by Mona Ingram
Charlie couldn’t be sure, but she thought Jason blushed. “I was concentrating on dancing,” she said quickly.
“Yeah, right.” Janelle stopped for a moment, a knowing smile on her face, then she continued on. “Well, I’m for bed.” The screen door slapped behind her.
Jason took her hand and led her toward the steps. Soft light from the porch illuminated his face. The leaves on the willow tree rustled softly in the background and moths battered their wings against the outdoor light bulb, but Charlie had eyes only for him.
“I had a wonderful time.” She looked up into his eyes and felt herself drowning in their depths.
“I’m glad.” He brushed his thumb against her lower lip and her knees almost buckled. He opened the screen door and she slipped inside, then he turned and went down the steps.
Behind the screen, she watched him walk around to the driver’s side. She wanted to run out to him, to feel his lips against hers once more. But she stood still, her palm flat against the screen as he pulled away into the night.
* * *
“So what are you up to today?” Morning sunlight flooded the front room. Janelle looked up from her drafting board as Charlie padded downstairs in her bare feet.
“I don’t know.” Charlie had felt an odd letdown this morning. She’d been lying around in bed trying to get motivated. “I could weed the garden if you like.”
“It can always use weeding.” Janelle swiveled around in her chair. “Are you okay? Didn’t you have a good time last night? You certainly looked like you were enjoying yourself.”
“That’s just it; I had a wonderful time. I don’t know why I feel so out of it this morning.”
Janelle rose and placed a cool hand on Charlie’s forehead. “No fever, thank goodness. Maybe you’re just having a bit of a meltdown after such a hectic week.” She slapped her forehead. “I forgot to ask you. Did you find anything with the metal detector?”
“No. And I was so sure we’d find something. Wishful thinking, I suppose.”
“Well, no harm done. Listen, Jack and I are driving to Regina. We’re going to visit his sister and stay overnight.” She indicated the sketches. “I present these to the architect in the morning. You’re welcome to come along if you like.”
“I don’t think so.” Charlie wandered closer to the drafting board. “So, this is it?”
Janelle’s focus shifted to her sketches. “What do you think? I’m proposing a relief carving of the prairies showing some of our indigenous species.”
“I’d like to see it installed.”
“Of course you will. You and Jason will be my guests.”
“If I’m here.” Heat rose in Charlie’s face.
Janelle waved a hand. “Of course you’ll be here. You and Jason are perfect for each other.”
“Did he say something?”
“He didn’t have to. It’s written all over his face.”
The cloud that had been hovering over Charlie since she woke lifted. “I hope you’re right.” Suddenly full of energy, she turned and ran back upstairs. “I think I’ll change and work in the garden for a while. Might as well make myself useful.”
* * *
“Is everything all right Jase? You seem far away today.” Brad entered the small farm office.
“I’m okay. Just concentrating.”
Brad leaned over his brother’s shoulder to look at the computer. Jason was installing the new program they’d just purchased. “That woman lives in Calgary, eh?”
“Her name is Charlie, and yes, she lives in Calgary.” Hadn’t they been over this just the other night?
“I saw you with her yesterday up on the ridge. What were you doing up there anyway? It looked like you were digging.”
“We were, but we didn’t find anything.” Jason read the prompt on the screen and pressed enter before turning to his brother. “Charlie’s been reading about one of her ancestors who threw a ring away up near the windbreak and she wanted to look for it. Janelle dug out a metal detector so we thought we’d have a look. We didn’t find anything.”
“One of her ancestors? Which one?”
“According to Charlie, her name was Charlotte. She’s been reading her journal.”
Brad frowned, looked off into the distance and then brought his attention back to Jason. “Isn’t that the one who was going to run away with the cowboy from Montana?”
Did everyone know about this but him? Jason nodded. “That’s the one.”
“So why were you looking by the poplars on the ridge?”
Jason gave his brother an odd look. “Because that’s where the ring was supposed to be.”
“Brad chuckled. “Well I figured that much. What I meant was why would you look there when those trees weren’t even planted back then?”
“Huh?” Jason’s thoughts whirled. “But the journal was quite specific. She mentioned the windbreak, and the poplar trees.”
“You’re bright, but sometimes you’re not very smart.”
Jason bristled. “Meaning?”
“Meaning you were looking in the wrong place. Dad planted those trees the year you were born.” He pulled open the filing cabinet and rifled through some files. “It’s here somewhere” he muttered. “We were just looking at it the other day.”
“I’m not following you.”
“Here it is.” Brad cleared a space on the worktable and opened the file. He removed an old map and unfolded it carefully. “Remember what we talked about? How this farm and Janelle’s used to be one big farm?”
Jason nodded.
Brad jabbed his finger at a survey line on the map. “This is the southern border of our property, right? There used to be a row of poplars along this ridge as well. You could see it for miles.”
“Well, I’ll be.” Jason’s thoughts went back to yesterday. “And to think that I pointed that out to Charlie yesterday, but I didn’t stop to think about it.” He turned to his brother. “Wait a minute; there are only a few trees up there, right at the top of the ridge. Are you sure there was a windbreak there?”
