Beckoning Light (9 page)

I smiled; there was no way he was going to guess this. “Trust me, you won’t.”

“So there
is
a guy?” he asked, studying my face.

“I didn’t say that.” I didn’t want to lie, but I wasn’t sure how to tell him the truth.

“But you didn’t deny it either.” He winked. “I’ll figure it out eventually, but for now, go get yourself some breakfast.”

In the kitchen, I grabbed a banana and a glass of juice. I was getting ready to go back upstairs when Monty stopped me.

“I almost forgot to ask, how did you get home last night? Did you get in when Kevin did?”

“Oh, I walked home with a friend,” I said quickly.

“Which friend?”

“James.”

“The same James who took you to the library to
study
?” Monty gave me a sheepish grin.

“Yeah,” I responded, not liking where the conversation was going.

“Just checking,” Monty said, still smiling.

I gave Monty an annoyed look and continued upstairs with my breakfast. I ate the banana quickly and then took a long shower, probably using up all of the hot water. I pulled on some clothes and danced around my room for a while thinking about the amazing night I had. I finally stopped, realizing that if I didn’t calm down, Monty would pull the truth out of me somehow.

The day dragged. I practiced my cello, worked on my history report, and then zoned out listening to music. It worried me that Monty had picked up on the change in me so easily; I tried to stay out of sight as much as possible, but it wasn’t always easy. I went through the motions, but all I could think of was Calvin. 

Kevin went out on a date later that night, and I stayed in to watch a movie with Monty.  Luckily, Monty didn’t question me further. I had the feeling he didn’t want to push his luck. We ate pizza and made ice cream sundaes, making me feel like a little kid again. Still feeling the lack of sleep from the night before, I went to bed early. I dreamed of Calvin.

I woke up in an amazing mood and started counting down the hours. I spent most of Sunday in my room finishing homework and staring at the clock. I didn’t even leave the house other than to go for a short walk along the water. By evening, I was bubbling with excitement.  I was worried that Kevin and Monty would notice at dinner, but they seemed oblivious as they talked about basketball.

Both Monty and Kevin went to bed early. I had pretended to go to bed and even turned off my light, but nothing could have made me fall asleep; I was too excited. I looked through my closet trying to decide what to wear. Clearly, my clothing had stood out last time, so I settled on a long, sleeveless navy dress. It was probably the most conservative dress I owned, especially when paired with the cream-colored cardigan sweater I put on, but it was also really flattering. I put on a pair of comfortable flats and slipped out of my room and down the stairs, careful to be as quiet as possible.

I walked through the garden quickly and inserted my key into the gate. The gate swung open, and I walked through, closing it behind me. As I tried to let my eyes adjust to the light, I felt a pair of arms come around me.  

“You came back!” Calvin exclaimed.

“Of course.” It felt so good to be back in his arms.

“I’ve been standing here for an hour, terrified that you would not come,” Calvin admitted.

“You said the same time as last time.” I suddenly worried that I was late.

“I know, but I did not want you waiting on me. This is not a place for a woman to be wandering alone.”

Calvin took my hand and led me through the garden, across the open field, and back into the forest we had been in last time. Once under the cover of the trees, he pulled me to him and kissed me again, this time with even more intensity. Once again, I was left breathless, leaning against him for support.

“I have missed you so much, Charlotte,” he breathed. “It was only two days, and I missed you. The coming months will be hard.”

“Do you have to go?” I asked.

“Yes. I wish it were not so, but if we want any chance to be together, I need to keep my position.”

I felt a lump in the back of my throat, and my stomach hurt as I thought of not seeing him again, but I refused to ruin the time we had together. “But we have today,” I whispered.

“Yes, we have today.” He gently touched my cheek.

Suddenly, Calvin looked nervous. “I was hoping I could take you to meet my family today. Would you be interested in seeing my home?” He watched me carefully, waiting for my reaction.

