Beth sat at lunch with Judy and Doris, her two closest friends. Usually, Rosie sat with Rafe and Danny, but with all that's been going on, Rosie was sitting alone. Judy and Doris were going on about something, but Beth wasn't listening. "Beth, are you with us?" Doris asked.
Beth looked at them startled, "Yeah, I'm just gonna go see if Rosie wants to sit with us." Beth walked over and found Rosie reading a book, "Hey Rosie, wanna come sit with me and the girls?"
"I'm fine." Rosie looked up and offered a weak smile.
"You don't look fine. Look, I can see Rafe staring at you." Beth looked up and sure enough Rafe's eyes were fixated on Rosie, "Danny's practically restraining him. So, come on, come sit with us. We don't bite." Beth grabbed her arm, "C'mon." Beth took a seat, and sat Rosie next to her, "Judy, Doris, you know Rosie."
"Hi." They said in unison, Judy and Doris didn't know Rosie all that well.
"Hey." Rosie replied shyly.
"I don't know if this is a sore spot for you, but are you still datin' Rafe McCawley?" Doris asked.
"You don't have to answer that if you don't want to." Beth smiled kindly.
"I'm not allowed to, but I am, technically." Rosie replied quietly.
"You are one lucky girl…" Judy sighed, "Rafe is one of them guys, you want to date, but your parents wouldn't look to kindly on you dating."
"What would you call Danny then?" Beth asked.
"You're the only girl who can get away with dating a boy like that…" Doris sighed, "Me and Judy get stuck with those jock boys."
"Not that were complain'." Judy interjected, smiling.
"But we would like to thank you for sockin' Bobby, he needed that." Doris laughed.
"You'll have to excuse them Rosie, their a little boy crazy." Beth smiled; it was obvious she wasn't really herself around these girls.
"It was nice talkin' to you Rosie." Jody smiled, "Doris and I are gonna go talk to David and Adam."
"Bye girls." Beth smiled, "They're a little out there, huh?"
"They don't know about you and Danny?" Rosie asked peeling the orange she had brought with her.
"That we're getting married?" Beth laughed, "No."
"Why not? I thought they were your best friends?" Rosie asked, interested.
"Have you ever had friends you had because you had to have them? Doris's father is my father's assistant and Judy parents go way back with my father. Its like I have to be." Beth let out a laugh, "They don't know a lot about me and Danny." Beth explained, "It sounds like a horrible thing, I know."
"Well, yeah. I've never been in that situation. Do they like Danny?"
"I don't know. I don't particularly care. Danny and I have doubled dated with them and their boyfriends, but they've never talked to him. They don't know what a sweetheart he is; all they know is his father was a drunk. They know about my mom, but they're only nice to me, because my fathers been the mayor for 15 years." Beth sighed, "Its all fake and stupid. I know."
"Hey." Danny sat down, and was careful not to show Beth too much affection, he wasn't sure if it would make Rosie uncomfortable. "Rosie, Rafe sent you a note."
Rosie took the paper and looked behind her at Rafe, who was staring at her, with a lost look on his face. "Oh."
"He looks so heartbroken." Beth commented.
"He is." Danny whispered.
Rosie opened the letter, and saw Rafe's familiar chicken scratch.
Rosie,
I miss you so much. I just need you to know; I really, really love you. I just wanted to ask you if I could have dinner with you, anything, breakfast or brunch. I don't care. We don't have to be in public, I'm sure Beth would let us have dinner at her house. You can ask her, and tell Danny and he'll tell me. Please, I need to see you.
Rafe
"Does anyone have a pen?" Rosie asked, wiping tears from her eyes.
Beth gave her one, and looked at Danny, "How romantic! How come you don't give me notes?"
"Honey." He sat down behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder, "I'm allowed to talk to you, it wont get me jail time," he whispered.
"Beth, is your father not home anytime this week?" Rosie asked, looking up from what she was writing.
"He wont be on Wednesday, tomorrow." Beth replied, "Why?"
"Do you think Rafe and I could get together at your house that night?" Rosie asked quietly.
Beth smiled, "Of course."
Rosie folded the piece of paper and handed it to Danny, "Can you give this to Rafe, please?"
