"What did Uncle Jonathon do to Marty?" Jess demanded.

"I'm sorry, Jess!" Doug pleaded.  "I know I should have told you, but –!"

"Tell me!" she shouted, and Doug hung his head.

"When you told me you were in love with someone else," he mumbled.  "I told dad.  I thought he would finally realize it was over and give up!  He put two and two together and figured out that kid who climbed the fence was probably the one.  I didn't know what he was planning!"  He stopped, guilt evident on his face.  "I said where he worked, and Dad went to confront him, to scare him off.  I swear I didn't know he was going to do that, Jess!" he cried, lifting his head.

"We were in love, Doug!" Jess choked out, tears coming as the pain of losing Marty overwhelmed her all over again, and Doug slouched further in his seat.  "What did he do to him!" she demanded angrily, wiping her face with a shaking hand.  She knew whatever it was, it must have been bad for Marty to have broken things off the way he did.

"He had one of the fellows from the mine call over to Dwyer's – to get him to leave so dad could see him alone," he admitted quietly, his head hanging.  "I don't know everything he said, but he threatened to call the inspectors on Mr. Dwyer if that kid didn't break up with you."

Jess was speechless with horror.  Out of all the things Uncle Jonathon had done to her, all the times he'd hurt her, this was the worst.  Marty, she thought as she covered her face and began sobbing.  He had to have been in so much pain, being forced to choose which of the two people he cared most about he was going to hurt.  It must have been so hard for him to come to the cabin, knowing it was the end for them, knowing he was going to have to hurt her.  And after, he must have suffered just as much as she did. 

She'd slapped him, she suddenly remembered with a moan as more tears came.  She'd hit him just like his abusive dad – and called him a coward.  Did he hate her now?

"I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to talk to me again," Doug muttered, wiping his eyes with his head still hanging.  "I hate myself for telling dad, and for not coming clean with you.  But you were so hurt when it happened, I was afraid if I told you it would hurt you all over again!  Now that it's over –."

"It's not over!" she yelled, and he winced.  "I still love him!  But he probably hates me!  You don't know what you took from me, Doug," she cried as the tears returned.  "How much he meant to me!  He was my whole life!"  Doug finally lifted his head and looked at her, sorrow, regret, and understanding evident as tears formed in his eyes, and then he wiped them as he straightened.

"I can't change what's happened," he said resolutely.  "But I will take responsibility for it.  I'll go to Dwyer's and apologize – to both of them.  Maybe I can convince him to – not hold it against you.  If he wants to hate someone, I'll gladly have him hate me!  I'll go right now!" he declared firmly.

As she looked in his blue eyes, she wondered if there was any room left to hope that Marty would accept her back in his life.  Her uncle had threatened the man he thought of as a father.  And then she'd hit him and called him a coward when he'd been trying to protect Mr. Dwyer.  How much courage had it taken for him to come to the cabin, knowing he was going to crush both their hearts.

"You can come with me," Doug offered.  "I'll do my best for you, Jess.  I'll support you in whatever way I can – if you still want me to," he finished, dropping his head with shame.

If she went, and Marty said he didn't love her anymore, could she take the pain of rejection all over again?  But when she considered letting Doug go alone, she knew it wouldn't be right.  She had to apologize to him too.  She had to let him know she knew it wasn't his fault that he'd broken things off with her, and tell him how sorry she was about everything.  She owed it to him.

"I'll go," she said, wiping her face, and Doug put the car in reverse.

While they rode back to town in silence, that moment in the cabin kept replaying in her mind, her slapping Marty so hard her hand hurt and screaming at him that he was a coward.  The guilt was unbearable, but she pushed the memory away while she tried to prepare herself for what might come. 

Would he shout at her?  Would he throw her out?  She'd deserve it if he did.  At least he'd know she didn't blame him for what he'd done, but it was small comfort.  And after it was over, she'd leave town and never come back just like she'd planned, she thought with despair. 

When Doug parked the car in front of Dwyer's Drug Store, Jess's hands began shaking and she felt sick to her stomach.

"Ready?" he asked, his face pale and grim, and she wondered if he felt sick to his stomach too.

"Yeah," she said, then took a deep breath and blew it out, trying to calm her nerves.

Doug held the door open for her, and she walked into the drug store on wobbly legs, searching for Marty.  He wasn't anywhere in sight, but she spotted Mr. Dwyer with his back to them straightening bottles of aspirin. 

"Can I help –?" he started as he turned around, and then froze with his eyes widening.

She felt Doug's hand slip into hers, and then he approached Mr. Dwyer, gently bringing her with him.  When they reached him, no one said anything while Mr. Dwyer gawked at Doug, then Doug cleared his throat.

