Off Limits Part 14

"We invited you, not him!"

"Please," Alex begged, "don't start shouting at me. It doesn't help anything!"

"I'm sorry, Alex. Look, there are other reasons for you to come home."

"What? Is something wrong with Mother?"

"No. It's Case. He's been given orders to ship over with his marine squadron.Shortly after Christmas, he's leaving for Da Nang. He'll be flying F-4Phantoms out of there in support activities with the ground forces."

"Oh, dear...."

"You've got to come home, Alex. This will be your last chance to see Casebefore he ships out. He wants to see you, but not with McKenzie."

Alex felt Jim's hand on her shoulder. "First of all, I've got plans to go homewith Jim to visit his folks in Missouri," Alex said hoa.r.s.ely. "We've alreadygot airline tickets." Her voice dropped in anguish.

"So cancel the d.a.m.ned tickets, Alex! You belong at home with us. With yourolder brother! What if Case gets killed in action? You will have missed theopportunity-"

Alex covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a cry. The very realpossibility of Case getting killed slammed through her. She struggled andfound her voice. "Father, that's not fair! It hurts me. I-I won't come home.Not for Christmas."

"Dammit, Alex, don't be so stubborn! That man isn't your shadow!"

"No," she rasped unsteadily, "he isn't." Alex was well aware of Jim's dark,concerned look for her. "But I happen to love him, Father, and he's part of mylife whether you approve or not."

"Well, Case is going to be terribly disappointed in you, Alex. You'reforsaking your own brother for that b.a.s.t.a.r.d! What kind of daughter are you,anyway?"

Pain ripped through Alex. Gathering every bit of her shredded courage, shewhispered, "I love Case very much, Father. If he wants to see me before hegoes, he can come to Missouri. Or he can call. Mother has Mrs. McKenzie'sphone number."

"I'm very disappointed in you, Alex."

"I know. I've known it all my life."

The phone line went dead. Her father had hung up on her.

Alex shut her eyes.

Jim took the receiver from her hand and placed it back on the wall. Gently, hegripped her by the shoulders. "What happened?"

Blinking back her tears, Alex tried to smile, but couldn't. She told Jimeverything, watching as hurt came into his eyes. Knotting her fists againsthis chest, she cried, "This isn't fair, Jim! It just isn't fair! Why can'tFather accept you, and how I want to live my life?"

"Because," Jim said grimly, gathering Alex in his arms, "he wants to controlyou like he does the rest of his family." After holding her for a long time insilence, he looked down at her. "Would you rather go home to see Case? Iwouldn't mind."

Her love for him tripled. "I don't know what to do, Jim. Father's pride is inthe way, but so is mine. I refuse to go home without you. And yet, do I refuseto see Case, to not say goodbye to him?" Alex buried her face in the folds ofhis shirt, hearing his heart-a steady, calming beat-against her ear.

"Sweet woman, whatever your decision, I'll stand by you. Seeing Case is moreimportant. He doesn't deserve to be penalized just because of your father- orbecause of my actions."

"Don't say that!" Alex looked up through her veil of tears. "This isn't yourfault. I don't accept that, Jim. I never will. Remember? I'm the one who wasout there in that jungle with you. I'm not about to abandon you in face of myd.a.m.ned father's emotional blackmail. And what I hate most is that Case is a p.a.w.n in all of this-that Father is using him."

"He's using Case to hurt you because you love me, Alex."

Miserably, Alex wiped her eyes. "I know it," she said, her voice wobbling.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that Hiram Vance loved no one buthimself, that he manipulated the members of his family like a puppeteer, andthe family merely reacted in a knee-jerk fashion. Anger, hot and startling,sizzled through Jim. Alex was a victim of her father's hatred of him. As muchas Jim wished that his past wouldn't interfere, it was, once again.

"You can go home, Alex."

She shook her head. "No! I won't give Father the satisfaction. I won't!"Gazing up at him, Alex whispered, "I want to go home with you. We deserve thistime together. I love your mother and father almost as if they were my own."

