DUST IN THE WIND
Chapter Six
The service for Jack was now
over. Everyone stood, ready to head for home, lost in the memories of the
special young man they had once known so well. Molly and George flanked Rose as
they stood, ready to head back to the house, where Rose planned to spend the
rest of the day in Jack’s old room. No one noticed the figure enter the
building, just standing in the doorway, surrounded by sunlight, a duffle bag
slung over his shoulder. Everyone was too busy talking among themselves and
offering Rose their condolences. It was Molly who glanced towards the door and
gasped with shock.
"My Lord! It can’t be!"
was her outcry. All attention flew to the lone figure, and gasps of shock and
disbelief went through the room.
Rose glanced over to the door,
wondering what all the commotion was about, when she met a pair of eyes she
thought she’d never look into again. Beautiful blue eyes that pierced her very
soul. "Oh, my God…Jack," was all Rose could get out before collapsing
into George’s arms in a dead faint.
Jack Dawson had decided to return
home after five months of living in New York looking for his beloved Rose. But
after five months, he had decided to face facts. Rose was gone forever. If she
wasn’t dead, she was most likely married to Cal. There was nothing more he could
do for her if that was the case. So he collected the money he had saved from
the odd jobs he had been able to find and hopped the first train out of New
York three days ago, his heart aching for his lost love. All he wanted to do
now was go to the house he had grown up in, forget all about the world outside
of Chippewa Falls, and hopefully about Rose. If he forgot about her, he
wouldn’t miss her so much, and he would be able to move on. But so far he
hadn’t been able to forget about her. In fact, she consumed his every thought,
his every waking and sleeping moment.
When he had arrived in town that
afternoon, he had been surprised to find the town deserted, so he had decided
to check the church, and there he found the whole town, just like when his
parents had died. The service was obviously ending, and he had been about to
ask who the service had been for when he had heard a familiar, boisterous voice
cry out. He had looked up and stared in surprise at Molly Brown. This was the
last place he had expected to see her. And she wasn’t alone. She was clutching
the arm of a young woman with flaming red hair, her face facing the floor so
Jack couldn’t tell who she was. From looking at her, Jack would have thought it
was Rose, but he didn’t dare hope. Rose was gone forever. He’d never see her
again. Then the girl’s face lifted, and Jack thought he was seeing a ghost. It
was Rose. Right in front of him, her eyes full of pain and disbelief. Then she
was falling into a dead faint, and that was when Jack’s feet moved of their own
accord. Soon he was kneeling at her side, holding her hand, begging her to wake
up. He couldn’t believe that he had found her here in his hometown. But how?
Why hadn’t she been on the list? How could he have missed her?
"My Lord! It’s a miracle!"
Molly stared at Jack in disbelief. "It has to be."
"Jack, you’re dead."
George stared at his cousin, at the same time trying to tend to Rose, who was
now cradled in Jack’s arms.
"What?" Jack asked,
confused.
"You died on that ship.
Frozen to death. At least, that’s what Rose and Mrs. Brown here told us."
Thomas stood behind his newly-resurrected friend.
"We must have missed each
other," Jack thoughtfully replied. "I looked everywhere for her, but
I couldn’t find her. I thought she was dead."
"Oh, you poor dear."
Molly shook her head. "Poor Rose here was so overcome with grief over your
passing…thank goodness that you’re alive after all."
"Oh, my poor Rose."
Jack held her even closer, wanting to protect her from anything else that could
cause her grief.
"Come on, everyone! Give
them room!" Samantha began pushing people away from the couple. "Rose
here needs oxygen!"
"I think we should get her
back to the house." George cleared his throat. "A nice warm bed would
do her good."
Jack nodded in agreement, not paying
attention to the crowd surrounding them. They weren’t important right now. What
was important was getting Rose to a nice, quiet, and warm place. Lifting her up
into his arms, Jack followed Molly, George, and Samantha through the crowd and
out to George’s car. Jack cradled Rose’s head in his lap, and George was about
to pull away when Dr. Calvert stopped them.
"Would you like me to follow
and check up on the young lady? In her condition, you can never be too
careful," the doctor offered.
"Condition?" Jack
furrowed his brow.
"She’s pregnant, Jack. Five
months along," Molly gently explained.
Jack only nodded, too shocked to
say anything. "Is she healthy?" Jack asked.
Molly only grinned and nodded.
"As healthy as you and me."
"Where has she been all this
time?"
"Later, Jack. I’ll explain
everything later. Right now, let’s just get Rose home and checked out by a
doctor." Molly gently patted the young man’s shoulder, touched by the love
in Jack’s eyes as he gazed down at Rose and gently cradled her in his lap.