"Mr. Dwyer, I –."

"You look just like him!" Mr. Dwyer choked out, and then let out a sob. 

When he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket, Jess couldn't help turning to look at the picture of Mr. Dwyer's dead son.  With a shock of recognition, she realized he was right.  The resemblance had been there all along, but she'd never looked closely enough to notice it before.  They shared the same straight nose, the same square chin softened by slightly full lips, and even though the photo was in black and white, it was evident he had the same piercing blue eyes.

"I – I came here to apologize to you, sir," Doug said, getting Jess's attention.  When she turned back, she saw Marty, and a jolt went through her.  He was standing in the doorway to the back room, looking at the photo of Mr. Dwyer's son with his mouth open, appearing stunned.

"I came to apologize for everything my – my – dad – did," Doug finished, clearly stumbling with the word.

"Son, there's no need to apologize," Mr. Dwyer said.  "What was done, happened when you were a baby, and before you were even born.  You're not responsible for that." 

Marty's attention left the photo, and then he locked eyes with Jess.  Holding her breath, she waited for him to react, but he scowled and turned away, disappearing into the back room.  He hates me, she realized, tears pricking her eyes as the terrible pain and grief of losing him returned.

"That's – not entirely true, sir," Doug admitted guiltily.  "I'm afraid you may not know everything."

With her heart breaking, she knew it was time for her to apologize, and then it would be the end.  While Doug began haltingly explaining to Mr. Dwyer what had happened, she walked towards the back of the store.  Stepping through the doorway into the slightly darker back room, she stopped, seeing Marty standing with his back to her in front of a long table with shelves of bottles and jars on the wall above it.

"Marty, can I talk to you?" she asked quietly. 

"Did he come here to make a claim on the drug store?" he muttered bitterly without moving.  

"No, he came here to apologize." 

His head dropped but he didn't respond, and she quickly wiped away a tear as she came closer to him. 

"I came here to apologize too.  Doug told me what happened – that my uncle made you break up with me, and he threatened Mr. Dwyer.  I'm sorry about that, Marty.  And I'm sorry I hit you."  She wiped away more tears while Marty kept perfectly still.  "Even though I didn't know what was making you do it, I shouldn't have done that.  I know how much it must have hurt – because of your dad.  If I could take it back, I would."

While she waited for him to say something, she noticed his shoulders, slightly stooped but still broad, and how his golden brown hair was longer now.  His arms looked as strong as ever, and tanned from his time spent outside.  Drinking him in, she felt an intense longing for him, and a desire to go to him and hold him, but she knew she couldn't.  She would never again feel safe and protected with his arms wrapped around her, or see the happiness in his warm brown eyes as he looked at her. 

After a minute, she realized he wasn't going to say anything, and she wiped her eyes again.  It was time to go.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about – everything," she said in a choked voice, struggling not to break down completely as she backed away.  "And I wish you all the – all the best.  You deserve it, Marty," she managed to get out before the flood of tears came, and she headed in the direction of the door.

"Jess."

She stopped and turned towards him.  Marty's eyes were brimming and his face was a mix of pain and sorrow, but he was holding his hand out to her.  She didn't hesitate to run to him, and to her profound relief, he grabbed onto her, pulling her into a tight hold.  She clung to him, feeling his strong body against hers, his familiar smell immediately comforting her.

"I still love you, Marty," she sobbed, her voice muffled in his shirt.  "I never stopped."

"I – still love you too," he said into her hair.  "But – we have to let go."

"No!" she wailed, her legs giving out as she was overwhelmed with pain, and he tightened his hold on her.

"Jess, it will never work," he said firmly, his words choked with emotion, and she clutched him even tighter while she cried.  "You know your uncle will never accept me." 

Gasping, she began to fight to get out of his embrace.  He didn't know.

"But that –!  He had –!  I'm free!" she sputtered, her mind a jumble while trying to explain.

"What?" Marty asked, looking at her with confusion.

"Everything has changed! My uncle had –."

"I know.  I heard he had a heart attack."

"He's no longer in charge of my estate, Doug is.  That means he's not in control of me either!  It's all different now, Marty!  If we want to be together, we can, and there isn't anything he can do about it!"

"I – can't believe it," he said slowly, searching her eyes.

"It's true!" she cried as new tears came.  But they were tears of happiness as she realized there was nothing standing in their way now.  Then she saw the realization come into his eyes.

"Jess!" he whispered, taking hold of her face in his hands while he peered at her with intensity.  "This is – real!" 

