"As if there aren't in your house. Then you're coming to the bunkhouse."
"No."
"Charlie."
She turned to whisper to him, "It's bad enough that I've been there those nights already. Think if Tuckett would see me. Or these guys."
At that he took her hand and pulled her out of the garden and around the corner of the house where he backed her up against the wall and asked bluntly, "Do you realize we could be talking about your life here?"
She put both hands on her hips. "What do you think, Luke?"
"I'm sorry." He looked down, sorry he had been offensive and feeling guilty because really he just wanted to back her right up against this wall and kiss away the frustration that flared between them. "If you won't do anything I recommend, what do you have in mind? Can I ask?"
She hesitated and then admitted, "I haven't gotten that far. The best I can come up with is to simply go home ten days early."
He met her eyes, miserably torn at the idea of her leaving and wondering if he should voice the fact that Tyree would very possibly follow her right to Utah. If he was crazy enough to do what he was already doing, it wouldn't be a stretch.
"I know." She said it out of the blue and he had no idea what she was talking about.
"You know what?"
"That he'll probably follow me to Utah. That's what you were thinking, wasn't it?"
He sighed and admitted, "Charlie, you've got me so mixed up that I have no idea what I was thinking. Yes, he could follow you. We'll deal with that later. What are we going to do tonight?"
She blew her breath out in a huge sigh and he was completely non-plussed when her eyes filled with tears and she started to cry. She turned and went to walk away and he put out an arm to block her and then pulled her close into a hug as she whispered, "I don't know."
"Don't cry." He rubbed her back as she only cried harder. "We'll figure it out. In the mean time, I'll call and have the kind of dead bolts put on that can't be opened from the outside once they're locked and we'll double security and start clearing your house before you go inside. And we'd better bring the police back in. Maybe they can find something and pick him back up. Do you know how to use that new gun?" She nodded. "Do you want some more practice?" This time she shrugged.
He continued to hold her as he said, "I can't believe this is happening here. We never even locked a door before this."
"I'm sorry. I should leave. It would make everyone here safer."
"Shh. Honestly, you're the only one who seems to be at risk here, Charlie. He has very discriminating taste." She pulled back and looked up at him and he smiled at her. "Well, he does."
At that, she smiled through her tears and pulled away. "I need to get back. Jamie will have harvested every last minute squash because they're so cute."
He just looked at her for a long moment and then pulled her close again in spite of himself. "Hang in there, Charlie. We're going to get rid of this guy and you'll feel safe again. I promise."
That made her start to cry again and she spoke so softly he almost couldn't hear her, "I hope so, Luke. I hope so."
She went back to the children and Luke went straight into the office and began making calls to beef up her locks and security. Richard was in there and Luke brought him up to speed on what had been going on and then said, "And don't be surprised if she comes in and says she's leaving sooner than she'd planned. I could see it in her eyes."
Richard paused at what he was doing and asked him, "And what then, Luke? What are you going to do when she climbs into her ugly little car and drives away?"
Luke shook his head. "Swear. Hit someone. Cry? I don't know, Dad. It's a good thing I'm not a drinking man. It's going to be awful."
"I know. How are we ever going to survive around here? Can't you talk her into staying?"
"She has the right to make her own decisions in life."
"Doesn't she have the right to know all of her options as well, before she makes those decisions?"
Luke was quiet for a minute while he considered that. Finally, he asked, "Do you really think she doesn't know her options?"
Richard looked at him steadily. "You tell me, Luke.”
****
When Fo got home from work that evening, the first thing he did was go in search of Charlie. He found her on her cabin porch, staring out over the valley to the south, her mind obviously a million miles from the Langston cattle ranch.
He dropped into a chair beside her and pushed it gently with his foot. After several minutes, she was still looking out when she quietly said, "I'm not going to go to law school, Fo. I can't do it. I called and left a message on my parents' machine." She was trying to joke past the sadness when she added, "We can probably expect a team of Navy Seals or the FBI as a result." Just when he was going to ask her if she was going to stay in Montana, she continued, "I guess I'll go back to Utah with you and find a job. Would that be all right?"
