The Outer Edge of Heaven (14 page)

Luke looked from one to the other of them, then handed her the plate and went to find her some silverware. “She said she needed something more dependable.” He handed her the silverware and went back to bring her a paper towel and a glass of milk.

She took his offerings graciously, but then said, “Luke, hadn’t we better talk about this? I feel terrible. I was only being whiny because my shoulder hurt. You didn’t need to do that.”

He hesitated to answer her and Fo said, “I was just telling her that if Tuckett was my kid, I wouldn’t want him riding in the Taco Rocket, so I’ve been working on her. And she’s reasonable, even when she’s rebellious.”

Luke grinned. “Is that true? You’re reasonable even when you’re rebellious?”

She looked up from peeking under the foil. “I suppose.”

“You don’t sound very enthused about being reasonable.”

“I just know where this is headed and I feel completely guilty about that shiny, new SUV out there. And I’m certainly not going to disagree with you when you brought me such marvelous dinner. Thank you.”

Luke waved a hand and sank into the chair beside them. “You’re welcome. Don’t feel guilty about the Yukon. We’ll use it around here somewhere. How’s the shoulder? You look better than you did earlier.”

She nodded. “It’s much better, thank you. I’m sorry that I over did. How was Tuckett after we got back? It was a pretty graphic hospital visit today.”

“Tuckett was fine. At least until we got on-line after dinner to look at the marijuana residues. Between the two of us, I hope he truly won’t dabble in anything ever again.” Fo was looking from one to the other of them, but Luke went on. This time with a teasing grin. “He did mention that you had an enthusiastic lunch with Dr. Nichols. How did that go?”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Luke. What did I do that night in the hospital? I need you to tell me. I didn’t even recognize him and he greeted me like a long lost friend.”

Fo smiled at her distress and asked Luke, “Why is she looking so guilty here, Luke? Did she do something really questionable the other night?”

Looking from one to the other of them again, Luke shook his head. “No. She just was a little too willing to lean on the good doctor. Literally. I had to kind of get possessive that night, because he was far too willing to be leaned on.”

Charlie put a hand to her forehead in embarrassment. “Really?”

Luke smiled. “Really.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. They must have given me too much. I’m not usually that way, I promise.”

Fo laughed at her. “So the real Charlie finally comes through. They say your true character comes out at times like that.”

She threw a couch pillow at him. “Oh stop. You know I’m not like that.”

“Apparently you are deep down. Why else would you snuggle up to someone you don’t even remember?” She reached for another pillow and he stood up. “I think I’ll go in search of that dinner now.”

He walked toward the door, but before he ducked out he said to Charlie, “Bye, Toots.” To Luke he said, “Watch her. She’s on pain meds and it makes her cuddly.”

The screen door slammed as the couch pillow hit the jamb and Luke laughed at her too. “You’re actually a pretty good shot. You didn’t even spill your dinner.” He went and retrieved the pillow. “What else did you want to know? Fo said you had questions. Plural.”

“We were wondering what the travel plans were for Connecticut. I was getting ready to make my flight arrangements, but Fo said your dad already got my ticket. Do you know what the dates are?”

“I think we leave early Thursday and return Saturday night red eye. Will that work for you?”

“Anything is fine. I’m actually not very thrilled to be going and it makes me feel so guilty. Fo was just giving me a lecture about it.”

“Why don’t you want to go back there? Is it Connecticut or the tough old bird?”

She sighed. “Birds plural. I truly do love my parents, but I’d as soon not have the confrontation. We simply have different goals. I’m glad I’ll be staying in the hotel with your family. That way I can escape more gracefully, although I’m going to get busted that I’m working at the ranch. I told them it was a corporation.”

“It is.”

“I know. I wouldn’t lie to them, but it’s still going to be suspect to them. What I’m doing right now doesn’t carry the proper amount of clout for an Evans.”

Luke was quiet for a minute and then asked, “Would it help to know that you’ve improved the quality of life for our family dramatically?”

“Yes and no. I’d like to hear it, but I’m not the one bothered by the lack of status. I love it here. I don’t want to be one of the all-powerfuls. That’s what Fo and I call the whole bunch of them. My mother would die to hear this, but someday I just want to be a mom. I’m not embarrassed to say that, but I don’t want to fight with anyone about it.”

