The Outer Edge of Heaven

by Hawkes, Jaclyn M.

  She nodded. "Oh my heck, I can’t believe I actually fell asleep. I'm sorry I've made you waste your whole morning."

  With a shrug, he said, "There are worse ways to spend a few hours than holding a beautiful girl. Plus, it gave me some time to think. Are you hungry?"

  "Starving." She sat up and began to unwrap out of the quilt. "And way warm. I've probably roasted you out. Sorry."

  "It's all okay, Charlie. I was happy. In spite of it all. Happy and grateful that you are still here, all in one piece, in my arms."

  A shadow flitted across the blue of her eyes and she asked, "Was he okay? Did he make it out of the field?"

  Luke sighed and reached for her hand. "Yeah. He made it. He had a pretty busted up leg and a bullet hole through one arm, but he'll live to learn to make license plates until he's much more mature. How are you feeling?"

  The tears welled back up into her eyes. "A little stiff. And like you, grateful to still be here in your arms, all in one piece. And unbelievable grateful that they caught him."

  "I asked Dad to threaten to sue both the security company and the whole state of Montana for all of it after he'd been arrested and even had a restraining order against him. I doubt they would have ever let him out on bail, but I'm sure they won't now." He hesitated. "Um, you should also know that your parents are here, somewhere. They showed up about an hour ago, without Elroy. I don't think they had even been told what happened here this morning. I didn't offer to wake you and they decided to go run errands."

  Charlie groaned. "I pretty much expected that. Although I'm surprised that Elroy wasn't with. Where was he?"

  "They said he left."

  "That probably means they spent the night checking into your background and found out that you're suitably wealthy. Maybe they've decided to have him bow out gracefully so it won't be so hard to insist I go back to school."

  He put an arm around her to pull her gently against him. "Now, Charlie. You're sounding positively bitter. That's not like you."

  "I know. I'm sorry. But did you hear the way she said, ‘Commoner’ last night? I swear, she should have used a British accent. She sounded as if she thought she was the Queen of Buckingham Palace thrice removed. Commoner!"

  "She only wants what she thinks is best for her daughter."

  "No." Charlie leaned up and turned to look at him. "She may think that, but this is about appearances. And I'm sorry, but I'm not playing her game."

  He tugged her back to lean against him again. "I know, honey. And I'm so proud of you. Both for standing up to them so well and for having your priorities right. I don't think you'll ever regret making your career a lower priority than they have. I think your children will feel much differently about their mother than you do about yours."

  She got quiet for a minute and then she began to finger the ring he had given her the night before with the big solitaire diamond. Finally, she said, "We need to talk about some things, Luke."

  "I know."

  "No. I mean." She tipped her head to look up into his face from where she laid against his shoulder. "I do love you, Luke. And I'm truly grateful you gave me this ring when you did. And I think it will work to get rid of my parents eventually, although it may take a little more time. But I can't expect you to honor a proposal made because two tough old birds were pounding on the door like the big bad wolf. Getting roped into being engaged to me to protect me from them is no more fair to you than offering to marry Lindie out of a sense of responsibility because of the baby."

  Luke paused for a minute, hoping to say this right and not mess it up. "I knew you were going to say that, Charlie. And I'll agree to taking it back. But only with the understanding that you know I want to give it right back to you over a candlelight dinner and in a more romantic setting. You and I are nothing like the situation with Lindie. And I'm sorry we even have to have this conversation. At the time I talked to her about getting married, it was simply that I felt it had to be done for her and the baby. I do love Lindie, but she's like my little sister."

  He looked down at Charlie's mouth and then back up into her eyes as he stroked her fingers with his thumb and said huskily, "What I feel toward you, Charlie, is most definitely not brotherly."

  He leaned and kissed her gently, letting his mouth linger and taste her lips as she kissed him back. Finally, he pulled back. "No, definitely not brotherly. I want to be the father of those children of yours that we were talking about."

  Her eyes flew open and he had to smile at the mixed expression of panic and need he saw there. He chuckled. "Sorry, but I don't want anymore misunderstandings between us. I'll take the ring back, but I love you and I need you and I can't let you go. It has to be with the understanding that you're getting it back."

