed my child. The lump in my throat makes it difficult to breathe and swallow.
“I’m sorry.” She gently and sweetly strokes my face with her small hands. “You didn’t know she was pregnant?”
“No, not until the other day. She told me right before the guys from college showed up.”
“I’m so sorry.” She leans in and hugs me. “You have to know that isn’t your fault. You have to know you’re not responsible for any of it.” I want to believe what she says, but when the life taken was a result of my assault, influenced by drugs or not, it’s still difficult to believe that I’m not respons
ible.
“Abel Lee, does she blame you for what happened?”
She already knows Maria doesn’t. She just wants to hear me say it. “No.”
“Then stop blamin’ yourself. It’s very unfortunate and I hate the things that happened to her. But none of it was or is your fault. You’re not to blame.”
I hold her close to me and cuddle her into my arms. I look at the stars on this clear night and think about where my life is headed, not where it’s been, or what it could have been. I don’t think about the child I lost, but I think about the children I’ll have. I think about the children Savannah Mae and I will have together. “I’m going to be the best dad ever.”
“You already are.”
The next few days we rush around to get everything ready for the wedding. The entire town is buzzing about the wedding of the century. It’s just a small wedding, but because they thought I would never settle down, this wedding’s a big deal. Anyone who knows Savannah Mae shouldn’t be surprised. She’s everything I ever hoped for, all wrapped together into one amazing country girl. I’m lucky that she was still available when I came back home. I hate that Ethan hurt her, but if he hadn’t, she would still be married to him, and I would be admiring her from afar.
I’m surprised and thankful for everything Maria is doing to help Savannah Mae with the wedding plans. Because Maria isn’t from around here, she tells Savannah Mae what she needs, and Savannah Mae tells her where they can get it. I know that trying to prepare a wedding in just a few short days can have its difficulties. I haven’t looked at my credit card balance. I texted Maria and told her to spare no expense and to get everything Savannah Mae wants. I wasn’t surprised when Maria replied, “Don’t worry.”
The night before the wedding, the girls in the wedding party are all staying at Savannah Mae’s small house, and Sawyer Jackson and I will be staying at Momma and Pops’ house with Levi and Harley. There will be no seeing the bride before the wedding, according to strict rules from every woman in Rose Farm and in my family, as well as quite possibly every woman in the entire world. I guess this custom is to give the bride a chance to run away if she wants to. Right? Or maybe it’s to prevent having the honeymoon before the wedding, especially in earlier days. I don’t see her, but no one said I couldn’t text her.
Rose Farm Trilogy Boxset Page 43