LET’S LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND
Chapter Twenty-Two

Richie and Jolene stepped off the train from New Orleans and stood in middle of the station, collecting their bags. Jolene looked around at the bustling station, her fears rising to the surface again. What if Richie’s family didn’t like her and refused to accept her and the baby? What then? Would Richie still want her?

"Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’ll like my family I promise." Richie squeezed her hand. "Come on. We’re going to want to be there before supper."

Thirty minutes later, they were just a block from the Dawson house and not too far from Lake Wissota. Jolene had begun to feel nauseated again, so Richie ran into the nearby general store for crackers to calm her stomach down. Hearing nearby splashing and laughter, she stepped nearer to the trees shading the lake.

"Jack you’re horrible! Someone’s going to see us! The general store is just a short distance away." A beautiful redhead laughed, her eyes sparkling at the blonde young man who seemed slightly familiar.

The man known as Jack held some kind of book in front of his face.

"I just want to replace the drawing we lost, and what’s more perfect than a drawing of my wife skinny dipping in the lake? Don’t worry. No one comes down here at this time of day. We’re completely alone."

"That’s what you say now." The redhead snorted.

"Rose, stop being an upper class brat and do it." Jack laughed. "Or are you chicken?"

Rose’s eyes narrowed. "All right. Fine, Mr. Big Artiste. We’ll do it your way. But if anyone comes down here, I’m killing you."

The young man only laughed and watched as, to Jolene’s surprise, the girl began taking her clothes off. She had heard of such boldness in the city of New Orleans, but was surprised to find such behavior in a small town like Chippewa Falls.

"Ready?" Richie appeared behind her, thankfully, the scene hidden from view.

Jolene nodded, remembering her nervousness, her attention going from the young couple to the task of meeting Richie’s family.

*****

Jacquelyn sat on the porch with her mother, breaking beans, while Charles sat on the porch smoking a pipe. He had decided to take the day off from working in the fielded. With Richie gone, it had left more work for him and Jack, leaving the men little time for their wives so he had decided to give both himself and Jack a day off to spend with their spouses.

"Oh, my god." Nancy slowly stood up from her chair as she saw the couple coming up the path. "It can’t be…"

"Richie! He’s come back!" Jacquelyn happily announced.

"What in the blazes is he doing here? He messed up leaving like he did if he thinks…"

"Charles, please…I’m sure he had a good reason. Let’s hear him out." Nancy tried to calm her husband.

"Yeah, Daddy. Look. He has someone with him…and it looks like she’s with child!" Jacquelyn gasped.

Finally, Richie and Jolene reached the porch, tightly grasping each other’s hands.

"You’re back!" Jacquelyn went to hug her brother.

"Yes, I’m back, and I’m sorry I left so abruptly, but I had no choice." Richie hugged his sister, trying to ignore his father’s heated glare. Hopefully, his father would wait until Jolene was out of earshot to blow up at him. "I something important to take care of."

"So I see." Nancy nodded towards Jolene, noticing her slight bulging stomach. The girl was with child. "And who is this?"

Richie swallowed, and pulled Jolene closer to him. "Mom, Dad, this is Jolene Dawson. My wife and our unborn child here, who has yet to be named."

Poor Nancy could have fainted right there. It was bad enough that Jack had gotten married with none of them present, but Richie, too? Wasn’t she meant to see any of her children say their vows? "Married?"

"Yes. We got married a couple of days ago. I know what you’re thinking. I’m a cad for impregnating a girl outside of marriage, but I was forced to leave her. I left this address with a mutual friend to notify me if anything changed, and it did, resulting in my leaving. When I got down there and learned of Jolene’s condition, I immediately married her."

"Oh!" Jacquelyn gasped. She stuck her hand out to the girl. "Well welcome to the family."

"Thank you." Jolene smiled at the only friendly face besides Richie’s on the porch.

"Couldn’t you have waited until you got home to marry?" Nancy weakly asked.

