By the end of the first week, she believed that she had finally met all of the people that worked somewhere on the Langston holdings and she was a little bit mind boggled at the scope of their operation. Fo had been right that they had everything from a housekeeper, to multiple ranch hands, one of whom made her frankly nervous when he looked at her, to a full time grounds maintenance man. This was a huge enterprise.
She had almost succeeded in teaching the dog herd to stay out of the house and Chase to wear a shirt when he came to meals. She had more success by far with the dogs actually, but Chase had made some improvement. When he was home, he fairly haunted Charlie as she worked around the house with the children. She had yet to see him actually do anything around the ranch, but she hoped that was just because she hadn't been right there where he was working.
He would walk around the house posing like a body builder in front of various mirrors or windows until Charlie finally asked him one day, "Did you earn those muscles fair and square working this ranch, Chase? Or are you the Soloflex poster boy?"
Chase seemed to think she was complimenting his physique when he answered proudly as he patted his own bicep, "I earned these babies by working hours and hours a day down in the exercise room. That's the only way to get a body like mine. You don't get ripped like this just being lazy you know."
Charlie thought to herself that he had it all backwards. To her, spending hours and hours a day working on your muscles was lazy and she had to differ with him expressly over the fact that you could get ripped by working. She remembered Luke's build that night when she had inadvertently walked in on him in only his jeans. His physique was far better than Chase's ever hoped to be, and she had no doubts he came by it honorably. He was working from before it got light in the morning until late, late at nights sometimes. There were even nights he drove a tractor all night for some reason or another.
She and Fo and Luke had developed a habit of hanging out in the bunkhouse late in the evenings or else on Charlie's front porch rockers. Luke never said much, but that hadn't stopped Charlie from developing a healthy schoolgirl’s crush on him within the first week of her stay there. She felt positively ridiculous about it and then was completely floored one day when she found out he was engaged to be married. It came as a complete surprise to her because she had never even seen him with a girl, let alone act as if he was in love with someone.
Charlie had wondered aloud one morning if the girls knew how to ride well enough to go out on horses with her, and Richard had shaken his head. "I've been meaning to spend more time teaching them, but for now I don't think they're safe without someone riding with them."
Madge had suggested that maybe Lindie could begin to give them riding lessons and Richard had thought that was a great idea. Charlie had no idea who Lindie was and finally the next day Luke took her out to the indoor arena and calmly introduced her to a pretty, dark haired girl. "This is Lindie Snyder. Her dad is our main horse trainer, and she's very good with horses. And she's my fiancée'. She'll help teach the girls everything they need to know." Charlie was so surprised by this announcement that she was his fiancée' that she almost missed the rest of the introduction. She looked blankly from one to the other of them. They hadn't so much as touched, let alone acted in love and what's more, Lindie looked distinctly like she was expecting a baby.
Charlie was floored. She would never have pegged Luke as a guy who would be intimate before marriage. And especially not act so casual about it after. She did the best she could to act nonchalant about it all, but that night she had to ask Fo about it. Luke was out somewhere still working and she got right to the point. "Did you know Luke is engaged?"
Fo nodded, but he looked uncomfortable. “He mentioned it when I arrived.” She wondered if it would be gossiping to ask if the girl really was pregnant or just had an unusual figure. She decided it would be and didn't ask, but the next day Madge put some light on the subject.
Madge and Charlie had become fast friends as they worked together to keep an organized and happy home. Madge had told Charlie somewhat self-consciously about an on-line romance she had going. It seemed Madge had a virtual boyfriend over in Missoula somewhere. "I know, I know. These on-line flings don't ever amount to much, and I'd never actually think about getting remarried after losing Burt or anything, but a little friendship never hurt anyone, did it?"
Charlie smiled at her and hugged her around the shoulders. "As long as you're careful not to get scammed Madge, I think it's wonderful. The world needs more romance." They talked back and forth about romance and somehow Charlie voiced her surprise at finding out Luke was engaged.
