Witness Protection

Risa looked up as though she were praying and mouthed the words, "Thank you, God!"

"That is good news. I...we...appreciate you sharing that with us, Kate."

"Yeah, I'm a good loser," she said trying to be cheerful. "Then again, I really didn't stand a chance. You told me I'm pretty and I believed you, but Risa is just flat-out gorgeous so..."

"Ohhh! Thank you for saying that, Kate. Most days I just feel old and tired." She wanted to add how today was a huge exception to that rule but knew that would be pouring salt into a still-open wound.

"Just take good care of him, okay?" she asked Risa.

"I will," she assured her and two minutes after they hung up, she did. She took very good care of him.

It was one week to the day after seven wonderful nights just like that one when Landon told her. He took both of his new girls to dinner and said to Abagayle, "Do you like having me stay with your mommy?"

She nodded several big nods and said, "Of course I do, silly. That's cuz I love you SO, SO much. Just like Kate." She sat her purple doll on the table in front of her.

"Well, I love you too, little Miss Abagayle. Do you like your new name yet?"

"Um, I guess so. I still like Collette, though. But you call me Abagayle if you want to," she said matter of factly.

"I see," he said. "Well, I just wanted you to know that I love you too, Abagayle-Collette-pretty-little-girl."

She didn't respond so he said, "I also wanted to tell you that I really, really love your beautiful mommy, too." He looked over at Risa was smiling from ear to ear.

She looked at her daughter and told her, "And I really really love Mr. Landon."

"I know," she said. "I see you kiss all the time." She pretending her doll was kissing someone. "Kiss, kiss, kiss. All the time. Kiss, kiss, kiss."

The adults laughed and Landon said, "I love her so much I want her to be my wife." Risa eyes opened wide as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"Does that mean you'd be my new daddy?" she asked.

"Yes, it does. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay. My other daddy was always mean to me. He's not a nice person." She said that then just kept playing with her doll.

Landon stood up then knelt down in front of Risa and said, "I'm happy to admit you were right. I do love you. I love you with all my heart." He pulled out a small blue box and opened it. "Risa? Will you marry me?"

She was crying as she said, "Yes! Finally!" as he slid the ring on her finger.

"I love you," he told her. She bent down and kissed him. Her new ring wasn't one-fourth the size of her old one but she couldn't stop looking at it.

"It's so beautiful. Oh, Landon. I love it so much." She kissed him again and said, "I love you so much."

He stood up and said, "Good, because we are now officially broke."

She laughed as she stood up and held him. "I don't care if we don't have two nickels to rub together as long I have you."

"I'm glad because that's about all we have to rub together."

"Well, not exactly," she said.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked.

He sat down next to her as she said, "I managed to squirrel away some of his money over the years. I have maybe $35,000 in an account. It isn't a lot but it's enough for a fresh start until you're back working again."

Landon smiled and said, "Speaking of work, I just called my old friend from the Jacksonville Police Department. He's a precinct captain now and he said they'll take me back immediately so how about we get packed up and head north this week?"

Ten days later they were in a small home on the southwest side of town and up to their necks in debt but equally deep in love, happier than either of them had ever been before.

Four months later, Risa was free and clear of her ties to Benny and she and Landon were married by a local justice of the peace. As if that wasn't enough, his mother was there, clean and sober for three months to witness their wedding and meet her new daughter-in-law and her beautiful granddaughter. Risa's father didn't attend but he had several huge bouquets of flowers sent with his love.

"Grandma? Do you wanna play with my doll?" Abagayle asked Caroline right after the ceremony.

"Of course I do!" she told her, "because I love you so much!"

"I know," Abagayle said handing 'Kate' to her new grandmother.

Everyone laughed as they joined hands and headed home to begin their new lives together free and clear of the so-called Witness Protection program that had brought them together.