The Escapades of Rose

By Leslie Koester

Miss Rose is at it again! Kathryn, or Kat as most people call her, has her hands full trying to keep her grandma, Miss Rose, and her brother, Blake, out of trouble while preparing for the grand opening of the grill at her club, Grumpy's Palace. With the help from her family and friends, will Kat be able to keep them both from ruining her grand opening, or will they embark on a path filled with laughter and disarray? From the police station to the movie theater to the grand opening, follow Miss Rose, family, and friends as they engage in yet another adventure of life. Will Blake finally find a woman to put up with him? Will Miss Rose start acting her age (don't count on it!) and give in to Charlie's advances, or will she and Carol get kicked out of yet another store? No matter what happens, you can count on this family having each other's backs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781636925684

Book preview

Chapter 1

Holy crap, Blake! Are you kidding me? You and Grandma are at the police station? Kat said, shaking her head at Leon as he raised his eyebrows at her. All you were supposed to do was take her to the store to pick up her meds and her vodka.

That is what I just said, isn’t it! You need to come down here and bail us out. I don’t know how much it will be right now because no one is telling me. Don’t worry, though. I will pay you back. Just hurry up because if you don’t get down here soon, they are not going to let Granny out!

Billy, if you don’t get out of my way, we are going to tango, and I do not mean the dancing tango either! Kat heard her grandma’s voice in the background.

Now, Miss Rose, you need to calm down. Let’s go sit down over here while we get this all straightened out, Billy’s voice answered in return.

Kat started walking toward her office. Fine, let me grab my stuff, and I will be on my way. As far as you paying me back? I’ll believe it when I see it. Just try to keep Grandma from getting herself in more trouble.

What do you think I’m trying to do? You know, if you had answered your cell phone earlier, you could have already been on your way here! Blake grumbled.

I would have thought, with me not answering my phone, you would have taken the hint and left me alone, Kat said, smiling at the phone. I’m grabbing my stuff now. Why doesn’t anyone ever call Derek when they need something!

Because you have a way of making people calm down, especially Granny. Derek would just get her more wound up by poking fun at her. Just hurry up. I gotta go! Blake said as he hung up the phone.

Kat went into her office and grabbed her purse and keys from her desk drawer before heading back to the bar where Leon was wiping the already-shining bar down.

Guess I have to go. Not sure how long I will be gone, Kat said sighing as she hung the work phone back up.

She looked around at her bar; Grumpy’s Palace was filling up with people even though it was the middle of the week. The construction that was taking place was near completion. She was hoping to have their grill open by the end of the next month. She didn’t know what she would have done without all of the help and support she had received from her family and friends.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Leon’s voice. Did I hear you right? Blake and Miss Rose are in jail?

Kat looked over at him and frowned. I guess so. I’m not really sure what is going on. I could hear Grandma in the background. Something got her all wound up. I should have just taken her myself. Letting them two go anywhere together is trouble just waiting to happen. Hopefully, I will be back before Shawn shows up. If I’m not, can you—

Tell him you’re at the police station? Of course! I want to see the look on his face when he hears about it. Just let me know what’s going on, or I guess I can wait to read about it in the paper or see it on the evening news. Leon smirked.

I sure hope it doesn’t get put in the paper or on the evening news! Kat exclaimed. All right, I’m heading out. Be back as soon as I can.

Sure thing, Boss Lady! If you need me to bail you out as well, just give me a call. I’ll make sure I don’t stray too far away from the phone! Leon started laughing when Kat stuck her tongue out and put her middle finger in the air.

Chapter 2

Billy, wait till I tell your momma how you are disrespecting your elders like this! If you were younger, I would turn you over my knee and spank your bottom. Now get out of my way!

Those words were the first thing that Kat heard as she walked into the police station. She sighed as she walked up to the front desk.

Hi, Penny. I’m here to collect Blake and Grandma. What’s the cost to get them outta here? Kat asked the middle-aged woman behind the counter.

