A Family Name

by Liz Botts

  Chapter Ten

  Will tapped the steering wheel of his truck in an upbeat rhythm. The past few days with Charlotte he had felt raw and vulnerable, but amazing nonetheless. Every time he thought of their kiss a goofy grin spread across his face that he couldn't suppress even when he wanted to. As he exited the expressway at Mountain View he decided to stop off at the café for a cup of coffee. He hadn't been there in quite some time, and it might be nice to catch up with some of the locals.

  Driving through Mountain View, Will noticed how many homes had for sale signs in their front yards. So many people moving away. As he pulled his truck up to the café, he remembered feeling stuck, mired, in this town as a kid. Rapid City had always beckoned, and he had spent most weekends driving to and from the city in search of fun. With the rapid depopulation of this town, what did it offer the kids? If Charlotte decided to keep her job, she'd have to commute like he did. Was that the life they wanted?

  He smiled at a few of the older men who gathered regularly in one corner to swap news and gossip. He knew his dad was friends with many of the men, but Will figured he shouldn't hold it against them. While he waited for his coffee to be made by a girl who looked little older than Lexi — actually she probably wasn't much older than Lexi — Will decided to broach the subject of moving the family down to Rapid City. Even if the situation turned out to be temporary, the kids would have so many more opportunities.

  The coffee tasted like soggy cardboard and smelled like wet dog, but Will didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings so he took it with him, abandoning it in the truck's cup holder. His stomach churned as he pulled out of Mountain View and headed back to the ranch, and he didn't think it was from his one sip of coffee either. He had no way of knowing how Charlotte would react to his suggestion. Just because they had shared a kiss did not mean they had a relationship. They hadn't even bothered to talk about things yet, so this conversation would mark the first big discussion that could move them into real relationship territory.

  Sierra and Lexi came running out of the house to greet him when he pulled up. A moment later Charlotte exited the house with Shane on her hip. The smile that spread across her face made Will's breath catch. He hoped that she'd jump on board with his suggestion. It might be the first step to turn them into a family. The thought crept up on him, but as it settled into his consciousness he wasn't surprised. Clearly he had been heading in this direction for awhile. Now to find out if Charlotte was too.

  After a round of hugs, Will said, "Lex, why don't you take Sierra and Shane to see Grandma Karen? I need to chat with Charlotte for a bit."

  Lexi took Shane from Charlotte's arms, and the three kids headed across the driveway to the main house. Will watched until his mom had answered the door, ushered the kids inside, and waved to him. Then he turned to Charlotte and motioned toward the front porch.

  "A talk in private, huh? Sounds serious," Charlotte said. He could tell that she was trying to keep her voice light but when it cracked it gave away her nervousness.

  "Well, yeah." Will ran a hand across the back of his neck, suddenly feeling odd. "So I was thinking maybe we should move down to Rapid City for awhile. I mean, there's not much school left, but summer in the city is always fun. I have a condo down there. It might be a little cramped but the girls could share and…"

  "What are you talking about?" Charlotte laughed. "Why don't you come sit down and explain this again? Why would we move?"

  Will shrugged, and leaned against the porch railing. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to decide the best way to discuss this with her. Obviously she didn't understand what he was getting at. "I just thought that being down in Rapid would give the kids more opportunities."

  "Why would we move?" Charlotte repeated, all traces of laughter gone. "Will, we don't know how long the five of us get to be together. Why on earth would we want to do something so disruptive? Besides I like it here. So do the kids."

  He winced inwardly at the truth behind Charlotte's words. They didn't know how long the five of them would get to be together as a family, but they were right now, and that was why he wanted to give them all the opportunities he could. Things he had been deprived of growing up on the ranch. Why couldn't Charlotte see that?

  "Have you been to town? This place has nearly a one hundred percent attrition rate. There won't even be any kids left for a school next year. I want our kids to have more than that." Will leveled his gaze at Charlotte feeling a bit petulant.

