BACK WITH YOU
Chapter Eighteen

Rose couldn’t help but giggle as Jack placed his hand on the small of her back. As of that moment, she had no idea where she was. A few blocks back, Jack had told her to close her eyes and, just to be sure, covered them with one of his own hands. She had allowed him to lead her somewhere, but now they had stopped.

"Mind your step," he cautioned, letting her know that they were going up.

It seemed as if they climbed forever, and when they actually did reach the top, she tried to open her eyes. But Jack must have felt her eyelashes flutter, because he sighed.

"Rose, I told you not to open your eyes," was his frustrating command.

"Oh…Jack…please tell me where we are," she pleaded as she felt herself being moved once again, then pause, and then move again. She guessed that they must have gone indoors, because the air was suddenly much colder, and the sound of her heels clicking on the floor sounded different. He didn’t answer her for about a minute, but then they stopped again.

"All right," he whispered in her ear. "Open your eyes."

Rose excitedly opened them and, after blinking a few times, looked around. Massive white-marble columns stood in front of her, a wood floor beneath, and a high painted ceiling above. She spun in a circle for a minute, taking in everything, and then turned back to Jack. She had never been here before.

"What is this place?" she asked.

Jack smiled at her and brushed some stray hair from his eyes. He was suddenly very shy and was almost embarrassed to tell her. "The courthouse," he stammered quickly.

Rose gave him an odd look. She wasn’t registering what he meant. "The courthouse?" she repeated slowly. Why on earth would he bring her here?

Jack was slightly shocked that she didn’t understand what he was trying to get across to her, but he didn’t dwell on it. "Uh, yeah…ya know…where they do weddings…and stuff." He felt like a goddamned teenager again, fumbling over words. Maybe this was a stupid idea, he thought, looking down at the floor. But when Rose didn’t say anything for a minute, he looked up again, concerned.

Tears had filled her eyes and a hand had risen to cover her trembling lips. Oh, Jesus, she knew, he thought, fearing the worst. But she soon lowered that hand, and a smile graced her face.

"We’re getting married?" she asked, her voice breathless.

"Well, ya know, if you want to," Jack said, trying to play it cool. He grinned and ran his hand through his hair, managing to undo what he had just placed in its somewhat proper spot.

Rose gave a little shriek and threw herself in his arms, almost knocking him to the floor. "Oh, Jack! Of course I do. You just threw me for a loop is all."

He started laughing and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. "You’re really okay with this?" he asked, leaning his forehead against hers. "Because we can do it later if you want."

She shook her head. "No," she whispered. "This is perfect. I didn’t want a big, fancy wedding."

Jack kissed the top of her head and then pulled away. He was surprised to see Jessamyn suddenly standing behind her mother. She was carrying a bunch of flowers in one hand and the other was hidden behind her back. Slowly, he turned Rose around and saw her gasp in surprise at seeing her daughter.

"You’re here!" she exclaimed. She was relieved to see her. They could not have a wedding without her there.

Jessamyn started laughing as she nodded. "Yeah. You couldn’t keep me away. Besides, I was part of this whole little plan, there was no way I couldn’t have known." She stepped forward and handed Rose a small but elegant bouquet of dark red roses tied together with a white ribbon. Rose took it gingerly and brought it up to her nose to smell it as Jessamyn pulled from behind her back a white hat with a veil attached the front of it. After fastening it to her mother’s head, she stepped back and admired her, finally concluding that she needed one last thing. She slipped a simple silver bracelet off of her own wrist and onto Rose’s.

"Something old," Jessamyn said, gesturing to the dress. "Something new." The hat. "Something borrowed." The bracelet. "Something blue." Finally the blue pattern on the dress. "You’re set."

Rose’s eyes were brimming over with tears and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. She turned and hugged Jack once again, whispering a soft thank you into his ear. Jack kissed the side of her head and then turned his attention to Jessamyn again.