"I’m sorry mom, but no I couldn’t. I had to get Jolene away from there as soon as possible, and I knew that the only way to do that was to marry her as soon as possible. I know you’re disappointed not to have seen me get married but it couldn’t be helped." Richie looked at his father, whose face was red with anger at his eldest son. "Dad…say something."

Before anything could be said, Jack and Rose returned from the lake, and stopped on the steps when they noticed the new couple on the porch and the tension in the air.

Jolene gasped in surprise when she noticed the young couple from the lake.

"Richie, you’re back," the blonde man said in surprise.

"Yes, I am." Richie nodded. "Jolene, this is my little brother, Jack. Jacquelyn’s twin brother. And this here is his wife, Rose."

"Hello." Rose smiled, surprising Jolene with her Philadelphia accent. It was obvious that the girl was a northerner, and an upper class one, at that.

"Nice to meet ya." Richie’s brother’s eyes lit up with a genuine smile as he shook her hand.

"Don’t plan to stay, Richie," Charles finally growled.

"What?"

"Charles, don’t be rash," Nancy tried to intervene.

"Stay out of this, Nancy. I gave this boy six months to straighten out. If he messed up, he was out. Well he just messed up big time!"

"Father you don’t understand…" Richie began.

"I understand that you impregnated this poor girl and forced her into a life she may not be ready for. You disappear without no notice…I’m not having it Richie!"

"Oh, of course not, I’m not the golden boy now am I!" Richie snapped. He had had enough of his father’s favoritism. "If this was Jack, you wouldn’t throw him out…wait a minute. This was Jack, as I do recall, except that Rose wasn’t pregnant!"

"Uh…girls, why don’t you take Jolene to the room she and Richie will be staying in." Nancy turned to Rose and Jacquelyn. She wanted to get Jolene and Rose out of the line of fire here.

"Yes, Mother." Jacquelyn nodded.

Charles waited until the women were out of earshot and fired back. "That was different!"

"How? I mean, at least I knew Jolene a year before tying the knot! But like I said, Jack has always been your favorite!"

"Think what you will boy. But you will not be bringing your problems back into this house!"

"Dad, stop! You can’t just throw them out in the cold. She's pregnant with your grandchild," Jack intervened. "Let them stay. Rose and I can get a room somewhere else if there’s no room."

"Oh, there’s room," Richie growled. "He just doesn’t want to use it."

"Jack we had a deal six months…"

"Well, the six months are not over yet. And as far as I can see, Richie didn’t mess up. In fact, he took responsibility. Something you were always harping on him about," Jack pointed out.

Charles opened his mouth and closed it again. He knew Jack had a point. All in all, Richie didn’t really mess up. He had taken care of his responsibility to the girl. Plus, there was the fact that the child the girl was carrying was his grandchild. He didn’t really want to throw his grandchild out in the cold. "You’re so jealous of your brother, Richie, but it seems like he’s always saving your hide from being thrown out in the cold. This is your last chance. You mess up, Jolene may stay but you’ll have to leave."

"Fair enough." Richie nodded.

"I’ll go and make sure they’re getting everything set up okay." Nancy disappeared into the house.

"And I have some things to get from the general store." Charles snorted, stepping off the porch, leaving Jack and Richie by themselves.

"I guess I should thank you." Richie sighed.

"It was nothing. It looks like Ma’s a bit sore about not seeing you get married."

"It couldn’t be helped." Richie replied.

"She’ll get over it." Jack smiled. "Come on. Let’s see what the girls are doing."

They walked in to see Rose, Nancy, Jolene, and Jacquelyn sitting in the parlor.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"Trying to figure out where Richie and Jolene will be staying." Jacquelyn answered. "I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to share my room with a married couple."

"We just don’t have many options…I guess I can always put a bed down here in the living room…"

"Why can’t Jack and Rose share their room? I mean they’re both married...." Jacquelyn suggested.