Hey, Kat. Truthfully, I’m not sure what is going on. Miss Rose is all wound up. Apparently, she threw a book at Carol and her granddaughter while in the library. I guess it escalated from there. All of them came in so we could get everything sorted out.

Kat shook her head as Penny let her through the locked door.

Kathryn, thank goodness you are here. This jackass won’t let me leave. Something about having charges pressed against me for throwing a book. If that’s the case, I should have thrown more than one at her and maybe a chair as well. Rose stormed as she walked up to Kat with fire in her green eyes.

Rosie Davis, or Miss Rose as most of the townsfolk called her, could have passed for someone twenty years younger. Her green eyes still appeared sharp, the laugh lines on her face apparent but not overwhelming. At the moment, the laugh lines were hidden by the frown that was on her face.

You threw a book at Carol and Vanessa? Why would you do such a thing? Kat asked, looking around her. Where’s Blake?

Just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Truthfully, I wasn’t throwing it at Vanessa. I always liked that girl. I was just throwing it at Satan sitting next to her, Rose said stubbornly. I don’t know where that big dummy went. He was talking to Billy and totally ignoring me, Rose grumbled. There he is, over there, talking to Vanessa. Rose pointed behind Kat.

Come on, Grandma, and please behave yourself, Kat said as she started walking toward Blake.

I’m sorry again, Blake. Grandma should never have said those things to Miss Rose, Vanessa was saying as they walked up.

See, Kathryn, it wasn’t my fault! Rose said gleefully.

Don’t you even try to blame all of it on Carol, Blake scolded her. She should not have said what she did, but we are all here because you threw a dam’ book at her!

Rose glared at her grandson but did not say anything, much to the surprise of everyone.

So what’s going on now? Kat asked.

Blake shrugged his shoulders. Right now, they have Carol in a room taking a statement. They already took all of ours. Of course, Granny didn’t help matters any earlier. When they dragged us all here and I called you, she was trying to get around poor Billy so she could ‘whoop up on the whore of Babylon.’

Vanessa smiled. Of course, if my grandma hadn’t smarted something off about Miss Rose needing to be in the drunk tank and that she would feel right at home behind bars with all the rest of her friends, she may not have tried to get at her.

Kat looked at Rose. Didn’t you have something you wanted to say to Vanessa, Grandma?

Rose looked at Vanessa. I’m sorry your grandma is Satan in a dress. She smirked.

Kat gave her a warning look.

And I’m sorry for throwing a book at her while you were sitting next to her. I’m sorry, Kat, but that is as good as it is going to get, Rose said stubbornly.

Grandma, Kat started to say.

It’s all right, Kat. I accept her apology. I know Miss Rose would never cause me any harm intentionally. Vanessa smiled at them. I know how difficult our grandmas can be when they are around each other.

A door a little way down from them opened up, and Carol walked out.

Vanessa, come on. Let’s go. Get away from Rosie before she corrupts you, Carol said. She had stopped walking but had made sure to keep some distance between herself and Rose.

Grandma, I think you owe them all an apology. You knew saying stuff like that to Miss Rose would get her all wound up, Vanessa said, looking expectantly at Carol.

I’m not apologizing to her! Carol said, pointing at Rose. Look what she did to me, she said as she raised her shirt sleeve up to show a nasty-looking bruise.

Grandma! Kat said, looking at Carol’s arm in shock.

What? She’s lucky. I was aiming for her big mouth! Rose said, staring hard at Carol. Besides, when people get her age, they tend to bruise more easily.

Apologize, Grandma, now, Kat said sternly. I don’t care what she said to you. You should never have thrown a book at her!

Rose scowled, looked down at the floor, and mumbled something under her breath.

What was that? Kat asked.

Rose glared up at her granddaughter, took a deep breath, and turned toward Carol. I’m sorry I threw a book at you. Rose looked like she wanted to say something more, but one look from Kat and she decided not to.

Carol smiled smugly.

Vanessa looked at her grandma. Well, don’t you have something to say in return?

