Page 73 of Hiding Rose
Epilogue
One Week Later
The hula competition ended last night with a gigantic luau and pig roast, presided over by none other than the Great Hawaiian Cook-Off winner, Chef Veggie Bear. A smile tipped my lips at the name. His brisket had been selected as best in-house by the spectators who stuck around after the dramatic scene with Jarrett. Since the judges don’t want any biases, they don’t tell the tasters what samples are from which chefs. This year their rule was important. People would have been biased toward Sawyer since he had to stab my crazy ex-boyfriend with his coveted chef’s knife to save me.
It turns out they loved his spicy, yet tangy, brisket on a Hawaiian sweet roll soaking up the juices. Along with bragging rights, the ten-thousand-dollar pot went to Kupid’s Arrow, and was immediately donated to the Community Table. It was enough money to cover meals for the next two years, maybe longer if they invested it right. Chef Stick in The Mud even agreed to cook together with Sawyer for one of the meals, and Sawyer will reciprocate on Oahu. Even though I was lying in a hospital bed in pain, I couldn’t have been prouder of Sawyer for his accomplishments in the kitchen, and for doing what he promised he’d do. To protect me regardless of how far he had to go to do it.
His knife was confiscated and he had to go to the station and make an official statement. Since Jarrett survived the surgery to his liver, he had to face charges in Minnesota and Hawaii for attempted murder in the first and second degree. Knowing he was going away for life regardless of a trial, he decided to confess and take a plea deal. His sentences would run concurrent, but not until he got out of the looney bin. Doctors believed he was a paranoid schizophrenic who had never been diagnosed. They would treat him and then decide if he was capable of being in the general population of inmates. If he wasn’t, he would remain in the mental institution for the criminally insane for at least twenty years. After the twenty years were up, I didn’t know what would happen, but the judge and lawyers assured me he would never be allowed to contact me again, and by the time he leaves the hospital, if he leaves the hospital, he would never be living independently. I decided to put him out of my mind right then. If I didn’t I was going to lose my mind looking over my shoulder constantly. I didn’t want to live in fear, and I decided to take my life back the moment his bullet tore into my hip, again.
Fortunately, this time the bullet was a fragment and only ripped apart the soft tissue, not the bones. It hurt a bit more than a bee sting, and it caused the nerves in my leg to flare up. Now, a week later I’m back to normal as long as I don’t put any pressure on the hip. Jarrett’s cowboy boot caused a large bone contusion the doctor was initially concerned about. He was worried the contusion would keep blood from reaching the bone and cause it to die. Thankfully, after bed rest and a second CT scan on Wednesday, the contusion was smaller and he was confident it would resolve. I’d been seeing the massage therapist to keep the blood flowing above and below the hip every day. It was a way to make doubly sure I’d be able to walk down the aisle when I married my soulmate.
I enjoyed the luau last night, but when it ended we were exhausted. Sawyer and I fell into bed at nearly two a.m., slept in, and shared brunch before he left to get dinner started in the kitchen. He’s usually off on Sunday nights, since the kitchen is closed, but apparently, due to the large number of guests for the competition, they’ve decided to offer a simple buffet. I would go down in a few hours to eat, but for now, I would enjoy the quiet and work on scheduling for the daycare workers. There was a knock on the door before I could sit down, so I called out I’d be right there and limped to the door with my crutches. I peeked through the hole and gasped when I saw whom it was.
I threw the door open. “Mom, Dad!” I cried, throwing myself at them. They grabbed me and held me tightly, their warmth familiar and comforting as I hugged them. “What are you doing here?” I asked, ushering them into the apartment. I followed them in and closed the door. They didn’t have luggage with them and looked relaxed and rested.
My mom took my hands and held them tightly. “We had to come see you. I hope you aren’t mad, but we had to see for ourselves you’re okay.”
I hugged her again, rubbing her back. “Of course I’m not mad. I’ve missed you both terribly,” I admitted, wiping my eyes. “I wish you weren’t in Florida. It’s too far.”
My father nodded and took my hand. “We agree, which is why we moved here yesterday. We wanted to come see you, but the competition was so extensive we couldn’t get near the place. We decided to catch up on our rest and come see you today when the grounds had cleared.”
“Why didn’t you call me? My gosh, I would have come and got you at the airport.”
Dad helped me sit and I propped the pillow under my hip. “Gideon sent a car and put us up in a hotel by the airport until we could get over here. He’s coordinating our relocation and found me a position in the school district as a special education teacher in the elementary school.”
I had my hand to my chest. “You’re going back to teaching?”
He nodded, a smile on his lips. “I’m tired of administration. It will be nice to be back in the classroom. I retired from Miami as administrator and accepted a half-time position here. I’ll work for a few years and then retire in paradise. Hopefully, by then, I’ll have a grandbaby to spoil.”
I put my arms around his waist and held him. “Wouldn’t that be something? I can’t wait for you to meet Sawyer. He’s amazing, and you’re going to love him.”
My mom patted my shoulder. “He is amazing, because he saved your life. We spoke with him on Facetime a few weeks ago, so we’ve met him virtually. I can’t wait to hug him, though.”
I glanced between the two of them. “You did? Why?”
My dad sat next to me on the bed. “He wanted to ask my permission to marry our daughter. After visiting with him, I met you through the eyes of the man who loves you. I gave him my permission readily. Has he asked yet?”
I swallowed hard and lifted my hand slowly. “A few weeks ago, and I said yes.”
My mother gasped when she saw the ring. “It’s gorgeous. Is it a rose?”
I nodded. “He’s special, mom. He’s always thinking about my needs and how to make things easier for me.”
My dad leaned in close to inspect the ring. “We hadn’t heard you said yes.”
I sighed sadly. “I wanted to tell you in person, and with the craziness of the last two weeks—” I held up my hand, paused, and took a breath. “I’m lying. I was scared to tell you. After everything that happened with Jarrett, I was worried you’d think I was moving too fast. Maybe I am, but this time I know he’s the one.”
Dad put an arm around me and rested his forehead against mine. “We know, sweetheart. The last year hasn’t been easy for you. I’m not upset. Jarrett might have been a simple mistake if it weren’t for the fact he was mentally ill. Women date men all the time and break up all the time. Usually you each move on, find someone new, and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, Jarrett wasn’t able to move on. He’s out of your life now and we’re back in it. I can’t wait to walk you down the aisle.”
I threw my arms around him. “Me either. Thanks for coming, daddy.”
Mom tapped my shoulder. “We should get going if we’re going to make it into town and back before dinner.”
“Into town? Do you need help moving over here?” I asked.
Dad patted my back. “No, we’re all settled in on the third floor, at least for a couple of days until our apartment is ready.”
Mom stood and pulled me up. “I’m taking you shopping for a new Valentine’s Day dress. This is your first with Sawyer and you should make it one to remember!”