"I don’t know about that, Jacquelyn…I mean, they may want their privacy…" Nancy sighed.

"I think it’s a great idea." Jack nodded.

"What do you think Rose? Jolene?" Nancy asked.

"Whatever Jack wants to do." Rose smiled at her husband.

"I think it’s a good idea for now." Richie nodded.

"All right then. Let’s go upstairs and get everything ready." Nancy clapped her handed excitedly.

*****

Nancy stood between the two beds, one a full size and the other a twin. "I’ve been thinking, in her condition, it’d be wise to give Jolene and Richie the full and Jack and Rose the twin. You don’t mind do you Rose?"

"I guess not." Rose shrugged. "Anything to be closer to my husband here." She couldn’t help but giggle.

Jack just rolled his eyes. That’ll be fine."

"Nancy! Where’s supper?" Charles grumpily yelled up the stairs.

"In a minute!" Nancy called back down. "I’ll leave you two up here to get things settled. Supper will be done shortly."

"I’ll be down to set the table momma." Jacquelyn called after her mother.

"I guess it’s a good thing Mom likes me best, huh?" Richie snorted.

"I guess it is." Jack shrugged. "Well, Rose, I guess we'd better go down and help Mom. We’ll see you downstairs." Jack led his wife down the stairs.

"Must you always do that, Richie? I guess I’m the twin with the hot temper, because if I were Jack, I would have laid you out by now." Jacquelyn stared at her older brother. "Why do you hate Jack so much?"

Richie stared at his sister in utter shock. "Jacquelyn…you know I don’t hate Jack. I love him, just as I love you. He’s my little brother. It’s just that…Dad…his attitude tends to bring out the worst in me. I guess I really did hurt him with that comment, didn’t I?"

"Yes, you did. He may not say anything, but I saw it in his face." Jacquelyn crossed her arms. "What confuses me is how much Jack stands up for you with Father. Especially in the past two weeks when you weren’t here. It was always Jack explaining your absence. But with you and mom…you seem to relish her favor."

Richie didn’t answer. He just stared down at the ground, not knowing how to answer his sister.

"And one would think you would be nicer to Jack since we had almost lost him for good in April. If it hadn't been for Rose, we would have, and then where would you be? Not here, that’s for sure."

"I’ll apologize later okay." Richie looked at his sister. "Right now I want to get Jolene settled. It was a long trip."

"Okay. Welcome to the family Jolene. I hope you don’t regret being related to the group of us."

"I doubt I will. You’ve all been so nice to me." Jolene smiled as her sister-in-law left. "Why don’t you like your brother?"

Richie sighed. "It’s like I told Jacquelyn, Jolene. I do love Jack. But…it’s just that everyone loves him. Mom, Dad, Jacquelyn, Rose…the town, but everyone seems to detest me except for my mom."

"Well if you haven’t noticed…Jack doesn’t detest you. In fact, I think he greatly admires you. But yet…you treat him like your enemy."

"I have been terrible. And he’s not the only one. I also have to apologize to Rose, as well. I kind of accused her of using Jack. Of not really loving him a couple of weeks ago. That was rude and mean of me. You see, that’s why I need you so much. You bring out the best in me."

"And you me." Jolene smiled, twirling a blonde curl around her finger. "I love you Richie Dawson. Don’t ever forget that."

"Don’t worry. I won’t." Richie smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.

*****

It was five minutes before supper, and Jack stood outside, looking out towards the fields, his mind full of the day's events. He couldn’t believe Richie was now married. He felt nothing but pure happiness for his brother. He just wished that Richie would forgive him for their father’s favoritism. Jack had tried his hardest to avoid any of the special treatment his father was prone to giving, and had made sure to point out all the good things Richie had done. But nothing helped. To Charles Dawson, Jack was the good son and Richie was the black sheep.

"Jack?" Rose stepped out onto the porch, placing a gentle hand on Jack’s shoulder. "Are you alright? You’ve been pretty quiet since we came downstairs."

