"Look whose talking, Miss Loop the Loop in a hundred and fifty thousand dollar combine."
Charlie was shocked. "Dang, that thing was worth a hundred and fifty big ones? Holy moly, Luke. You trusted me with something that valuable?"
"Ah, honey. I've trusted you with something even more precious. Mah heart."
Fo and Charlie exchanged looks and then she said, "He's
your
cousin."
"Yeah, well he's
your
fiancé."
"This might be a really long game."
****
It was a long game, but Charlie didn't know that. She finally fell asleep on the couch beside them while Luke soundly beat Fo.
At one fifteen, Luke woke her up and said, "Charlie, you'd better fix your mascara, honey or Elroy is going to think we've been in the pantry all night."
Groggily, she asked, "Does being proposed to smear your mascara? Or kissing?"
He helped her up off the couch and hugged her to him. "You know, I don't believe I've ever been proposed to while wearing mascara. So, I’m not sure. Do you need anything else?"
She stretched and sighed. "Only you to watch my back tonight, Luke Langston. I'm so glad that you're going to be with me, even if you are suddenly bossy."
"Anytime, Charlie."
****
Once they got on the road, Charlie called her dad and asked where they were staying and didn't even feel guilty when he sounded dead tired on the other end of the line. He wasn't very happy to realize Luke truly was accompanying her and that she wouldn't let Elroy come and get her. Then he wanted them to come up to their suite, but Luke had her arrange to meet in the hotel coffee shop instead. Charlie thought it was a good idea. Her mother was less likely to throw a raving fit in public than in private.
At the hotel, Charlie and Luke were seated in the almost empty little restaurant before the others made it down. They chose a large booth near the entrance and Luke had Charlie sit down and then he slid in next to her. When her parents came down with Elroy in their wake, they looked so wasted that Charlie squeezed Luke's hand under the table. This was either going to turn out that they were even grumpier than ever or it would work like a charm. They were all three obviously dead tired.
As soon as they were seated, the waitress came and asked what they wanted to order and Luke ordered a chocolate milkshake. On an impulse, Charlie ordered French Fries and Luke squeezed her hand this time. Fo must have told him about his date the other night as well. Her mother ordered a diet coke and the others declined anything. As the server left, Luke said, "What did you need to talk to us about?"
Her father frowned right off the bat. "Honestly, Mr. Langston. We wanted to talk to our daughter alone."
Luke lifted her left hand with its huge flashing solitaire onto the table in front of them and idly began to play with the ring as he replied, "We’ve chosen to spend the rest of eternity together, Dr. Evans. From here on out we want to make plans for our lives together. What was it that you wanted?"
Leaning forward, her mother answered bluntly, "What we wanted was to talk some sense into our daughter, Luke. She's a brilliant, talented girl and we'll not see her throw her life away with some cowboy at the outer edge of civilization while she teaches school like some commoner. I'm assuming it was you who encouraged her to abandon her plans to continue her education at law school, and while that may benefit you, it certainly won't benefit her. As her loving parents, we must demand that she end this foolish engagement and let us take her back and help her get ready to move on."
Charlie was frankly surprised that she didn't feel intimidation, only deep, seething anger. She stood and beckoned the server and when she came over, she said, "I'm so sorry to inconvenience you, but could we get that milkshake and order of fries to go please. We won't be staying after all."
The waitress left and Charlie sat back down and calmly faced the two suddenly not so all-powerfuls and their pitiful sidekick. "I'll have you know, Mother, Luke didn't know anything about my decision to forego law school until this morning. I will also have you know that I know this is what the Lord has in mind for me and that it's turned out to be the best decision I've made in my life. I'm where I'm supposed to be, with whom I'm supposed to be and if you can't love and accept me as a wife and mother and someday, when my children are grown, as a kindergarten teacher, then you will have to live with your decision. I truly hope that won't be the case, but if it is, I'm still going to choose to live at the outer edge of
heaven
and be a
commoner
married to a wonderful, Godly rancher who loves me whether I have a high status career or not."