He tilted his head closer, and then placed his lips softly on hers.  She gasped, feeling his delicate touch, and eager for more, slipped her fingers in his hair, to pull him closer.  Letting go of her face, he clutched her tight against him, his mouth now insistent on hers, and a fire rose up inside of her.  It burned away all the bad memories, the pain and sorrow of the last few months, until all that was left were the two of them entwined together as one.  When he finally released her, they were both breathless. 

"We're really together?" he asked, searching her eyes with intensity.

"Yes, we really are!" she laughed, then took his hand, making a decision.  "Come with me!"  While she backed up in the direction of the doorway, a grin lit up his face.  

"Where are we going?" he asked with his eyes twinkling.

"You'll see," she teased.

When they entered the drug store, Doug and Mr. Dwyer were still talking, but stopped when they noticed them approaching.  Doug immediately looked wary while Mr. Dwyer considered them curiously.

"Doug, Mr. Dwyer," Jess said, addressing them.  "Marty and I are now going steady," she announced firmly.  There was silence for a moment, then Doug stuck his hand out to Marty.

"Congratulations," he said.  After a hesitation, Marty reluctantly took it.  "I'm sorry for what my dad did to you," Doug added, letting go after a short hand shake.  "He was wrong to threaten you, but he won't cause you anymore trouble.  I'll make sure of it."

"Thanks," Marty said, his body visibly relaxing.

"This was the girl you were seeing?" Mr. Dwyer asked with incredulity.

"Yes, sir.  For quite a while."  Mr. Dwyer shook his head. 

"I never would have guessed."

"Marty was climbing over the fence onto our property for years," Jess explained while she looked at Doug challengingly.  "He needed a place to go – because of his dad.  I met him at the cabin in the woods the first summer I was living here."  Doug's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened, but she didn't stop.  If she was going to be with Marty, there would be no more secrets tainting her relationship with him.  "We've been spending time together almost every day since then."

"She's the one who helped me with my schooling," Marty admitted.

"And he kept me company so I wouldn't be lonely."  Doug dropped his eyes, but not before she saw the guilt in them.

"You made it possible for Marty to graduate," Mr. Dwyer declared.

"Well, I taught him my lessons," she replied, smiling at Marty, and he grinned back at her.

"Your daddy would be real proud of what you did," he said sincerely.

"Oh – thank you," she replied with surprise, and then had to blink hard as she felt a surge of emotion.

"We should probably go," Doug said.  "I'm sure you have work to do, and we don't want to keep you."

"I – hope you'll stop by and – visit again, son," Mr. Dwyer said hesitantly, and Jess caught the hopeful longing in the way he'd said it.

"I will, sir," Doug said, and Mr. Dwyer smiled with relief.   "Uh, do you – want to stay, Jess?"

"Oh," she said, looking up at Marty.  She could tell he didn't want her to leave, and she didn't either, but she knew she had something more pressing to do.

"I should go home.  We have things to talk about with – the family, but the gate is open, Marty.  When you come, you won't have to climb the fence."  Marty's face fell and she was immediately concerned.  "What?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"You are coming today, aren't you?" she asked, taking his hand.

"Yeah, I'm coming," he mumbled, but he was still avoiding her eyes.

"You don't have to come to the house if you don't want to," Doug interjected.  "My dad will be there, and I know you probably don't want to see him right now.  You can see Jess – at the cabin or – wherever," he muttered quietly with a shrug.

"Alright," Marty said, his expression lightening, and then he smiled at her.  "I'll see you later," he said, squeezing her hand.  She desperately wanted to kiss him good bye, but she knew it wouldn't be proper with Doug and Mr. Dwyer there.

"See you," she replied, giving him a squeeze back, while Doug shook Mr. Dwyer's hand.

She followed behind Doug, and when he held the door open for her, she stopped and turned for one last look.  Marty was standing in the center of the store, smiling as he watched her, the happiness evident in his warm brown eyes, and she grinned, giving him a wave.  She was still smiling when Doug turned the car on and started to back out.

"Now it's time to talk to Dad," he said soberly, and her smile fell.  "The nurse will have to be there in case anything happens.  Poor Annie," he added, shaking his head.  "When she finds out what he did to you – and to Marty and Mr. Dwyer, it's going to be another blow."

"It's going to be a blow for her to hear I wasn't exactly truthful with her either," Jess said ruefully, realizing the confession she was going to have to make, and Doug looked at her quizzically.  "She'd figured out that Marty had come to see me that day," she explained.  "She told me I shouldn't see him anymore, because it was too dangerous for us to be alone together, but –."  She trailed off, feeling guilty about the years of lies by omission.