"Of course." He rocked for a while again and then asked, "When I'm done with school and come back here, what then?"
She shrugged. "Maybe I'll have gotten a contract to teach and will have to stay. If not, who knows? Would Amy hate me if I came back and found an apartment in Kalispell? Other than what a fool I've been, I really love Montana. Although, someday I’m going to have to stay away from you. Maybe now is the time to just do it. A wife will hate a close friend that’s a girl."
"You know she'd be thrilled if you came back with me. She understands us. She wants to set you up with her brother, remember? Marry him. That would be perfect."
Silhouetted against the western sky, she shook her head. "No brothers. Not right now. I'm too tired." After a few more moments she reached up and brushed at a stray tear that trickled down her cheek. For the first time in almost two decades, Fo had no idea how to deal with her. He'd never seen her spunky spirit this quiet before, and he didn't have a clue how to shore up her broken heart.
Finally, he simply said, "Charlie. I'm sorry this summer has been so hard for you. I'm sorry I talked you into coming. I thought it would be best, but I was wrong. I'm sorry."
She reached over and took his hand. "No, Fo. This too shall pass and I'll be stronger for it. It just hurts right now going through it. That will dull, in time. In some ways, this was the best time of my life. At least it was at first. Before."
He didn't ask if she meant before being assaulted and stalked or before falling in love with Luke because he knew they had both affected her more deeply than anything else ever had since he'd known her. He rocked and cussed himself for throwing her and Luke together. He'd honestly thought they'd found each other for a while there. He honestly had. It made him feel guilty for being so happy with Amy that he wanted to laugh and dance and do the Toyota jump, when Charlie was so obviously devastated right now.
It was almost as if she could read his mind as she turned to him and in a voice so bright and cheerful that it sounded brittle, she asked, "How was your day with Amy today anyway? Are we still thinking forever?"
"Do I dare tell you yes, when you're this blue?"
More sincerely, she said, "Yes. I'm so happy for you I'll cheer right up. Be sure and let her know she’s welcome to come stay with me in Utah anytime she needs to come and visit you. Heck, I'll rent an extra bedroom just for her. Something tells me that you two aren't going to be able to stay apart all that well this next thirteen weeks."
Fo groaned. "I'm already dreading being apart. It's funny, but I never thought I'd feel this way about a girl. I've surprised myself."
Charlie laughed a real laugh. "I knew you had it in you all along, buddy. I was simply waiting for you to figure it out. It took you long enough."
"Slow learner, I guess. At least when I figured it out, I got it right the first time. That's a miracle."
"That's true, but you've always been the steady one." After a moment she went on, "I wish I'd been so smart." The tears were back in her voice and he was trying to figure out what to say when she volunteered, "I'm goi
ng to leave day after tomorrow. I know I was going to stay and come with you, but I need to go. I'm worried that Tyree is going to hurt someone if I stay here. I'm going to tell Richard in the morning."
"He'll understand."
"I know." The tears flooded her eyes in earnest. "It's the kids that I'm worried about. How am I ever going to tell them goodbye?"
At this he got up and helped her up and switched over to the porch swing where he could sit next to her as she cried her heart out against his shoulder. He had no answers. He just hoped she could take some comfort from his unconditional friendship. That was the best he had to offer, but it had always seen her through. Until now. Now he didn't know how to comfort the hurt she was feeling, compounded by the fear.
As they sat there like that, the sun went down. Night fell and still she leaned on him and cried. She hadn't even begun to wind down when Luke quietly came around the corner and stopped dead in his tracks when he realized what was going on. He met Fo's eyes, and Fo gave a minimal shake of his head. After standing there for a minute, watching, Luke turned and went back the way he'd come without ever saying a word. As sad as Fo was because Charlie was heartbroken, maybe it was a good thing for Luke to see how she was struggling. Maybe he'd finally get a grip and stop her before she was gone. He could hope at least.