Danny took the paper and kissed Beth on the cheek, "Of course, I'll see you later Walker." He laughed at his new name for Beth.
"Funny." Beth laughed, "How romantic! How Romeo and Julietish."
"Except, I don't think we'll be killin' ourselves anytime soon in the name of love." Rosie replied.
"Stranger things have happened." Beth laughed as the bell rang, "What's your next class?"
"Biology with Rafe." Rosie groaned.
"Don't moan and groan Rosie, you know you're excited." Beth nudged her.
Rosie watched as Beth walked by the table of jocks, including Bobby and Johnny, they all watched her walk by, "How do you deal with that?"
"Deal with what?" Beth had no idea what she was talking about.
"Everyone staring at you." Rosie replied, "It would give me the willies."
"Oh them." Beth replied with a bitter look on her face, "I don't pay attention. And don't go tryin to change the subject, you like biology with Rafe."
"I do, but it's uncomfortable." Rosie admitted stopping at the classroom, inside, she could see Rafe, "He's in there."
"He knows the rules right?" Beth said, "You'll be fine, just think about tomorrow night." She squeezed her friends arm, "You'll be ok."
Beth waited impatiently for Danny, finally he showed up with Rafe in tow. "Thanks for comin'."
Rafe walked over, and pulled Beth into a platonic hug, "I'm sorry about that night at Huddy's and I just wanted to say thanks for lettin' me and Rosie go to your house. It means a lot."
"No problem Rafe, whatever I can do." Beth smiled.
Danny walked in breaking them up, "You can get yours tomorrow, not with my wife on the school steps."
"He seems to think we're already married…" Beth laughed, kissing Danny.
"Y'all sure do act like it, well I have a ton of chores, so I'll talk to you later." Rafe smiled sheepishly, and walked away.
"So Walker, what are up to this fine Tuesday afternoon?" Danny grabbed Beth's hand.
"We're goin' dress shoppin'." Beth squealed.
"Dress shopping? You think people will get the tiniest bit suspicious when we're cartin around a huge wedding dress around town?"
"I'm not that stupid, I'm not the first female valedictorian for anything, it's a simple dress, a sun dress. I have other white dresses, but I don't want to get married in any old thing. I just need an excuse to buy you a suit, and we're set!" Beth explained.
"You don't need to buy me a suit Beth." Danny said embarrassed.
"Look Danny, I know and you know, you can't afford one, and I can, so I am. You can pay me back." Beth sighed, and squeezed his hand. "Don't worry."
"I'm not, I just feel bad." Danny mumbled.
"Don't, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine." Beth smiled, stopping in front of the most expensive dress shop in town. "Ok, here are my rules, don't pay attention to price, and tell me what you like."
After about an hour, Beth had found "The Dress" and "The Shoes" and "The Pearls". Now they were working on Danny's suit. "Just pick a color, blue or black?"
"Blue." Danny answered, not putting much thought into it.
"How bout black with a blue silk shirt?" Beth held up the clothes.
"How bout you pick?" Danny snapped.
Beth dropped the shirts, "How bout we stop shopping and you can get married in any ole thing?" Beth whispered fiercely.
"How bout this, how bout I walk out of here, and we can forget the whole thing?" Danny retorted, but when he saw the tears well up in Beth's eyes, he immediately regretted his words, "I didn't mean that Beth."
"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't." Beth wiped tears away and stood up, "Maybe this was too soon, I just got excited and rushed you. But I got a nice dress out of the deal."
Danny rushed over and pulled her into a tight hug, "No…I want nothin' more than for you to be my wife. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't mean it. And you aren't rushing me, I'm just overwhelmed, with all this Rafe and Rosie business, don't be mad."
"Are you sure?" Beth looked up, a lone tear running down her cheek.
Danny wiped it away, "I'm so sure. I love you Walker."
"I love you." Beth smiled, and looked around, thankful that no one in the store had seen their scene. "I just need to pay for this…" Beth pulled out her wallet, and carried her stuff to the counter.
Once they were outside of the store, Danny took her bags, and whispered, "I didn't need a new suit anyway."
Rosie walked in her house to find her dad waiting by the door reading the paper. He watched her walk right past him and up the stairs.
