“Jackson,” Rebecca whimpered, her body slowly going limp.
“Your time’s up, son,” my dad snarled. “I’m about to show this bitch what a real man can do.” He groped her breast as she winced and slid farther down. “You got any last words, boy?” he hissed.
“Yeah. I got three.” I smoldered with rage as I reached behind my back for the gun. “Die, you bastard!” I shouted. I aimed at his head and fired, just as Rebecca dropped to the ground.
Epilogue
Rebecca
Wednesday, May 8, 2002 ~ A Miracle
I never thought I’d see my life flash before my eyes. But two years ago, in an oak grove not too far from home, it did.
An evil man, a cruel man, a man filled with bitterness and anger and hatred almost took my life. A man without a soul, who stunk of body odor and cigarettes, whose rough, calloused hands bruised me, and whose harsh, foul words tortured me.
I remember waking up in a van, and I remember screaming and crying and fighting for my life while he beat me, gagged me, and tied my hands. I truly believed I was going to die that day. Those last few moments were the worst, because as he groped me, memories of the rape flooded my mind like a raging storm. But hearing Jackson’s voice, seeing him and knowing he was there to rescue me, knowing he would risk his life to save me, it renewed my strength to fight and gave me the will to survive.
As soon as I saw Jackson nod, I knew he was ready to end Frank’s life, so I put mine in his hands too. I forced myself to shut out everything I felt, everything I heard, everything I saw and smelled, and allow my body to go limp. Then I heard the shot. And I felt Frank fall. I think we hit the ground simultaneously. And that is all I remember. According to Jackson, I passed out.
When I came to, Jackson and Uncle Max were hovering over me, calling my name. I remember my head felt like it was about to explode. And my nose… Oh, God. My entire face throbbed so much it made me nauseous. I remember sitting up and seeing a swirl of colors, blue lights, red lights, yellow tape, and dark blue and black uniforms. And I remember the muffled noises of sirens and radios and voices. There were so many police cars, so many people all around the oak grove. But no Frank. They’d already carried him away in an ambulance. He was pronounced dead on the scene. But this time, there was no faking it.
I remember Jackson holding my head and giving me a cool drink of water, and I remember looking into his eyes. Before, I’d seen them glisten with anger, twinkle with humor, and cloud with passion. But I’d never seen them as they were that day, swimming in tears of gratefulness and relief.
A few weeks after that, once things settled down and I recovered from my broken nose, black eyes, and other injuries, and taken enough Xanax to knock an elephant to his knees, we had an engagement party at Steaming Hotties. It was a great celebration, complete with a low-country boil catered by The Boathouse, thanks to Andrew, and non-stop music. The best of the eighties, of course, played by DJ Dr. Spin-Ya-Later.
The place was packed with all our friends and family, and even a few nice surprises. Phil made sure everyone got enough food to eat, while his new friend, Mark, bartended and kept everyone fully hydrated. Andrew had to come to their rescue when Mrs. Daisy cornered them both, asking which side their bread was buttered on. Thankfully, it didn’t offend the two love birds. They just laughed it off and chalked it up to her being old as a fossil.
It was great seeing everyone so happy after all the madness. The evening was filled with nothing but love and laughter and well-wishes. And best of all, my momma, the protective mother bear, no longer protested my relationship with Jackson. Rightfully so, with him risking his life to rescue me and all. She hugged him so tight, she about choked him. More than a time of celebration, it was definitely a time of healing.
A couple of days after our engagement party, we ended up taking that trip to New York. We even talked Mrs. Ruby into coming along. Of course, that wasn’t too difficult. When it came to Savannah, she’d rather set her hair on fire than be separated from her great-grandbaby. We made Savannah an appointment with the wonderful Dr. Bagley, and he performed her operation almost immediately. It was a complete success, thank the Lord! He was able to sew the hole closed without even using a patch. He said everything looked beautiful and felt certain she wouldn’t have any complications down the road. Coming from Dr. Bagley, that was as good as a guarantee. He’d been a heart surgeon for decades and was the best of the best. We were delighted with the news, and even happier when Savannah woke up smiling, asking for ice cream.
As if we weren’t already on cloud nine, Mrs. Darlene flew in on her angel wings and wrote a check to cover Savannah’s expenses. That was an answered prayer, because an arm and a leg wouldn’t even cover what open-heart surgery costs. She said it was the least she could do for somebody who took the time to reconnect families. What can I say, she loved me more than a cat loves fish.
It was difficult to wrap my head around how fast life was happening, but that only made me want to marry Jackson even more. So while we were in New York taking care of Savannah, who bounced back quicker than a frog catches flies, I hurried and tied up my loose ends, resigned from my position at CHONY, and packed all my precious possessions. Jackson paid up my lease and arranged for my furniture to be moved to Florida. Then we began planning for our wedding. I didn’t even lose my mind. I won’t deny taking a few Xanax, but a girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do.