"Okay," Jim said, his voice cracking, "we'll go home-together."

"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" Tansy McKenzie called from the wooden porch oftheir Ozark cabin, surrounded by trees that had shed their leaves for thecoming winter. Dressed in a simple cotton dress and bright red ap.r.o.n, thepet.i.te woman had never looked happier.

Alex climbed out of the rented car and waved. Some of her depression lifted asJim's mother, who was in her mid-sixties, moved gingerly off the porch. Theevening was upon them, the sky a darkening blue and cloudless, the air brisk.

"Hi, Ma!" Alex greeted her excitedly as she shut the car door. As she walkedtoward Tansy, Alex wished with all her heart that she could experience suchobvious love and warmth from her own family. But somehow, as she reached outand hugged Jim's mother, Alex felt the invisible load she carried on hershoulders lighten.

"Oh, you look wonderful!" Tansy bubbled, holding Alex at arm's length. "Lordy,you're more purty than ever before!" she declared, her eyes twinkling. Shereleased Alex as Jim approached. "h.e.l.lo, son. Welcome home!"

Jim embraced his mother. He was so tall and lean in comparison to Tansy.

Alex smiled her welcome as John McKenzie approached. As always, he was dressedin bib overalls and a plaid flannel shirt. His head was bald, and he wore anancient pair of spectacles far down on his hawklike nose. It was the merrimentin his eyes that made Alex smile even wider.

"Hi, Mr. McKenzie. Merry Christmas." Alex offered her hand. A handshake wasall she had ever shared with Jim's reserved father. Unlike Tansy, Johnremained somewhat distant. Alex respected his need for formality, so it waswith great surprise-and pleasure-that she saw the tall, lanky man open his arms.

"Welcome home, Alexandra," he said gruffly, hugging, then quickly releasingher.

Welcome home. The words rang sweetly, and Alex beamed. "Thank you, Mr.McKenzie."

"Call me John. No sense standin' on ceremony."

"I'd love to," Alex admitted, surprised yet thrilled by his decision. She sawJohn's severe-looking features soften even more as Jim approached. Alex heldback tears as she saw the warmth, pride and love pa.s.s between father and son.When John McKenzie embraced his son, it was with enthusiasm and obviousdelight. If Alex had any doubts about her decision to come to the MissouriOzarks for Christmas, they were laid to rest now. As she looked around, sherealized there wasn't a dry eye among them.

Sniffing, Tansy gripped Alex's hand. "Well, ya'll come in! It's chilly outhere, and we've got a roarin' fire inside. Come!"

The interior of the cabin was filled with wonderful odors, and Alex smiledover at Jim as they took off their coats.

"I'm starved, Ma."

Tansy poked at her son's ribs. "Jim, yore lookin' a mite thin. Four days ofhome cookin' is what you need."

"Son, you look like a starvin' cow brute to me," John noted wryly as he ambledtoward the living room.

Jim put his arm around Alex and grinned. "Well, if it weren't for this gal,I'd look a lot worse, believe me."

Tansy nodded and winked over at Alex. "Honey, will you help me set the table?The pheasants are done cookin', and I've got everything timed for half an hourfrom now."

"Pheasants?"

"Sh.o.r.e," John said, settling back in a black-walnut rocker near the potbelliedstove. "I went huntin' wild turkey this mornin', but they outsmarted me. Acouple of dumb pheasants sittin' in my neighbor's cornfield didn't, though."

"I've never had pheasant," Alex admitted, content with country living.

"Tastes better than any ol' store-bought chicken, that's for sure," Tansy saidas she led her to the kitchen. She opened a drawer and handed Alex a greenap.r.o.n. "Here, put this on a'fore you get food all over that purty outfit ofyores."

Alex blushed. Her jeans and soft pink sweater were hardly special. She lookedacross the small kitchen, the counter s.p.a.ce filled with delicacies. "I'm soglad to be here, Ma."

Blotting her eyes with a handkerchief, Tansy smiled. "You belong here,Alexandra."