"Right on time Rosie." Her father commented, causing Rosie to turn around.
"Of course!" Rosie answered curtly, "I'm goin' to my room."
"Hold it right there Missy." Her father stopped her.
"What?" Rosie rolled her eyes.
"Now is not the smartest time to get fresh with me Rosanna. Did you talk to Rafe today?" her father rolled up his paper, and tucked it under his arm, meeting Rosie on the stairs.
"No."
"Danny?"
"Yes, he's Beth's boyfriend. I sat with Beth at lunch, and Danny came over to talk."
"Doesn't Beth sit with Rafe?"
"No, Beth sits with Judy Hopper and Doris Plath." Rosie was getting sick of the interrogation.
"Just checkin'." Her father replied, "You know you might hate me for this now, but down the road, you'll be thankful, in a weird way, you will be."
"I'm sure I will be…" Rosie replied snottily, "Can I just be alone now?"
"Yeah, but you can loose that attitude real directly. I'm doin' you a favor…"
"You said that already."
Rosie stumped up toward her bedroom and threw herself onto her bed letting out an exasperated groan. She reached under her mattress and produced her most prized possession. A beautiful Smith and Wesson shot gun. She tucked it under her arm pulled a hand full or bullets from her dresser draw and raced down the stairs and out he front door
"I'll be back daddy."
Rosie cut across the center of town and headed toward the rural area of Shelby.
"Was that Rosie?" Danny turned to Beth as they sat on the McCawley's porch
"It looked like her, did she have a gun?" Beth turned a worried face to her fiancé.
"Yeah she did, Jesus Christ." Danny yelled as he heard the gunfire from some where in the woods.
"Rosie!!!" Beth shrieked and her and Danny ran to find Rosie. "Please god let her be okay. She wouldn't hurt herself would she Danny?"
"I don't know, nothing that girl does surprises me." Danny's pace quickened as he spoke, Rafe would die if anything happened to Rosie. He'd loose his two best friends in one fail swoop.
When they found Rosie she was laying in the fetal position on the ground and for a brief second they thought for sure she was dead. As they got closer they realized she wasn't even bleeding, the gun lay long since forgotten on a nearby rock and Rosie was simply lying on the ground crying.
"Rosie what's the matter Hun?" Beth dropped to her knees beside her friend and put a tender hand on Rosie's shoulder.
"I can't take this anymore. I came out to do some shooting, it always cheers me up, but it didn't because I usually have Rafe with me when I do it." Rosie whimpered sitting up and balancing her head on her elbow
Danny breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Rosie into a hug, and Beth wrapped her arms around both of them.
"We thought you were gonna shoot yourself." Beth told her seriously.
"No way then I wouldn't be able to have dinner at your house tomorrow." Rosie responded her words muffled by Danny's chest "Shit." Her head snapped back "If I want to get out tomorrow I've got to get to dad's shop like now."
"We'll walk you." Beth offered as Danny picked up her gun.
"I can carry my shotgun Danny." Rosie tried to read for it and he pulled it away
"No you can't not in the state a mind you're in."
"Keep up the shit Walker and your jaw'll be matching Bobby's"
"Or Johnny's for that matter." Beth added
"Johnny's?" Rosie looked at them questioningly
"You didn't hear about that? Rafe hauled off and punched Johnny in the face yesterday morning."
"I was a little out of it yesterday, I didn't hear much about anything. Why in the hell would he go and do somethin so stupid? Is he trying to get suspended in our last week of school?"
Danny stopped short and looked straight into Rosie's eyes
"He did it because he's uncontrollably in love with you Rosanna Gadry."
Rosie felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Why did Danny have to say things like that? It was the best way to rub salt in the ever-deepening wounds.
"I don't see how that makes sense." Rosie averted her eyes to the ground
"Johnny made some rude comment about taking care of you for Rafe, Rosie." Beth sensed the tension and tried to clarify the situation so the subject could quickly be forgotten.
"Rafe is always been the jealous type ain't hey." Rosie smirked as the approached her father gas station and garage.
"Hey Rosie you workin' tonight?" One the guys that worked for her father asked her stepping out of the shop
"Yeah Noland, is my dad around?" Rosie pulled a pair of cover calls over her clothes
"He's in the back, want me ta get 'im for ya?"
