Off Limits Part 15

"Oh, Jim..." Alex stared down at the box as he opened the lid. Inside lay anengagement ring set with a small diamond solitaire, and a gold wedding band.

"I know it's not much, Alex. You deserve a much larger diamond-"

"It's perfect," Alex breathed, her voice wobbling as she lightly touched theset. "And so beautiful..." No one knew better than Alex how strapped Jim wasfor money. His two part-time jobs barely paid for his food, rent and tuition."How... I mean, this must have cost you so much. How did you afford it at all,Jim?"

"I took a third job."

Alex gave him a distraught look. "Oh, no!"

"Now, don't go getting upset on me, gal. It's only for a little while."Proudly, Jim held the box toward her. "You really like them? I had a hard timetrying to decide."

"Like? I love them!" She held the small box in her hand.

"Then... you'll marry me, Alex?"

Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Of course I will, Jim."

Relief deluged Jim, and he took a step back, caught himself, then threw hisarms around her. He heard Alex laugh, then sob. Holding her as if he'd neverlet her go, he rasped, "The magic's still here in Raven Holler."

Kissing him tenderly, Alex finally broke away enough to hold his warm bluegaze. "No, you're the magic, Jim. It's you. Your upbringing."

He frowned and lightly touched Alex's hair. "I'm worried, Alex."

"Why?"

"Well, your family and all..."

"You're marrying me, not my family."

"Still, it's bad blood between me and them, gal. What might the situation doto you over the years? I've tried to understand what it might feel like if myfolks hadn't forgiven me and taken me back into their fold." Frustrationcolored his tone. "Are you sure you want to marry me, Alex?"

With a little laugh, Alex held up the engagement ring. Moonlight gunted offit, like fire blazing through the facets. "Jim McKenzie, are you trying totalk me out of marrying you?"

"No," he whispered as he slipped it on her finger, "I'm not. I just want youto be very clear about what's ahead for us."

"Jim, we belong together because of our courage to face our greatest fears.That's what I love most about us-we both realize that making fear our friendinstead of allowing it to stop us from growing, is our strongest a.s.set."Gravely, Alex searched his sober features. "If I allowed my fear of my fatherdisowning me to stop me, then I wouldn't be worthy of you, darling. I'll do mybest to try and get my family to realize I still love them, even if Fathercontinues to be angry with me."

Understanding, Jim nodded and eased Alex into his arms. "I love you, AlexandraVance."

"Soon to be Alexandra McKenzie. I love the name. I love the man."

Whispering her name, Jim sought and found her waiting lips, meeting andmelding with her on all levels. Their breathing became ragged, their kissdeeper and more hungry. Finally, as they separated, Jim saw the flushedpleasure in Alex's face. He grinned, feeling the horrible weight he'd beencarrying for so long slough off his shoulders.

"Want to make a wish now?" he asked, pulling out a small sack of leftoversfrom the dinner table.

Alex nodded. She followed wordlessly as Jim held her hand and led her aroundthe pool. At the foot of the dead maple tree, he gave her the sack of food.

"Can I tell you what I wish for?" Alex asked breathlessly, her body glowingand warm from his kiss.

He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Sure."

Reverently, Alex placed the food on a huge, twisted root that had been exposedby years of weathering. As she knelt next to it, her hand over the sack, shesaid, "I wish for peace between our two families."

No one wanted that more for Alex than he did. Jim gathered her into his armsand kissed her for a long, long time. Unwillingly, he finally eased back fromher ripe, loving lips and rested his brow against hers. Then-breath mingledand became a ragged cloud of vapor in the freezing air.

"That's a good wish," Jim murmured huskily.

Alex dosed her eyes. "If only it would come true...."

"I know," he whispered painfully, and slowly turned Alex toward the path thatwould eventually lead them to the cabin.

Halfway back, Alex smiled. "This is going to be h.e.l.l, Jim."

"What is?"

She laughed. "Well, we certainly can't sleep together while we're here."

Out of deference to his parents, they had decided not to. Jim grinned andnodded. "You're right."

Alex saw a sparkle in his eyes, a spark of life that had remained therethrough the darkest of times. "You've got that devilish look in your eyes,"she teased.

His laughter rolled along the meadow, deep and joyful. Jim grabbed Alex andswung her around and around until she shrieked and their laughter mingled.They clung to each other, so dizzy that they almost fell onto the dewy gra.s.s.

"That doesn't mean," he gasped, "that you're not fair game if we go for a nicelong walk out in the woods together in the coming days, Miss Alexandra."

She joined in his laughter, the last of the weight and worries she carrieddissolving beneath the moon's silvery luminescence. "You're impossible," shegiggled, hugging him, her face buried next to his neck, "Impossible but very much in love with you," he agreed raggedly.

Chapter Fourteen.