Our wedding turned out ab-so-lute-ly perfect. Emotions were flowing like a river that day. My sweet daddy cried as he gave me away. I’ll never forget that moment for as long as I live. Then when Jackson and I said our vows, I saw my entire life change. My dreams were finally coming true.
Things are now as close to normal for us as they can be, I suppose. Jackson’s business is booming, Savannah’s about to start preschool, and Mrs. Ruby keeps busy making jams and jellies and working in her flower garden. She stays with us most of the time now. Jackson added on to the house so she has her own room and bathroom. He even built her a private porch for reading her Bible and watching the sunrise. She wasn’t ready to completely move in, though. Too many memories in the old house to walk away from, she said.
She couldn’t bear to leave her Jack. Apparently, she talked to him quite frequently now. She finally told us why she gave Jackson the deed to her house back when he turned eighteen. Mr. Jack had hidden a bunch of money in the walls, close to two-hundred-thousand dollars, and he wanted to make sure Jackson got it. According to Mrs. Ruby, Mr. Jack had told her it was time to let him have it, so we took the money to the bank and opened Savannah a savings account for college. Now Mrs. Ruby was determined to live long enough to see Savannah get her degree. That meant she’d have to make it to a hundred-and-five. Some may call living that long a miracle. But I believe in miracles, and I believe she can do it. If it’s the Lord’s will, anything’s possible.
As for me, I was more of a stay-at-home-mom, although I did help Aunt Sharon and Mrs. Darlene with one of their projects. On Thursday nights, I was the key speaker at Rise Above, a women’s recovery group for victims of rape and other physical and emotional abuse. I believe it brought me as much healing as it did our members. Never in a million years would I have imagined my testimony would impact so many women. I’m talking about hundreds. I thought about going back to work in NICU, but I enjoyed ministering at Rise Above and being a wife and momma so much that my heart didn’t want to do anything else. God knew what He was doing when He brought me back to Florida and gave me an instant family. I needed our little family as much as they needed me. There ain’t a doubt in my mind the good Lord had a plan. For all of us.
“Mommy?” Savannah ran out the door and let it slam behind her. Then she climbed onto my lap before I even had a chance to stand. “Mommy!” She giggled and threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. “We’re ready for you!”
“You are?” I grinned.
“Yes!” She kissed me all over my face. “I want you to come inside now.” Her e
yes twinkled with excitement.
“Okay! I can’t wait to see what you’ve done!”
Savannah slid off my lap and took my hand, leading me inside. As we walked through the door, she turned around and gently patted me on the stomach. “This is a surprise, Mommy,” she whispered.
I chuckled. “Yes, baby. It’s going to be a wonderful surprise.”
She took me by the hand again. “Close your eyes.”
“Okay, but don’t let me run into anything.”
She giggled. “I won’t, Mommy.” A few steps later, we stopped. “You can look now, Mommy!” she squealed gleefully.
I opened my eyes to a kitchen full of family and friends.
“Happy Birthday!” everyone shouted.
Even though I had expected a party, I was shocked by the crowd. My parents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins (including Cricket), my grandparents, my brother, Mrs. Ruby, Katie, Andrew, and even the Doolittle sisters and their sweethearts—Dr. Bagley, Dr. Steve, and Big Al—had all come to celebrate my thirtieth birthday. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn’t prevent my eyes from leaking happy tears.
Grinning, Jackson crossed the room toward me. “Aww, look at you, you softy.” He cupped my face and wiped my cheeks with his thumbs, then kissed me on the lips. “Happy birthday, my love. Are you surprised?”
I nodded and smiled. “Yes.” I swallowed, struggling to find my voice. “You don’t know how much this means to me.” I licked my lips and breathed in deeply. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He pulled me close and held me tight. “No,” he whispered in my ear. “Thank you. For being a wonderful wife and a terrific mother. For making us a real family. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Rebecca.” He kissed me on the forehead and stroked my cheek, like he had done so many times before. “I couldn’t ask for a better life. Nothing could make me happier than I am right now.”
Tears spilled from my eyes as Jackson’s words touched the deepest part of my heart. I held him close for the longest time. Then I felt a tug at my shirt.
“Mommy? Look! Your candles are burning. We have to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ now!”
Savannah yanked at my hand and pulled me over to the table where a large birthday cake covered with pink and purple roses and thirty lit candles was about to set off the fire alarm. I chuckled at the sight. Everyone quickly sang and then clapped as I bent over and blew out the raging fire, saving everyone’s life.
Looking at all the smiling faces of the ones who meant the most to me, my heart nearly burst with love and appreciation. I was fortunate to have these wonderful people in my life. My family, my friends, my blessings. That was what they were. And there would never be anything better.
“Make a wish, Mommy! Make a wish!”
I smiled and blinked away my tears the best I could before I reached down and picked up my daughter. I propped her on my hip and kissed her button nose. “I don’t need to make a wish, Princess. I made my birthday wish a long time ago. And you know what? It has already come true.”
“What did you wish for, Mommy?”