“Sure as I’m standing here. About twenty years ago we had a terrific windstorm and most of them blew down. The ones that were left got cut back to half their height, but of course they’ve grown up again. Dad always said he was going to replant, but he never got around to it.”
“So…” Jason was thinking aloud. “We were looking in the wrong place. There’s still a chance.”
“Well yes, but it’s not like the ring is going anywhere. There’s no rush to find it, is there?”
“No. I mean yes.” Jason glanced at his watch. “It’s going to be dark in a couple of hours. I’m going to take off for a while and tell Charlie about this.” He checked the computer screen. “It’s almost finished loading. Just follow the prompts.
Brad waved him off. “Go. I can see your mind is somewhere else anyway.”
Chapter Fourteen
“You stop that!” Charlie laughed as an orange paw batted her hand. Thomas had decided to help with the weeding and he’d been pouncing on everything that moved. His ears pricked up and he ran off, hearing the motor of the ATV long before Charlie. She stood up, wiped the sweat from her brow, and looked down at her muddy knees with a wry smile. Just weeks before she’d never have been caught with mud on her knees. Jason rounded the corner of the barn and her heart did the now familiar tap dance inside her chest.
“Hi,” she said as he came to a stop. “Thomas and I were working in the garden.” She took a closer look at him. “What is it? You look like you’re going to burst.”
Jason pointed to the west. “We’re going to lose the light in a couple of hours.”
“It’s called night, Jason. It happens once every twenty-four hours.” What was the matter with him?
“Very funny Miss Smarty-Pants. Just for that I won’t tell you what I found out.”
“Out with it then, before you self-destruct.” She removed the gardening gloves and slapped them against her leg. “Come
on inside, I’ll get you some lemonade.” She could use some herself, and she was beginning to wonder what he was talking about.
* * *
“…and we were looking in the wrong place the whole time.” He finished his lemonade and held out his glass for more.
Her hand trembled as she refilled his glass.
One glance at the calendar and the enormity of his words sunk in. “That only gives us a few hours” she said, her heart pounding with excitement.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
“Then what are we doing here? Let’s go.”
* * *
Perched on the back of the ATV, Charlie moved her mouth closer to Jason’s ear. “You say there used to be a whole row of trees here?” she asked over the noise of the motor. The access trail was gouged from the recent rain resulting in a rough ride but she didn’t feel a thing except the taut muscles on Jason’s stomach.
“Yeah, but most of them were uprooted. Brad says these ones were cut back and grew up again.”
“Lucky for us they survived.” She jumped off the ATV the moment he killed the motor and started to untie the metal detector and the shovel. “I’m scared, Jason. It’ll be awful if we’re disappointed again.”
“I know what you mean.” He gave her a long, meaningful look. “But I’m willing to give it a go if you are.”
“More than ever,” she said and forced herself to look away. “This is it.” She strode to the highest spot on the ridge and then looked back across the valley. “Remember what I said yesterday about feeling that I’d missed something?”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I do.”
“When you mentioned that this was all one farm a light bulb flickered on in my head, but it was too dim. Or maybe it was me who was too dim. I should have connected the dots.”
“Well we’re here now. Let’s make the most of it.” He took the shovel from her hand. “No shoveling for you today. Not with those sore hands.”
“I won’t argue.” She switched on the metal detector and took a deep breath. “Here goes.”
“Got something” she said a moment later over the high pitched squeal of the detector. Jason dug, and came up with a shell casing.
Charlie grimaced and continued. She would not get discouraged…not yet. The machine squealed again and she waited while Jason dug and sifted through the soil. “Let me guess,” she said. “A nail.”
He kept his head down. “Nope.”
“A penny.”
“Nope.” He rose to his feet and the smile on his face gave her the answer she had hoped for. He held out his hand. On his dirt-encrusted palm, the plain gold band gleamed dully. “It’s a ring. Right where you said it would be.”
Charlie didn’t feel the tears running down her cheeks. “I don’t believe it” she said, reaching for the ring. “We found it!” She brushed off the remaining dirt and held it up to catch the remaining rays of the sun. For a brief moment the ring seemed to shimmer and glow. Then the sun slipped below the horizon.
Jason leaned on the shovel, watching as she rubbed the ring against her jeans. “What do we do next?” he asked. “I didn’t plan much beyond this point.”
“Neither did I.” Her mind raced. “Okay, here’s what I think. I should take the ring to the attic. That’s where her presence is the strongest. That’s where she left the clues.”
“I’ll take your word for that.”
“And if it’s gone before we go, we’ll know she got it.”
“Before we go where?”
“The dance hall. I wouldn’t miss this for anything.” Charlie shoved the ring in her pocket and climbed on the ATV. “What are you waiting for?”
Jason held up a hand. “Wait a minute. I thought you said Janelle went to Regina. How do you propose to get inside?”
“She did, but if she was here she would approve, I’m sure of it. I still have the key from when I did the cleaning. Please say you’ll come with me.”
