The Outer Edge of Heaven Read Online Free

remember. Luke had never seen her before and even as tired as he was, she had jolted him like a bolt of lightning. He had to take a second and remind himself that he was engaged to be married and that she was with Fo anyway.
    Pulling on his shirt, he was almost hesitant to go back out. Hearing Fo's voice outside the bathroom door helped. Luke went back out and headed for his bunk, but got sidetracked by the plate Fo carried and the marvelous smells emanating from it. Food was the only thing right now that could make him partially forget the stunning woman who had just walked in on him.
    Fo brought the plate over to him. "I saw your truck and assumed you hadn't had any dinner. Are you hungry?"
    "Ravenous. You’re a saint. Thank you. There was just a girl in here looking for you." Luke put the plate on the table and turned back to get a fork.
    "She found me. I guess you two have met then."
    Luke looked around and saw that the girl was now seated on the cowhide couch across the room. "Uh, sort of. I'm Luke. Luke Langston." He stepped over to shake her hand. "And you are?"
    "You haven't met then?" Fo glanced back and forth between them for a minute.
    Slightly embarrassed, the girl admitted, "I actually walked in just as he was getting out of the shower. I sort of walked in on him half dressed unintentionally." She turned to Luke. "Sorry about that. I'm Charlie. Fo's friend from Connecticut, and school. I flew in this evening from Utah."
    Luke turned to Fo in surprise. "Charlie is a girl? Your friend Charlie for all these years is a girl?"
    Fo laughed at him. "Does she look like a girl to you? I would think it would be obvious, but maybe I'm just more discerning. Where have you been? Has your ox been in the mire this evening?"
    Running a hand through his damp hair, Luke sat at the table while Fo sprawled onto the other end of the couch. "More like heifers in the spring wheat. A whole herd of them went on vacation tonight."
    "Will it make them sick?"
    He shook his head, "We'll know that in about three hours. I'm hoping not, but we'll see. Anthony’s going to check on them. Thanks for dinner." He glanced up. "I still can't believe Charlie is a girl. You've been friends since you were like two haven't you?"
    "I think we were seven. Well, I was seven. She was eight. She's way older than me, but we were in the same grade."
    "Six months is not way older, thank you, Forest Eldridge. Plus, you've needed wisdom all these years. My superior maturity has kept you out of a lot of trouble."
    Luke looked from one to the other of them as Fo retorted, "You have it backwards, Chuck. My superior immaturity has kept you entertained all this time."
    She laughed. "That is probably true. You saved me from always being squished by the tough old bird. What kind of thing is superior immaturity? That sounds markedly suspect to me."
    "I didn't call her old. I just said tough. Don't make it worse than it was."
    Charlie laughed again. "If I'm ever mad at you, I'm going to tell her you said that. You will be banished from her perpetual worship forever!"
    “No way. She adores me because I’ve taken such good care of you all these years.”
    Luke just sat quietly eating his dinner as they bantered back and forth. Finally, he asked, "Who did you call a tough old bird, Fo?"
    Fo looked guilty and Charlie giggled as he admitted, "Her mother. It wasn't as bad as it sounds, I promise. And she is tough. The toughest. It's a good thing she does adore me. I've had to save Charlie her whole life. Momma Evans is a touch militant."
    "A touch?" Charlie laughed again. "That has to be the understatement of the century." She turned to Luke. "My mother is a wonderful, Christian woman. Just a very strong one. Very in-charge. She’s positively driven. I'm kind of a wimp about dealing with her sometimes. That's why I'm in Montana instead of Connecticut right now. Speaking of being here, your dad told me to ask you where you wanted me to go to work tomorrow."
    He shook his head.