"Everything ready?" he asked his daughter.

Jessamyn nodded, clasping her hands together behind her back. "Yep. They’re all waiting." She gestured with her head toward a pair of double doors. "Just in there."

Rose smiled at Jack and he grinned back. Jessamyn watched as they each took a deep breath and then started walking toward those doors. She smiled softly to herself and then followed a couple of steps behind them. Here we go, she thought.

The ceremony only lasted a few minutes, but Rose had never been more excited, nervous, and filled with pure joy as she had in that brief period of time. She and Jack had walked up the aisle together, arm-in-arm, as Jessamyn and a few of their good acquaintances stood in the back of the tiny room watching. Rose would not have had it any other way. They said their vows, and then Jack had surprised her again by pulling out a pair of rings. As he slipped the white gold band onto her finger, she almost fainted from a feeling that came over her. She was legally Rose Dawson now. After all these years of pretending, she was actually Mrs. Dawson. With trembling hands, she had slipped the matching band onto Jack’s own shaking hand, and before the judge could tell them to, he pulled her into a long kiss. Jessamyn held her breath when this happened, worried that the judge might get offended. But he just started laughing and said the usual, "I now pronounce you man and wife."

There was no reception, no wedding cake, and no first dance. But neither Jack nor Rose minded too much. They stood outside on the courthouse steps, laughing with their friends and Jessamyn. And then, about ten minutes later, their friends departed, and they were left alone with their daughter, who just stood there smiling.

"So I’m actually Jessamyn Dawson now," she commented, rolling her eyes.

Rose started laughing and smiled up at Jack. "Yes, darling, I suppose you are." His arm was around her waist and she felt him pull her closer, but he didn’t smile back or say anything.

Jessamyn was about to return with another witty comment, but she heard shouting behind her. She turned and was surprised to see Charlie running up the steps.

"Hey," he said, panting from being out of breath.

"Hi," Jessamyn responded. "What…what are you doing here?" She was happy to see him, but even more confused as to how he knew that she was actually here.

Charlie grinned with that little smile of his. "I saw the wedding list for today when I was here picking up some things on my lunch break. I thought it was actually later than it was, or else I would have been here."

Rose and Jack had come up and stood behind Jessamyn. "That’s very sweet of you, Charlie," Rose commented, smiling at him.

He shrugged his shoulders and blushed. "Ah…well…"

Jack let go of his new bride and went over to Charlie. "That would have meant a lot," he commented, shaking his hand. Charlie beamed and then stepped back as Jack took a few steps over to where Jessamyn was.

"Thank you," he whispered, hugging her tight.

Jessamyn hugged her father back and mumbled a choked, "You’re welcome." When they pulled away, she handed him something that neither Rose nor Charlie saw. He kissed Jessamyn once on the cheek and then went back to Rose, putting something in his pocket as he did so.

"Now, if you’ll excuse us…we have someplace to be," Jack announced, putting his arm back around her waist.

Rose looked up at him with wide eyes. Another surprise? What on earth did this man have up his sleeve? But he just lifted his eyebrows and then looked back at Jessamyn and Charlie.

"Good night, you two," he said, Rose echoing the words.

Jessamyn watched as they walked off into the night, their bodies dangerously close and soft words being spoken. After a minute, she felt Charlie’s hand on her back.

"What are you up to?" he asked softly.

She spun around and shrugged. "I have the whole house to myself," she said, grinning.

"Really?" Charlie asked, raising one eyebrow. He wrapped his arms around Jessamyn’s waist and pulled her close. "You going to invite me over?"

Jessamyn pretend to be shocked as her hand flew to her heart. "Charles Beaumont! I shouldn’t think you would suggest such things! You, a good little southern boy." She gave him a sly smile.

"I’m also a cowboy," he whispered in a western drawl.

