Broken Promises (23 page)

Rosie thought Verda’s meatloaf must have included parsley, but she wasn’t going to say a word against the love-inspired meal. The potatoes were runny and the green beans were cold, but she loved every bite.

“Well, it weren’t the best meal I ever ate,” Stanley admitted.

Looking up from her empty plate, she shook her head. “Well, that’s funny, because it was certainly the best meal I ever ate,” she said. “And the love put into it made it even better.”

He shrugged, but his face glowed with pleasure. “Thank you, Rosie,” he said, leaning over and kissing her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. “No, thank you, Stanley,” she said. “This was perfect.”

A moment later, Stanley pushed the dishes to the side and picked up the album. “I wanted to show you this,” he explained. “I guess I wanted you to know a little bit about where I come from.”

She placed her hands on the top of the album. “While you were in the kitchen I looked through it,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, but you didn’t mind?” he asked. “I mean, this don’t really have a lot to do with you and me.”

“Of course it does,” she replied. “This is your family, Stanley. These are your memories and they look like wonderful ones. I loved the photos of Christmas morning and all of the clever things Verda did for birthdays. She was a very creative woman.”

“You don’t mind?” he asked. “You ain’t jealous?”

She shook her head and sighed. “Stanley, I think I would have liked Verda if I had the chance to know her,” she said. “She seemed to have a wonderful sense of humor, she raised delighful children and she left you willing to love again, after she was gone. I think that’s fairly remarkable.”

Stanley looked down at the table for a moment, and then he met Rosie’s eyes. “I still can’t for the life of me remember what she wanted,” he said. “But I did clean up my office.”

“Well, if it’s important, you’ll remember,” she said. “Now, kiss me good-bye, so I can go home, get my beauty sleep and be ready for our wedding day.”

He leaned forward again and kissed her. “You don’t need no beauty sleep,” he said. “You’re already the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“Oh, Stanley,” she sighed. “You say the nicest things.”

Clarissa waited for her mother to come home. She had exciting news; she was going to be part of the spelling bee. It was going to be held the following week at school and she hoped her mother would be able to change her shift and see her spell on the stage. She’d been practicing all afternoon.

“Laughter. L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R,” she said and then she giggled. “Laughter.”

When she heard the lock rattle, she ran toward the door but stopped a few feet away when she saw her mother enter. Becca looked exhausted, her face was pale with a bluish tinge and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her breathing was labored and she fell against the wall once she closed and locked the door.

“Mommy, are you okay?” Clarissa asked, slowly coming forward.

Becca looked up, surprised. “Oh, darling, I didn’t see you,” she said slowly, trying to hide her heavy breathing. “I had such a busy day, I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

Clarissa put her arms around her mother’s waist and guided her to the couch. “Sit down, Mommy; I have some exciting news for you.”

Becca let her daughter lead her across the room, grateful for the support. She had felt light-headed all day; barely being able to catch her breath and her medicine did not seem to be working. She sat on the couch and Clarissa snuggled up next to her.

“Guess what, Mommy,” she said, “there’s going to be a spelling bee at school next week and I get to be in it.”

Becca laid her head against her daughter’s and closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m so proud of you, dear,” she said. “But I’m afraid you are going to have to miss it.”

Clarissa sat up and pulled away slightly. “Why? I worked really hard. I know my words really well.”

“Darling, you aren’t going to be attending that school anymore,” Becca explained. “You don’t even have to go to school tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because tomorrow, as soon as I get off work and get paid, we are going to the bus station and we are going to take the bus all the way to Florida.”

“But, why are we going to Florida?” Clarissa asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. “Daddy’s angels won’t be able to find us if we go to Florida.”

Becca pulled Clarissa back into her embrace and rocked her for a few moments. “Darling, I’m so sorry,” she whispered into her hair. “I know you worked hard on your spelling. And I know you’ve been such a good girl. But, the bad man won’t find us if we go far away, to a place like Florida. And I think I would get better there. It’s warmer, so it would be easier for me to breathe.”

“But what about Daddy’s angels?” she asked.