Madge had pursed her lips and made a sad sound. "It's a bad deal all around, I say. I know Luke's trying to help that girl, but I think it's all going to blow up in his face eventually." Charlie had no idea what she was talking about and she didn't know how to answer that, so she didn't say anything and Madge went on, "To be honest with you, Charlie, I don't believe that baby is Luke's.” She shook her head sadly. “No, not for a minute I don't."
Charlie looked at her and said, "I'm sorry. I don't know anything about it or a baby."
Shaking her head again, Madge replied, "Well, poor Lindie is expecting a baby and I think that's the reason Luke has asked her to marry him. I don't think he's in love with her or her him, but he has this sense of honor that's going to have them married in spite of that." She continued peeling vegetables for their dinner. "I suppose a baby does need a family, but I hate to see young folks marry when they aren't truly in love. Marriage is too important and hard enough without going into it without being head over heels for each other. I mean it’s wonderful and fun and all, but even the best marriage can be hard at times."
Charlie still had no idea how to respond to that. She shook her head and said, "I've never been married or in love either one, so I wouldn't know, Madge. But either way, it's a sad situation."
"Well, Luke is trying to be selfless about this, but I don't think he's stopped to consider how Lindie's going to feel someday when she realizes she's stuck in a marriage to someone she doesn't love. At that point she may not think Luke's idea was all that great, baby or no."
The next day Charlie took the three little ones out to the arena at the prearranged time and began to help Lindie give the girls lessons. She didn't realize that Lindie intended for her to ride as well, but she was enthused about it when she found out. Lindie put Evie and Elsa and Charlie up on their horses and then she took Jamie on her own horse with her. Charlie had assumed you weren't supposed to ride when you’re pregnant, so she was a bit surprised when Lindie climbed on, but she didn't say anything, although later Lindie herself admitted that Luke wouldn't be very happy about her riding if he caught her. Still not sure what was going on, Charlie came right out and asked her, "Why wouldn't he want you to ride?"
Lindie gave Charlie a sweet, sad smile. "I'm five months pregnant, Charlie. Riding isn't too great of an idea. I wouldn't do it at all except I've had this horse my whole life and I trust him completely, no matter what. That's why I'm taking Jamie too. I know he isn't going to want to be left out. I'm just not sure Luke will agree with my decision. He's kind of protective of me right now."
Unsure of what to answer, Charlie settled for. "There're not enough men that are protective of women in this world, Lindie. Enjoy it when you can." She continued. "I've always wanted riding lessons. I'm so excited for this. Thank you for teaching me."
They had been riding for most of an hour when Luke showed up. He looked at Lindie up on her old horse, but didn't comment on it. He watched for several minutes quietly and then asked, "Why isn't Charlie wearing a helmet like the little ones?"
Charlie hurried to spare Lindie any blame and replied, "I'm afraid my head is too big for any of the helmets, Luke. I'll get one before the next lesson, I promise." He nodded and after a few more minutes he went back to whatever it was he had been doing.
Over these couple of weeks, Charlie had come to understand that while Richard was the owner and the big boss, he rarely overrode the decisions Luke made as the second in command. And in fact, he often deferred to Luke's judgment. Because of this, she was surprised when one afternoon Chase was making snide comments about Luke's college education. "Luke is going off to college during the winters to become a big CPA. Doesn't that just sound fun? I think I'd rather die than be stuck messing with a bunch of numbers all day everyday."
The idea that Chase would do anything all day everyday was a bit preposterous, but Charlie didn't mention that.
Luke going off to college didn't surprise her, but his choice of accounting did. She was very familiar with CPAs because of her mother's firm and he definitely didn't seem like the type. She asked him about it that night in the bunkhouse, "Are you really an accounting major at school?"
He nodded quietly. "Yes. Why?"
She shrugged. "You just don't seem like the type to me."
He smiled. "What is the type?"
"My mother has a huge CPA firm. You're not like any of the accountants. You're much more… I don’t know—different than they are."
He gave her a sad smile. "I don't have a burning need to calculate tax returns, if that's what you're asking, but it'll pay the bills when I'm gone from here. That's all."