"No thanks." Rosie walked back over to Beth and Danny, "You guys can go now I'm here. I promise not hang myself with jumper cables while you gone."
"Not funny Rosie." Beth crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes
"I was kidding." Rosie threw up her hands, "Look I have to get to work, leave now before I have to call my uncle."
Rosie was sitting on a chair just inside the shop when the gas pump bell rang. She hopped from her seat and went to wait on the costumer.
"Hey darlin'." Rafe greeted her trying to step out of his father's truck.
"Do you have a death wish McCawley?" Rosie pushed him back into the cab of the pick up. "My father will blow a gasket if he sees you."
"I need gas, my dad's driving over to Nashville tonight."
"My dad's a gun possessing mentally unstable lunatic, so you show up at his shop."
"Rosie do you need help out there?" Her father yelled out from them garage
"No I got it Daddy." She turned back to Rafe "Fill it you said sir?" She put the nozzle in the tank
"Ro, I had to see you."
"You're going to see me tomorrow. Check your oil sir?" Rosie walked around to the front of the truck and popped the hood.
"I couldn't wait that long."
"I heard you clobbered Johnny Porter yesterday."
Rafe smiled cockily
"Get him damn good to."
"That'll be $5"
Rafe handed her a ten and she pulled the change from her pocket. After making sure the coast is clear so stuck her head in Rafe's window and kissed his cheek
"Whoa, whoa, one on the lips." He smiled as she backed away
"You're trying to get are arrested aren't you?" She leaned back in and her lips brushed Rafe's.
"I love you Rafe McCawley."
"Not as much as I love you Rosanna Gadry." Rafe turned the key and started the truck "I'll you at school tomorrow?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, now get goin'."
After Rafe was out of sight Rosie walked into the garage
"That wasn't Rafe was it?" Her father asked
"No daddy it was Mr. Copperwell you know how long it takes him to pay." Rosie lied
"Just as long as it wasn't the god awful McCawley boy."
"It wasn't dad don't worry." Rosie hopped up on the counter and fingered her locket. It was right Rosie Gadry and Rafe McCawley would be together forever, come hell or high water, they'd find a way.
Beth looked at them startled, "Yeah, I'm just gonna go see if Rosie wants to sit with us." Beth walked over and found Rosie reading a book, "Hey Rosie, wanna come sit with me and the girls?"
"I'm fine." Rosie looked up and offered a weak smile.
"You don't look fine. Look, I can see Rafe staring at you." Beth looked up and sure enough Rafe's eyes were fixated on Rosie, "Danny's practically restraining him. So, come on, come sit with us. We don't bite." Beth grabbed her arm, "C'mon." Beth took a seat, and sat Rosie next to her, "Judy, Doris, you know Rosie."
"Hi." They said in unison, Judy and Doris didn't know Rosie all that well.
"Hey." Rosie replied shyly.
"I don't know if this is a sore spot for you, but are you still datin' Rafe McCawley?" Doris asked.
"You don't have to answer that if you don't want to." Beth smiled kindly.
"I'm not allowed to, but I am, technically." Rosie replied quietly.
"You are one lucky girl…" Judy sighed, "Rafe is one of them guys, you want to date, but your parents wouldn't look to kindly on you dating."
"What would you call Danny then?" Beth asked.
"You're the only girl who can get away with dating a boy like that…" Doris sighed, "Me and Judy get stuck with those jock boys."
"Not that were complain'." Judy interjected, smiling.
"But we would like to thank you for sockin' Bobby, he needed that." Doris laughed.
"You'll have to excuse them Rosie, their a little boy crazy." Beth smiled; it was obvious she wasn't really herself around these girls.
"It was nice talkin' to you Rosie." Jody smiled, "Doris and I are gonna go talk to David and Adam."
"Bye girls." Beth smiled, "They're a little out there, huh?"
"They don't know about you and Danny?" Rosie asked peeling the orange she had brought with her.
"That we're getting married?" Beth laughed, "No."
"Why not? I thought they were your best friends?" Rosie asked, interested.
