AFTER TITANIC
Chapter Forty-Nine

Jack and the others were standing outside the brick building, ready to go in, when Kathy took a nervous step back. She wasn't sure of this.

"Kathy, what's wrong?" Rose asked, turning to see if she was following.

"I don't know about this, Rose. In fact, I'm so surprised you're so calm about all this." Kathy bit her lip.

"That's because I trust Jack, and you should, too. He'd never take us anywhere dangerous. You should know that by now." Rose squeezed Kathy's hand. "Come on, Kathy. We'll go in together."

Kathy smiled at her cousin-in-law and nodded, allowing Rose to lead her into the building that was full of rhythm and blues music and people sitting around the tables. As they entered, the music suddenly stopped and everyone in the building turned to face them.

"Jack...are you sure about this?" Rose began to get nervous herself.

"Trust me." Jack squeezed her hand.

"Why, Jack Dawson! Is that you?" a booming voice exclaimed happily. Rose looked away from Jack to see a heavyset black man approach them, his brown eyes lit up with happiness. "Why, Jack Dawson, how long has it been now? Three years?" The man immediately grabbed Jack's hand and shook it vigorously.

"That's about it." Jack grinned happily.

"Well, where have you been? Last time I heard, you ran off to Europe, and look at you! Looks like you've come up in the world."

"Yeah. Turns out my grandfather was filthy rich and I inherited a great deal of his estate." Jack grinned.

"Well, well, well. You must be a member of the Boston Dawsons here in town. My momma used to work for them. Good family they were. The old man even came to her funeral." The man nodded. "And who's this?"

"Oh, this is my wife, Rose Dawson, and my cousin, Kathy, and her escort, Jake Matthews." Jack placed an arm around Rose. "Guys, this is Wishbone Jenkins, the owner of this joint. He took me in while I was passing through Boston a couple of years back."

"It's very nice to meet you." Rose shook the man's hand.

"Why, aren't you the little lady? Jack sure has done well for himself." Wishbone grinned, shaking her hand vigorously. "Looks like Jack's done real well for himself. Man, it's good to see you again. Well, come on in. I'll show you and your friends here to my best table. Great talent here tonight. Just follow me."

They were seated at the first table in front of the stage, where a man was standing singing a song about not being right for a woman.

"You four enjoy yourselves now, and don't worry about paying. For Jack and his friends, everything is on the house." Wishbone grinned before disappearing back into the crowd.

"Nice man." Jake nodded.

"Yeah. He really helped me out in a rough time in my life." Jack nodded.

"May I help you?" A woman walked up to their table.

"Yes. We'd like four beers, please," Jack ordered.

"Sure thing, sugar." The waitress nodded and walked away to the bar.

"Want to dance, Katherine?" Jake asked, standing and taking her hand when a slow song began.

Kathy looked at Jack, not knowing what to say.

"Go ahead and dance, if that's what you want." Jack nodded. "Rose and I will either be dancing or right here talking."

"Okay." Kathy took Jake's hand and allowed him to lead her into the crowd.

"They're a cute couple." Rose smiled, looking back into Jack's eyes.

"Sounds a bit familiar, don't you think? First class girl and a homeless guy? The whole world against them?" Jack smiled, caressing Rose's hand.

"Well, they have an advantage on us, Jack. Kathy has a cousin who identifies with Jake...I didn't. Plus, she's not engaged to that Humphrey man."

"No, but she might as well be, the way Cameron has it set up. He refuses to even consider anyone else as a suitor. But seriously...I think Jake would be good for Kathy. Show her the lighter side of life."

"Like you did for me?"

Jack smiled and nodded. "Rose...I know we haven't been spending much time alone together, but I promise to make that up to you. It's just that with the business...it's not easy finding alone time with the family."

"I understand, Jack. But we're alone now...sort of. Besides, I know it's only temporary. I'll just have to take what I can get. But the children to miss you. Tommy's now increased his vocabulary to ‘ear's dada‘." Rose smiled. "He loves you so much, and so does Molly and Lindsey."

"I love them, too, Rose. That's why I want to approach you on this subject privately."

"What subject?"

"How do you feel about making Lindsey our real daughter? She's so cute and well-mannered, and the twins love her as much as we do. How about it? I'm sure it's what Stacy would want."