"I’m fine Rose."

Rose sighed and turned Jack to face her. She gave him the same look that he gave her that day in the gymnasium when she said she loved Cal. "Really?"

Jack hesitated. It was hard to lie to Rose when she was so close that he could smell the scent of the strawberry perfume that she used in her hair, and with her eyes examining him so intensely.

"Okay, maybe I’m not. I just wish Pa would stop berating Richie and pointing out my good points. He’s not being fair to either of us."

"Richie’s not being fair to you, either. It’s not your fault that your father treats you better. I’ve sat back and watched you continuously stand up for Richie and make your father recognize Richie’s accomplishments. Yet, Richie treats you like dirt. Jack…I don’t understand that."

"Well I do. I can understand it really well actually."

"Whatever the cause…I wish he’d stop. It’s really hurting you, and you’ve seen enough pain and heartache to last two lifetimes." She tenderly touched his face, placing a sweet, tender kiss on his mouth.

"You know, you’re the only one who keeps me sane. I love you so much Rose." Jack sighed, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"I love you too."

"Ahem." Jolene cleared her throat as she pulled Richie out onto the porch. "Are we interrupting?"

"Oh, no. Not at all." Rose smiled pulling away from Jack. "So what can we do for you?"

"Well…Richie has something to say to Jack, really." Jolene pulled him forward. "Go ahead Richie. Tell Jack about what’s been bothering you."

"Okay, Jack. First, I want to apologize for the horrible way I’ve been treating you. It was unfair and uncalled for. You’ve done nothing but showed me kindness and unconditional love. But what’s been bothering me, Jack, is that you’re everyone’s favorite person. Even the rich people like you. Don’t say that it’s not true, because look at Rose. She's as high class as they come, and I can see just by looking at her that she’s in love with you. You’re the golden boy of Chippewa Falls. Father’s favorite son. And that irks me to no end. I could have the cure for consumption or pneumonia and he’d still think I was no good."

"Richie…" Jack sighed, but was interrupted.

"Don’t say that’s not true, Jack, because we both know better. To Pa, you can do no wrong, and I can do nothing but wrong. So, I guess when Ma was doing her work upstairs, and even though you have never done that to me, I had to rub it in. I knew I had hurt you, but I couldn’t help myself until Jolene called me on how I was treating you, and she’s right. It’s unfair and unbrotherly. Instead of competing with you, I should be spending more time with you, because of what happened last April. Do you forgive me for my horrible behavior?"

Jack nodded. "Of course." Jack gave his brother a hug. "Really, there’s nothing to forgive."

"And Rose…I need to apologize to you too. About how I treated you a couple of weeks ago. I know you love my brother…you wouldn’t have done all you did if you didn’t. I’m sorry that I treated you like you were using him." Richie pulled away to address Rose, whose face revealed her shock.

"Uh…thank you Richie. I forgive you." Rose nodded.

"So, are we all friends again?" Jack smiled, placing an arm around Rose’s shoulders.

"Of course." Richie laughed.

"You four! Supper's ready." Jacquelyn stuck her head through the door.

"Interrogation time?" Jolene fearfully looked towards Richie.

"Oh, Jolene, don’t worry. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson aren’t very bad. Take it from someone who was in your place a couple of months ago." Rose took Jolene’s hand and led her into the house.

"I have a feeling that Rose just made a new friend." Jack looked at his brother, laughter in his eyes.

"Well I’m glad. Jolene needs all the friends she can get. Especially after Pa gets done with her."

"Don’t worry. One thing about Pa is that he’s always a gentleman." Jack reassured his brother. "Come on. Let’s get in there before Ma sends out a search party."

*****

The table was set and everyone was seated around the table as bowls and plates of food were passed around. Jolene tightly held Richie’s hand under the table, trying to stifle her nervousness.

"So Jolene." Charles cleared his throat. "Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? How did you meet Richie?"