"Have you ever had friends you had because you had to have them? Doris's father is my father's assistant and Judy parents go way back with my father. Its like I have to be." Beth let out a laugh, "They don't know a lot about me and Danny." Beth explained, "It sounds like a horrible thing, I know."
"Well, yeah. I've never been in that situation. Do they like Danny?"
"I don't know. I don't particularly care. Danny and I have doubled dated with them and their boyfriends, but they've never talked to him. They don't know what a sweetheart he is; all they know is his father was a drunk. They know about my mom, but they're only nice to me, because my fathers been the mayor for 15 years." Beth sighed, "Its all fake and stupid. I know."
"Hey." Danny sat down, and was careful not to show Beth too much affection, he wasn't sure if it would make Rosie uncomfortable. "Rosie, Rafe sent you a note."
Rosie took the paper and looked behind her at Rafe, who was staring at her, with a lost look on his face. "Oh."
"He looks so heartbroken." Beth commented.
"He is." Danny whispered.
Rosie opened the letter, and saw Rafe's familiar chicken scratch.
Rosie,
I miss you so much. I just need you to know; I really, really love you. I just wanted to ask you if I could have dinner with you, anything, breakfast or brunch. I don't care. We don't have to be in public, I'm sure Beth would let us have dinner at her house. You can ask her, and tell Danny and he'll tell me. Please, I need to see you.
Rafe
"Does anyone have a pen?" Rosie asked, wiping tears from her eyes.
Beth gave her one, and looked at Danny, "How romantic! How come you don't give me notes?"
"Honey." He sat down behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder, "I'm allowed to talk to you, it wont get me jail time," he whispered.
"Beth, is your father not home anytime this week?" Rosie asked, looking up from what she was writing.
"He wont be on Wednesday, tomorrow." Beth replied, "Why?"
"Do you think Rafe and I could get together at your house that night?" Rosie asked quietly.
Beth smiled, "Of course."
Rosie folded the piece of paper and handed it to Danny, "Can you give this to Rafe, please?"
Danny took the paper and kissed Beth on the cheek, "Of course, I'll see you later Walker." He laughed at his new name for Beth.
"Funny." Beth laughed, "How romantic! How Romeo and Julietish."
"Except, I don't think we'll be killin' ourselves anytime soon in the name of love." Rosie replied.
"Stranger things have happened." Beth laughed as the bell rang, "What's your next class?"
"Biology with Rafe." Rosie groaned.
"Don't moan and groan Rosie, you know you're excited." Beth nudged her.
Rosie watched as Beth walked by the table of jocks, including Bobby and Johnny, they all watched her walk by, "How do you deal with that?"
"Deal with what?" Beth had no idea what she was talking about.
"Everyone staring at you." Rosie replied, "It would give me the willies."
"Oh them." Beth replied with a bitter look on her face, "I don't pay attention. And don't go tryin to change the subject, you like biology with Rafe."
"I do, but it's uncomfortable." Rosie admitted stopping at the classroom, inside, she could see Rafe, "He's in there."
"He knows the rules right?" Beth said, "You'll be fine, just think about tomorrow night." She squeezed her friends arm, "You'll be ok."
Beth waited impatiently for Danny, finally he showed up with Rafe in tow. "Thanks for comin'."
Rafe walked over, and pulled Beth into a platonic hug, "I'm sorry about that night at Huddy's and I just wanted to say thanks for lettin' me and Rosie go to your house. It means a lot."
"No problem Rafe, whatever I can do." Beth smiled.
Danny walked in breaking them up, "You can get yours tomorrow, not with my wife on the school steps."
"He seems to think we're already married…" Beth laughed, kissing Danny.
"Y'all sure do act like it, well I have a ton of chores, so I'll talk to you later." Rafe smiled sheepishly, and walked away.
"So Walker, what are up to this fine Tuesday afternoon?" Danny grabbed Beth's hand.
"We're goin' dress shoppin'." Beth squealed.
"Dress shopping? You think people will get the tiniest bit suspicious when we're cartin around a huge wedding dress around town?"
"I'm not that stupid, I'm not the first female valedictorian for anything, it's a simple dress, a sun dress. I have other white dresses, but I don't want to get married in any old thing. I just need an excuse to buy you a suit, and we're set!" Beth explained.