She stood and leaned on her hands across the table. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
Her mother stood as well. "Charlene Marie Evans, I will not be spoken to in this manner!
Charlie dug in her purse and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. She handed it to the server who was approaching their table. "Thank you so much, for your help, Miss." Luke stood as well as Charlie looked at her mother again. "My name is Charlie, Norma. And soon it's going to be Charlie Langston. I hope you have a lovely flight home." She picked up the paper sack the server had brought and said to Luke, "Come, my dear common cowboy. Let's go home." Without another look at her parents, she turned her back on them, took Luke's hand and they went out of the restaurant and through the lobby to the parking lot.
As he helped her up into the driver's side of his truck, she started to cry and he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "Don't cry, Charlie. You were magnificent. Don't cry."
She sniffled as he handed her a handkerchief. "I'm sorry. I just hate having to treat someone like that. But there was no way I was going to sit there and have her insult you the way she was."
Starting up the truck, he buckled his seat belt and then helped her buckle hers. "It is heartbreaking Charlie, to have to speak to your mother that way, but I honestly don't think she would have listened to you and respected your decision if you hadn't. You kind of had to speak her language. Maybe now that she's accepted that you can make a decision and stick to it against them, they'll back off."
She smiled up at him through her tears. "You're kind, Luke. I doubt it will be that easy, but wouldn't that be wonderful? Thank you so much for helping me through that. I could never have done it without you." She reached and patted his cheek with her sparkling left hand. "You're such a sweetie."
He leaned down and kissed her, once, long and slowly. "You're tired."
"Yes. Way tired."
He kissed her again. "And you're welcome."
"Thanks."
"And you're beautiful."
She gave a single laugh as he kissed her again and she said, "Thank you, Luke, but we should get back. It's after two in the morning."
"But we need to eat those French fries dipped in the shake."
"You drive. I'll dip and share them with you. Have you ever dipped fries before?"
"Never. But I've heard it's very romantical."
When they crossed the bridge, Luke asked, "Where do you want me to take you, Charlie? Can I take you back to the bunkhouse? It's almost two-thirty."
"Would you mind checking through my house for me to make sure no one is inside? I truly shouldn't stay in the bunkhouse. It looks terrible."
"Honey, I'm worried about your safety. Not how it looks."
"I'll be safe inside with the deadbolts locked. But thank you."
"Will you be afraid?"
She didn't want to answer that. "Sometimes. I'm sorry. I try not to be."
"I'll take you to get some of your things, but then let's take you back to the bunkhouse. Or the main house. You pick."
"The bunkhouse. You know, we still didn't seriously finish talking about me moving away to keep your family safe. It has to be done. We might as well face it."
He pulled up in front of her cabin. "Let's face it in the morning, Charlie. I'm too tired to argue with you tonight. Stay here with the doors locked for a second while I check out your house." He got out and then reached under his seat and pulled out a pistol that looked just like hers only about twice as big and then took the key she held out to him. A minute or two later, he came back out and got her and took her in to retrieve her things.
By the time she was settled into the bunkhouse, she honestly was too tired to worry about appearances and went right to sleep.
She could hear the others stirring the next morning and she sat up and looked over to see Luke headed to the shower with his shaving kit in tow. Fo was dressed and sitting at the little table with a bowl of cold cereal in front of him. She got up and slipped into the jacket to the warm up pants she was wearing with her t-shirt, made her bed and gathered up her things. Running a hand through her hair, she gave Fo a high five as she headed out the door. "Thanks for letting me crash again. Tell Luke I said good morning. I'm going for a run."
Fo finished his bite and then called after her, "You watch yourself, Chuck. Which way are you headed?"
"Just down across the little bridge and through the south meadow along the creek. I'll have the security guys check it on the four wheelers before I go and I'll be in sight the whole time, I promise. I'll be fine. Have a great day."
"You too."
She stretched for a moment on the porch and dug her cell phone out of her pocket to call the security guys. Then she went down along the path, wishing that Fo hadn’t mentioned Tyree again, even as tactfully as he had. It made that fear come up in her again like bile in her soul.
