Chapter 12: One Down, Three More to Go

"Your homework assignment for this weekend is..." announced Anne at the end of class. She looked up as each one of her students looked at her with weary eyes. "Well, I tell you what. If you girls promise me that you'll come to class on Monday looking refreshed and relaxed, I'll give you no homework this weekend. Deal?"

"Deal!" agreed her students. "Thank you, Miss Shirley!"

"You're welcome. Class dismissed!"

It was the end of another week for Anne, and she couldn't have felt more thankful for it. Now she could go home, stay up late and finish that novel she was meaning to get through, and sleep in. Nothing could get in her way of doing it. Well, almost anything.

"Hey, Dad!" called Emmeline to her father as she was walking through the parking lot to his car.

"Hi, Emmeline," Morgan greeted back.

"Why are you more dressed up than usual?"

"No reason."

Emmeline laughed. "Right..."

"Why are you laughing?" asked Morgan.

"Because it's so obvious why you're dressed up like that! You want to ask Miss Shirley out on a date."

"I do not!"

"You do, too. C'mon, Dad. You haven't been this dressed up since Mom died, and I was a baby then. Besides, you don't even look this sharp when you claim to be going out with Elvira, so don't even try to deny that you want to go out with her. You can't fool me."

"Since when have you been this smart, Emmeline Harris?"

"Since always, Dad. I bet you $5 and a pizza that she won't go out with you."

"I'll take you up on that bet, and I'll make it $10 and a pizza that she will."

"Make it $20, a pizza, and buffalo wings, and we have a deal."

"Okay."

Emmeline and Morgan shook on it and waited for Anne to come out into the parking lot. Emmeline spotted her right away.

"There she is, Dad. Go ask her!" Please say no, Miss Shirley! I want pizza! And plus it'd be weird to have my teacher going out with my father...eww.

Morgan walked up to Anne as she was unlocking her car. "Hello, Anne."

"Hello, Morgan. How are you today?"

"Very fine, thank you. Listen, I was just wondering if you had any plans for tonight. I know of this great place in town, and I would love for you to join me."

Morgan Harris is asking me out on a date? Anne thought. Are you kidding me? What! Didn't he meet the other three clowns at Redmond? Wait, two clowns. I at least like Gilbert.

"I'm sorry, Morgan," Anne began, "but I'm very exhausted from today. I really want to get home and rest."

"That's understandable," Morgan said, not looking too disappointed. "How about tomorrow night?"

"Morgan, I'm all ready seeing somebody. You remember Roy Gardner, don't you? You met him at the Redmond dance and was one of the three men who you had a lovely conversation with."

"Yes, I remember him. I remember him quite well."

"So I guess you understand then?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I disturbed you. Good day, Miss Shirley."

"Good day, sir."

Anne got in her car and drove home. Morgan went back to the car where Emmeline was and put his head down in shame. He couldn't believe Anne was with someone who no where near his stature and had little to offer her (or so he thought), and he also couldn't believe that he lost a bet to his daughter. Emmeline was smiling and held out her hand.

"Pay up, Dad."

Morgan sighed. "Fine."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For the next couple months, Morgan would come and go, trying to charm Anne every now and then but was met with little success. Like Jack Garrison, Morgan often had his way with women, so when Anne had ignored him like she had, he was dumbfounded. It was as if he wanted something he couldn't have, and that made him want her even more, but unlike Jack, he had no intentions of actually stalking her. He would win her over the old fashioned way and show the young gun how it's supposed to be done.

After pondering over the issue, Morgan decided that he couldn't take it any more, and he would finally tell Anne how he felt. Yes, he knew he was putting himself up for rejection, but it was a risk he had to take. At least he wouldn't kick himself later with all the "what if" questions.

"This won't be hard," Morgan told himself one day after school was over. "All you have to do is say 'I love you. Will you -'...gosh, it's hot out here."

He waited for Emmeline and Anne by his car. Emmeline was the first to get out.

