SWING
Chapter Twelve
"Would you like me to stay, Rose? Make
sure you’re okay?" Jack asked, holding her hand as they stood in front of
her house.
"That won’t be necessary, Jack. I’ve
handled my mother before. I can handle her now. Jack…I’d like to thank you for
all you’ve done for me. If it wasn’t for you, I could be heading for a camp
right now."
Jack smiled, squeezing her hand. "I’d
never let that happen to you, Rosie. Not in a billion years."
"I better go." Rose sighed, looking
at the lit window at the side of the door. "Mother must be waiting."
"Well…good night, Rose." Jack
gently kissed her again before stepping away and disappearing into the night.
"Night, Jack." Rose sighed before
heading inside where Ruth stood tapping her foot. "Mother."
"I thought we had an agreement, Rose.
You were to stay away from that boy." Ruth coldly stared at Rose.
"No, Mother, you had an agreement. I
never said I’d stay away from Jack. Besides, our agreement seems to be null and
void. The authorities already know about my…condition."
Ruth laughed. "Oh no, darling. Only Cal
knows. I thought he had the right to know who he was taking as a bride.
Fortunately, he’s decided that you’ll be a suitable enough bride as long as no
one else know of your bloodlines. Now, I suggest that you cut off ties with
that boy before I have a talk with Mr. Hockley." Glaring one more time at
her daughter, Ruth disappeared up the stairs.
"I’ll never marry Caledon Hockley,
Mother." Rose rubbed her shoulders. "Never. I would rather end up in
a camp than married to him."
As she said those words, a sense of comfort
came over her, knowing that Jack wouldn’t let that happen to her. She didn’t
know how she got so lucky to have met Jack, who accepted her no matter what she
was. Sighing, she headed up the stairs to her room, ready to drift off into
dreams of Jack and their future together.