  Charlotte gave a short, brittle bark of laughter. "We aren't moving. The end. There is no way we are bringing any upheaval into these kids' lives. That is the last thing they need."

  Will opened his mouth to make some smart retort, but he found his mind blank. Staring at Charlotte, Will just shook his head, pushed himself away from the porch rail, and stalked toward the house. Maybe they could discuss things later after the suggestion had sunk in a bit, then maybe Charlotte would come around to his point of view.

  In the kitchen he rummaged around to find something to eat. He was coming up empty when the front door creaked open. Charlotte came up behind him, opened the refrigerator, and handed him a plate with a sandwich on it.

  Will faltered. When he raised an eyebrow at Charlotte she merely shrugged. "You weren't home for lunch. I thought you might be hungry."

  Grabbing two bottles of water, Will sat down at the kitchen table. Charlotte retrieved a container of cookies from the counter and sat down across from him. They ate in silence for awhile before Charlotte asked, "Why would you want to move?"

  It was the third time she had asked him, and he realized that he hadn't really given her an answer. While he chewed his ham and cheese on rye, Will considered her question. It was fair of her to ask. He watched as Charlotte broke a cookie into thirds before taking a small bite. Seeing her lips part as she ate made him remember their kiss, and his train of thought effectively derailed.

  "Is it because of your dad?"

  "Is what because of my dad?" Will asked before startling himself out of his distraction. "Oh, no. Not really, although getting some distance from him might actually be nice. No, I just really want to give these kids more opportunities than I had growing up. I know that sounds trite, but I swear I mean it."

  "Wow, that's the most I've ever heard you say at one time," Charlotte said, a smile quirking up one corner of her mouth.

  "Hey now," Will protested, but he felt a smile crossing his face. He popped the last piece of sandwich into his mouth.

  Charlotte sighed and pushed the plate of cookies away. "Don't mention any of this to the kids. They've just started to get settled, and we can't take that away from them. Besides this week haven't you noticed that all three of them have been acting like siblings?"

  "You mean the massive amounts of arguing going on this week?" Will reached across to snag a cookie.

  "That's exactly what I mean. They all seem to be gelling. I don't want anything to disrupt that."

  Will nodded. He knew where she was coming from, although he hadn't seen what Charlotte had in the kids. The bickering irritated him so he usually tuned it out, but now that he thought about it, he could see what she meant. Sierra and Lexi had stopped competing with each other for attention, to arguing about things like who got TV time first or who took too long in the bathroom. Just like he and his brothers had when they were younger.

  "Let's take them to Rushmore tomorrow," Will said. "It'll be nice to get away from the ranch just the five of us."

  Charlotte raised her eyebrows, but she didn't comment on the change of conversation. Instead she favored him with a smile that made his pulse pound. What he wouldn't give to kiss her again, right now. He had a feeling, though, that she wasn't in quite the right mood for that, and for the first time in his life he wanted to take things as slowly as he needed to insure her place in his life for a long time. Whatever delusions he had about not being in over his head in this relationship fled in the wake of sitting there.

  "That sounds like a gre
at idea."

  ****

  The next morning after much chaos, Will and Charlotte herded the kids into the back of the truck. The space seemed tinier with Sierra's booster seat and Shane's car seat, but it also felt cozy. Charlotte glanced back once more as she clicked her seatbelt into place. Lexi and Sierra had each insisted on a window seat, but Shane didn't seem to mind. He was sucking on his thumb and worrying the edge of his blanket with his free hand. A pang of worry squeezed her heart. The little boy still didn't talk much. Her social work training told her to continue to give him time to come around but the more she spent with him the more she wanted him to get better.

  Will turned on a local radio station that typically featured classical music. Charlotte settled back into her seat with a small sigh of pleasure. She hadn't realized how much she had been listening to kids' tunes, but now this beautiful sound bathed her ears in welcome auditory reprieve.

  "What is this?" Lexi asked from the back seat.

  "Chopin," Will replied, giving Charlotte a sidelong glance accompanied by a smirk. She smirked back. Teenagers.

