Chapter 12 "So what do you think about this whole thing?" Rose smiled and quickly replied. "Oh I just love it! I don't think I've had this much fun in…gosh, who knows how long." She thought back to all that they had done together that day. First was their little picnic on the beach in which Rose had been giving a sampling of Jack's artistic abilities. Then, on a pure impulse, Jack took Rose for the ride of a lifetime riding a horse all the way up and down the beach, all the while riding right in the surf and being sprayed with the cool ocean mist. And that's when it all happened- that's when Rose's heart was finally set free. While slowly parking the horse on the edges of the water, Jack had gently pulled Rose closer to him and had delicately kissed her. It was a sweet and gentle kiss that seemed to grow more passionately as Rose eagerly excepted, trying to turn around to Jack and pull him even closer. It seemed a moment of pure magic…a world with only two people on it- them. Afterwards, they had gathered up their belongings and after dropping them off in the car, had headed over to the excitement rising on the pier. There were a variety of various carnival games and small rides to be enjoyed by folks of all ages there. There was a merry-go-round that Jack insisted they go on and cotton candy and popcorn throughout the evening. Then, just as the sun began to set, Jack set his eyes on a fairly sized wooden roller coaster sitting on the pier, towering over the ocean. After pronouncing that it was the absolute perfect thing to end their day, he dragged Rose on to it (who mind you had absolutely no problem with it) and together they shared a dreadfully fun ride. And at the end of a marvelous day, it brought them to where they are now- sitting in the sand and watching the waves lightly crash against the sand. "Truly Jack, it's been a wonderful day. I really have to thank you for all that you've done." Jack's face was serious but genuine. "You don't need to thank me for anything. I really ought to be the one thanking you. But if it makes you feel any better, you're welcome." Jack paused to look out at the ocean. "You know…if you liked this place and all this stuff, you would absolutely love Santa Monica." Rose's face lit up. "Santa Monica? Where's that?" "In California. It's this little town on the beach right near Los Angeles. My Uncle owns a beach house there…it's really beautiful. Anyway, Santa Monica has a lot of stuff like this. They have a pier with this great roller coaster- it's huge! And there are all kinds of stuff that you can do there. My Uncle Andrew and I usually go down there for the summer every year. He works on his Western businesses while I go out and explore the city. I usually end up at the pier though- drawing the sites and all of the people." "That sounds wonderful. I've never been out to California, though I hear it's really nice there. But my father went to California a lot because, like your uncle, he had a lot of businesses out that way too." Jack smiled. "I'll just have to take you there sometime then. Just think, we can ride the roller coaster 'til we throw up and drink cheep beer and even ride horses on the beach again if you like." Rose just giggled and threw her head back, looking up at the stars. Jack did the same, taking a deep and calming breath. He watched amused as Rose leaned back and laid back on the cool sand. He smiled and laid down next to her, propping himself on his elbow and looking down at Rose. "Not so worried about getting 'dirty' anymore I see." Rose just smiled and replied, "Never" as she pulled Jack down to her, gently kissing him under the starry night sky. She looked up into his ocean blue eyes as she gently stroked his shaggy blond hair. He quickly kissed her fingers as they brushed his cheek. He then turned over onto his stomach, perching himself up so he could face Rose. He picked up her hand and brought it in front of him, gently massaging it. He watched as Rose sighed, perfectly content with her surroundings, brought her attention back up to the sky. Her face lit up as she excitedly shouted, "Look Jack! A shooting star." Jack turned around and smiled at her almost childish giddiness. "Now you have to make a wish." Rose smiled mischievously and turned to Jack. "A wish, huh? Any kind of wish?" Jack smiled back at her. "Any kind of wish…" and at noticing a hint of mystery in Rose's voice, Jack added, "just about." "Alright then. Let's both make wishes then." Jack chuckled and nodded as Rose closed her eyes briefly and opened them again. "Okay…what did you wish for?" Jack smiled. "Well if I tell you it might not come true and I think that would be very unfortunate." Rose smiled and playfully pushed Jack's shoulder. "Ohhh…fine then." "Besides, I think you'll find out eventually." Jack looked down at his pocket watch…8:42PM. "Gosh, look at the time! Can you believe we've been out here for over 8 hours? We'd better start heading home. It's nearly 9:00 and we still have a long drive ahead of us." "Is it really that late? Time sure does fly by." Jack stood, pulling Rose up with him. They grabbed their shoes and started walking hand in hand all the way back to the car. |