As Alex and Jim approached the cabin, they saw another car parked in thegravel driveway. Happy as never before, and bursting to show Tansy and Johnher lovely engagement ring, Alex thought it might be a neighbor who had comecalling late.

"I wonder who's here?" she murmured as she climbed the porch steps arm in armwith Jim.

"Don't know. Probably one of Pa's friends coming over to have a bite of Ma'spie." He grinned. "She's famous for her squash pies, you know."

Alex couldn't agree more. She entered through the door that Jim had opened forher. Her smile slipped.

"Case!"

Captain Case Vance stood in the center of the living room, and slowly turnedtoward them. "Alex?"

Stunned, Alex stood uncertainly just inside the door. Her older brother, whohad the same hair and eyes as she did, was dressed in dark brown slacks, awhite collegiate s.h.i.+rt and a leather coat with his squadron patch on the frontof it, proclaiming him a Marine Corps pilot. His square face and highcheekbones were topped by military-short hair. The laugh lines around his eyesand mouth hinted at his sense of humor. Anxiously, Alex searched his drawnfeatures for some hint of the reason for his unexpected appearance.

Jim shut the door and stood tensely at Alex's side. His parents bracketedVance with uneasy looks on their faces.

"What's the meaning of this?" Alex asked softly.

Case stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes cool and a.s.sessing. Hissharpened gaze moved to his sister.

"I came to see you, Alex." And then he nodded in Jim's direction. "And you,too."

Swallowing against her constricted throat, Alex numbly got out of her coat.Her brother was tall, broad shouldered and, in her eyes, terribly handsome. Attwenty-eight, he was a captain and proud of flying one of the hottest and mostdeadly jets in the world, the F-4 Phantom.

"Did Father send you?" she demanded in a strangled tone.

Case shook his head. "No." And then a strained smile pulled at his thinnedmouth. "I got here about ten minutes ago and the McKenzies were kind enough tooffer me a late dinner."

"You drove here?" Alex couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice. She stillwasn't sure why Case was here. He was known to have her father's temper andsame obstinate nature. Her stomach was tightly knotted with fear that theirprivate war might touch Jim's vulnerable and innocent family. She moved towardCase, who towered over her.

"I took off this morning from D.C., Alex." Case lifted his head and pinned Jimwith a long look. "Just to set the record straight, I'm here on my own. Fatherwas ranting and raving so d.a.m.ned much that I wasn't about to stay under thesame roof with him, Christmas or not."

"Why did you come?" Alex held her brother's narrowed gray gaze.

"I'm s.h.i.+pping out two days from now, and Father said you were going to behere, in the Ozarks. I wanted to say goodbye before I left." His hands slippedoff his hips and touched Alex's shoulder. "I'm not at war with either of you."

Alex pressed her fingers against her pounding heart and hung her head, therelief she felt making her shaky and momentarily speechless. She sensed ratherthan saw Jim approach. When she looked up, Jim was offering his hand to herbrother.

"I'm Jim McKenzie." Jim fearlessly held Case Vance's gaze, his hand extendedin friends.h.i.+p. Would Case be angry? Refuse to shake his hand? He didn't know,but he had to make the offer for Alex's sake, if not for his own.

With a slight, nervous grin, Case thrust his hand forward and gripped Jim's."So you're the ghost on the Vance radar screen."

"I'm too alive to be much of a ghost, don't you think?" Jim asked wryly. Hewanted to like Alex's brother. Confidence radiated from the pilot; He saw agenuine smile tip Case's mouth and they released their handshake grip.

"I think," Tansy interrupted, clearing her throat, "that you young 'uns cansit and talk out in the kitchen. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee." Shesmiled up at Case. "And I think you could use that dinner we promised you, Mr.Vance."

"Call me Case, ma' am."

Tansy glowed. "Case is a right proper name for you."

The pilot flushed. He glanced over at Alex. "Well, how about it? I think Mrs.McKenzie has a good idea. Shall we convene this UN delegation in the kitchenand clear the air?"

Hope threaded through Alex and she deferred to Jim, whose hand restedprotectively on her shoulder.

"Ma was always wise about these things," Jim agreed. "Let's get somethin' inyour stomach, and then we'll talk."

Once Tansy had left and Case had eaten his dinner with obvious relish, Alexwaited impatiently to talk further. As always, her brother had the ability toput people at ease, telling stories about Marine Corps life. Her intuitiontold her Case was here for many reasons. She and Jim sat next to each other,hot cups of coffee in their hands. Alex moved her cup nervously.

Case wiped his mouth with the paper napkin and put his plate aside. He poureda hefty amount of sugar and cream into his coffee and stirred it with a spoon.

"You know Father's like a wounded lion around the house," Case beganseriously. He glanced at Jim. "In case you didn't know, my father is intoheavy drama when things don't go his way."

Jim nodded. "I wouldn't care, but Alex is involved."