  She watched him quietly, her face there only inches from his and he could hardly help himself when he found himself kissing her again. He pulled her tightly into his arms and literally tried to breathe her in as she kissed him back for the first time without any of the hesitation he'd felt from her every other time he'd found himself unable to resist that beautiful, sweet mouth.

  The feel of her mouth and her scent and this heady emotion filled his brain like a drug. He'd never felt this way about a girl. Never even knew it was possible. It was amazing how much more vital the eternities had become now that he knew he had found her and that they were looking and planning toward the future. So much that had been frustrated hopes of someday had finally distilled into sharp, clear, inspiring focus.

  It was a demanding "Huthumm." that brought them screeching back to the present. It nearly made him swear to pull away from her. Geez, what a frustrating interruption. It took them a second to look up and face her tough old birds. Charlie kept her composure very well, all things considered. She didn't even bother to sit up straight out of his embrace as she said, "Mom, Dad. Luke told me you were here somewhere. I thought you said you had a plane to catch."

  Luke leaned forward as her father said, "We decided it was more important to stay and try to talk some sense into you than go home and deal with a number of vital, pressing responsibilities. Your life is by far more of a priority."

  Charlie made a sound of complete, tired frustration. "Dad, did it ever occur to you that my life was my life? I'm twenty-three years old. Was it not just glaringly obvious that my life is dandy right now? Don't even start. I'm too tired to argue. As inhospitable as it sounds, if you're only going to start in ramming your ideology down my throat again, frankly, I have better things to do. Go home and operate on someone and let me get on with my own, beautiful, peaceful existence out of your circle of status.

  “If whether I have the properly heavy hitting spouse and career is that much of a desperate concern to you, then lie to whomever you're trying to impress at the time. Make up some fairy tale scenario that properly strokes your ego and I'll stay here at the edge of heaven and no one will be the wiser. Just leave me the heck alone."

  She looked back up at Luke and then leaned against his shoulder again. "Go home, Mom and Dad. I'm never going to cave this time. I'm through with your social farce. My priorities are poles apart from yours and I'm finally sick of trying to keep you happy. There's too much at stake now. Luke's and my children will never go to daycare. Just go home. Maybe you can get Elroy to marry a Nobel Prize winning PhD slash MD slash MBA attorney who owns a university and you could claim both of them and tell people I was killed out in Montana. You can even tell them I died in law school. Just don't expect me to be anything other than an at-home mom for years and years and years. Cause it aint gonna happen."

  She emphasized the last part with a marked drawl and a slight raise in volume and Luke was hard put not to crack a grin, in spite of the anger he could feel emanating from her father.

  Surprisingly, her mother seemed to visibly wilt. She appeared to age years as the tough old bird in her became a weathered chicken. Luke wasn't sure what caused the change and what to expect, but he caught an inkling as she said, "You're wise beyond your years, C
harlie. I wish I'd had the chance at your age to make a choice like that. We'll go. You're right. We have no right to interfere. And it would appear you're perfectly capable of being decisive, finally." She turned to Luke. “Please be good to her, Luke. She’s a wonderful girl. But I’m sure you already know that.”

  Norma Evans turned back towards the Hummer parked in the gravel drive and Charlie's father glowered as he looked at his wife. "Now wait a minute here, Norma. What do you mean, we'll go? You're not just going to let her get away with this, are you?"

  “She loves him, Keith. That should be obvious.”

  “Love isn’t the issue here. Don’t be ridiculous!”

  The tough old bird was back as she faced her husband. "We’re not going to lose a daughter over this, Keith. She loves him. Look at her. And she’s right. She's old enough to choose and she’s obviously finally learned to make decision. She’s an intelligent girl. And it is what the prophets counsel, after all. If they can afford it, she should stay with her kids. She'll never wish she'd spent more time with her children the way I do. And we’re not going to lose a daughter over this."

  She turned back and walked to Charlie. "Oh, and we heard a news story as we drove. A local woman was attacked and nearly abducted and killed as she jogged somewhere nearby. I know you like to jog occasionally. Be careful. It appears to be quite lawless out here. Goodbye, honey.” She leaned to hug Charlie for a long moment and said, “We truly do love you. Please stay in touch."