Jessamyn began to laugh, but was soon silenced by a pair of lips delicately being placed on hers. Once they were joined, though, Charlie began to kiss her harder. She wasn’t stupid; she knew those kisses had a definite wicked intent. But she didn’t care. She hadn’t been kissed like that before, and soon felt herself melting in his arms.

"Charlie…I can’t…" she whispered breathlessly. She couldn’t do the same thing her mother had, having been the end result. She wanted to! But no, there were too many things that could happen.

He nodded, understanding what she meant. "I know. But we don’t have to do anything…we can just talk. I miss you." For effect, he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Jessamyn smiled at him. "All right," she said cautiously. "But just for a while."

*****

Rose sat alone on a huge bed, unsure of what to do next. Jack had brought her to a hotel and they had sneaked upstairs to where their room was waiting. He had arranged for Jessamyn check in earlier under the name of her mother and Jess had prepared the room, leaving Rose’s last bottle of saved wine cooling in a bucket and a couple of bags with their overnight things.

The room was simple, but beautifully decorated in dark reds, complementing cherry wood furniture. It had a soft queen size bed, a tiny chest of drawers, a bathroom, a little nightstand, and a window that showed you a beautiful view of the coast.

Rose smiled to herself as she lay back on the pillows. All the way here, she and Jack had hardly been able to keep their hands away from each other as they whispered clandestine words in each other’s ears and giggled at what the other was saying. And then in the elevator, Jack had kissed her with such fanatic passion that Rose had feared her knees would buckle underneath her. But as soon as they had gotten up here, he had disappeared into the bathroom.

She sat up again and then climbed off of the bed, laughing as Jack’s coat hung limply on her body as she stood. She had been cold as they walked, and Jack, who was quite bent on seeing that she was never cold again, had wrapped the garment around her body. It smelled of him, and she lifted the sleeves to her nose, breathing in his scent. He had been gone for only a few minutes, but already she missed him like crazy.

Suddenly, she heard the door open behind her and she spun around. Jack stood in the doorway, his tie loosened and a few of his shirt buttons undone.

Rose approached him slowly and fell into his welcome arms.

"My coat looks pretty good on you," he commented softly, kissing her lips softly. "But I think it would look better on the floor." She let him slip it off of her and it fell into a heap below her feet.

"Jessamyn left us some wine," Rose said, trying to control her breathing and the rate of her pulse, which at the moment was beating wildly.

"I know. I told her to," Jack answered, letting go of her and crossing the room to where it was. "And no glasses at that," he commented, looking around.

Rose started laughing as she went over to where he was. Softly, she took the bottle from his hands, and with some effort, pulled the cork out with a pop. Raising her eyebrows toward him, she lifted the bottle to her lips and took a giant swig.

Jack took the bottle back and took a drink himself. "Pretty good," he commented after swallowing the liquid. It had been years since he had tasted any alcohol. He turned the bottle over in his hands. "How’d you manage to save this all these years?" he asked, looking at the date.

Shrugging, Rose took another drink. "I never had anyone to drink it with," she answered. It was true; she hadn’t wanted to waste it on just anyone, so it had sat in the back of one of her cabinets until recently. This whole prohibition thing had been a joke, and she prayed that sooner or later it would end. She set the bottle down on the nightstand and wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck.

"Did you lock the door?" she asked, which was a stupid thing to do because before he could answer, she had moved her lips to Jack’s. She felt him nod as his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her tighter against his body. He began to back her up until they both fell on the bed, never once breaking their connection with the other.

Jack was the first to pull away, and he did so that they might settle into a more comfortable position. He pushed Rose off of him and then moved, settling against the pillows. His bride moved on top of him again, and within seconds, her mouth was back to devouring his. She finally stopped after a few minutes and settled comfortably down on his chest.

"I love you, Mrs. Dawson," Jack whispered, playing with strands of her hair. "I can’t wait to spend the rest of my days with you. I can’t wait to go back to the house, with you as my wife…have a family with you."

Rose lifted her head and gave him a look. "Family?" she repeated.