"That she is," Case agreed.

"I think we should make something clear to you," Jim said. "Alex and I loveeach other, and we're going to get married. I don't know why you're here, orin what capacity, Vance, but if this conversation is going to turn ugly, thenyou and I will discuss things outside-out of Alex's and my folks' earshot. Isthat understood?"

Case sat back and raised his black eyebrows. He looked over at Alex andgrinned broadly.

"No wonder Father's so upset. He's finally run into somebody he can'tcontrol."

She smiled a little. "Despite what you've heard about Jim, he's never been acoward, Case."

"I can tell." He sighed and planted both his elbows on the table. "All right,McKenzie, here it is straight off my hip. I love my sister very much, althoughthe last couple of years we haven't had the closeness we had before. Fatherhas been dumping a lot of garbage about you on our family, and I got sick andtired of hearing scuttleb.u.t.t. He's making Alex out to be some kind ofscapegoat, and I won't have it. My sister has always had a good head on hershoulders, and I respect her for the choices she's made in her life. I'm hereto see for myself, and make my own judgment about you. If Alex loves you, I'vegot to think there's something more to you than what Father's letting on. I'mnot here to call you names or add insult to injury. I'm just trying to findout what the h.e.l.l the truth is."

Alex gripped her brother's large, square hand. "I love you so much, Case.Thanks for saying those things. I-I thought the whole family felt the way Father does about me... us."

Case muttered a curse under his breath. "Look, if you two have the time, whydon't you tell me everything from the beginning. I heard Father's version, aswell as the press stories. I just read an article in Newsweek that said agunny sergeant was going to be a witness to Jim's appeal hearing. You have tounderstand, Alex, that after you crashed and were officially listed as MIA inthe Vietnam jungle, all we knew was what the newspapers and television saidabout your disappearance. After your rescue, the same thing happened. We gotonly bits and sc.r.a.ps of information. If Buck and I hadn't been stationed oncarriers in the Med, we'd have come and sat on your doorstep to find out whatthe h.e.l.l was going down, but we couldn't." He cradled her hand between his.Giving Jim a sidelong glance, he smiled at Alex. "So, tell me the story."

"I'll tell you mine, but Jim will have to speak for himself. It's his story,Case, that's most important for you to hear." Alex prayed that her brotherwould understand Jim's decisions and choices.

"Fair enough," Case murmured.

The clock had struck midnight by the time Jim got done with his part of thestory. He didn't know who was more drained by the telling of it-he, Alex or,surprisingly, Case. The Marine Corps officer sat there, his skin pale, hiseyes bleak, as Jim finished.

With a shake of his head, Case stood up and ran his fingers through his shorthair. "d.a.m.nation," he whispered, anguish in his voice.

Alex felt strongly for her brother. Despite his arrogance and brashness, Casehad a big streak of sensitivity that he hid from the world-most of the time.Tonight, Jim's story had reached inside her brother and shaken him to his core.

Case paced the kitchen, the silence building. "I didn't know," he beganlamely. He stopped and faced Jim squarely. "None of the papers or magazinesprinted any of this information. I didn't know about Kim... or your reasons."

"Of course they didn't," Alex said bitterly. "The truth in Jim's case wouldhave been boring as far as the media was concerned. It was more dramatic, andwould sell more papers, if Jim were made out to be a villain."

Case shook his head and approached Jim, his features somber. "I'm sorry,McKenzie. I really am. The real story hasn't gotten out to the Americanpeople."

Jim shrugged tiredly. He felt utterly drained and in need of Alex. Did sherealize what a pillar of strength she was to him? "It's all right, Captain."

"Call me by my first name," Case muttered, coming back over to sit down. Henailed his sister with a dark look. "This is a crime, Alex. The d.a.m.ned presshung Jim. And so did our father. It's a wonder the review process hasn'tthrown the whole mess in the can."

"I don't care about the press or the Marine Corps. What I do care about is howFather's behaving."

"I can't believe he doesn't know the truth about Jim's situation. Politicians in his circle of importance have inside info available to them, even when thepublic doesn't. He had to know."

"Sure he knows," Jim said quietly. "Alex told him the truth when he visitedher after her rescue. She told him to his face."

"Then what's his problem?" Case demanded in disbelief. "My G.o.d, any personwith a conscience would understand your motives. h.e.l.l, I do." Then Case hadthe good grace to blush. "Alex will tell you I'm pretty insensitive andhardheaded most of the time."

Alex gripped her brother's hand. "Not underneath, you're not," she whispered.

"Part of your father's reason for shunning me, or avoiding the truth," Jimoffered as he looked around the rustic kitchen, "is because I'm a hillbillyfrom the Ozarks. I don't think your father wants Alex to marry below herstation."

Case snorted violently, his eyes flas.h.i.+ng anger. "Love has no prejudice."