I was shocked. Was he really going to bring me home to meet his family already? Of course, I felt the same intensity of feelings for him, but it seemed like such a monumental step. I had never even been on a date before, let alone met a boy’s parents. I also knew that telling him no was not an option. I could see the hopeful look in his eyes, and I found myself agreeing.  I was really glad that I had decided to put on a dress. 

We continued through the forest, then suddenly turned and came out into a small village. When I say small, I mean
small
; there were less than a dozen buildings. Calvin then led me into a large field. He pointed out several small structures and additional fields and told me it was all part of his father’s land. He explained that the crops really hadn’t been good the last few years, but that the rain from the other day had helped a lot. We eventually came upon a farm house, and without Calvin telling me, I knew we had reached his home. We were just nearing the house when the door swung open, and a woman, probably in her forties, came out smiling. A young girl, probably around ten, shyly followed her.

“Charlotte,” Calvin said, dropping my hand, but placing his hand on the small of my back to urge me forward, “please meet my mother and my sister Rebecca.”

I nervously accepted his mother’s outstretched hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Charlotte.”

“We have already heard so much about you, dear. Please come in.” She gestured toward the house.

Calvin led me through the door with his mother and sister following. We entered directly into a kitchen with a roaring fire in one corner and a large wood table in the center of the room. I looked around at the simple but warm kitchen and immediately felt comfortable. A man and two boys entered through a back door. The man, tall and broad like Calvin, smiled when he saw me and immediately introduced himself.

“You must be Charlotte. I am Calvin’s father, Harold Boyd. We are so pleased that you were able to join us for lunch,” he said, before encouraging the two boys to move forward.  Calvin introduced me to his younger brothers, Nathanial, who looked to be about fourteen, and Jacob, who was probably twelve.

Calvin’s mother brought a large pot over to the table while the rest of the family took their seats. I sat next to Calvin. As comfortable as I was in his home, it felt foreign to be sitting at someone else’s table. 

“So Charlotte, Calvin tells us that you are from a place called Charleston?” his father asked politely.

“Yes, sir. It’s not too far from here.” I hoped he didn’t ask me to give more details. 

“Calvin said your home is behind the old gate. Has your family lived there long?” 

“Well, the house has been in my father’s family forever, and I grew up there, but I went away for a few years and just returned.” I hoped he wouldn’t ask me where I was in the interim because, if they hadn’t heard of Charleston, I doubted they had heard of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Mrs. Boyd served bowls of a warm, hearty stew. The stew was delicious and reminded me of how long it had been since I had eaten a real home-cooked meal. My dad and Monty both tried, but they were too busy to do it all. We ate in silence for a few minutes, which was a relief because it meant that they wouldn’t ask me too many more questions about where I was from. Calvin looked over at me a few times with a smile, and I nervously smiled back. After lunch, Mrs. Boyd cleared the table, and then came back to sit down.

When Mrs. Boyd was seated, I noticed that she was eyeing my necklace. I had been so distracted by seeing Calvin that I had forgotten to tuck it under my dress. “What a beautiful necklace, Charlotte,” Mrs. Boyd said graciously.

“Oh, thank you. It was my mother’s.”

“Well, how nice of your mother to give you such a beautiful piece of jewelry.”

I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to correct her, but I decided that if Calvin and I were really getting serious, they should at least know that my mother had died. “Actually, my mother died almost five years ago. I found this in her old jewelry box,” I said softly. Calvin immediately looked over at me with kindness in his eyes. He found my hand under the table and squeezed it.

“Oh, I am sorry. It must be so difficult for you as a young woman without a mother,” Mrs. Boyd said. “Are you named after your mother?”

“No,” I answered, surprised that she would think that. “My mother’s name was Emma.”  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mr. and Mrs. Boyd exchanging pointed glances.

“Has your father remarried?” Mr. Boyd asked.

“No. I really don’t think he’s over my mother yet, and besides, I think he’s too busy with work. That’s why I’m back in Charleston. He sent my older brother and me to live with our uncle Monty, back home.” I bit my lip, mad at myself for saying too much. I noticed the Boyds exchanging glances again. A simple no would have sufficed, now I was opening myself up to more questions.  

