38
The debriefing with the police in Forks had been short circuited when Agent Peterson joined them by phone. The formal debriefing with the FBI would be held in Seattle the following day.
In less than forty-eight hours Josh had gotten two of his family’s cars shot up and impounded for evidence. Once again, Peterson arranged transportation home for Kate and Josh. By 5:30 PM, police had delivered both Kate and Josh safely home.
On their way home, Kate had defined courting for him. It was what she believed a pre-marital relationship should be.
Josh liked the idea, too. It was like dating, but dating with a purpose.
If God didn’t shut the door, it led to marriage.
Only one thing bothered him about it. He had to face Lee and Granddad again to get permission to court Kate. The event was scheduled for this evening at 7:00 PM. To attend, Josh’s mom had reluctantly agreed to loan him her car for the evening, after he’d promised that no one would riddle the vehicle with bullets.
Kate had been planted so deeply in his heart that he couldn’t imagine life without her. So much was on the line, that his hands shook as he parked in front of Kate’s house at 6:59 PM.
When his hand reached for the doorbell, the door swung open, revealing Kate in a stunning lavender sundress.
He wanted to stand there and soak her in for a few seconds, but Kate took his hand and pulled him into the house.
“Josh, I can’t believe it.”
“Me, either.” He couldn’t take his eyes off Kate.
“What I mean is the man who saved my life today, stared death in the face and destroyed it with a single throw, is shaking in his boots. You ought to feel your hands.”
“I can’t. They’re tingling, almost numb.”
“I love you, Josh. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. But if you want me, you’ve got to face Dad and Granddad.”
He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I love you too, Kate. I haven’t thought about much of anything except having you in my life since that day at the Key, when you risked your life for your family.”
“Maybe you need a tranquilizer before you talk with them.”
Before he could object, Kate pulled him an embrace, closer than ever before, and kissed him softly. “How was that?”
“Kate, that’s hardly the thing to do to calm a guy down.”
“You faced them before when they were a much tougher audience. Tonight will be a piece of cake. Just remember one thing.”
“You are so beautiful, Kate.”
“Josh, are you listening to me?”
“Yeah. One thing. What is it?”
“Whatever conditions they present, you accept them. It’s total surrender, then we’re courting. Got it?”
“Yeah. Got it.”
“Dad and Granddad are in the family room. Come into the living room and wait while I get them.” She took his hand and pulled him from the entryway into the living room, and then walked toward the back of the house.
Kate’s gracefully swaying form went down the hallway, and a tiny hand slipped into each of his hands.
Grady looked up at him with tentative smile. “You can marry Kaykay if you want to. Mom and Dad had a big dishcussion. I think Dad won. Mom cried, but they kissed and made out, so everything is OK. And you get to marry Kaykay.”
“Don’t forget, Grady.” Grace looked at her brother.
“I won’t.” He looked back up at Josh. “You can marry Kaykay on one condition.”
Josh placed a hand on the little man’s shoulder. “What’s that, Grady?”
“She hasta’ live in her bedroom down the hall…by mine.”
Grace pulled on his hand. “Yeah. Kaykay hafta’ live with us.”
Josh looked down, studying the two serious faces looking up at him. “You two are a great source of intelligence. Did you know that?”
Grace nodded. “Yeah. We got 200. Mom said God gave it to us so we hafta’ give it away.”
“Yeah,” Grady said. “Want some?”
“He gave me some, too. Enough to know that your big sister is a very good person, the woman I want to marry.”
Kate entered the room and stopped. “Were they telling you I had to live here?”
“Yeah. They tried to give me a piece of their mind.”
“Leave Josh alone, you two. He needs to see Dad and Granddad.” Kate led him to the family room and waved him in. “I’ll go console Mom while you men come to an understanding.” She lowered her voice. “Remember, total surrender.”
He nodded and walked into the interrogation room.
Lee and Granddad stood.
“Josh, it’s good to see you in one piece.” Lee smiled and gave him a friendly handshake. “Thanks for taking care of Katie today. I’m relieved to have this terrorist incident behind us.” He paused.
Josh braced himself.