Jack gave her a confused look. "Yeah…that’s what we both want…right?" He suddenly realized that they hadn’t even discussed more children in the least. He watched as she swallowed nervously and then closed her eyes.

"Jack." She sighed, putting her head back down on his chest. "Oh, darling…"

"What? What’s wrong?" he asked, sitting up a bit so that he could get a better look at her. "You don’t want any more children?"

Rose didn’t look at him, just mumbled into his shirt. "Of course I do."

"Then what’s the problem?"

She lifted her head again, and he saw tears filling her eyes. "Jack, I don’t know if I can have any more children," she whispered, her voice cracking. She closed her eyes and sighed. "The hypothermia did something to my body, and ever since Jessamyn was born my monthly has been…well…really sporadic and uneven. The doctor told me that it would be hard for me to ever get pregnant again. And on top of all that, I’m getting older." She stared to cry and put her head back down. "I lied the other night when I said I was worried about getting pregnant," she sobbed. "Because I don’t think I can. There is only a thirty percent chance I’ll ever have children…get pregnant on a monthly basis…that’s ever!"

Jack held her for a few moments while she cried her tears, thinking over what she had just told him. He felt disappointed, but these things couldn’t be helped now. Gently, he placed a finger under Rose’s chin and drew her head up. Wiping her tears from her puffy eyes, he gave her a smile.

"We’ll just have to try," he whispered. "Until we succeed, we’ll work on it! We’ll work on it every night if we have to!"

That last comment brought a soft smile to her face. "Jack…" She sniffled.

"Rose, I married you for you. If we can’t have any more children, it’s not the end of the world. We already have one beautiful daughter. I’m just happy that I have you now," he said sincerely.

"Me, too," Rose whispered back, trying hard to keep her crying under control. What kind of happy bride cried like this on their wedding night? Before Jack had come back, she hadn’t had a reason to care that she would probably never have children again. But now, it was the thing that she wanted most in the world. She wanted to raise a baby with him, like they should have done with Jessamyn.

"Hey," Jack whispered, putting both of his hands on either side of her face, drawing her forehead toward his own. "We’re alone."

Rose broke into a soft smile, and she closed her eyes, sniffing a few times. "Yes, Jack, this is alone," she whispered back hoarsely. This was alone. Not with some cab driver in the front seat, or their daughter around. There wasn’t some valet chasing after them or someone with a gun. They weren’t in any danger of being caught doing anything and no one was going to break into their room if the cigars and brandy ran out. They were truly alone for the first time in their entire relationship.

"Kiss me," Rose whispered urgently. She couldn’t stand having him so close and not have his lips upon her own.

Jack complied with her request quite nicely as he rolled them both over and leaned over her welcoming frame. Rose felt herself being debilitated as his kisses and caresses became more ardent, and soon she lost all strength to protect herself against them. She was his.

What happened next was not at all shocking, but it was amazing. Jack took her to the brink of heaven and then stayed with her as she fell back down, over and over again. She couldn’t remember what had happened at all, but at the same time she couldn’t forget. The entire night was blurred for both of them, and when it ended, Rose lay in Jack’s warm arms.

He was falling asleep, his eyelids slowly lowering. But Rose couldn’t bring herself to do the same. She watched as he placidly shut his eyes and then his breathing became slower. Gently, she brushed some hair off of his face and kissed his forehead. They were so close that it didn’t require much movement to do so.

It was at that moment that Rose really began to understand the fact that he was back. It was all very real all of a sudden. The adversity that had plagued her life was beginning to become hazy. All that mattered was this man lying next to her. They had a beautiful daughter who they both now knew. And he was lying next to her. That was all.

Rose yawned and snuggled even closer to his body. A content feeling came over her, and then suddenly she was indeed tired. Closing her eyes, she savored the feeling of his arms around her body. She was back where she wanted to be, with him, back in his arms.

Epilogue
Stories