Things happened fast for the next few months. Deputy Wheeler recovered from his wound, but decided he had been a deputy long enough and retired.
Maria and Ollie started dating on a regular basis. She left the ABI and joined Jake at the sheriff’s department, replacing Charlie.
Thanks to the good job by both the sheriff’s office and the ABI, the county D. A. was able to make a strong case against Alec and Guy. Alec had planned on acquiring these farms and gaining a monopoly on the state’s poultry business. Charged with several counts of land fraud and attempted murder, they would be put away for many years.
At breakfast a couple of mornings after Alec’s arrest, Rachel asked Barbara when she was going back to Mobile. Barbara skirted the question until Dora forced her to tell Rachel everything. It turned out the reason Dora and Sherry were trying so hard to get Barbara to stop smoking was because the night that Darlyn was attacked, Barbara had set her house on fire. Barbara had a bad habit of waking up in the middle of the night and, unable to sleep, would lie in bed and read. That particular night she fell back to sleep with a cigarette in her hand. Her book caught fire and fell on the floor. When she woke up the room was full of smoke and fire. Dora managed to get her out in time, thanks to the smoke detector going off, but there was damage to the house, which was being repaired while they were at the farm.
Two days later, Sherry and Oscar announced that they had gone to the courthouse and were married. Now that Rachel knew more about Oscar and who he really was, she was not having those apprehensive feelings toward him any longer. She was happy that her mother had found someone to love, and relieved to know that he would take care of Sherry.
Darlyn had taken over the running of the farm, leaving Rachel without a job. To her satisfaction, she had been hired at the elementary school in Evergreen and would be teaching kindergarten in the fall.
Now, two months after Sherry and Oscar’s wedding, Rachel was standing in the vestibule of the church talking to Darlyn. Roxanne had gone inside a few minutes ago. Speaking to Darlyn, Rachel said, “Is Roxanne going to stay mad at you forever?”
“Hardly; we have been friends too long for her to stay mad at me. She’ll get used to having me around again. Just this morning at the beauty shop, she was gossiping like old times, telling me all about Bonnie’s new beau. It looks like she will be adding that fourth bee to her bonnet real soon.” Pointing in the direction of the door, Darlyn added, “See what I mean?”
Turning around in time to see Bonnie enter the church on the arm of a man, she asked, “Well, who is he?”
“That’s Bennie Brookes, the banker over at Merchants Bank. Just think, if she marries him they will be Bennie and Bonnie Brookes. Sounds like I’m stuttering, doesn’t it!” Giggling like two schoolgirls, Darlyn took Rachel’s hand and said, “Are you ready?”
Wearing a Christi original, she said happily, “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
Rachel walked over to Oscar, placed her hand in his, and together they walked down the aisle. Reaching their places, Oscar smiled at Rachel as he placed her hand in Jake’s.