****
When Luke rounded the corner to understand that Charlie was sobbing like her heart had broken into a million pieces, he knew that his wasn't far behind. Without having to be told, he knew she was leaving and the gaping hole that left in his chest was physically painful. He couldn't even breathe as he turned and went back to the bunkhouse. How had he ever believed he could make it through the days without her? And what would be the point anyway?
Once in the bunkhouse, he dropped to his knees beside his bunk and tried to listen for an answer from the only one he knew who could fix this tangled mess he'd made. For the first time in his life, he was going to move away from here of his own free will. The only solution he could see was to follow her to Utah and see if she would be willing to let him into her life along with her law school. It would mean giving up this home he had loved and lived and breathed from the day he'd been born, but that was nothing compared to facing the rest of his life without her.
He prayed until he worried about falling asleep and then slowly got up and got ready for bed. With that done, he walked over to the door of the bunkhouse and went out onto the porch, wondering how she was doing over there on hers. Was she still crying? Or had she been able to let some of it go and find a measure of peace? It was all he could do not to go back to check on her. Bitterly, he thought, she wouldn't even want that from him the way he had pushed her away these last weeks.
Keeping his distance had seemed the wise thing to do at the time. He just hadn't realized there was no way he could actually keep her at arms length from his heart. But he'd had to learn that the hard way. He was still learning it the hard way.
Dropping into a porch rocker, he leaned his head back and looked up at the numberless stars in the big Montana sky. He'd always tried to make wise decisions. And he'd always tried to do his best. He'd always treated women with respect and deference and he'd always hoped that someday he would find a girl he would want to spend the rest of his life with. Now that he'd found her and messed it up so thoroughly, it hurt so much he almost wished he'd was still wondering if she was out there somewhere. Then at least there'd been hope.
He was still sitting there, wondering if Charlie was okay when the sound of a dog growling reached his ears. He was so caught up with his thoughts it took a minute to clue in to what he was hearing. For some reason that sound made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and he stepped inside the door and took a deer rifle off the wall before he went to investigate. Whatever one of the dogs had pinned down was either an animal that wasn't supposed to be here in the ranch yard, or a human who wasn't, and he wasn't taking any bets on which.
Following the sound to the far side of some machinery sheds, he was attempting to walk quietly through the gravel when whatever it was broke and ran with the dog in pursuit. He knew exactly when the dog caught whatever it was that it was chasing and the expletives that suddenly broke the quiet of the night ended all speculation about whether it was man or beast. Luke had nearly reached the snarling, snapping, fighting dog, when there was the sound of ripping cloth and running footsteps and then only the whine of an injured dog.
Luke continued on around the shed until he found the dog, a shredded piece of plaid cloth still hanging from his teeth. "What are you up to, Pilgrim? Did you get a mouthful of stinking rotten Homo Sapien?" He leaned down to see if he could tell how badly the dog was hurt in the dark. "What'd he do to you, old buddy? Where are you hurt? Huh?"
Fo spoke out of the darkness, "You okay, Luke?"
"I'm fine. Pilgrim is a little the worse for wear. Is Charlie with you?"
"Yeah."
"Well, bring her to the bunkhouse, even if you have to pack her. I'm sure that was him again."
When Luke and Pilgrim found their way to where Fo and Charlie were, her eyes were huge and fearful even in the near coal blackness. Luke went up to her and said gently, "Please don't argue, Charlie. Come up to the bunkhouse with us where we can make sure you’re safe. Please."
She nodded. "Okay. Can I go back to my house and grab some sweats?"
"And your gun. We'll come with you."
Even as dead tired as he knew the three of them to be, sleep was almost a non issue there for awhile. They had locked the doors and windows, pulled the blinds and put in a movie, but the tension in the room was still palpable. Fo and Luke made an effort to appear to be watching, but Charlie just went to bed and laid there with big, haunted eyes in the dark as Luke watched her. She eventually got back out and came and sat between the two of them and finally fell asleep and her head slid to Luke's shoulder.
