5
Rose blinked the sun out of her eyes as she sat up to take in her surroundings. She sighs with relief to find that indeed they were off the moving ship and were back on dry land. Getting up, Rose glided over to Cal’s coat he had put on her shoulders the last night she spoke to him. Frowning at the wieght of the jacket, she rummaged the pocket and gasped when she found stacks of hundred dollar bills and the heart of the ocean.
"Oh my…Jack! Jack wake up!" Rose hollered in surprise.
"What?" Jack sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Look! Look what Cal left in his coat! Money and the necklace! He must have been planning to buy his way off the ship!" Rose gasped, collapsing onto the bed right in front of Jack. "Look at all this money."
"He was a coward Rose. Only a coward would bribe his way off a sinking ship."
"Well now all his blood money is ours now. Plus his precious necklace," Rose grinned. "Just think of how much we can get for it."
"Rose we can’t sell it," Jack replied, more serious now than he’s ever been. "If it got back to Cal…he can track you down. We can’t let that happen."
Rose nodded in understanding. "You’re right. We’ll just put it up someplace. It can be a keepsake…a memory of our first night together."
Jack blushed at the memory. "And we’ll bank the money. We’ll take enough out to get us some new clothes and tickets out of New York, then we bank the rest."
"Now my dear, let’s get ready to meet Molly for breakfast before she comes banging the door down," Jack laughed.
"Jack! Rose! Are you up?!" Molly’s voice blasts into the room along with the buzzing of the bell.
"Why speak of the devil," Rose giggled. "We’ll be right out Molly!"
"Hurry children! I have a full day ahead planned for the both of you!" Molly replied.
"Oh no," Jack groaned. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
"What’s so bad about shopping with us?"
"Two women shoppers. Need I say anymore?"
"Jack!" Rose playfully hit his arm. "We’re not that bad and we won’t take so long knowing that you’re with us. Happy now?"
"Ecstatic," Jack grinned.
*
Molly took Jack and Rose down to a tiny Café just a block away from the hotel. Rose sat down to the fruit crapes and enjoyed the spacious atmosphere.
"I love it here Molly," Rose grinned.
"I thought you would darling. So…have you two talked about what you’re going to do now that you’re back on dry land?" Molly glanced at the young lovers.
Jack smiled adoringly at Rose and took her hand. "We’re going to get married as soon as possible. And we’d love it if you were a witness for us."
"Oh Jack and Rose! How marvelous and of course I’ll be a witness! I knew you two were going to tie the knot before it was all said and done with!" Molly hugged both her friends. "This is a happy day."
"It’s a happy life," Rose sighed. If someone had told her a couple of weeks ago that she’d be deeply in love with her fiancee and eagerly awaiting the wedding, she would have laughed in their faces. But now…getting married and being with Jack was all she could ever want.
"And after the wedding?" Molly asked.
"We’ll be heading back to my home town of Chippewa Falls. Rose wants to see where I grew up," Jack answered. "I don’t know where her fascination with my life comes from."
"Well as Cal always said, information is power," Rose smiled.
"Quoting Cal now are we?" Jack asked, his eyebrow arched.
"Just this one time. Oh Jack it’s going to be great. I get to meet all your old friends and they can tell me what a little angel you were," She pinched his cheek.
"Ow," Jack rubbed his face. "Believe me Rose, I was no angel."
"Well you’re mine and that’s enough," Rose kissed his cheek.
"You two we’re in public. Let’s remain proper," Molly cheerfully warned. "But you know, I know the justice of the peace here in this city and I’m sure he’ll be happy to marry you this afternoon. What do you say?"
Rose looked at Jack. He could be all hers by this afternoon and nothing would be able to separate them ever again. She liked the idea of that very much and by the light in Jack’s eyes she could tell he felt the same.
"We’ll do it," They said together.
"Ok," Molly laughed. "We’ll have a wedding just as soon as we’re done shopping."