2

Rose awakens from her comfortable sleep and smiles to open her eyes staring into the sky. "Hi Jack," She smiles.

"Morning Rosebud," He grins.

"How long have you been awake?"
"Long enough. I just couldn’t tear myself away from your beautiful face. You look like a angel when you’re asleep," Jack sighed lightly touching the side of her face. "My angel."

"No Jack. You’re the angel. My guardian angel. You’ve saved me. In everyway a person can be saved. I don’t know how I’d ever be able to repay you for all you’ve done for me."

Jack smiles and is about to reply when there’s a light knock at the door.

"Jack! Are you two up?! The missus has breakfast on the table and is chomping at the bit to see you," Kyle’s voice floats throught the door.

"We’re be right there!" Jack gets up. "We better get dressed," He smiles at his wife. "It would be rude to go to breakfast with no clothes on."

Rose laughed. "You’re horrible."

Five minutes later, the young newlyweds emerge, the glow of love clearly on their faces. Kyle has to smile. It’s been a long time since he saw a couple so much in love.

"Come along. The missus and Angela are looking forward to seeing ya. You do remember Angela don’t ya Jack?" Kyle asked, leading them out of the store.

"She’s still in town?" Jack’s surprised. He had thought his childhood best friend would have headed out for the horizon a long time ago.

"Just visiting. She lives in Eau Claire with her husband and their twins. Both just a year old. She’s here visiting while her husband’s away on a business trip," Kyle explains.

"Wow. She’s married now with children. I never thought I’d see the day," Jack’s voice is full of wonder.

"She’ll say the same when she meets your pretty wife here," Kyle laughs walking up the steps to a quaint cottage. "Come on in you two. They’re waiting."

The interior of the cottage was warm and cozy, wifts of bacon, sausage, eggs and pancakes drifts into the living room.

"It’s about time you got back!" A middle aged woman with graying brunette hair came bustling into the room, wiping her hands on her apron. The woman stops in her tracks, her eyes widen in surprise when she sees Jack and Rose. "My goodness! Jackie! How you’ve grown since I saw you last!" The woman quickly walks over and pulls Jack into a bear hug. "And handsome too. Look just like your ma, with a bit of your pa. They both would be so proud if they were alive today."

"I’d like to think so," Jack smiles as the woman releases him.

"And this must be your wife Kyle was telling us about. Why she is a pretty one," the woman looks Rose up and down. "You’ve done well for yourself Jack."

"Mom, what’s all the commotion about…Jackie?" A girl Jack’s age emerges from the kitchen. Her brown eyes are warm and her brunette hair is pulled into a bun.

"That’s my name," Jack smiles at his old friend. She looked almost the same the last time he saw her, except now she really did look like a girl and wasn’t as muddy. "Don’t ware it out."

"Smartie pants, come over here and give me a hug," The girl laughs hugging her friend tightly. "Wow you’ve changed so much and daddy says you’re married!"

"Yes. Rose, this Angela Lavery. We were best friends when I left. Angela this is the love of my life Rose Dawson," Jack take’s Rose’s hand and pulls her to his side.

"It’s a pleasure," Rose smiles, shaking Angela’s hand.

"Same here. I hope this rascal hasn’t caused you too much trouble. He was always getting me in trouble when we were kids," Angela laughs.

"Excuse me, but I think it was you who was getting yourself in trouble. I was just your willing scapegoat," Jack smiles. "So you’re married youself with children huh?"
"Yes. You’ll have to meet Jason, but you can meet the twins now. Mother go get the children!" Angela turns to her mother who disappears up the stairs. Ten minutes later she comes down with a baby in each arm.

"They’re beautiful," Rose gasped as a baby is handed to her and one to Jack.

"Thank you. The one you’re holding name is Ruth. And the other one is Hannah," Angela smiles.

"You’ve really outdone yourself Angela," Jack smiles at the baby in his arms, wondering when he and Rose will become parents. Just by looking at Rose he can tell that she wanted children.

"I better take them back up. I had to wake them up to bring them down. It they don’t finish their nap they’ll get cranky," Angela takes the twins and heads upstairs.

One hour later, after breakfast was eaten, Jack and Rose stand at the door, ready to say good-bye.

"Must you two go now? We have so much to catch up on," Angela whined.

"I’m afraid so. It’s getting late and we have yet to get to the old house. We’ll drop by later," Jack smiled wraping a arm around Rose’s waist.

"You two are always welcomed to that back room if you should change your mind about staying there Jack," Kyle offers. "It’ll remain available for you two."

"Thank you Kyle," Jack nods. "Angie, if I don’t see you before you head back to Eau Claire we’ll drop by sometime."

"Sure thing Jack. I’ll leave the address and number with daddy," Angela hugs her friend one last time. "Rose if he becomes too much trouble just send him to me and I’ll straighten him out."

"I’ll keep that in mind," Rose laughs, stepping closer to Jack and leans her head on his shoulder.

