Whiskey Rose (Fallen) (12 page)

“
Yeah something like that
.
”

“
I’
ve never seen Rose stay in her room all day, even on a Sunday. You must have worn the poor girl out
.
” Dixie laughed and Matt smiled.

“
She is not feeling very well. She is resting
.
”

“
Oh well in that case do you want to play some poker
?
”

“
What
?
”

“
We are all playing. Might get a little rowdy, or a little drunk
.
” She giggled and he smiled again
.“
Katrin
a’
s idea she says if one of us can beat her she will swap rooms
.
”

“
Really
?
” Matt was surprised. He wondered if that was a sign that she was moving on
.“
What changed her mind
?
”

“
I dunno. I think we just wore her down. She said if one of us could beat her she would swap with them next Sunday. So of course we are all going to play for the chance to win
.
”

“
Why are you asking me? I do
n’
t want her room
.
”

“
I know hun, I just want you to run interference. Take out some of the competition
.
”

“
Oh I see
.
” He laughed
.“
I appreciate the offer but I think
I’
m going to keep Rose company
.
”

“
Oh well
,
” she sighed
,“
I ca
n’
t say I blame you
.
”

“
I
t’
s not going to work you know
.
” Rose was sitting cross-legged on the bed eating her soup.

“
What is
n’
t
?
”

“
You ca
n’
t seduce me by taking care of me either
.
” 

“
I was
n’
t trying to
.
” He laughed but she had changed into that puritanical Victorian nightgown and he was dying to get his hands under it.

“
What are you trying to do then
?
”

“
Believe it or not I am just trying to help you get better
.
”

“
You have an ulterior motive
.
” 

“
No, I made a wager that I intend to win but that has nothing to do with you getting better
.
”

“
How can you call it a wager? There are no stakes
.
”

“
Fine, call it a challenge. You believe you ca
n’
t be seduced. I believe you can
.
”

“
And you love a good challenge
.
”

“
Yes I do
.
” He grinned
.“
But if your will is as iron as you say it is. You should be able to resist me easily
.
”

“
I do
n’
t know about this
.
”

“
What are you worried about. You do
n’
t have to do anything you do
n’
t want to and I wo
n’
t do anything you do
n’
t let me
.
” She eyed him for a moment. She really was
n’
t sure she could resist him. Not when just those eyes, that smile made her week in the knees. She was doomed to lose this wager and yet she relished the idea of it at the same time.

“
Alright fine give it your best shot but it wo
n’
t do you any good
.
” She said haughtily. He grinned and stood up. He had been sitting on the end of the bed but now he stepped toward her. She braced herself for the sensual onslaught but it did
n’
t come, he did
n’
t even touch her. He reached down and took the bowl from her hands.

“
Good morning. Are you feeling better
?
” He stepped into the kitchen and she handed him a cup of coffee.

“
Actually I am feeling much better. I
t’
s amazing what a little rest can do
.
”

“
Oh my gosh are you admitting I was right
?
” He slapped his hand to his chest in a shocked gesture.

“
No, you did
n’
t invent rest Matt. As much as you would like to think you did
.
” Her remark did
n’
t dampen the teasing twinkle in his eye.

“
Say what you like, I was still right
.
” He grinned.

“
Missed you last night
.
” Dixie said bumping him as she came through the door.

“
Yeah, ho
w’
d you do
?
”

“
I won
!
” She grinned.

“
I think she stacked the deck
.
” Faith mumbled coming in the door behind her.

“
Did not
.
” Dixie insisted.

“
What are you talking about
?
” Rose asked feeling like she had missed something significant.

“
We played poker last night and Katrina put up her room
.
”

“
What
?
” Rose gasped.

“
Yep, she did and I won!
?
” Dixie gloated.

“
You either got lucky or you cheated
.
” Raven said coming through the door.

“
Yo
u’
re just sore because I called your bluff
.
” Dixie laughed. Matt saw Rose slip quietly out of the room while the girls were teasing each other.

Rose tapped lightly on the door and waited until she heard the voice on the other side call her in. She stepped in and closed the door behind her.