"Emmeline, get in the car," he said as soon as she was near the passenger side door. "You can put on one of those rock stations if you want. I'll be right back." He hurried off to meet Anne who was coming out of the school quickly.

That's funny, thought Emmeline. He never lets me do that. She looked through the window and saw her father grabbing a hold of Anne's hand. She shook her head. Dad, what are you doing now?

"Morgan, what are you doing?" asked Anne once she felt him grabbing her hand.

"I need to ask you something," he said.

Oh boy. "What is it?"

"Anne, this has gone on long enough. I love you. I've loved you since you stuck up for yourself on the first day me met, and I would love to spend the rest of my days making you happy. Will you do me to honor of being my wife?"

Anne took a step back in disbelief. What was he thinking? He barely even knew her, and now he was asking her to marry him? For once, she was speechless.

"Anne, what is it?" Morgan asked.

"I...I..."

"What?"

"I can't marry you. I don't even know anything about you, and you don't even know anything about me."

"You're a lovely and wonderful person -"

"But that's not enough. I care a great deal for you and Emmeline, but that's all I can give, Morgan. I'm sorry." Anne looked away.

Morgan released her hand. "It's okay." He took one last look at her before going back to his car. Emmeline was waiting for him and saw that he looked dejected. She wisely said nothing as they went home.

Anne was still in shock. What just happened? Was this for real and not just some horrible nightmare?She made her way to her car and put her things on the hood. It was as if she didn't have any energy left in her to unlock the door to get in. She put her head on her arms on the edge of the door frame only to hear someone coming up to her.

"Hello, beautiful."

Anne looked back and saw Jack. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," he said honestly. "What happened to you?"

A tear went down Anne's face. "Nothing, Jack. Nothing."

"It doesn't seem like nothing when you're crying." He took a step towards her and took her into his arms, and to his surprise she didn't resist. "Shh, Anne. It'll be all right."

Anne nodded her head. She was dazed and confused and completely oblivious to her surroundings. It felt good to be comforted by someone who cared about her, even if it was Jack Garrison. Huh?

Wait! Anne thought. What am I doing? One minute I'm upset, and the next minute Jack's holding me. I need to get out of here!

Anne quickly let go. "I'm sorry, Jack, but I need to be home to complete some things that I meant to get done earlier." She took her things from on top of the hood, unlocked the car, and got in. She sped off, leaving Jack to look after her in the distance.

"At least she lets me hold her now. That's some improvement."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Anne, you are so stupid!" she scolded herself as she made her way back to her apartment after eating dinner. "How could you let your emotions get the best of you? You're lucky all Jack did was hold you because if he went over the line, you could have been in deep trouble."

She went in straight through the door and immediately laid down on the couch. It had been one heck of a day: Morgan proposed to her, Jack held her, and Roy was nowhere to be seen. Roy...what was she going to do about him? Should she tell him about the day's events, or should she leave it alone? Anne decided not to tell him partly in fact that she was scared of having another showdown like the one back at Redmond. She sighed. A good night's rest sounded wonderful, but before she could even get up, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Anne, it's Roy."

Great. Just great. "Hi."

"You don't sound too well."

"I'm a bit worn out." It wasn't exactly a fib; she was tired after all the drama.

"I'm sorry to bother you when you're so tired, Anne, but I just had to call. I'm going back to Kingsport tomorrow for the weekend, and I'm bringing a few people you have to meet."

"Who?"

"My mother and my sisters. Since you couldn't come and meet them for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I'm bringing them to you."

"Oh." Anne became cold all of a sudden.

"What's the matter?" Roy asked with concern.

"I don't know if they'll like me." She looked down at her feet.

"Anne, they'll love you! You'll make them fall in love with you just as you did with me. Don't worry."

"Thanks, Roy."

"No problem, hon. I'll let you get to rest now since you sound like you need it. Take care."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Fun, Anne thought. I'll get to meet the family.

She forced herself off the couch and took a shower before going to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and she needed all the rest she could get.