by T. L. Haddix
Chapter Fifty-One
Once they got back to Leroy, Lauren was eager to leave her parents’ house. They were all exhausted, and her parents had said a hasty goodnight. Charlie walked her to her car, trailing slowly behind her.
“Do you want to come inside?” he asked.
Lauren turned to face him, and he pulled her into his arms. She rested her arms on his chest, her hands on his shoulders. “I don’t know. I’d like to.”
“Why do I think there’s a ‘but’ in there?” he asked.
She laughed. “Because there is. I’m afraid if I come in, I might end up staying again tonight.”
Charlie smiled. “And how would that be a bad thing?”
“You mean aside from the fact that you might have to run me out in the morning?” He gave a short laugh, and she smiled.
“What if I didn’t want to leave?” she asked, growing serious. “I’m afraid that if I stay, I’ll start to get ideas about things, and I don’t know if you’re ready for that. I’m not even sure I’m ready for that. And then there’s Ava to consider. I’m a package deal, Charlie, and I don’t want to end up scaring you away. I don’t want to ruin things,” she said, tearing up a little.
Tightening his grip, he pulled her closer. “I’m already invested. I’m getting plenty of ideas of my own, and as far as Ava is concerned, she’s a great kid. She’s funny and smart, and she can throw a pretty damned good tantrum,” he said, making Lauren laugh through her tears. “You’re leaking!” She laughed harder, making more tears fall. “Geez, it’s getting worse. We’d better get you inside and into the tub or something so this water can drain.”
Lauren slid her arms around his back and hugged him tight. “When did you see my daughter throw a tantrum?”
“Oh, a couple of weeks ago. “She was ‘helping’ your dad with one of his models, and he made her go sit down. It got ugly and loud. I think she was tired. I know she’s no angel, see, and I bet you’re not, either. God knows I’m not,” he said, turning serious. “I want the whole package, Lauren. I know it’s too soon to bring it up, but I don’t care. Seeing you last night, running for your life—it scared me to death. I knew that I could really lose you, and that’s when I realized how much you mean to me.”
Her heart started beating frantically, and she was glad he was holding on to her so tightly. Otherwise, she might have sank into a puddle right there in the driveway.
“I’ve never said this to anyone before, and I don’t know if I can say it now,” he told her. “But I have to try.” Clearing his throat, he looked away for a few moments. She waited without speaking as he gathered his nerve, hardly able to believe the words he was getting ready to say.
When he turned back to her, his eyes were shining. “I love you,” he said, releasing a huge sigh. “There, I did it. I’m going to sit down now.” He eased down onto the low stone wall that separated her parents’ driveway from his, gasping for breath.
Lauren stood there staring at him in amazement for several long seconds, but then she snapped out of the fog she was in and moved to his side, pushing his head down between his legs.
“Breathe, Charlie.” Sitting beside him, she rubbed his back. As his breathing slowed and became more regular, he eased back up into a sitting position.
“That wasn’t the least bit embarrassing,” he said, not meeting her gaze. “But I do, you know. I do love you. Even if you don’t return my feelings, I wanted you to know. Especially after last night.”
“I do return your feelings,” she told him. “Very much so.” He gazed at her, incredulous and hopeful. “I wasn’t expecting it, wasn’t looking for it, but it happened, and I’m here. It scares me to death to admit, even to myself, but I love you, too, Charlie Clark. It’s been what, three weeks since we met? If that?”
He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight, burying his face in her neck. Running a hand through his hair, she cradled the back of his head, and said a quick prayer of thanks. After a minute, he raised his head and cupped her face in his hands, gazing deeply into her eyes.
“Marry me,” he said, his voice husky. “Live with me, build a family and a life with me.”
Lauren gazed back at him in shock. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, and he wiped it away with his thumb. “You’re serious. You really mean that, don’t you?”
“I do. I want to be with you, and Ava, and be a part of something more, something special. I want that more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. I want to make you happy, and make you smile. I want to wake up with you every morning for the rest of my life, Lauren,” he said. “I know it’s too soon, but I want it all.”
Lauren touched his face, shaking her head. “I want it, too. But what if it doesn’t work? What if I don’t work, Charlie? What if we get married and then you find out that I’m defective? What then?” she asked, tormented by doubts.