Both she and Fo were shocked and she had to ask, "When you're gone from here? Why in the world would you be gone from here? You love it here and this place would disintegrate without you!"
Sounding incredibly resigned, he explained, "This place has been in my family for almost a hundred and seventy years, Charlie. It's always been handed down to the oldest son. They haven’t split it up because it would eventually be too small to be viable. There's no way I can stay here after it's handed to Chase. I can't do it. He’ll run it into the ground. It would kill me." He shook his head. "When that happens, I'll go somewhere and be an accountant. It'll pay the bills."
She simply looked at him for the longest time. Would Richard really leave the whole place to Chase? It seemed preposterous. But then so did the thought of Richard marrying Angela. Richard seemed so sharp and responsible usually, but sometimes his judgment was a little skewed.
****
That Saturday afternoon, she and Fo and the kids were making sugar cookies and had flour and cookie cutters strewn clear across the kitchen counters. Chase came in shirtless again and after popping a few more obvious flexes, he leaned across the counter almost in her apron pocket to steal a pinch of dough. She turned to him and said sweetly, "Dude, your abdominals are in our cookies. Move 'em."
Chase grinned his ever suggestive grin, "They are right in the mix of things aren't they? I tend to like it that way."
She calmly slapped him across the stomach with the pancake turner she was moving cookies with. "Move it, Chase. We're working here. Aren't we kids?" Evie and Elsa responded enthusiastically, but Jamie was too busy creating to bother answering.
When Chase was gone, and the kids were washing their hands, Fo asked her, "Why do you encourage him? You've been here for a couple of weeks and he's still strutting around you like one of those birds on the Discovery Channel. Just tell him to leave you alone. Even he ought to get the message sooner or later."
She shook her head. "What would Jesus do, Fo? Not only that, but the goal is to help make a happier, more stable home. Remember? Fighting with Chase isn't going to help that. Plus, you know me. I'd ten times rather deal with him than fight with him. I'm too much of a marshmallow."
“You’re not a marshmallow. And you need to back him off, Charlie, or Luke is gonna tear into him. Which is what he needs, but it won’t be a happy home moment. It wouldn’t take much to make Richard insist Chase leave. He doesn’t help and causes problems. And he’s such a flake with women as it is. Don’t encourage it.” He took another bite of dough. "Just don't put up with any of his garbage. He isn't all that trustworthy and Luke would kill him if he pulled something on you."
Nodding quietly, Charlie agreed. "Okay.”
Later, they all watched Charlotte's Web together. It had taken her a while to find a copy, but they finally got to see the classic farm show Charlie had loved as a certified city child. The little ones thought it was great except that Elsa cried when Charlotte died. Charlie was careful to make it perfectly clear that the animals that came into Charlotte's house were only allowed because it was a movie.
The next morning Charlie wondered if she'd opened a can of worms when Jamie wanted to go out first thing and find out if they had any pigs anywhere. She was trying to placate him as she helped him into his highchair for breakfast when Luke came in.
When he understood what Jamie was asking he assured the little guy, “Yes, we do indeed have pigs out in one of the sheds.” He gave Charlie a shake of his head as he cautioned, “But pigs can sometimes be really mean and bite little boys. You can’t just go out there.” Charlie ended up promising the three little ones that if Luke said it was okay, then they'd go for a walk and see the pigs some time soon.
When they did, she planned to take Luke along to discourage his ranch hand who tended to watch Charlie too closely for comfort.
****
Church in Montana was as much of an adventure as the rest of this life had proven. She had been surprised to learn Richard was a high councilman, so Charlie, Luke, Fo and Madge were left to the task of dealing with the kids for the meetings. Jamie was still wondering if he actually liked going to the nursery, and Evie and Elsa seemed to believe church was a unique cross between the Junior Prom and preschool class. They were far more caught up with their beautiful dresses and coloring books than listening. Tuckett did reasonably well considering and Chase spent a good portion of the time sitting outside in his truck listening to the radio. At least he made a show of attending which was frankly more than Charlie had expected.