Alex smiled, feeling teary-eyed herself as she took the flatware handed toher. The table was in the kitchen, hand hewn from walnut and carefullycrafted. The cloth, a pale yellow linen, was obviously old and lovingly caredfor. Putting the heavy ceramic plates at each place, Alex fell into a kind ofunspoken rhythm with Tansy.

"Me and Pa were hopin' like the d.i.c.kens you two young 'uns could make it backhere for the holiday," Tansy said with a smile.

Alex watched as Jim's mother brought three lightly browned pheasants out ofthe oven. The kitchen was hot from the wood-burning iron stove. Freshly bakedbread sat up above in the warmer.

"I agree with Jim," Alex said, helping move the stuffed birds to a huge whiteplatter. "There's no place like home for the holidays."

"Yes, and with the way that boy of ours has been workin', I've been worried.He's not putting on much weight."

No one worked harder than Jim. Alex patted Tansy's tiny shoulder. "He'sdriven."

"I know, I know. It's as if his past is a shadow on his heels or somethin'."Tansy stood back and looked at the birds, a pleased expression on her thinfeatures.

"Those two jobs he has get him up at six o'clock, and he doesn't get homeuntil midnight," Alex confided. She brightened and met Tansy's worried blueeyes. "Did you know Jim just got a scholarship?"

"No!"

Alex laughed. "I think he'll be able to quit his night job soon because of thegrant money."

"Maybe things are starting to turn around for you two young 'uns." Then Tansy muttered, "I still worry. Here, would you like to carry in the birds? Johnsure peppered the heck out of them. You'd think he was afraid they might flyaway after the first burst of buckshot. No, he had to pepper them twice. Ihope I got all those pellets dug out of them 'fore I baked them. Just telleveryone to eat carefully. I don't want no broken tooth complaints."

Before long, the table was ladened with food, and they all sat down. Tansysaid a short prayer and everyone settled down to eat. She'd preparedmouthwatering homemade bread, black walnut stuffing, gooseberry Jell-O, bakedpotatoes from the garden out back of the cabin and spiced crab apples withcranberries. Alex didn't realize how hungry she'd become. To herconsternation, she ate nearly as much as Jim.

For dessert, Tansy proudly produced a squash pie and freshly whipped cream.Cream, she informed Alex, that had been skimmed off the top of milk producedby Bessy, their guernsey cow. As Alex sat enjoying the food and company, shewas struck by the simplicity of the McKenzies as opposed to her own family.Everything on the Vance table would have been catered. The food here tastedbetter, more alive, and the kitchen was a place of so many mouth-wateringfragrances.

Afterward, Tansy herded Alex and Jim out of the kitchen. John lit his corncobpipe, sat down in his rocker near the stove in the living room and listened tothe antique radio in the corner by the small, brightly lit Christmas tree.Even now, the McKenzies had no television. Alex tried to help Tansy in thekitchen, but she wouldn't hear of it.

"You go be with Jim, honey. From his letters, you ain't spent much timetogether 'cause he has to work so hard. You be with him for a while."

Touched, Alex nodded and thanked Tansy. Jim had come from his parents' bedroomopposite the living room, and he had their coats under his arm.

"How about a walk to work off some of that food?" he teased, holding her coatopen so that she could slip into it.

Alex laughed. "I feel like one of those stuffed pheasants! A walk's exactlywhat I need."

Outside, the crisp freshness of the winter air was tinged with the sweetishsmell of decaying leaves and other heady scents of late autumn. It had yet tosnow. Jim smiled and tucked Alex beneath his arm as they strolled off thecreaky wooden porch and onto the dew-laden gra.s.s.

Alex inhaled deeply as they moved away from the cabin. There, just above thewoods that surrounded the small meadow, a b.u.t.ter-colored full moon loomed hugeon the horizon. They stood in each other's arms in silence at its beauty, atthe moonlight skimming the tops of the maple, elm, walnut and ash trees.

"It's so beautiful," Alex breathed, glancing up into Jim's shadowed features.Since they'd arrived, his face had lost its tension, and for that, Alex wasgrateful.