“
Hi
.
”

“
Hi
.
” Katrina was taking things down off her shelves.

“
Do you want me to stop this? I can tell them no one is allowed to move
.
”

“
Thanks Rose but I know what I am doing. I would
n’
t have suggested it if I was
n’
t prepared
.
”

“
Trina, are you okay
?
” Rose whispered. Trina smiled even though her eyes were filling with tears.

“
Yeah you know me. I am tough
.
” Rose sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her old friend packing up her belongings. She watched as she sorted the things that belonged to Jonathan into a separate box. A couple of shirts, an old hat, a couple of books. She stopped when she picked up a corn husk doll. Rose watched as she stared at it for a full minute and the tears fell from her eyes.

“
He made this for me. The summer we met. We were so young
,
” she whispered. She sat down beside Rose on the bed
.“
We had only known each other for two weeks and he asked me to marry him
.
”

“I told him he was crazy. We barely knew each other.” Trina wiped her cheeks and Rose’s heart ached for her. Even her own eyes were filled with tears. “He said… he said his heart knew me before he ever met me. That he knew he loved me the moment he saw me. He hadn’t even kissed me yet and he told me that he would love me forever.” Trina squeezed her eyes shut and more tears flowed down her cheeks. “He asked me so many times and I always turned him down. I told him forever was a very long time and he might change his mind.” She swallowed and wiped her cheeks again. “He wasn’t even supposed to be here you know. Pam and I were running away to New York. We thought we could sing on Broadway. He insisted that we couldn’t go alone. He said two defenseless women would never make it all the way to New York.  It made Pam so mad, but he was right. He kept us alive, kept us safe. We never did make it to New York but it didn’t matter, we got to sing.” Trina turned and looked her in the eyes. “Do you think he would have stayed if I had married him, Rose?” She whispered.

“
No Trina, I do
n’
t think it would have mattered. He did
n’
t leave because he did
n’
t love you or because he thought you did
n’
t love him
.
”

“
Why then
?
”

“
I do
n’
t know, I think he just did
n’
t know how to deal with the grief of losing Pam, because they fought he felt responsible
.
” Katrina surged to her feet and began to pace.

“I loved her too
,” she shouted. “You loved her and we’re still here! But he just left, he said he would love me forever and he just walked out! He didn’t even say goodbye,” she said more quietly. She took the doll in both hands and ripped it apart. Rose gasped but she just kept shredding it until there were pieces of dried corn husk all over the floor then she dropped down to her knees and began to sob. Rose went down and wrapped her arms around her friend and cried with her. “I miss him so much.” She cried against Rose’s shoulder. “I feel like I am not whole without him. I want to hate him, I need to hate him but I just can’t.”

Rose cried with her rubbing her back and gently rocking her until both their tears were spent. Even then neither of them moved they just sat there huddled together on the floor.

“
H
e’
s not coming back
.
” Trina whispered
.“
I need to let go but I needed a push. So I let Dixie give it to me. For now
I’
ll move out of this room and then when you go
I’
ll be ready to go too
.
”

“
Do you want to come with me
?
”

“
No, I am going to strike out on my own for the first time in my life. Maybe
I’
ll finally make it to Broadway
.
”

“
Broadway would be lucky to have you
.
” Rose hesitated but her curiosity got the better of her
,“
Can I ask you something? If you could do it all over agai
n
… would you? Or would you keep yourself from ever meeting him
?
” Trina lifted her chin and thought for a moment.

“
He wa
s
… the best thing I have ever had in my life. We had some good times. Some of the best.  I would
n’
t give those up even if it meant I would
n’
t have this pain. Would you have given up Pam
?
”

“
No
.
” She knew that without a doubt. She was thankful for the time they had had together
.“
I guess i
t’
s better to have loved and lost after all
.
” She whispered.
 

Matt was concerned and on edge the moment he saw her. She had been upstairs a long time. It was nearly time to open so she was rushing through her last minute preparations and double checks. Not that she needed to, he had never seen anyone more organized and prepared. Tha
t’
s not what had him on edge. She had been crying, her eyes were red and puffy she was somber and subdued, much more than usual. He finally approached her when no one was around just before opening.