Chapter 12
Working in the office early the next morning, Luke's head came up sharply when he heard Charlie and his dad in earnest conversation next door in the kitchen. His heart plummeted into his stomach as he heard her tell him she was going to leave first thing the next day to go back to Utah so she could protect their family from Tyree. He wanted to jump right up and go in and reassure her and beg her to stay, but he knew he couldn't. Hearing her start to cry as they talked made him want to interrupt even more. He sat at his desk, struggling to make it through this and was surprised to hear his dad say. "I'll double whatever we're paying you, Charlie, if you'll stay." She must have shaken her head without saying anything, because then he heard his dad say, "I'll triple it. C'mon Charlie. We can't live without you. What if you stayed now and I offered to pay for law school later if you still insist on going."
Luke didn't realize he was holding his breath until he was starved for air as he waited to hear her reply. He could hear the tears in her voice as she finally said, "I've decided I'm not going to go to law school, Richard. My heart is so not in it. I'm just going to go back to Utah and get a job and then come back to Kalispell when Fo comes back to marry Amy. I've learned to really love Montana. And I'd love to stay and work for you, Richard, but you haven't talked to Luke about this, have you? He would be upset if he knew what you're offering. I have to go away from here. Luke can't stand me and your family isn't safe as long as Tyree is around."
Once the shock of her answer wore off, Luke stood and moved around the desk to the door as his dad started to reply. Richard got as far as, "You're wrong, Charlie. Luke…”
They both looked up in surprise as Luke stepped into the doorway and advanced into the kitchen, took Charlie by the hand and almost dragged her into the pantry and shut the door behind them.
Flipping on the light in the tight quarters, he could see she was all but afraid of him as she looked up at him warily. For a second he only searched her eyes, wondering if she meant what she had been saying. Finally, he asked, "You're not going to law school? You're truly not? You love Montana?"
; She looked down at her hand still tightly held in his and started to pull it away as she shook her head and answered with a sigh, "I can't do it, Luke. I can't make myself go to law school right now. I just can't."
"But, you're going to come back to Montana? Next winter, with Fo?"
Her eyes filled with tears again at his question. "Would I bother you even if I was clear in Kalispell? You'd never even have to see me, I promise."
He shook his head in frustration at her misunderstanding. How could he make her see how he felt about her? And it was no wonder she was so mixed up. He himself didn't even know what to think and how to feel just now. He reached down and took her other hand as well and then changed his mind and put both hands up to gently touch her face. "No. Charlie, no. The only thing that will bother me is that you'll be so far away in Kalispell. And do you absolutely have to go back with Fo? Couldn't you stay here? Please? We'll deal with Tyree, I promise. I'll hire twenty security guards if I have to. Just stay. Please."
She involuntarily stepped back and her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure him out. "What?" She stood looking at him as if he'd grown purple hair and then shook her head and said it again. "What?"
"Please stay, Charlie. We'll pay you quadruple what you're making. And I'll make Chase stay completely out of your way. I so can stand you, Charlie. It's having you go away that I can't stand.
She raised her eyebrows at that and stared at him with big eyes and then reached up to feel his forehead. "Luke, are you okay? You're not having a stroke or something, are you?"
He groaned out loud and ran a hand through his hair. "Help me out here, Charlie. You've just given me a whole new sense of hope in my life. Don't assume I'm losing it. I lost it weeks ago when I knew you were going to get in your taco rocket and leave me. Hearing you aren't going to law school after all and that there is a possibility you'd come back..." He paused and then wrapped his arms all the way around her tightly. "I need you to stay with me, Charlie. I need you ten times more than the children do. I don’t want to manipulate you, but please tell me you don't have to leave."
The Outer Edge of Heaven Page 19