15
Six months later...
Leftover fall leaves settled on the small sedan parked in front of the Denison family house as Rose pulled her luggage out the door and down three small steps. “Hello, Jim. I need you and Erica to reserve a spot for me at the praise and prayer conference. I’ll be there by nightfall in four days’ time.” She spoke into the speakerphone she held in her other hand.
“You should reserve one for me too,” someone said behind her as she reached the car.
She spun and dropped the phone. “David.” She bent over and picked it up.
He slid his hands into his pockets. “Hey, Rosie. Sorry about that. Mind if I help you with one of these?” He pointed to her other waiting luggage as she popped the trunk and loaded the first into it.
Rose hesitated then shrugged. “Sure.” She stepped aside to let him through as he lifted her luggage, hefted it on top of the first one, and then slammed it shut.
“Jim, I’ll call you later. Muscle is here. Bye.” As she ended the call, Rose pretended not to notice that he stared at her license plate. This was his first time seeing it since she’d just gotten it. She chuckled as she tossed her purse and Bible into the front seat.
Although it was already six months since her name had been fully cleared of murder charges, being truly free still felt like a dream. It had taken a bit longer to have the accusations struck out from public record, so she wouldn’t have a criminal record.
On her part, Theo’s mom was cooling her heels in prison. So was the other woman, though she was serving a lighter sentence, for cooperating with authorities. Theo, sadly, had skipped town. He left as soon as the case finished. Later, he traced his real birth family down to Massachusetts.
He’d shared with Rose over the phone that most of them had passed away, only a few cousins remained. He moved from Elliot, saying he needed space and time to clear his head.
She didn’t blame him after all. He also sold his mom’s diner, donated the proceeds to various programs that supported finding kidnapped and missing children nationwide.
David, on the other hand, had been there for her right after he was revived in the courtroom with an ice-water splash. They’d been in regular contact after the law discharged her, but it took a while before things settled back to normal, or near normal. Even now, she wasn’t sure if they could ever go back to how things were. Too much tragedy had occurred, though they worked to get past it. David, now in charge of Elliot-Kings School, set up a memorial scholarship fund in honor of his dad. He invited her as an honored guest for the inauguration, which she attended. But Rose couldn’t go back to teaching at the school. She still loved educating, but needed a different environment.
So she took up a private tutoring job in downtown Detroit as soon as she was free, even though the pay was meager and wouldn’t sustain her. After tortuous bus rides to and from the tutoring center for four months, she afforded her new wheels—a well-used car. Nevertheless, she was glad to have something to move around in. To take a long road trip in, like she was about to do now. Then meet up with her family, after flying over to Hawaii.
“Thanks.” David turned as she slid past him to the door. She looked back to ensure she’d locked the house. The birds in the oak tree chirped and elicited a smile from her. It was already December so she wondered why some didn’t fly south. She shrugged. Maybe it wasn’t time for them yet. She scanned the house again. The flowerbed of white lilies she’d planted would be uncared for until she returned, but that was okay. She planted the garden to honor her late mom, and she could always take care of it whenever she was around.
But David lingered. “Rose. Things have been awkward. More than awkward the past year.”
Rose smiled as she glided into the driver’s seat. “Yeah, you could say that again.” She fished for her keys.
He scratched his jaw, concern lining his eyes. “I’m sure you may never come back here. But I’ve been praying.”
So had she. “And?” She buckled her seatbelt, hoping not to forget to set her GPS by the time David was finished speaking. Being in jail those couple of weeks had taught her to pray always—about everything. Including what she was sure he was about to ask. What he’d been waiting to ask since fifteen years ago. What she was now ready to hear and embrace.
“You owe me a dance. And a date, princess.”
Bingo. She chuckled. “I owe you, or you owe me?”
David’s eyeballs grew with surprise. Then he smiled. “Either way. I need you in my life—fully.”
Rose started her car and revved the engine. “You owe me, David, and I’ll be back to collect. In three months’ time.”
His brow arched. “So you’re not leaving Elliot for good, right?” Faint hope warbled his voice.
She slid on her sunglasses and spun to check the rearview, sure not to hit anyone. Then she looked at him again, lowering the glasses. “Never again will someone pursue me from my home. I need to go spend time with the Lord first, and later with my dad who is a renewed Christian in Hawaii. Visit with Jim and Erica for a while. Then I’m back to Elliot for good.”
David’s smile grew wide as he tapped her door. “All right then. Sounds like a plan. Pray for me while you’re there.”
She shifted the gear to drive. “I certainly will.”
He glanced toward the back and peered. “Wait, what does your license plate, B*STILL mean?”
Thought you won’t ask. She smiled and tipped the sunglasses down her nose. “Be still and know that I am God, says the Lord.”
“Scripture.” He nodded. “That’s cool. I’m sure it holds some special significance.”
“You have no idea.”
“I look forward to your return, fair maiden.” He lowered, bent his head through the window, and kissed her forehead. Then he moved away from the car, sliding his hands into the pocket of his gray pants.
“As do I, milord.” Rose pushed up her sunglasses, feeling the warmth of his kiss all the way to her heart, but also knowing she needed to take this trip first and foremost. She nodded to David, stepped on the gas, and roared her car into the street as his wave faded.
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making all things new for me,” she whispered as she sped toward Detroit’s highway.
THE END!!!
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