"Full moons are all of that," he whispered, gazing down at Alex. "But what I'mlooking at now is even purtier."

Alex stretched up to gently kiss his cheek, then they continued their walkdown a well-trodden cow path that led into the fenced meadow. "You make mefeel pretty," Alex admitted. "You always have."

"Just being honest," Jim countered seriously. The day was almost gone, a palestrip of blue showing along the western horizon, with a curtain of ebonyfollowing on its heels. The air grew even more chilly and their walk wasbrisk.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, a special place."

"Tell me about it."

"Raven Holler is what we call it," Jim told her. "It's how the community got.i.ts name." They left the meadow and moved into the woods, stepping on thedamp, fragrant leaves. "When I was a kid, I used to come here a lot and justdaydream. I used to try to imagine what my life was going to be like." Helaughed. "Of course, it didn't turn out anything like what I expected."

Alex rested her head on Jim's shoulder. She tightened her arm around hiswaist. Although they were in bulky winter coats, she craved his closeness. "Isyour life better or worse than you imagined?"

Jim steered her down a slight slope. "Much better," he a.s.sured her. Easingaway, he gripped Alex's hand and helped her negotiate a sudden, steep decline.

Alex could see a small pond of water surrounded by dried gra.s.s and a rollingexpanse of open land. She sensed something different about Raven Holler as Jimled her over to the pond. Beside the water were two huge limestone rocks.

Jim halted by the water. "Do you feel it?"

She nodded. "What is it?"

He shrugged. "A long time ago, the Cherokee people used to live here. TheMcKenzies settled here sometime in the mid 1700's, and discovered this place."Jim pointed up to a tall old maple tree, now dead, that hung at an angle overthe quiet pond. "The story goes that the raven clan of the Cherokee peoplelived here until they were killed by the white man's disease, smallpox. Thisplace was sacred to them, and they came here for ceremonies. I can remember asa boy hearing the calls of a raven family and coming here. Those huge blackbirds used to live up in that tree, bear their young and teach them to fly offit. The hill folk believed Raven Holler was magical."

Jim smiled wistfully. "The story goes that if you have a wish you want to cometrue, you come here. You lay food at the base of that old maple tree, makeyour wish and leave. When you come back the next day, if the food gift isgone, then you were granted your wish by the spirits who live here. If thefood is still there, well, you didn't get your wish."

Alex sighed. "I love everything about you, about the people here in theOzarks, Jim. Maybe that's where you got your wonderful romantic streak, yourway of looking at life."

"My way of looking at things has caused me a lot of trouble, too," he remindedher wryly.

"Not in my book," Alex said. She turned in his arms and smiled up at him. "So,are we going to make a wish?"

Jim caressed her warm, velvet cheek. "I brought some food. But there's anotherstory, the real reason I brought you here." He held her soft gray gaze.

"Because of the magic of this place-a place where wishes come true-every manwho wants his gal to say yes to his marriage proposal, comes here. It's beensaid that when a woman says yes here, the blanket is never split betweenthem."

Touched, Alex whispered, "Blanket split?"

"Sorry." Jim laughed nervously. "That's hill slang for divorce."

Alex gazed at the quiet pool, now beginning to reflect the silver light of therising full moon. Jim dug into the pocket of his coat and produced a smallblack-velvet box. Alex's breath snagged. Her heart started to beat hard in herbreast.

Jim released Alex, and his long fingers fumbled with the box. Finally, thetiny latch was released. He glanced over at Alex, his own heart pounding.

"I've been saving for this," he told her, his voice unsteady, "and I've beenwaiting for the right time."

Jim lifted his head and looked around the quiet area. His gaze settled back onAlex's upturned face. "I hope I haven't blown it with you, gal. The way wemet, we didn't have time to really know each other, until recently. I feltlike it was the right time to ask..." He swallowed hard, the words coming outhoa.r.s.e. "Will you marry me, Alex? Will you be my wife? My best friend?"