“Would it work to have it out with them once and for all? Or is that only a pointless argument?”

“It would be pointless, I’m afraid. They would never actually accept that I know what’s best for me against their wishes. It’s better simply to avoid the issue. Only I can’t avoid the issues without avoiding my family. It makes me feel terribly guilty. That whole eternal family thing haunts me. I’ll probably burn for being so rebellious.”

“Was Fo lecturing you to stop avoiding your family or to stop beating yourself up about it?”

She smiled that he was so astute. “To stop beating myself up. That’s easier said than done, but I’m working on it.”

“Life in general is easier said than done, Charlie. Working on it is all we can do. Just never quit working on it.”

****

The next day went better. Charlie showed up to help with breakfast again, but this time she and Madge arranged to have someone else do any driving so Charlie could take pain medicine when she needed it. It had been four days now since that night and she was hoping the pain level would back off soon.

She spent the morning after breakfast working in the garden with the three little ones. They were at long last harvesting as well as still weeding and watering and the kids had finally caught the vision of what their little garden was all about.

Jamie had a hard time not trampling the plants and he had dirt around his mouth from eating green beans right off the vine, but he seemed to be fine with that so Charlie didn’t get too uptight about it.

Somehow the little piggies had learned to push out the wood blocking the hole of their pen and go on safari. Charlie looked up to see one of them rooting around in the garden beside where Jamie was picking his beans. They were both so cute she decided to go get the camera before she went about containing the little pigs.

She put the piglet back, but honestly, the little pigs were so cute that she didn’t mind them being around. And the garden was easier to contain than the piglets, so she put up a quick fence of electric posts and wire a few inches off the ground and then, when they were working in the garden she’d simply turn it off for the duration. It worked well for a few days until the piglets got even more out of control. Finally, when one of them followed Jamie into the house for lunch one day they had to be incarcerated.

Charlie hadn’t even realized it was inside until she heard Richard roar from the office. She and Madge rushed in to see what the problem was and got there just in time to see Luke make a dive behind a desk and surface with a little black and white squealing piglet and an adorable two year old boy. Luke gave Charlie a wry smile as he headed outside with his catches. She could hear him lecturing Jamie as he went about how real life wasn’t like the movies.

Luke fixed the hole in the fence and there were no more piglet incidences and they quit giving them the supplemental bottles at the same time. It wouldn’t be but another couple of weeks until they were weaned anyway and their Wilbur would be sent off to wherever he was to go.

Chapter 8

Charlie got her splint removed and started her physical therapy and after that first week, her shoulder did get markedly better. It was still sore, but at least she could begin to start using it again and was completely off the pain medicine except for some Ibuprofen.

She had been right. The Yukon was heavenly to drive compared to the Taco Rocket and she didn’t miss being stranded on the highway one bit. It probably would be awful to go back to her lemon at the end of the summer, but she drove the SUV gladly anyway. When she and Lindie went into town, Lindie asked her if she wanted to park it and walk back in the last little ways just to tease Luke and they laughed again

The day finally rolled around to travel back to Connecticut and they all boarded the airplane together to make the big trip. It was the longest plane ride the little ones had been on even though they flew fairly often, so the adults were hard put to keep them entertained for the whole six plus hour flight. Richard eventually had Jamie in his lap and the others took turns playing card games and clapping games with the little girls. The fact that Charlie didn’t necessarily want to arrive in Connecticut made it all rather miserable for her.

When they finally stood up to deplane, Fo gave her a sympathetic smile and she mentally lectured herself to have a better attitude. She was making some headway until as they rode the escalator she glimpsed Elroy waiting at the top of the concourse. Her better attitude was hard pressed to survive and Fo looked even more sympathetic when she excused herself to go talk to him. She met Luke’s eyes as she turned aside and his raised eyebrows went a long way toward helping her to laugh at this whole situation. This truly was insane.

Even though she had never been a party to the whole marriage scheme, Elroy opened his arms to greet her and she only felt slightly guilty when she sidestepped him neatly and began to dig in her purse for a tissue as they greeted each other. She had never once given this guy any encouragement and she wasn’t about to start now. She still had no idea why her mother had decided he was the man for her. Other than the fact that he was quite good looking and successful and had a high status job, there wasn’t one outstanding thing about him that Charlie could see.