Carol looked at her granddaughter, the smile slipping from her face, You don’t actually expect me to— she spluttered.

Yes, I do, Vanessa said firmly. This all escalated because you couldn’t help smarting off to her, knowing that it would get her all wound up.

Fine, I accept your apology, Rosie Davis, Carol said. After receiving a look from Vanessa, she added, I apologize for everything I said.

Billy walked up to them in time to hear Carol’s words. Does this mean that you want to drop the charges against Miss Rose? he asked.

Charges! You were going to press charges against me! Rose stormed. I take back my apology. I wish I had hit you in your hooker-clown face! Rose spluttered.

I take my apology back as well, you old hag! I planned on dropping the charges, but I changed my mind. File those charges, Billy!

Blake grabbed Rose around the waist as she started to go after Carol while Billy looked in bewilderment at the chaos that was going on around him.

That’s enough! Kat said in a raised voice, causing everyone to stop and look at her. This is ridiculous! You two act worse than any kids I know. Grandma, apologize again. Carol, you do the same, and then both of you shut up!

You can’t talk to me like that! Carol said.

Well, she just did! Rose shot back.

Apologize, Grandma, and then be quiet like Kat said. I agree. This is ridiculous behavior even for you two! You two are old enough to know better. Grandma, you are not pressing charges against Miss Rose. As soon as Billy lets us go, we are going back to your house, Vanessa said in a quiet voice.

Both of the older women looked at each other.

Carol took a deep breath. I’m sorry, Rosy, for what I said at the library and for everything that happened here.

Rose looked at Carol. I’m sorry for throwing a book at you and calling you a hooker clown.

I won’t be pressing charges against Rosy, Billy, Carol said in a quiet voice.

Billy looked at the group. I think you two gals need to be with Miss Rose and Carol whenever they are out in public. You both seem to make them be more sociable. I guess you all are free to go as long as Frank says it’s all right.

At that moment, Frank came out of his office. He had been the sheriff in town for a long time; there had been talk around town that he was not going to run at the next election and was going to retire.

You two ready to act your age? I could hear your bickering in my office with the door closed. I always heard that the older you get, the wiser you become. You two make me doubt that very much, he said while looking back and forth between the two older women. The library says that you two are not allowed to be there at the same time from now on. You are both lucky that they are letting you in at all. Should I call all the businesses in town and tell them that you two are not allowed in any establishment at the same time?

Both of the elder ladies shook their head, their eyes looking down at the floor.

Carol, you and Vanessa are free to leave. Kat, wait about ten to fifteen minutes after they leave, and then you can take Blake and Miss Rose back to get his truck.

How are Carol and Vanessa going to leave? Didn’t you all come here together in cop cars? Kat asked, puzzled.

Just Granny and I got chauffeured here, Blake said. They didn’t want to put Granny and Carol together in the same car if they didn’t have to. I guess there was a wreck outside of town, and they had sent out a couple of cars there to help handle that. Vanessa offered to drive them here, and they didn’t want me to drive Granny here for some odd reason.

Nothing against you and Miss Rose, Blake, but your family tends to get a little hotheaded at times and react without thinking. I wasn’t worried about Carol or Vanessa going all crazy on us, Frank said.

All right, Grandma, let’s get you home, Vanessa said. Nice seeing you all again. Sorry it was under these circumstances.

Great seeing you too, Vanessa, Kat said smiling.

Don’t be a stranger. Come see us sometime, Blake chimed in.

I’ll do that, Vanessa said with a smile.

Kat waited till Vanessa had left and Frank had gone back to his office before looking at Blake. You still have it bad for Vanessa don’t you, Big Brother, she said, smiling up at him.

Blake sighed. Yep, always have, and I probably always will.

Then why don’t you ask her out, you big dummy! Rose said, looking at her grandson in amusement. You are not afraid to run your yap at any other time. Why is it so different with her?

It just is all right. Just drop it, and let’s go get my truck, Blake grumbled, heading toward the door.