  They pulled onto the expressway, and turned toward Rapid City. This was the first time Charlotte had been away from the Mountain View area in awhile. She realized that she hadn't had any desire to leave. She was happy on the ranch, and she found Mountain View charming. Life on the ranch felt more like home than she had ever felt before. Maybe that's why she had felt so panicked when he suggested moving to Rapid City. She knew that her gut reaction had been irrational. Who knew how much longer the five of them would be together anyway? It was a thought she didn't let take hold.

  "Can we please change this station?" Lexi made a knocking motion on the back of Will's seat. Charlotte had to smile.

  Will complied by tuning to a country station. Lexi seemed mollified for the moment. Sierra pulled out a play phone from her little purse and started talking on it to Grandma Karen. Charlotte relaxed, and felt the pull of something she had not felt in a long time. She gazed out the window as the steeper cliffs mellowed into rounded, rolling foothills as they drove south toward Rapid City. Glancing behind her she saw that Shane had fallen asleep his head resting awkwardly on Lexi's shoulder. The girl had, in turn, laid her head on top of the little boy's.

  "Look," Charlotte said in a soft voice, and motioned for Will to glance in his rearview mirror. The two of them shared a smile, and she thought her heart might burst. This must be bliss, Charlotte thought. A feeling so far beyond contentment that her joy meter rushed off the charts. She could honestly say she had never before felt that way. The love she had for those three kids made her lightheaded at times. The ferocity of it took her breath away, and the fact that she was not their biological mother mattered zero percent. She wondered if any of her foster parents had felt that way about her. If they had, they certainly hadn't shown it in a way that she was aware of.

  And what of Will? Charlotte cast a sidelong glance at the man seated beside her humming along to an upbeat country tune. He wore his battered brown hat, the brim creased awkwardly along the left side. Charlotte had noticed that he folded it up every time he turned in the saddle to look behind him. His curly brown hair peeped out under the edges. The tan corduroy coat he wore along with jeans and boots made him look one hundred percent like the rancher he was. She liked him that way just as much as she liked him in suits and ties that he wore to teach. A tingle of awareness spread over her with such heat that she was sure her cheeks got red.

  But the physical attraction she felt for him paled in comparison to the depth of her emotional attraction. She admired the way he had stepped into the role of father when it had been thrust upon him. He opened his home not only to the children but to her, and he seemed determined to make the best out of a difficult situation. The commitment he had shown to his job and the loyalty he had to his friends and family made him all the more appealing. Though Charlotte had to admit that he could be stubborn when he wanted his own way, and he did sometimes seem narrow minded in his focus on certain subjects, those were minor parts of the whole. Each time she toyed with using the L-word to describe her feelings for Will, Charlotte shied away. She had a list of reasons and each was good, but none of them fully convinced her.

  The truck bounced into a large pothole on the exit ramp, and jarred Charlotte from her thoughts. Shane let out a wail of protest at being awakened from his nap, but settled back down as the ride smoothed out.

  "I need to run by the Institute on our way home, if that's okay," Will said as he navigated the busy morning traffic of downtown.

  Charlotte nodded, still feeling distracted by her self-examination on the trip down.

  Will must have noticed that she was quiet, because he asked, "Hey, you okay?"

  Charlotte looked at him blankly for a moment, feeling unsure of what he had just said. Then she shook her head, smiled, and replied, "I'm fine. Just got lost in my thoughts, you know?"

  Will made an affirmative noise but still looked concerned as he headed west toward Keystone and Mount Rushmore. The way his eyebrows were drawn together and his mouth gathered in a disapproving bow, made Charlotte giggle. She had to look out the window to keep from laughing outright. Her emotions seemed to be all out of whack and running just below the surface. There was no way she could explain it all to him without giving away just how far in she was, and at this point she still wasn't ready to do that.

  As the hills turned into mountains Charlotte felt the flush of excitement she always got on the way into the heart of the Black Hills. The granite outcroppings covered in pine and quartz made her feel at home.