"Oh, Jack, do you really mean it?" Rose's voice bordered on the edge of happiness and uncertainty.

"Rose, I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't mean it. So what do you say? Let's call the lawyer tomorrow and make Lindsey our daughter for real."

"Okay." Rose laughed with happiness. "Yes, Jack. I'd love to make Lindsey our daughter for real. But let's ask her if that's what she wants first. We'll ask her when we get home."

"Okay, Rose. If that's what you want." Jack leaned over the table and kissed her.

"This is a great place." Jake returned with Kathy. "I love it."

"Me, too." Kathy smiled. "Everyone's so friendly."

"Well, then, we'll come here all the time, then. Just the four of us." Jack grinned happily. "But it's getting late, so we better get going."

"Why, Jake Matthews! I can't believe it!" a voice exclaimed from across the room. Jake turned around to see a heavyset man with red hair heading towards him, dragging a rail thin black man along behind him.

"Why, isn't it Diamond Jack and his sidekick, Artimus Pruitt?" Jake grinned happily. "Never thought I'd see you around these parts."

"Well, Artimus and I decided to check out the tables up here in New England, and Art here was in the mood for some jazz, so we came here." The man laughed. "Come down to New Orleans sometime and I'll set you up with some nice games...and maybe another session with Delilah, if you know what I mean."

"Who's Delilah?" Kathy asked.

"Oh, no one important." Jake turned to Kathy. "It's getting late. We better get going. Uh, Diamond...it was nice seeing you again. Maybe we'll get together sometime."

"Sure. Bring your friends if you want!" The man waved as the group left the joint.

"Well, that was interesting." Rose smiled. "Who was that?"

"An old acquaintance from a long time ago. You can say he helped raise me, but I ran away when I was sixteen. This is my first time seeing him since I left Mississippi," Jake explained.

"How did you grow up, Jake?" Kathy asked curiously. She wanted to know everything about the handsome stranger who had helped her out on such short notice.

"It's a long story that we don't have time for right now. But maybe I'll tell you next time." Jake smiled, not even taking time to wonder if there'd be a next time.

"I'd like that." Kathy smiled.

Dawson Mansion

Lindsey was awake when Jack and Rose returned, much to their delight. This was the perfect time to ask her the question they'd been dying to ask her for the past two hours.

"Jack! Rose! You're back!" The little girl bounded happily out of bed and into Jack's arms.

"Well, hello, short stuff. What are you doing awake?" Jack smiled happily.

"I couldn't sleep. You weren't home." Lindsey bit her lip. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Of course not, darling. We could never be mad at you." Rose touched her cheek lovingly. She was still spinning from Jack's suggestion to adopt Lindsey. She couldn't believe that this precious little girl was going to be their daughter.

"But we do have a question for you, Lindsey...a very important question." Jack carried her to her bed and sat down with her in his lap. Rose sat right next to her, on Lindsey’s other side.

"You do?"

"Well, you see...Rose and I...we love you an awful lot, Lindsey, just like you were our own daughter, and we were wondering if you'd do us the honor of becoming our real daughter. If you didn't mind if we adopted you and changed your last name to Dawson," Jack explained.

"You mean you and Rose will be my new mommy and daddy?" Lindsey asked, excitement filling her voice.

"That's what I mean, kiddo." Jack grinned. "So what do you say? Be our next little girl?"

Lindsey eagerly nodded. "May I call you Mommy and Daddy now?"

"Of course you can." Rose laughed, hugging the little girl. "You can start calling us Mommy and Daddy as soon as you like."

"Okay. May I go to sleep now, Daddy?" Lindsey turned to Jack.

"Of course." Jack stood up and put Lindsey back into bed. "Sleep well, Lindsey."

"I will, Daddy. Good night, Mommy." Lindsey kissed Jack and Rose before closing her eyes. "I love you."

Rose gasped with happiness. She wasn't expecting that so soon. "We love you, too, Lindsey. Sweet dreams."

They crept out of the nursery and back into their room, where Rose embraced Jack immediately.

"Did you hear that, Jack? She loves us!"

"I heard, Rose." Jack squeezed his wife. "I'm so glad that this makes both of you happy."

"And how about you?"

"You know it makes me happy. It was my idea, remember?" Jack laughed. "Come on, Rose. Let's go to bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Little did they know that it was going to be a long couple of months.

Chapter Fifty
Stories