She sleepily followed him down to the truck he'd brought, saying, "I just kept the wheel in the last row, like you said."
"I can see that." Luke laughed and she looked up and then smiled tiredly. "Oh, that. I was actually going to cut over it before anyone saw it but, I ran out of gas in the combine. Randy is bringing me some right now."
"Randy is home in bed, which is where you're headed too. Someone else will cut over your curly Q."
She looked at her watch and shook her head. "I can't go to bed. The kids are going to be up in less than two hours and I'll never be able to get back up if I lie down now. I'll just stay up."
"Angela is home. She can watch her own kids for once. Go back to your house and crash. Fo came in at midnight and I thought you'd do about the same. You've been a machine." She didn't answer and he looked over to see that she had gone back to sleep. He reached and pulled her against his shoulder as a pillow as they drove back to the ranch yard. He'd never known anyone like Charlie Evans, and he doubted he ever would again. Fo had told him that first day that they'd never be the same and he'd been right. She had a way of completely reshaping the world around her wherever she was.
After seven hours of rest, she was right back out there that afternoon and put in an even longer night this time. As the last truck full of grain rolled out of the big field and the wind kicked up, he hauled both of their tired bodies home again, more grateful than he could express for her help those two days. He'd have never gotten all that grain cut without her help. And he'd never have seen a curly Q cut into a wheat field for that matter either. Talk about your beat of a different drummer.
It was four o'clock in the morning and he left her at her house and went on to the bunkhouse and literally lay over his bunk fully clothed he was so tired.
When he was finally rested enough to want to take off his boots and jeans, he was surprised to realize she was in the last bunk again with the dog Pilgrim asleep beside the bed.
Now, what the heck?
He went in and changed into pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, wondering what had gone on this round that he hadn't realized at the time.
Both she and Fo were gone when he next regained consciousness and he tiredly got up and phoned Fo to find out what was up. When Fo didn't answer, he dressed and went in search of Charlie. She might not think he'd want to know, but he was going to push for answers anyway.
He found her in the garden with the children and he joined them picking beans and squash for a few minutes while he tried to figure out the best way to ask her what had happened at her house last night. He hadn't gotten around to saying anything yet, and at first he didn't understand when she said to him off handedly, "He brought the earring back."
Picking a few more beans so that their conversation wasn't obvious to the little ones, he asked, "Who brought what earring back?"
She gave him the look. "The guy who took it in the first place."
"Oh. The earring. I see. To the porch?"
"Nope. To the jewelry box."
Luke stood up, no longer even trying to act nonchalant. "Even after the locksmith? And the full time security?"
Charlie nodded and gave him a slight grimace and glanced pointedly to the children, but Luke asked anyway, "Do you have any idea what time?"
"I would guess, sometime between dusk and just after four when we got in."
"Have you talked to security?"
"They saw nothing."
"I'm moving you into the house. This place is too big to guard decently."
Charlie rolled her eyes. "No."
"No?"
"No. There are things there that are far more valuable than earrings."
"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 going 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.