Becca kissed the top of Clarissa’s head. “Oh, any angels sent by your daddy will be able to find us no matter where we go.”

“So, I can’t go back to my school and say good-bye to my teacher and my friends?”

“No, darling, you just stay home in the morning and then we can sneak away before anyone knows we’re gone,” she said. “The less people know, the better.”

Later that night Clarissa sat next to the window in her bedroom. The neon sign from the bar below was shining brightly and the scantily clad angel was flapping her wings. Clarissa searched in vain for the angel her daddy was going to send, but finally, she gave up and knelt next to her bed. She folded her arms and bent her head. “Dear God, This is Clarissa. Mommy says we are moving tomorrow, but my daddy might not know about it. Please tell him we are going to Florida, cause it’s warm and Mommy can breathe better. Tell Daddy to please send angels to Florida to take care of us there. And tell him I miss him. Amen.”

She climbed up into her bed and pulled the covers up. The apartment was silent for a moment, and then the coughing started again. She quickly slipped from her bed and knelt down again. “And please God, help Mommy to stop coughing. Amen.”

The night sky was so clear you could see the Milky Way from the top of Flagstaff hill in Krape Park. Bradley and Mary sat wrapped in a wool blanket on the top of the picnic bench that overlooked the park and stared up into the sky. “This is so beautiful,” Mary said. “I feel like I can reach out and touch them.”

Bradley wrapped his arm around her and pulled her even closer. “We could go home where it’s warm and watch this on the Internet.”

Mary elbowed him and shook her head. “The Internet is not romantic.”

“Oh,” he replied, nibbling on her ear. “I didn’t realize you wanted romantic.”

She shivered. “Stop it,” she laughed. “That tickles.”

He moved back. “It was supposed to be sexy.”

“Oh,” she said, immediately contrite. “I didn’t know that. Go ahead, try again. I’ll do better this time.”

She heard him snort and his body shook with laughter. “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing,” he laughed.

“I said I’d do better,” she said with a huff. “So do it again.”

Still laughing he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped the blanket around them tightly, and then he trailed a number of light kisses on her jawline. She shivered again, but this time it definitely did not tickle. She closed her eyes and arched her neck and he kissed along her collarbone and the inside of her neck. Her body grew warmer. “Oh, that’s so nice,” she whispered as kissed the corner of her lips. He lifted his head and waited until she opened her eyes. Then he lowered his face to hers and crushed his lips against hers. She moaned softly and then she froze.

Bradley lifted his head. “What’s wrong?”

Her eyes, wide with wonder, met his. “This is what Rosie meant,” she said.

“What?”

“When Rosie and I were talking about sex, she told me that we would be able to communicate without words,” she said, her voice animated and her eyes sparkling with understanding. “We just did that, we just communicated without words.”

Rolling his eyes, Bradley pulled her back into his arms. “Well, let’s just continue our conversation, shall we?”

She chuckled and nodded. “Oh, of course,” she agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck and positioning herself for a fresh round of kisses.

Just before their lips met, Bradley’s phone began to ring. He sat back and sighed. “It’s the department,” he said. “I have to…”

She nodded with understanding.

“Alden,” he said into the phone. “Really? Already? And what did they decide?”

He paused for a moment and nodded, “Thank you so much. Yes, I’ll tell Mary. Thanks again.”

He hung up the phone and kissed Mary with extra enthusiasm.

“What?” she asked, when she could speak again.

“The jury reached a verdict: guilty of manslaughter,” he said. “The sentencing will be tomorrow.”

“Only manslaughter?” Mary asked. “Why not first degree murder?”

“The jury didn’t believe he intended to kill his wife, they believe he thought she was dead and acted to save their baby,” he said.

“And Jeannine?” she asked.

“He didn’t inject the drug,” he said with a shrug. “So they didn’t find him culpable.”

“How do you feel?” she asked.

He smiled. “Good,” he said. “I feel good. I think the judge will send him away for a long time. I feel that justice has been served. How do you feel?”

Taking a deep breath, she smiled back at him. “Relieved,” she replied. “Gary Copper is going away and I don’t ever have to worry about him again. Now we can concentrate on finding Clarissa.”

