AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY
Chapter Forty-Six
Jack stared at Cal as he pointed the gun at
him. Cal stared back, a barely hidden rage in his dark eyes. "You won't
get away with this, Dawson."
Jack raised his eyebrows. "Away with
what? Making sure that my fiancée is protected? Getting rid of my fiancée's
precious diamond? Which is it, Hockley?" Jack asked as he stepped closer
to Cal. "You know what, Cal? That diamond was more precious to Rose and I
than it ever would have been to you." At Jack's words, a certain sketch
flashed into Cal's mind. The image in his mind just made him angrier.
"Do you know who you're dealing with,
Dawson? I don't think you do. I am Caledon Hockley, and you are nothing but a
steerage rat!" he hissed.
"I may be a steerage rat, Hockley, but
at least I'm not a coward. I would do anything for Rose, because I love her.
You don't know the meaning of the word." Jack paused for a moment.
"Get into your car, Hockley, and leave. I don't ever want to see your face
in Chippewa Falls again. Do you understand me?"
Cal didn't see any other way out, at least
for the time being. But he was still determined to marry Rose; he would find a
way. He never failed. "Okay, Jack, you've won…for now." Jack watched
as he turned and got into his fancy car with his manservant. A moment later,
the car was gone.
*****
"Jack! I was so worried. What happened?
Are you all right? Is he gone?" Rose asked in a rush as she threw herself
into his arms. She never thought that she would feel his arms around her again.
"I was so scared, Jack. I was certain that I would never see you again.
Gosh, Jack, I would rather die than live without you," she said, before
letting him answer.
Jack kissed her over and over, just like he
had on Titanic when she had jumped back onto the ship to be with him. "I
love you, Rose. I knew that you were in trouble. I could feel it from the
moment that I woke up this morning. The note you left just confirmed it."
"I would never leave you, Jack, not
willingly."
"I know, Rose. I know," Jack
whispered into her ear. They suddenly realized that they weren't alone. The
Bakers, the Dawsons, and Rose's mother were all standing in the living room of
the Baker residence, witnessing their reunion. They laughed sheepishly.
"We're so glad that the two of you are
all right," Jesse said.
Ruth came up to her daughter and gave her a
hug. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I had no idea. I'm so sorry."
"I know, Mother," Rose said.
Ruth looked into her daughter's eyes, and
found forgiveness. Ruth turned to Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack, for the way I
treated you. I owe you my life, and the life of my daughter. Thank you."
She surprised Jack by giving him a quick hug. "Take care of her. I know
the two of you will be happy together." She had tears in her eyes.
"We need to get out of Chippewa Falls as
soon as the wedding is over…that is, if there still is a wedding," Rose
said, before turning to look into Jack's eyes. She didn't know if her
kidnapping had ruined their wedding or not.
"Rose, of course there still is a
wedding. I had every faith that I would find you. I had to." She smiled.
"But we can't leave tonight, Rose. I
don't want to run into Hockley at the train station. At least, I hope that is
where he will be tonight."
Rose lost the spark in her eyes at the
mention of Cal's name. "I doubt that he'll be there, Jack. He is
determined. He won't leave. He has to marry me. If he doesn't, he'll lose his
inheritance."
Jack looked at her quizzically. "It's a
long story. I'll tell you about it later. But, Jack, as much as I want to marry
you today, I don't think that it's a good idea. Cal is bound to show up."
Jack had to agree with her. Even though he
hated that their wedding would not go on as planned, he knew that she was
right. "You're right, Rose. I hate it, but you're right."
They turned to their family and friends.
"I guess the wedding is off for today. We need to find a way to get out of
town without Hockley knowing. Any ideas?"
"Yeah, actually, I do. I can drive the
two of you into another town, where you can catch a train," Mr. Baker
offered. Jack and Rose smiled in relief. "I'll drive you home, Jack, so
you can get your things packed up. Then, we'll get the two of you out of town,
okay?" Mr. Baker asked.
Jack nodded. "That sounds like a plan.
Thanks, Mr. Baker."
Ruth took Rose's hand in her own.
"You'll write me, won't you? I just want to know that you're all right and
happy."
Rose nodded. "Yes, Mother. I'll write
you as soon as we get there. Are you going to be okay?"
"Don't worry about me, Rose. I'm going
to go and visit my sister. I guess you can say that I'm going to start my life
over. I'll be fine. Just be sure that you take care of Jack and that baby of
yours."
Rose hugged her mother tightly. "Thanks,
Mother, for seeing that Jack is a good man. I love you."
"I love you," Ruth replied.
Jack and Rose said good-bye to everyone,
promising that they would one day return. The Dawsons, Bakers, and Ruth DeWitt
Bukater watched as they left to start their new life together.
*****
As they boarded the train, they waved
good-bye to Mr. Baker. They were both excited about starting their lives
together. Although they didn't get the chance to get married in Chippewa Falls,
they knew that Santa Monica would be a wonderful place to say their vows, just
the two of them and their unborn child. In their hearts, the baby was Jack's,
and always would be.
They took their seats and watched through the
window as the train pulled away, hands entwined. For them, Santa Monica held
dreams that both of them thought were impossible. Yet, they were on their way
to fulfill those dreams. Life had given them a precious second chance; they
were going to make every breath of their lives together count.