She hated feeling this way all the time lately. It all but over shadowed the sweet euphoria she’d been feeling ever since the pantry scene. And it tended to jam any inspiration she was getting from the Spirit. She felt like she was being prompted to be cautious every single moment it seemed and it was wearing on her. Even right now, in the clear light of a beautiful morning, she felt as if it wasn’t safe to be out here running in plain sight of everyone.
Glancing around nervously at the scattered trees here beside the stream, she turned her head to listen better. It was hard to tell if what she was hearing was just the riffle of the water, or if there was another sound occasionally that didn’t belong amidst the gurgle of the creek. Holy moly it would be nice when Tyree didn’t haunt her.
****
Luke got out of the shower, dressed and shaved, then was disappointed when he walked out to find Charlie's bed neatly made and her gone. Fo looked up from his breakfast and said, "She asked me to tell you that she wished you were out here to drop to your knees and beg her for her hand in marriage and to live happily ever after."
"Seriously? She said that?"
Fo laughed. "No. But maybe she was thinking it. She did say to tell you good morning."
"Where'd she go?"
"For a run. South along the creek. She said she'd have security check first and stay in sight. She just left. She's probably still at her house. Maybe you should go up there and drop to your knees and…"
"Yeah. I got it already. Have a good day at work. Tell Amy hello." Luke walked out the door and stood on the porch looking south toward Charlie's house, wondering if she would laugh if he went and dropped to his knees to beg for her hand in marriage and to live happily ever after. He saw her on the trail beyond her cabin, running smoothly, her blonde curls pulled back into a bouncy ponytail.
He turned away and went to step off the porch and at that moment she screamed.
Looking back toward her, he could see her fighting with a man who must have come from somewhere on the stream bank below her. Luke sucked in a breath and turned and ducked back into the bunkhouse and yanked the rifle off the wall again as he yelled at Fo, "Tyree has her down by the creek. Call the police and come help me."
As he leapt off the deck, she miraculously broke free for just a second, but Tyree caught her again and began dragging her, kicking and fighting toward the willows near the creek. Luke threw the rifle to his shoulder and being careful not to aim anywhere near where Charlie was fighting him, he squeezed off a shot. Tyree was startled and Charlie jerked away again and this time got clear free for longer, but once again, Tyree caught her.
Richard and Tuckett and several of the hands appeared in response to the gunshot. When Luke was sure they could see what was happening, he dropped the gun to the deck, ripped open his truck door, grabbed his handgun and headed for Charlie on the run. He stumbled and nearly went to his knees as he charged down the incline beside the road and was immensely grateful when he heard a shot come from the proximity of the main house. His dad was a crack shot and he was sure Tyree knew that. Richard was a bit of a legend in the valley.
A third time, Charlie broke free and this time when Tyree went to lunge for her, a shot from the house either winged him or startled him enough that she was able to slip out of his grasp. She began to run back toward the ranch yard as fast as she could fly. And Fo had been right, this girl could run! Tyree made one more lunge for her. This time there was no doubt he'd been hit as his leg buckled beneath him and he went to the ground in a heap as Charlie ran for all she was worth toward Luke.
Relief burned through Luke like a straight hit of adrenaline and then he was horrified to realize that even though Tyree was down and out of commission, he had produced a pistol and was now shooting at the girl he had just tried to abduct.
Luke skidded to a stop on the path and pulled his gun up as he yelled, "Charlie, drop into the ditch! The ditch!" She understood and made a dive into the dry ditch beside her as Luke drew a bead on Tyree with his pistol. He was still sixty yards or more off, but at least Luke could deter him from aiming for any part of Charlie that was still exposed by the angle of the hillside.
Before Luke could squeeze off the trigger, another shot rang from the house. Tyree jerked again and then tossed his gun aside and raised both hands, one higher than the other. Luke could hear him curse and yell, "Okay! Don't shoot! Okay! Don't shoot! Don't Shoot!"