Chapter 16: Beauty in an arising storm

Jack's Point of View

Rose. The name brought immense joy, love, and a myriad of emotions flowing through me as I thought of the red haired, green-eyed beauty. For now, she was mine in our minds, and one day she truly would be in more ways than one. My beliefs and hers had us holding back, but one I knew for sure she would be mine. I wanted to marry her.

I folded my hands behind my head and lay back against the soft green grass taking in the smell and feeling the sunlight on my eyelids. I closed my eyes and thought about the day I would ask her to marry me. It would be something romantic, fun, and a day of promise, I knew. A day not to be forgotten.

I heard grass crunch as soft footsteps came closer, and I opened one of my eyes. It was Gram. I smiled; she was just awesome. She seemed to know everything I was thinking, contemplating on doing, and yet she was my grandmother.

"Jack, can we talk?"

I sat up, already guessing what it would be about. "Sure."

She gingerly sat down on the cool ground, beginning the discussion, "You love Rose, don't you?"

"I love her more than life, more than I can say…"

"Marry her, Jack."

"I was planning to one day."

"No, do it quickly."

Questions flowed through my mind as I sat up straighter, and looked into the wise, old, face of my Gram. "You know something, what's going on?"

She took a deep breath, as she seemed to be thinking on whether to tell me or not. "Gram, what is it?" My voice was desperate now, convinced something was wrong.

"Someone's looking for her."

"What do you mean?" I searched her eyes, looking for a clue to what she was talking about.

"Myfriend works at the train station where she used to live, and knowing our situation, he told me someone was inquiring about her. He couldn't tell him anything, of course because of the rules, but the man tried to bribe him and even pulled a gun."

Fury flowed through me at the thought of anyone harming my family.

"She's in danger, and so are you if they find you."

"What about you, Gram?"

She waved her hand, "Don't worry about me, I've had a full life and a good one…people only live for so long, you know."

"Don't talk like that, you scare me." I whispered. I couldn't lose her; she was one of the only family I had left.

"You have to marry her and give her another legal name, that way they won't be able to take her away from us."

I took a deep breath, pondering the source of our torment and danger. "Was it a young man or old man?"

"Older gentleman, well, not gentleman, but I will refrain from using such language." She laughed quietly, "I don't know why I talk like this sometimes…"

"Where is she now?"

"In the house, working on a scrapbook I believe."

Silence took over for the time being, and we sat there mulling over our future. Marrying Rose would be the best day of my life, even if the day were overshadowed by threats. I would protect her and defend her to the day I died. I got up, reaching out my hand to help Gram up from the ground.

"I'll go talk to her."

"You understand the implications, don't you?"

"Yes, Gram, unfortunately, I do. He has the power to kill her; and I won't let that happen."

She nodded her head sullenly, following me across the yard and into the house. She shut the door and locked it, then walked to the refrigerator and took out a bag of lemons. I turned and walked through the huge house, climbing the stairs as a feeling of dread came over me. Something was going to happen, something bad in the near future. And I could only hope we would all three live and be together after it.

Rose's Point of View

I placed the last sticker of Jack's name beside the picture, and looked beside me for another to paste onto the paper. I couldn't believe I didn't think it would be fun, but Gram had convinced me to try it. Now I was glad she did.

Jack's smile on my favorite picture was one that stirred my heart every time I looked at it. He was…well, words could not describe him and what he meant to me. Footsteps on the stairs caught my attention, and I immediately knew they belonged to him. I watched the doorway until he stood there, all 6 feet of him and Icaught his grim face staring back at me. Laying the materials down on the bed, I got up and walked over to him.

"What's wrong, Jack?"

His eyes bore into mine as I felt my stomach flutter again. He pulled me up against him tightly and buried his face into my hair. I kissed his neck and he wound his fingers in my hair. His voice was muffled when he spoke a few minutes later.

"Rose, we have to talk."

I pulled away and looked into his face, searching. "What's wrong?"

He sighed and took my hand as he led me down the hall and into his bedroom. He opened the door and shut it again as I went over and sat on the bed.

"Someone's looking for you, Rose," He said tentatively.

Dread settled in the pit of my stomach, it could only be Lovejoy. "Wh - What?"

"And older gentleman went to the train station and inquired about you. He couldn't tell of course because of the rules, but the man proceeded to try to bribe him and even pulled a gun. My grandmother's brother was the one working at the time you left, and when the man asked about you."

I sighed, thinking over the ideas that popped into my head. "Lovejoy, it had to have been Lovejoy."

"We're in trouble, you do realize that?"

"Of course I do, but what are we going to do? No matter where we go, they'll find us; we can't run for the rest of our lives."

"I know."

His eyes grew dark as he focused his gaze on my eyes, moving his hand down my back. "Marry me, Rose."

I gasped and my heart leaped, hearing the words I'd wanted to hear for such a long time.

"I know you wanted it to be a special night, so romantic and perfect. And I wish I could give you that, and I know…I know you might not be as happy here in a small town as you could be, living so reserved and not wanting Cal and your mother to find out you're here…I just don't want to lose you, I can't lose you, Rose."

"You're not going to lose me, Jack."

"If they find you're here, there's no way we can prevent them from taking you back…except if you have my name."

"So you'd marry me just for me to have your name, Jack? Is that what you're saying?"

"No! Man, I'm messing this up big time. I've wanted to ask you to marry me for a while, now, but I haven't…and now that I am, it's under terrible circumstances. Rose, it would definitely not be a marriage in name only; I've wanted to share that special gift between us…"

My face was now pink and he was looking like a little boy,unable to explain his feelingsand not quite knowing how to put them in words. I leaned forward whispering in his ear and then kissed him, urging a response. His tongue silently requested entrance, and I opened my lips further in reaction to him, loving the taste of him when he deepened it.

He pulled me into his lap and ran his hands down my arms, and gripped my hands. I tilted my head and he moved his mouth down my face and to my neck. A heating sensation spread through me as his mouth continued moving across my neck, and finally came back up to my mouth.

I heard him groan faintly and try to keep his body from moving against mine, and then he broke it, breathing heavily. He buried his face in my neck and murmured, "Oh, what you do to me woman…"

I laid my hand on the back of his neck, and slid it up into his hair, weaving my fingers in his longish locks. His hands stilled against my sides, and I swallowed. "My answer is yes."