Bradley stood up, with Mary in his arms and kissed her again. Then he lowered her to the ground. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go tell Ian the good news. And then you can tell me more about this conversation you and Rosie had.”

Rosie stood in front of the mirror in a small room at the church. Mary stood behind her, helping to place hairpins in her hair to hold the veil in place. “Okay, I think it’s good,” Mary said through a mouthful of bobby pins, “What do you think?”

Rosie turned her head to one side and then to the other and nodded. “Oh Mary, I think it looks perfect.”

Mary stood back and looked at her friend. She was dressed in an ivory brocade suit with pearl buttons and four-inch ivory heels. Her veil was a vintage birdcage with a cluster of ivory roses, green shamrocks and black feathers. “You look so beautiful,” Mary said, tears filling her eyes. “Stanley is going to be knocked off his feet.”

Rosie smiled back at her. “Don’t start crying or I’ll ruin my mascara and my wedding pictures will look horrid.”

Mary laughed, grabbed a tissue and blotted her eyes. “Okay, I’m better now,” she said. “So, have you got something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?”

Rosie nodded. “Let’s see, something new is this wonderful suit,” she said, twirling in front of the mirror, “Even though it cost me a fortune.”

“It was worth every penny,” Mary said.

“And something borrowed is my veil,” she said. “It belonged to my mother, I just updated it a little.”

“Perfect,” Mary agreed.

“And, something blue,” she said, as she lifted her skirt slightly and with a saucy wink exposed a blue garter on her thigh. “How’s this?”

“Well, you have it all covered except something old,” Mary said.

Rosie shrugged. “Well, I figured the something old would be me.”

Mary rushed forward and threw her arms around Rosie. “You are not old, you are amazing,” she said. “And I am so happy for you.”

Rosie returned the hug. “Thank you, sweetie, I am so happy,” she admitted. “I never thought I would find someone like Stanley.”

Laughing, Mary stepped back. “Oh, Rosie, there is no one like Stanley.”

Rosie giggled. “I suppose you’re right,” she said.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “Is the bride ready?” Ian asked from the other side of the door.

Mary turned to Rosie. “Ready?”

Rosie nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Mary opened the door and Ian, dressed in a black tuxedo, walked in. “Wow, you look gorgeous,” he said, kissing Rosie on the cheek and lowering his voice. “We can still run away together if you’d like.”

She kissed him back and laughed. “And just what would you do if I said yes?” she asked.

“Ah, darling, I’d be the happiest of men for the rest of my life,” he said, placing his hand over his heart.

“You flatterer,” she said. “But no, I have my mind made up. I’m marrying Stanley today.”

“Well then, if you’re mind is made up, the least I can do is walk you down the aisle,” he said, extending his arm. “Are you ready, milady?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” Rosie agreed, slipping her arm through his.

“Just wait here,” Mary said, slipping out the door. “Let me make sure everything is ready.”

Mary hurried down the hall and into the front foyer of the church.

Stanley stood at the front of the church loosening his collar. “Don’t know why they insist we dress up like monkeys,” he grumbled. “Don’t know who thought of ties any who.”

Bradley grinned and leaned over to Stanley. “Stop fussing, everyone will think you’re nervous,” he said.

Stanley straightened. “Ain’t nervous,” he said. “Perfectly calm. I ain’t no wet-behind-the-ears kid. I know what marriage is all about.”

Bradley nodded. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”

“That’s nothing but female stuff,” Stanley scoffed. “Superstitious female…”

He paused and his jaw dropped. “Well, I’ll be,” he said.

“What?” Bradley asked.

“I just remembered,” he said, turning to Bradley. “I can’t believe it took me this long.”

“Took you this long for what?” Bradley asked.

Stanley unpinned his boutonniere and handed it to Bradley. “Hold this for me, okay?” he asked, “I gotta go do something.”

Stanley walked past him to the side door in the chapel.

“Wait, Stanley, what am I supposed to tell Rosie?” Bradley called after him.

“Tell her I remembered what Verda wanted,” he said. “Tell her I love her.”