Angela rolls her eyes. "Newlyweds. I wonder if Jason and I were like that."

"You were," Kyle laughed. "You two couldn’t keep your hands off each other."

"We’ll see you all again," Jack waves, leading Rose out the door. The Laverys stand on the porch watching the young couple disappear down the street.

"Kyle you should have warned Jack about those three staying there. It would be better if they never went near that place," Betsy Lavery scolds her husband.

"Did you hear me offer the room again?" Kyle turns to his wife.

"Not the same thing," Betsy glares at him.

"Don’t worry you two. I have a feeling that Jack and Rose can hold their own," Angela crosses her arms. "If Jack feels like it’s an unsuitable place for Rose, he’ll bring her back here. He’s very protective of her it looks like."

Kyle just nods and prays to God that those two will remain safe. He didn’t trust Butch and Vic Dawson as far as he can throw them, and Lisa Dawson…she was nothing but a bad influence.

*

The Dawson house seemed deserted as Jack and Rose steps up onto the porch. But both knew this wasn’t the case. Kyle Lavery had said that his uncles and cousin were staying here. They must be out. To Jack’s surprise the door comes up when he turns the knob.

"Should we go in?" Rose asked, nervously clinging to Jack’s hand, not knowing what to expect.

"I guess we should," Jack shrugs. "It’s starting to get cold out here and I don’t want you to get sick or anything," He pulls her into the house.

The house is dimmly lit and is cluttered with empty beer bottles. "It looks like someone’s had a party," Jack mummbles. Both jump at the creak above them.

"What’s that?" Rose gasped.

"I don’t know, but let’s go find out," Jack leads his wife up the stairs. When they reach the upstairs, groans and moans are heard from the room on the right.

"Uh Jack…Maybe we should go back downstairs," Rose suggests, stepping closer to Jack.

"That may be a good idea," Jack nods. He’s about to head back for the stairs when the door opens and out steps a girl with beautiful long blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. She’s dressed in a robe and it’s obvious that she’s naked underneath.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the girl demands.

Jack instantly recognizes her as his cousin Lisa. His uncle Butch’s daughter. "Why Lisa don’t you recognize your own cousin," Jack steps out into the lighted hallway, away from the shadow of the stairs. "You left the door open down there."

"Jackie? Is that really you?" She takes a closer look at the man standing before her. She could barely recognize the skinny as a rail boy that once lived there. Jack had surely filled out a lot in the last five years. "You’ve changed."

"Of course. It’s been five years," Jack nervously laughs, remembering the sounds that he had heard coming from her room. "We’re not interrupting anything are we?"

Lisa just shakes her head before hugging her cousin. "It’s good to have you back Jackie. I’ve missed you."

"Same here Lisa," Jack smiles, hugging his cousin back. "I’d like you to meet someone," Jack grabs Rose’s hand and pulls her away from the stair case. "Lisa, meet my wife Rose. Rose this is my cousin Lisa."

Lisa looks the girl up and down. Just a few years younger than Jack by the look of her. "Hey," She nods.

"Hello," Rose smiles nervously stepping closer to Jack.

"So you got married. Can’t believe it. So where did you two meet."
"A ship," Jack said, not wanting to go into detail.

Before Lisa could ask what ship it was, the door downstairs slams downstairs.

"Lisa! Where’s lunch! It better be ready!" a gruff voice calls up.

"Daddy and Uncle Vic is home. Why don’t you two come down. They’ll be surprised to see you back," Lisa quickly grabs Jack’s hand and leads them down the stairs.

In the foyer they find two heavy-seat unshaven men, both had dirty blond hair and dull blue eyes. The oldest one turns his glare on Lisa.

"Girl you better not have another man up there or I’ll skin him."

Lisa rolls her eyes. "Daddy you remember Jackie don’t you? He left five years ago."

Both mens eyes grow as round as saucers. "Jack? Is that really you?" Both men ask in unison.

"Yes Uncle Butch and Uncle Vic, it’s me. I’ve returned," Jack forcfully smiles. It’s clear to Rose that he didn’t care too much for the two men.

"Jackie!" Both Butch and Vic go to hug their long lost nephew. Neither expected him to return to Chippewa Falls. Rose frowns when she looks up at the stairs and notice a barely dressed young man with black hair and brown eyes, clutching his shirt in his hand slipping downstairs. She’s not surprised to see Lisa help slip him out the door.

"It’s good to see you Jackie!" Vic exclaims pulling away from the hug.

"And look how the kid had grown. Not a rail of a boy no more," Butch laughed. "Actually looks like a man now."

"And may we ask who the pretty lady standing next to ya is?" Vic eyes Rose.

"This is Rose Dawson, my wife," Jack wraps a secure arm around her waist.

"Wife!" Butch laughs. "Why you really have grown up haven’t ya! Who would have thought! Lisa! Where’s lunch! We have company!"