"You don't need to buy me a suit Beth." Danny said embarrassed.
"Look Danny, I know and you know, you can't afford one, and I can, so I am. You can pay me back." Beth sighed, and squeezed his hand. "Don't worry."
"I'm not, I just feel bad." Danny mumbled.
"Don't, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine." Beth smiled, stopping in front of the most expensive dress shop in town. "Ok, here are my rules, don't pay attention to price, and tell me what you like."
After about an hour, Beth had found "The Dress" and "The Shoes" and "The Pearls". Now they were working on Danny's suit. "Just pick a color, blue or black?"
"Blue." Danny answered, not putting much thought into it.
"How bout black with a blue silk shirt?" Beth held up the clothes.
"How bout you pick?" Danny snapped.
Beth dropped the shirts, "How bout we stop shopping and you can get married in any ole thing?" Beth whispered fiercely.
"How bout this, how bout I walk out of here, and we can forget the whole thing?" Danny retorted, but when he saw the tears well up in Beth's eyes, he immediately regretted his words, "I didn't mean that Beth."
"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't." Beth wiped tears away and stood up, "Maybe this was too soon, I just got excited and rushed you. But I got a nice dress out of the deal."
Danny rushed over and pulled her into a tight hug, "No…I want nothin' more than for you to be my wife. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't mean it. And you aren't rushing me, I'm just overwhelmed, with all this Rafe and Rosie business, don't be mad."
"Are you sure?" Beth looked up, a lone tear running down her cheek.
Danny wiped it away, "I'm so sure. I love you Walker."
"I love you." Beth smiled, and looked around, thankful that no one in the store had seen their scene. "I just need to pay for this…" Beth pulled out her wallet, and carried her stuff to the counter.
Once they were outside of the store, Danny took her bags, and whispered, "I didn't need a new suit anyway."
Rosie walked in her house to find her dad waiting by the door reading the paper. He watched her walk right past him and up the stairs.
"Right on time Rosie." Her father commented, causing Rosie to turn around.
"Of course!" Rosie answered curtly, "I'm goin' to my room."
"Hold it right there Missy." Her father stopped her.
"What?" Rosie rolled her eyes.
"Now is not the smartest time to get fresh with me Rosanna. Did you talk to Rafe today?" her father rolled up his paper, and tucked it under his arm, meeting Rosie on the stairs.
"No."
"Danny?"
"Yes, he's Beth's boyfriend. I sat with Beth at lunch, and Danny came over to talk."
"Doesn't Beth sit with Rafe?"
"No, Beth sits with Judy Hopper and Doris Plath." Rosie was getting sick of the interrogation.
"Just checkin'." Her father replied, "You know you might hate me for this now, but down the road, you'll be thankful, in a weird way, you will be."
"I'm sure I will be…" Rosie replied snottily, "Can I just be alone now?"
"Yeah, but you can loose that attitude real directly. I'm doin' you a favor…"
"You said that already."
Rosie stumped up toward her bedroom and threw herself onto her bed letting out an exasperated groan. She reached under her mattress and produced her most prized possession. A beautiful Smith and Wesson shot gun. She tucked it under her arm pulled a hand full or bullets from her dresser draw and raced down the stairs and out he front door
"I'll be back daddy."
Rosie cut across the center of town and headed toward the rural area of Shelby.
"Was that Rosie?" Danny turned to Beth as they sat on the McCawley's porch
"It looked like her, did she have a gun?" Beth turned a worried face to her fiancé.
"Yeah she did, Jesus Christ." Danny yelled as he heard the gunfire from some where in the woods.
"Rosie!!!" Beth shrieked and her and Danny ran to find Rosie. "Please god let her be okay. She wouldn't hurt herself would she Danny?"
"I don't know, nothing that girl does surprises me." Danny's pace quickened as he spoke, Rafe would die if anything happened to Rosie. He'd loose his two best friends in one fail swoop.
When they found Rosie she was laying in the fetal position on the ground and for a brief second they thought for sure she was dead. As they got closer they realized she wasn't even bleeding, the gun lay long since forgotten on a nearby rock and Rosie was simply lying on the ground crying.