"I’m from the bayous of Louisiana." Jolene cleared her throat. "Richie had gotten lost, and I helped him find his way back to town."

"What about your family dear? What are they like?" Nancy asked.

"My family isn't social, Mrs. Dawson." Jolene began.

"Call me Nancy. Like I told Rose, we’re both Mrs. Dawson now." Nancy warmly smiled at the girl, hoping to make the girl feel at home.

"Uh…okay…Nancy." Jolene nodded. "My folks…they’re not sociable folks. In fact, it’s best if they stay down there in Louisiana."

"So what are you and my son planning to do now that you’re married and with child? Surely, you can’t stay here when the child is born. There’s no room." Charles bit into his drumstick.

"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it." Richie replied. "But for right now, the Dawson farm will be just fine."

"Uh…Jolene…Aren’t you worried? Worried that your family might show up and try to drag you back?" Rose asked, remembering her own fear of Cal showing up in Chippewa Falls to drag her back to her old life in Philadelphia.

"There’s no need to worry about that, because I’ll protect her." Richie placed a protective arm around her shoulders.

Rose couldn’t help but smile. Richie must realize how alike him and Jack were.

"I always wanted to go to New Orleans." Jacquelyn smiled.

"I have family down there." Rose shyly smiled. "Distant cousins on my mother’s side. The DeWitts…do you know them?"

Jolene’s eyes widened. "Of course I know them. Well…I don’t actually know them, but I’ve heard of them. Everyone has, really. They’re one of the richest families in New Orleans."

"How interesting." Nancy smiled.

Rose smiled when she suddenly began to feel a bit queasy. Excusing herself, she rushed to the bathroom.

"It must have been something she ate." Jack got up. "I better go check on her."

"Hurry back." Charles nodded.

"Rose sweetie? Are you okay?" Jack entered the bathroom to find his wife leaning against the wall, pale and exhausted. Jack immediately went to her side to check for a fever, but found none. "Honey, what’s wrong?"

"I just felt a bit nauseous. I’m sorry for worrying you." Rose sighed, leaning into Jack’s comforting embrace. "Maybe I should lie down."

"Yes, and I’ll call the doctor first thing in the morning. I want to make sure you’re not getting sick."

"Oh, Jack I’m not getting sick. I just got a little nauseated. It happened. I’m fine."

"We’ll let the doctor decide that…in fact, I’ll call him now. I want to get this fixed tonight." Jack lifted his wife up into his arms and carried her to their room. Sighing with contentment at being in her husband’s arms, Rose leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I love you Jack. You’re so warm, sweet, handsome…"

Jack laughed. "I love you too Rosebud. I promise you’ll feel better soon." He laid her down on their bed and covered her up to her chin. "There you go. Nice, warm and comfy."

"I’m always warm and comfy when I’m with you." Rose sighed, her eyes growing heavy. The day had tired her immensely, but she didn’t really want to go to sleep. She wanted to stay awake and stare into Jack’s beautiful eyes. Run her hands through his silky blonde hair. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetie. Now go to sleep. You’re tired. I’ll be right here when you wake up."

"What are you going to do?"

"Call the doctor and then come back here and set by your side." Jack took her hand.

"All right." Rose drifted off to sleep, and Jack got up to call the doctor to come check on his ailing wife.

*****

Rose stood on the porch, watching the waves of the ocean coming in. On the sandy beach were two children. One a boy and one a girl. The boy had ebony hair and blue eyes and the girl had blonde hair and the same blue eyes. Both children were five years old, and best friends. Rose smiled at the sight of the girl happily drawing a picture of a castle in the sand. For some reason, Rose couldn’t take her eyes off of her.

"Molly. Molly Nancy Dawson." Rose sighed to herself.

"Rose." She heard Jack’s voice calling her, but she chose to ignore it, too absorbed in the little girl.

"Rose." The voice called again. Only louder. "Rose!"