He had come thinking that he would be taking Charlie home to her parents’ house and she was more grateful than ever to be able to say, “I’m sorry, Elroy. I’m going to be helping with the children at the hotel. I guess my mother didn’t understand that. I so appreciate your coming here to get me, but I’m afraid it wasn’t necessary. I’ll just ride with the others.” Right then Fo called her and she took the call and then turned back to Elroy with a smile. “I’m sorry; they’re all waiting for me. Be a dear and tell Mother and Daddy I’ll see them as soon as I can. Would you? Thanks, Elroy. Gotta go.”

She smoothly walked out of the building and stepped into the waiting rental car and waved to Elroy as she settled into the seat beside Luke. Fo was driving and they headed off into traffic as she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Thanks Fo, for heading him off at the pass so smoothly. Mother’s going to be ticked, but thanks.”

“Anytime. Elroy is looking very successful these days. He finally looks comfortable in that suit.” Fo turned to Luke and explained, “He used to look like a little boy at church who was having a hard time sitting still.”

Tuckett cracked up in the front seat and Charlie had to remind Fo, “Mind your manners, Forest Eldridge. What would Jesus say?”

“Jesus would be honest with the guy and tell him that you aren’t going to be marrying him in the next century or so and let him get on with his life. Quit leading the poor doofus on.”

“He’s a very successful attorney, Fo. I don’t think doofus is truly the word is it? And who’s leading him on. I moved to the other side of the country if you recall. And he’s in as much of a tight spot as I am. After all, he’d have to tell the tough old bird no as much as I would. You should feel for the guy.”

“I said tough. Not old. You make it sound worse than it was. Can we eat before we unpack? I’m starving!”

Tuckett seconded that sentiment, “I’m with you, dude. Let’s call Dad and have him meet us in the restaurant.”

Luke interrupted them, “We probably need to help Dad with the kids, Tuck. I’ll bet Angela is about crazy by now. She’s not used to being around them and can’t take it very well. Dad would probably appreciate us taking Chase off his hands as well. Let’s get the bags headed to the rooms and we’ll take the kids and go eat.”

Tuckett turned back to Luke with a grin. “I’ll take the kids. You get Chase.”

Luke grinned back at him. “Be nice, Tuck. Or I’ll make you babysit him while he exercises.”

They were in three suites. Richard and Angela and their children were in one, Luke and Chase and Tuckett in another and Charlie and Madge in a third.

After dinner, she and Fo and Luke went to see her parents. She hugged them as she came in and felt guilty when her mom held on for an extra moment. Her parents were polite, even though Charlie knew they had to have been miffed she hadn’t come with Elroy, but they didn’t pay much attention to Luke after he was introduced. He seemed okay with that, but Charlie was disgusted with their poor judgment as far as eligible men were concerned. Luke was a hundred times the man Elroy was, but lacked the proper clout in their opinion. Their priorities were screwy and she was grateful when she and Fo and Luke were headed on to Fo’s parents’. They visited for a while and then dropped Fo. She and Luke returned to the hotel.

On the drive back, the ride was quiet and Charlie was dying to know what Luke had thought of her parents. He didn’t say anything and even at the hotel he only small talked in the elevator. She decided the whole tough bird issue must simply be in her head and resolved to not be so worried about the next day or two until they were headed back home to Montana.

Elroy showed up bright and early the next morning to take her to breakfast and Charlie didn’t have the heart to turn him away when he’d obviously taken work off two days in a row to see her. But she did commit to herself to make it clear to him this was the last time she was going to feel obligated to accept a date she hadn’t okayed in advance.

As they walked down the hotel hallway on the way downstairs, she met Luke coming back up in his swimming suit with the little girls and Jamie. He smiled at her in passing and she couldn’t help but compare his quiet, confident, dark muscular good looks with the polished, business suited man who accompanied her down the hall. It was hard to even imagine fitting into the slick legal world Elroy lived in anymore. She’d never been much of one for the shallow cocktail party scene and now, after Montana, this life of expensive business suits and even more expensive watches felt positively foreign to her.