  "Are we there yet?" Sierra's voice broke through Charlotte's reverie.

  "Almost," Will said, chuckling at the whininess of the little girl's tone. "See that bridge up ahead? We have to go under that, then through a town called Keystone, and then we're there."

  "Well… okay," Sierra said.

  "Looks like we have a teenager in training," Charlotte said in a low voice, trying her best not to laugh.

  "Just what we need." Will's smile was wry but the warmth behind it told Charlotte how much he enjoyed the thought.

  As they rolled into Keystone, Charlotte glanced back at the kids. Shane slept soundly against his car seat now, and Sierra had pulled a doll from her purse. Lexi, though, practically had her nose pressed against the window. Charlotte felt a pang of sadness as she realized that Lexi had probably never been to this part of the Hills. Sure, Charlotte could ask, but she held back because she knew the feeling of not wanting to relive foster placements. Even the nice ones didn't make her want to wax lyrical about the experience.

  "This place is amazing." Lexi gazed longingly at the faux frontier storefronts.

  Charlotte caught the same look of regret cross Will's face as he glanced back at his daughter in the rear view mirror. "Maybe we can stop here for ice cream on the way home."

  Sierra looked up at Will's suggestion, and she and Lexi made the same squealing noise that Charlotte found pained her ears.

  "I want you girls to watch out Sierra's window," Will said. "Watch for the faces."

  A moment later as the truck climbed the steep grade of the mountain, they came around a curve, and there on granite outcropping stood the four faces of Mount Rushmore. Charlotte felt her breath hitch. Such a stunning sight.

  Will pulled the truck into the parking lot, paid their parking fee, and found a spot. He unloaded an umbrella stroller from the back while Charlotte made sure that Sierra's coat was zipped and her gloves firmly in place. Lexi took the little girl's hand so Charlotte could get the still sleepy Shane from his car seat. The little boy wrapped his arms around her neck but willingly went to the stroller.

  As they walked up to the monument, Charlotte felt the appropriate amount of awe that she felt each time she came here or went to Crazy Horse. The feat of sculpting something out of the side of a mountain… it simply amazed her. Lexi seemed to be feeling something similar because she couldn't stop staring. Sierra, though, seemed quite unimp
ressed.

  "There's snow." The hushed excitement in Sierra's voice caught Charlotte's attention, and she stopped to see where the little girl pointed. Sure enough small mounds of snow lined the walkways, even though it was early May and the snow around the ranch had melted weeks ago.

  Before Charlotte or Will could comment, Sierra ran to Lexi and pulled her toward the inviting winter leftovers. Will and Charlotte followed with Shane in the stroller. The distraction from the monument gave Charlotte a chance to look around. Tourist season hadn't started yet, but there were a fair amount of people there. In a few weeks school groups would start coming for end-of-year field trips. Mount Rushmore became a hub of activity after Memorial Day, as did most of the State and National Parks in the state. Like most locals, Charlotte tended to avoid the major attractions, and she had a feeling Will was much the same. Now that they had the kids, though, she felt like she should try to take them places over the summer. If they were all still together this summer.

  The thought cast a momentary pall over the day. Charlotte shook off the doldrums as she watched Sierra engage Lexi in an impromptu snowball fight. Even Shane giggled as he watched the girls squeal and scramble behind Will and Charlotte. Several people stopped a short distance away to watch the antics.

  "What a beautiful family." Charlotte and Will turned at the same time to see an older woman smiling at them.

  Charlotte felt her tongue tangle in her mouth. How could she explain their situation while still sounding appreciative and gracious for such a sweet compliment?

  Will covered it, though. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Charlotte. "Thank you. We're blessed."

  The older woman smiled even more broadly, if that was even possible. As she tottered off the meet up with a group of other older women, Charlotte felt confused but relieved. There was, of course, no reason for them to explain to strangers the particulars of their lives, but Charlotte felt deceitful claiming the beautiful children as her own. As her sluggish brain turned the predicament over in her mind she glanced down at the stroller, and gasped.