Rose bolted awake, the remains of the dream still with her. She turned her head to find Jack and an older gentleman with graying black hair staring down at her. "Jack?"

"Rose, the doctor is here, and he wants to check you out. I’ll be right outside that door if you need anything." Jack backed out of the room, leaving Rose and the doctor alone.

"Well?" Jacquelyn appeared behind her brother.

"He doesn’t know yet." Jack shrugged. "We’ll just have to wait patiently for his answer."

"I hope she’s okay." Jacquelyn laid a supportive hand on her brother’s shoulder. "I know how much she means to you."

"She’s everything to me, Jacquelyn…she’s my whole life. I thought that what I had with Kim was true love, but it doesn’t come close to this. What Rose and I have…it’s so consuming…I don’t know where she ends and I begin anymore. I love her so much…I can’t lose her."

"You won’t Jack. You won’t lose her. It’s probably a twenty-four hour bug or something." Jacquelyn pulled her brother into a comforting hug. Both are unaware of Jolene and Richie standing not too far away.

"He really loves her, doesn’t he?" Jolene looked up at Richie.

"That’s one thing about us Dawson men. When we fall in love, it’s completely and fully. There’s never an in-between with us." Richie placed an arm around her shoulders.

"Mr. Dawson?" The doctor stepped out of the room, bringing Jack to attention just as Charles and Nancy came up.

"How is she, doc? Will my Rose be okay?" Jack asked, hope filling his eyes.

The doctor had to smile. He had only seen such devotion once before, and that was the man’s father to his mother.

"Your wife will be fine. She just needs some bed rest and to take it easy for the next nine months."

"What?" Jack asked, the color beginning to drain from his face as the implications of what the doctor had said sank in.

"Congratulations, Jack. Your wife is pregnant. I’ve set up an appointment for next week. Make sure she comes in. From there, we’ll set up more appointments. This is her first child, and I’d like to keep a close eye on it."

"Yes, sir." Jack swallowed, now in shock. A father. He, Jack of the free spirited, no worries Dawsons, was going to be a father. Swallowing, he looked at Charles and wondered how he had done it. How had he managed to raise two sons and a daughter without completely going crazy?

"Good day Jack. I’ll see you and Rose next week. And Richie, you may bring your wife, as well. I’d like to keep watch on her condition also." The doctor turned to the eldest Dawson brother.

"Yes, sir." Richie nodded as the man went downstairs to leave.

"This is so exciting." Nancy gasped with excitement. "Two Dawson babies this time next year!"

"I’m going to be a father." Jack replied, still in shock.

"And a great father you’ll be son. Now, I suggest you go in and be with your wife. I think she may need you right now." Charles clapped his son on the back.

Jack just nodded and disappeared into the room, where Rose was patiently yet nervously waiting for him.

"So you’ve heard?" she asked, noticing the shock in his eyes.

"Uh huh. How did this happen, Rose?" Jack asked, taking her hand as he sat on the side of the bed.

"Well…do I really have to explain it to you?" She smiled, trying to lighten the situation with a joke.

Jack laughed lightly. "No. But it’s such a surprise…I guess Jacquelyn was right when she was warning Mom and Dad about a grandchild, huh?"

Rose giggled. "I hope it looked like you Jack. Your fair looks…"

"Your beautiful hair and sparkling eyes." Jack tenderly touched her face. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

Rose laughed again. "All the time."

"Well let me tell you again. I love you more than anything, Rose. You complete me like no one else ever has, and I’m so blessed to have you and our baby in my life now."

Tears sprang into her eyes, touched by Jack’s declaration. "Oh, Jack…that was so beautiful…I love you so much." She hugged him tightly, thanking God for giving her Jack and their baby. "Promise you’ll never leave me."

"I promise Rose. No matter what, I’ll be with you forever." Jack kissed her passionately, leaning her down onto the bed. Together, they once again went to the stars, basking in their all-consuming love for one another, the outside world forgotten.

Chapter Twenty-Three
Stories