“After we’ve come this far? I wouldn’t miss it.” He paused. “Are we going to tell anyone about all this?”
Charlie thought for a moment then shook her head. “This is something I’d rather keep it between us. And Harm and Charlotte, of course.”
He laughed, and they roared down the hill toward Janelle’s farm.
“I’ll clean up and be back to pick you up around nine thirty. If I remember correctly, the moon came up around ten last night.”
“Don’t be late.” Charlie was already nervous.
“I’ll be here.” Jason waved and sped off.
* * *
Charlie was beside herself with excitement when Jason’s truck pulled into the driveway shortly before nine thirty. She ran down the steps and climbed into the passenger side before he could get out.
“The ring is gone,” she said breathlessly. “I just checked.”
* * *
Charlie’s head swiveled from side to side as they drove through the silent town. “It looks different without all the fairy lights.”
Jason reached over and squeezed her hand. “You sound anxious.”
“I am, a bit. Here, pull in between the buildings and we’ll go in the side door.” She looked up at the darkened building.
“My hands are shaking” she whispered a few moments later. “I can’t get the key in the lock.”
“Here, let me try.” His voice was barely audible.
“Why are we whispering?” she asked, clutching his arm.
“I don’t know. You started it.” With a soft chuckle, Jason turned the key and the door swung open. “Boy, it’s dark in here” he said, his voice still subdued. “Where’s the light switch?”
Charlie dug in her bag and brought out a box of matches. “I thought we’d light some candles. What do you think?”
“Very romantic.” He caught her chin with one hand and tipped up her face for a quick kiss. “Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Scarlett?”
She looked into his eyes and in that moment she knew she loved him. “The thought had crossed my mind.” She waited for him to speak but he simply placed a hand over his heart. It was the sweetest, most poignant gesture a man had ever made to her and cemented her decision to stay in Clearwater Springs.
“But first” she said, shaking a second box of matches. “Let’s light all the candles.”
By the time they were finished the dance hall glowed softly and they stood side by side, observing the effect. She slid a hand into his. “Where do you think we should wait?”
Jason glanced toward a row of windows high up on the wall. “When the moon gets higher, it will shine through there.” He stood up and moved to the dance floor, a few feet from the carousel pole. “It will shine right about here. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if…”
“If she appears in a shaft of moonlight?” Charlie finished his thought, and then looked at him as though seeing him for the first time. “You really are a romantic, aren’t you?”
“I wasn’t always like this.” He held out his arms and she walked into them. “It’s your fault, you know.”
Charlie’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s the atmosphere,” she stammered. “And the story about Harm and Charlotte. That’s all.”
“You think?” he asked. The corner of his mouth lifted in a devilish smile. “Are you saying you had nothing to do with it?”
“Well…”
“Well nothing. It’s you, Charlie. You showed me that it’s okay to dream a little, to be romantic”
“I did?” She was tongue-tied again, but that suited her just fine. As long as he kept looking at her like that, she didn’t care if she ever spoke another word.
“Yes, you did.” He led her across the hall, his arm firmly around her waist. “Let’s go outside. I want to watch for the moon coming up.”
Charlie stopped beside the CD player. “We could put on some music. You know…set the scene.”
“I’m for that.” Jason randomly slid some CDs into the player. He adjusted the sound dow
nward and they moved out into the starry darkness.
They took their place at the railing, shoulders touching. The water below lapped against the shore and as though on cue, a shooting star blazed across the horizon. They watched until it disappeared.
“You know what that means.” He pulled her closer. “It means I get to kiss you.”
“I thought it meant good luck.”
“That’s what I said.” His lips, warm and tender, brushed over hers with tantalizing softness. A soft gurgle of pleasure escaped her throat as his arms enfolded her. “Again” she murmured, and this time the shooting stars exploded inside her head.
“Do all farmers know how to kiss like that?” she asked when she could catch her breath.
“Dunno” he said, twirling her around in time to the music. “I haven’t kissed very many.”
She looked up into his laughing eyes. “Are you ever serious?”
“All the time.” He caught her against his chest. “I’m the boring one, remember? That’s why you’re so good for me.”
“You’re good for me, too. Even though I could have throttled you the first time I saw you.”
“No kidding!” His eyes flashed with amusement. “As if I could forget.” He led her into another series of intricate steps and she followed effortlessly.
“Am I really good for you?” he said after a while.
“Are you fishing for compliments again?”
“Whatever it takes.”
Her steps slowed and his hands slid down to hold her around the waist. They swayed together like reeds in the water.
“Being here has been good for me.”
He pulled back in mock consternation. “Thanks a lot.”
It was important that she make him understand how she felt. “You’re part of this place.” She hesitated. “The best part as far as I’m concerned. What I mean is that it’s a whole new way of life for me. You work hard and I like that. And here people are good to each other, to their friends and neighbors.” She shook her head. “I’m not saying this very well.”
“You said it perfectly.” He tipped up her chin. “Couldn’t have said it better.” His mouth covered hers and she let herself float on a rising tide of sensations. When he pulled away, she almost lost her balance. He turned her slowly, and no words were needed.