"Rosie what's the matter Hun?" Beth dropped to her knees beside her friend and put a tender hand on Rosie's shoulder.
"I can't take this anymore. I came out to do some shooting, it always cheers me up, but it didn't because I usually have Rafe with me when I do it." Rosie whimpered sitting up and balancing her head on her elbow
Danny breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Rosie into a hug, and Beth wrapped her arms around both of them.
"We thought you were gonna shoot yourself." Beth told her seriously.
"No way then I wouldn't be able to have dinner at your house tomorrow." Rosie responded her words muffled by Danny's chest "Shit." Her head snapped back "If I want to get out tomorrow I've got to get to dad's shop like now."
"We'll walk you." Beth offered as Danny picked up her gun.
"I can carry my shotgun Danny." Rosie tried to read for it and he pulled it away
"No you can't not in the state a mind you're in."
"Keep up the shit Walker and your jaw'll be matching Bobby's"
"Or Johnny's for that matter." Beth added
"Johnny's?" Rosie looked at them questioningly
"You didn't hear about that? Rafe hauled off and punched Johnny in the face yesterday morning."
"I was a little out of it yesterday, I didn't hear much about anything. Why in the hell would he go and do somethin so stupid? Is he trying to get suspended in our last week of school?"
Danny stopped short and looked straight into Rosie's eyes
"He did it because he's uncontrollably in love with you Rosanna Gadry."
Rosie felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Why did Danny have to say things like that? It was the best way to rub salt in the ever-deepening wounds.
"I don't see how that makes sense." Rosie averted her eyes to the ground
"Johnny made some rude comment about taking care of you for Rafe, Rosie." Beth sensed the tension and tried to clarify the situation so the subject could quickly be forgotten.
"Rafe is always been the jealous type ain't hey." Rosie smirked as the approached her father gas station and garage.
"Hey Rosie you workin' tonight?" One the guys that worked for her father asked her stepping out of the shop
"Yeah Noland, is my dad around?" Rosie pulled a pair of cover calls over her clothes
"He's in the back, want me ta get 'im for ya?"
"No thanks." Rosie walked back over to Beth and Danny, "You guys can go now I'm here. I promise not hang myself with jumper cables while you gone."
"Not funny Rosie." Beth crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes
"I was kidding." Rosie threw up her hands, "Look I have to get to work, leave now before I have to call my uncle."
Rosie was sitting on a chair just inside the shop when the gas pump bell rang. She hopped from her seat and went to wait on the costumer.
"Hey darlin'." Rafe greeted her trying to step out of his father's truck.
"Do you have a death wish McCawley?" Rosie pushed him back into the cab of the pick up. "My father will blow a gasket if he sees you."
"I need gas, my dad's driving over to Nashville tonight."
"My dad's a gun possessing mentally unstable lunatic, so you show up at his shop."
"Rosie do you need help out there?" Her father yelled out from them garage
"No I got it Daddy." She turned back to Rafe "Fill it you said sir?" She put the nozzle in the tank
"Ro, I had to see you."
"You're going to see me tomorrow. Check your oil sir?" Rosie walked around to the front of the truck and popped the hood.
"I couldn't wait that long."
"I heard you clobbered Johnny Porter yesterday."
Rafe smiled cockily
"Get him damn good to."
"That'll be $5"
Rafe handed her a ten and she pulled the change from her pocket. After making sure the coast is clear so stuck her head in Rafe's window and kissed his cheek
"Whoa, whoa, one on the lips." He smiled as she backed away
"You're trying to get are arrested aren't you?" She leaned back in and her lips brushed Rafe's.
"I love you Rafe McCawley."
"Not as much as I love you Rosanna Gadry." Rafe turned the key and started the truck "I'll you at school tomorrow?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, now get goin'."
After Rafe was out of sight Rosie walked into the garage
"That wasn't Rafe was it?" Her father asked
"No daddy it was Mr. Copperwell you know how long it takes him to pay." Rosie lied
"Just as long as it wasn't the god awful McCawley boy."
"It wasn't dad don't worry." Rosie hopped up on the counter and fingered her locket. It was right Rosie Gadry and Rafe McCawley would be together forever, come hell or high water, they'd find a way.