“You’re talking about sex, right?” he asked. She nodded, closing her eyes. “Well, we could go in right now and find out if you ‘work,’ but whether you do or not, it won’t change how I feel about you. You’ve read the books, know the statistics as well as I do. “It takes time, and patience, and yes, in some cases, the person is never able to have a normal sex life, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take. I want you in my life, as my wife, and if that means we never make love, then we’ll deal with that. I’m willing to fight for you, for us, whatever it takes.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Do you hear me?”
She nodded. “I hear you. I just need to think about it.” She pulled away and stood up, arms crossed over her chest.
Charlie stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling gently. She resisted at first but then let him hold her. She slowly moved her arms and placed them around his back, finally completely relaxing in his embrace. After a minute, she pulled back and looked at him.
“I need to think, time to process everything. I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying yes, either.”
“I understand,” he told her with a small smile. “Honestly, right now probably isn’t the best time to discuss this, anyhow. We’re both exhausted. How long do you need?”
“I don’t know. But I promise I will let you know as soon as I do,” she said. He nodded again, accepting her response. “I’m going to head home now, get some rest. I’ll call you.”
He drew her close one last time before she got in her car, kissing her thoroughly. Letting her go, he watched her slide behind the wheel, and he stood back as she backed out of the driveway.
~ * * * ~
Heart heavy, Charlie went into his house, greeted at the door by an excited Rumble. Crouching down, he scratched the cat behind his ears and sighed. He knew that he had to be patient, but he hoped Lauren’s answer would come sooner rather than later.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Two long weeks had passed, and though Lauren knew Charlie had to be chomping at the bit for an answer, he had been very patient with her. He hadn’t pressured her to give him an answer, and she appreciated that more than she could express that he had given her the time she had requested.
It had been a stressful couple of weeks, getting the shop cleaned up and ready to reopen. They were still a few weeks out from that date, but all the new walls were in, and the fixtures that needed to be replaced had been ordered. Painting was scheduled to start next week, and while the downtime had been unexpected, she was trying to enjoy redecorating, looking at it as a positive experience. It helped that Ava was old enough now to take part in the process. Everything was coming together nicely, even the cases against the Vernons.
After Mary Margaret was arrested, Troy had approached the prosecutor and offered a deal. In exchange for his confession to Margie’s murder and the vandalism, he would accept a life sentence. In return, the prosecutor agreed to offer Mary Margaret a reduced sentence at a medium security psychiatric hospital instead of prison. Her public defender had quickly moved to accept, realizing upon meeting her that she was not competent to stand trial.
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Since the night she was arrested, Mary Margaret refused to speak to anyone, and had fallen into a near-catatonic state. There were still some legal hoops to jump through, but it looked like everything would be pushed through without having to go to trial. Lauren was relieved. Justice would be served, and they would all escape the stress and ordeal of a jury trial.
Today was Saturday, a hot and humid day, and all the family was gathered at Molly and Winston’s to celebrate Ava’s eighth birthday. David and Josie had driven over, and it had been a loud and joyous party. Telling her mother she needed to steal away for a few minutes, Lauren looked around for Charlie. Spying him standing on the edge of the patio talking to her brother and David, she tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow her.
“Oooh, going off for a little nookie… I never thought I’d see the day,” Tristan teased. Lauren shot him a very rude gesture over her shoulder, causing Charlie to grin.
“You’d better hope your mother didn’t see that,” he told her. “You’ll be grounded if she did.” She just rolled her eyes and tugged him along, heading toward his house. “Where are we going?”
“I just needed to get away from everyone for a few minutes,” she told him over her shoulder, not stopping until they were safely in his yard, hidden from the party behind her parents’ garage. She walked over to his back door and stood there looking at him, biting her lip a little. “Can we go inside?”
He narrowed his eyes and opened the door. “Sure.”
The house was quiet, especially after the noise of the party. Lauren moved to the kitchen table, looking around nervously before turning to him. Walking over, she took his hands in hers and spoke.
“I have one condition before I agree to marry you.”
“Okay.”
She licked her lips and swallowed, drawing in a shaky breath before speaking. “If you ever want out, you’ll come to me and tell me. No games, no making each other miserable. You’ll just tell me, okay?”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t think that’s ever going to be an issue, but yes, I promise I’ll tell you if I ever want out.”
“Then I guess my answer is yes,” she told him, her voice trembling. “Yes, I will marry you. If you still want to.”