I was right about the questions. They asked me about Kevin and Monty, whether they were married and what their professions were. I think the Boyds were surprised when I told them that Kevin was a student and Monty a teacher. They also asked about Dad; I kept it simple and told them that he studied rocks because I had a feeling they wouldn’t know what a geologist was.

Eventually, Calvin made a motion to stand up, so I followed. I thanked his mother for the wonderful lunch and told them I was glad to have met them. The whole family walked us outside and told me that they enjoyed meeting me and looked forward to seeing me again soon. Calvin excused himself for a moment to talk to his parents privately, leaving me with his younger siblings. I talked with his sister while I waited nervously for Calvin to return, assuming that they were talking about me. Calvin came back over to me smiling brightly. We said goodbye to his brothers and sister before we walked back through the village and into the forest. He led me deeper into the forest until we came to an absolutely stunning waterfall.

“This is my favorite place; I just wanted to share it with you,” Calvin said as, still holding hands, we sat down in the soft grass. He never seemed able to fully let go of me when we were together, as though he feared I would disappear if we lost physical contact. I could tell that it took effort for him to keep his distance while we were at his house.

I dipped my free hand into the water and moved it gently back and forth. As I watched, the water seemed to change color slightly, and it warmed until it became almost hot. I removed my hand quickly.

“I hope I made a good impression,” I said.

“Of course you did, Charlotte. They thought you were sweet, beautiful, and absolutely perfect for me.” While he talked, he absently played with my hair, which I had left down, remembering he liked it better that way.

“You’re not just saying that?” It was strange. I was so sure of how Calvin felt about me, but I really didn’t know if his parents had just been being nice.

“How could they not love you when you make me this happy?” Calvin smiled. I leaned against him instead of answering. As I listened to Calvin, I noticed a gray cat stopping to look at us intently, studying us. Then, as though it had caught me looking, it darted away.  I didn’t think I would ever get used to the nuances of this place.

Calvin shifted so that he could look directly into my eyes. “I know that I should have asked this before I ever thought to kiss you, but I hope that you are not promised to anyone.” He looked nervous.

“Promised? Wait, like engaged?” I asked, surprised.

He looked at me with concern. “Yes.”

“Of course not, I’m not even sixteen yet.” 

Calvin sighed with relief. “I assumed, but I didn’t know.  So you are fifteen?”

“Yes, but I’ll be sixteen next week.” I hoped that he didn’t think I was too young for him, since he looked at least seventeen.

“You said earlier that you do not live with your father, but have you sent word to him about me?” Calvin asked.

“No,” I said sheepishly. I realized that it probably sounded bad, considering he had already brought me to meet his parents.

“But you have told your uncle, your brother?”

“No,” I admitted, feeling worse.

“But Charlotte, I thought you wanted to be with me.” Calvin looked upset.

“Of course I want to be with you, but I didn’t know how to tell them, or even
what
to tell them.”

“Oh, I guess I did not make you a promise, did I?” He looked embarrassed as he pulled a black rock out of his pocket. “Do you know what this is?” he asked, placing the stone in the palm of my hand.

“No, I don’t think so.”

He took the stone back and broke the rock, revealing a beautiful blue crystal inside. “This is not much, but it is a rare crystal here. I hope to be able to give you so much more someday, which is why I must go to Bellgard.” Calvin took back my hand.

“Calvin, it’s so beautiful!” I kissed him in the excitement.

He smiled, clearly pleased by my reaction. “It is the same color as your eyes.”

“Thank you!” I realized I hadn’t thought to bring him anything. “But what can I give you?”

“You have already given me so much. But would you give me one thing in return?” Calvin asked hopefully. It was clear he was nervous again.

“What can I give you?”

“Promise me you will wait for me. Promise me you will still be here when I return.” He looked at me intently.

“I’ll be here. Where else would I go?” I wondered why he seemed so serious and nervous. 

“I could not handle the thought of you in the hands of another, no matter how worthy they might be,” he said after a pause.

“I don’t want anyone else. I want you.” I leaned back against him.