  With that, she walked to the big military vehicle and let herself into the passenger seat as her husband nearly stomped after her saying, "Norma Jean Evans, don't you dare give up that easily." He got into the Hummer beside her and Luke and Charlie tried not to watch as they had an obviously controversial discussion for several minutes before her father started up the engine and drove out with a little kick of gravel flying off the back wheels.

  Charlie and Luke sat in silence for a minute or two before Charlie finally said, "I can hardly even believe it. She respected my will. That’s amazing.” She shook her head in wonder and then went on softly. “I knew she'd worked to put him through med school, but I never dreamed for all these years she'd had regrets. Who would ever have guessed that?"

  "She had to have had, didn't she? She's not stupid. She knew you hated day care. And you yourself said she was a wonderful Christian woman. Maybe all of this hype has only been to rationalize the choices they've regretted all these years. At any rate, I think they honestly are going this time."

  Charlie turned and looked up at him earnestly. "You know. I probably truly owe you some huge apologies. Not only did I let you muddle through all of this beside me, but I also said some things to them I didn't have the right to say, since you and I haven't honestly discussed them all that thoroughly. I'm grateful for your help with my parents, but please forgive me for taking advantage of your willingness to convince them."

  "What are you talking about, Charlie?"

  "Mmm, well, I've said a lot of things to them that I feel strongly about, but in light of our lightning fast engagement, I didn't actually clear any of it with you first. Take for instance insinuating that we truly are going to be married and have a family and have me be an at-home mom for years. That wasn't very fair to say when we've never talked about it."

  "You know how I feel about wanting to be married to you. And you know how I feel about children needing to be mothered. If you truly can be happy without an outside career, you know that's in the best interest of our family. None of that's a problem, is it?"

  She hesitated. "It's just that I feel I took advantage of your willingness to rescue me at the spur of the moment, Luke. If you recall, it was only early yesterday morning that you were still very allergic to me."

  He thought about that for several minutes and then asked, "Charlie, tell me something, honestly. Did you mean what you said about knowing you were where your Heavenly Father wanted you, with who you were supposed to be with?" He looked into her eyes and waited for her to answer.

  He could feel the tension build in her and then she looked away and nodded her head. Her voice was low and so quiet, he almost didn't hear her when she finally said, "Yeah. I did."

  "And do you believe me when I tell you I'm in love with you and want to be with you forever and ever?" Again she nodded. "Then give me the ring."

  Her eyes flew to his as her fingers settled around the ring on her left hand almost defensively. "What?"

  He smiled. "We need to settle this once and for all then. Give me the ring."

  "What are you saying, Luke?'

  He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "I'm saying that I want to be officially engaged without you questioning whether I truly want to be that way. Don't I need to go through this big charade of taking it back, and then planning some incredibly involved and intricate scheme to propose to you to make you know my intentions are honorable and eternal?"

  She hesitated again, still watching his eyes and then asked, "Haven't we just gone to great lengths to convince my parents we aren't interested in charades?"

  "Yes."

  "You're not going to change your mind about me anytime soon are you?"

  "Not for eighty or ninety million years, at least. Why?"

  She smiled shyly at him. "Well, do you think we could settle for some middle ground and just meet back in the pantry to do this?"

  Luke couldn't help himself and laughed and said, "I believe I could handle that. Do we have to wait any certain period of time?"

  "No. Definitely not."

  "Good." He took her hand and together they set off down the path toward his dad's house.

  He had to laugh again when she asked, "Luke, do you think that after we get unequivocally engaged, we could eat some Oreos in the pantry? Because I'm starving."

  Nodding with a grin, he said, "Absolutely. After all, they are the fifth food group."

  The End

  About the Author

  Jaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She got a bachelor’s degree, had a career and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the out of doors, the youth, and hearing her children laugh. She and her extremely attractive husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe.

  To learn more about Jaclyn, visit, www.jaclynmhawkes.com.

  Jaclyn loves to hear from her readers. Write to her at jaclynm.hawkes@yahoo.com