I smiled as I looked into my daughter’s eyes. “I’m about to tell everyone, sweet girl,” I whispered. I took Jackson by the hand and looked around the room at everyone. “I’m so happy you’re all here. A few years ago, on my eighteenth birthday, Jackson and I were lying under an old oak tree...” I grinned at my husband.
“I remember,” he said, smiling back at me.
I squeezed his hand and took a breath. “That day, I wished on a star I couldn’t see. I wished one day we’d be married, have a home and a family, and make wonderful memories together, just like this.” I felt my eyes water again. “I wished on that unseen star with all my heart. And today, I want everyone to know wishes do come true because I have my wish right here.”
“Aww, honey.” Jackson squeezed my hand and kissed me on the cheek. “Our love is forever,” he whispered.
Suddenly, the past flashed through my mind, and I had a pretty intense realization of how each event, each chapter, each miracle, related to the next. Like stepping stones, they’d charted the course of our lives and brought us back together. Even when we were apart, when we were at our lowest, those were critical times, necessary links to the whole story. Our story. The story of our love. The story of us.
They say for love to last, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be true. There’s not a doubt in my mind our love was true. I loved Jackson with everything in me. Despite the years we had spent apart, or maybe because of them, I cherished him now more than I ever thought possible.
I thought of Mrs. Ruby and one of her favorite Bible verses—Psalm 120:1—“I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer.” I wondered how many times she’d prayed for Jackson and me. And I wondered how many of her prayers God had answered, how many miracles He had performed. At least one, I knew, for certain.
I glanced over at her. She was smiling at me and nodding her head as if she could read my mind. She knew, I thought. She already knew. A miracle had brought Jackson and me back together, a miracle had kept us alive, a miracle had allowed us to become a family, and a miracle was growing inside me.
My lips curled into a smile as tears stung my eyes. Thank you, Mrs. Ruby, I thought. Thank you for your prayers and your unwavering faith. Then I turned my head back to meet Jackson’s gaze.
“I love you so much,” I whispered.
“I love you too, baby,” he said softly.
“You said nothing could make you happier than you are right now?”
“That’s right.” He pulled me close. “Nothing.”
“I bet I can make you even happier.” I grinned so widely, my cheeks hurt. “Oh, Jackson,” I cried out with tears of joy, “I’m pregnant!”
Acknowledgments
This story is the result of the love and support of many wonderful people. I would like to thank the following friends and family who helped me along the way.
A gargantuan thanks to Sharon Miller, my best girlfriend since kindergarten, for proofing and helping me dig up childhood memories. The texts and phone calls we shared were so much fun, especially when we were discussing the plot. Your excitement and encouragement kept me going, and I thank you a gazillion times for believing in me. I can’t wait to do it all again. You’re the sister I never had but always wanted, and I love you with every fiber in me.
I want to thank Tina Powers, my Lowcountry soul sister, for proofing and offering suggestions when I was close to pulling out my hair. I am so glad we met, and I am forever thankful that we will always be connected by our beloved DBF. You’re the bee’s knees, Tina. Thank you for your kindness and true friendship. I love you forever.
A very special thanks to Gala McDonald, my forever sis-turd (inside joke), for proofing and helping me edit along the way. You opened my eyes to so many details I overlooked. Thank you for all the recommendations that helped make the story better and for assisting me with the title. Your support and enthusiasm inspired me more than you’ll ever know. I love you dearly, and I’m grateful to have you on my team.
Many thanks to Amy Briggs and Stephie Walls for your editing and proofing wisdom, to Debra Presley and Drue Hoffman with Buoni Amici Press for the great PR support, and to Marisa Wesley with Cover Me Darling for an amazing cover.
Finally, I want to thank my family—Scott, Chase, Hannah, and Emily—for their unwavering support and encouragement. It can’t be easy living with someone who stays glued to a computer half the time, trying to write great stories and make her dreams of becoming a real author come true. At least I’m showing you that it’s never too late and you’re never too old to chase your dreams. I thank you, my precious family, from the bottom of my heart for believing in me, for loving me, and for cheering me on. I know you’ll always be my biggest fans. Y’all are my entire world, and I love you more than anything. My darling husband, Scott, thank you for being the man of my dreams. You are my rock, my happiness, my
today and tomorrow, my everything. Our love is forever. xoxo
About the Author
Shannon Davis grew up in Northwest Florida where she developed a love of writing as a young girl, keeping countless diaries and notebooks filled with short stories. After college, she followed her love of mathematics and became a high school math teacher. She retired from the classroom after nearly three decades to pursue her lifelong dream of writing.
A military wife and mother of three college-aged children, she and her husband reside in Georgia with their three dogs and four cats. When she is not writing, Shannon enjoys traveling, baking, and outdoor activities. An avid reader of women’s fiction and love stories, she is a sucker for happy endings. Her love of the south coupled with romance is evident in her debut novel, Worth the Risk.
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www.ShannonDavisAuthor.com
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