"It was because of what happened to my mom," Doug guessed.

"Yes, but even though we loved each other, we never said it!" she said earnestly.  "We were just – friends.  We only kissed once.  That was when I realized how I felt, but then –."  She didn't finish as memories of what had happened after filled her mind. 

"Dad," Doug said simply.

"Yeah."

"I guess we're all going to have to get used to living with the truth from now on," Doug said, shaking his head again. 

"It sure will be a change," Jess sighed, gazing out the window.

"It sure will," he agreed with harsh laugh.

~

When Jess heard Marty walk through the cabin door, she turned from the kitchen table where she'd just set down the last of their food.  He looked so handsome as he strode towards her, and her heart swelled.  He's mine.

"Marty!" she cried, no longer able to hold back and running the last few steps to throw her arms around him.  She breathed deeply, taking in his smell while the warmth of his body came through his cotton shirt, warming her.  After a few minutes, he let go and grinned down at her. 

"Are you hungry?" she asked, taking his hand so she could lead him to the kitchen.

"Yes, but not for food," he growled, pulling her back into an embrace. In instant, his mouth was on hers and she kissed him back eagerly, the fire consuming her once again.  When he finally let go, she had to catch her breath.  "I've been dreaming about doing that forever," he said, his eyes twinkling and filled with joy.

"Well – we should probably eat," Jess said, backing up, knowing they'd end up kissing all night if she didn't distract him.

"If you say so," he teased, allowing her to pull him.  "This looks real nice," he said, surveying the table with smile while he wrapped his arm around her waist. 

"I'm glad you think so," she replied happily. She'd wanted to make their first night together as a couple special, so she'd not only made sure Annie packed some of his favorite foods, she'd picked flowers on the way to the cabin and had arranged them in an old tin can.

"How'd they take it at home when you told them?" he asked, once they were settled on their stools.  He was trying to be casual, but Jess heard the concern in his question.

"Once I explained everything, Annie was okay.  She's still worried, but I did my best to convince her."  Marty's head shot up and she realized he'd misunderstood her meaning.  "She's afraid the same thing will happen to me – that happened to Doug's mother," she explained quietly.  While Marty studied her, she felt her face flush with embarrassment and dropped her eyes. 

"You know I won't let that happen," he stated firmly.  "It's a promise."

"Thanks," she said, instantly relieved he was as determined as she was for them to be careful.  "And my uncle –," she continued more seriously.  "He had a lot to answer for today.  He said he was sorry, but –."   She shrugged her shoulders.  "I don't know if he can really understand," she muttered.

"So it's okay for us to be together?" Marty asked, still sounding concerned.

"Yes," she affirmed.  "Doug is the head of the family now, and he says I can make my own decisions.  He won't stand in our way."

"That's – really good," he said slowly, shaking his head with a smile as if he still found it unbelievable.

"I know!" she grinned.

After they'd finished eating, Jess suggested they go to the pond.  Taking their time, they walked hand in hand, enjoying the fact they had the whole evening together.  Sitting under the willow with Marty holding her, Jess watched the sun set behind the trees and listened to the crickets, thinking that at that moment she was the happiest she'd ever been.

"This changes a lot of things," Marty murmured, his chest rumbling against her.  "Mr. Dwyer wants me to go to college, but – I don't know what your plans are."

"I'm still going," she said, straightening so she could smile at him.

"He wants me to go to State.  He says they have the best program for pharmacologists."

"Then that's where we're going!" she asserted, and he pulled her close so he could continue holding her.  "And after school, we'll come back here so you can run the drug store," she said, and he kissed the top of her head. 

"That would be swell, Jess," he said with contented a sigh.

"Yeah," she agreed, and snuggled closer to him.

A gentle evening breeze came through the woods, making the trees sway as it approached.  When it reached them, the cattails rustled and the willow branches trailed in the water.  Marty began running his fingers through her hair, and she sighed contentedly.  Feeling safe and at peace with Marty's strong arms around her, she knew she'd finally gotten her wish.  She and Marty would always be together.

****

I really hope you enjoyed this one and it's the outcome you were hoping for!

THANK YOU FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!  This story is dedicated to YOU because it would not be nearly as wonderful without you reading, your feedback, and your encouragement!  I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it was a satisfying conclusion to Jess and Marty's love story!  I had a lot of fun writing this, and each chapter I posted felt like a gift to YOU.

The song is the wonderful Don't Break the Heart That Loves You by Connie Francis.  The external link is for the Youtube playlist that contains all the wonderful songs that have been suggested to me for this story.