Charlie stood there for a minute, looking as though he couldn’t quite believe his ears. A smile slowly spread across his face as her acceptance sank in, and he started laughing. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her off her feet.
“You mean it? Really, seriously, you’ll marry me?” he asked, keeping one arm around her waist and cupping her face with the other. She nodded and he closed his eyes, saying a fervent “thank God.” He pulled her close to him, as close as he could get her and held on tight. “I love you, Lauren,” he said. “I love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He picked her up and twirled her around, setting her back on her feet as she laughed softly.
She cupped his face in her hands, smiling. “I love you, too.”
“The past two weeks have been the longest ones of my life,” he told her feelingly.
“I know,” she said apologetically. “But I had to be certain. It’s more than just my happiness at stake. And, for the record, although I haven’t outright told her, I have discussed this with Ava, and she’s ecstatic. I thought we could tell her later, after the party.”
“That sounds like a plan,” he told her. He touched her face wonderingly. “Are you really here?”
“I’m really here.” She smiled back at him with happy tears in her eyes. “And I love you dearly, you sweet, sweet man. Now, do you think you could kiss me?”
“Gladly.”
Epilogue
It was much later that night before Lauren finally made it home and into bed. Ava had gone home with David and Josie for a few days before school started, and Charlie had insisted on driving her home. She thought about how they had agreed to not make love until their wedding night, and she smiled.
“I don’t want you to think that the only reason I’m marrying you is because things ‘worked’ in bed,” he had told her. “I want you to know I’m marrying you because I love you, no matter what. So we’ll wait. Just please, please, don’t make me wait too long?”
Lauren had laughed, promising him that she would do her best to make sure they had a small ceremony, and soon.
He shook his head. “I don’t care if it’s small, large, or something in between. The soon part is what I’m concerned about.”
“Define soon?”
“Less than six months. Six weeks would be better. Six days would be amazing.”
“We’ll see.” Walking him to the door, she kissed him goodnight.
Groaning, Charlie had backed out of the house. “Soon,” he reiterated, and then turned and headed to his truck. As he opened the door, he glanced back at Lauren, still standing in the doorway. “Call me tomorrow,” he told her. She nodded, and he left, heading for home.
Going back inside, she locked the door and went to her office, pulling the letter Charity had written to her out of her desk drawer. She had read and re-read it many times since the night of the memorial service. She took it into the living room and curled up in her favorite chair, looking at the envelope for a long time before she opened it. She began reading.
Dearest Lauren,
Where do I start? How about with ‘I’m sorry’?
All those years ago, I was a stupid young girl who didn’t think she had a prayer of a chance of getting out of Leroy alive. I did what I had to do to survive, and you got caught in the crossfire. I’m going to keep this short, because all my journals are addressed to you, and they will explain things better than I ever could in this letter. However, I wanted to say that I’m proud of you, who you’ve become. You have a beautiful little girl who reminds me so much of you at that age, and you have a thriving business that you’ve busted your butt to get where it is. The only thing I could wish for you would be that you someday allow yourself to find love, true love, and not let the past keep you lonely. We went down separate paths after Carl did what he did to us. I took the road of promiscuity, and from what I’ve seen, you took the road that closed you off from the sexual side of yourself. Don’t let him do that to you, honey. God finds justice for the wicked, and Carl is wicked. You aren’t. Stop punishing yourself for something that wasn’t your fault.
I hope that you know how much you meant to me, in my life as Charity and as Margie. I hope that you can forgive me someday for not telling you who I really was. I’m sorry for everything I ever did that caused you pain. I wish we could have been together again as cousins, but it just wasn’t in the cards.
That’s all I wanted to say, Lauren. The journals say the rest, and I hope you will read them, and not be too disgusted by my behavior.
I love you, little cousin. Always will.
Love,
Margie
As Lauren finished reading the letter, she closed her eyes. She thought about what Margie had said, about finding happiness and true love, and God finding justice. Realizing that it was true, and that she had been handed the chance for true love with Charlie, she smiled, glad she hadn’t turned it away. Opening her eyes, she stood up. Going to the window, she gazed up at the stars, and finally whispered “I forgive you, Margie, and I love you, too.” She said a quick prayer for Margie’s soul, and whispered “Rest in peace, my friend, rest in peace.”
Table of Contents
Unnamed
Dedication
Cast of Characters
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapt
er Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