“We heard that some things have changed since we talked with you last. Some things that change how we view this relationship between you and Katie.”
They were making this easy for him.
He would try to do the same for them. “Kate wore me down with her arguments. You know, last time we talked, I said that I hadn’t really determined what I believed. Kate has solid reasons for her faith. I had no reasons and no faith. But that’s all changed.”
Granddad stepped beside Lee and gave Josh that piercing stare he had seen a few weeks ago. “Are you claiming Katie’s faith just so you can claim Katie?”
“No, sir. This afternoon I thought I might not survive the day. But one thing kept me going. I knew that one day I would see Kate again, no matter what this day brought. But I’m thankful that God brought us through safely. And I’m convinced He did it for a reason, and that He brought Kate and me together for a reason. That’s why I’m asking your permission to court Kate.”
Lee smiled at him. “You have my permission, Josh. But you also need Granddad’s.”
A smile formed on Granddad’s face and spread across it. “You have my permission too, on one condition.”
“You’re not on Grace and Grady’s side, are you?”
Granddad laughed. That was a good sign.
“No. You can take Katie home after you marry. But I am an old man. Feeling older every day. A few years ago, I wondered if I would ever see my great-grandchildren. Then Katie came into our lives. Now I hope to see my great-great-grandchildren. Don’t court too long and…I think you can figure out the rest.”
This wasn’t what Josh expected to hear. He thought of breaking this bit of news to Kate. Josh tried to stifle his laugh. Tried and failed.
Soon all three stood laughing, though he hadn’t given Granddad his answer.
Lee managed to stifle his belly shaking laugh. “I take it that you accept Granddad’s terms?”
“Yeah. Unconditional surrender.”
Granddad shook his hand. “You have my blessing. Take care of her, Josh. She’s a good woman, the very best, but she takes too many risks.”
“We’ve already had a discussion about that, sir.”
“Congratulations, Josh.” Lee shook his hand. “You’re going to be the envy of every young man in Western Washington. Be sure to have some fun with Granddad’s condition.”
“Wouldn’t want to waste an opportunity like that.”
“Kate’s out on the deck, Josh. I saw her trying to listen, so I shut the window before you came in.”
“Please excuse me, Lee, Granddad.” Josh headed for the door.
Kate stood at the far end of the deck. The sun was sinking behind the Olympic Mountains behind her, adding to the golden yellow color of her hair. Though her behavior could be impish, in the glow of the sunset Kate looked like Hollywood’s version of an angel, complete with a halo.
“Well, Joshua West?”
“It’s official. Formalized. We’re courting.”
“After the past week and after today, they would never have turned you down.” Kate walked slowly toward him, smiling.
“You’re not limping. You’re ankle must be feeling better.”
“Yes, but you could help in that regard.” She took his hands in hers. “You know, there’s no real reason we have to wait, Josh.”
“Are you proposing to me, Kate? Weren’t you supposed to get down on one knee, or—”
“Josh, I was only hinting for you—”
“You can be pretty demanding when you hint. ‘Kiss me. Do it now, Josh.’ You were even doing that after they drugged you.”
“Forget that I mentioned the subject, then.” Kate’s smile faded.
“Maybe I don’t want to forget it. What did you mean by ‘there’s no real reason to wait?’”
“I’ve been making some money on my contract work with the government. Recent events are only going to sweeten that pot.” She slipped her arms around him and pressed her cheek into his chest. “You could teach a couple of lower-division classes and we’d have enough to afford an apartment.”
“Before you change your mind…” Josh slipped out of her arms and dropped down to one knee, “… Kate Brandt, would you marry me ASAP.”
“ASAP? How romantic. That came from the man who picked me up when I was helpless and carried me to safety?”
“May I try again?”
“No. You may not.”
“Why, Kate?”
“Because I accept…on one condition.”
He stood and cupped her cheeks, peering into her eyes. “You love keeping me in suspense don’t you, Miss Brandt?”
“You wouldn’t want our lives to be boring, would you?”
“The condition, Kate?”
“We finish our dissertations first. For all practical purposes, our research is done, especially after what we just accomplished. How fast can you write?”
“I’ll set a new UW record for writing a dissertation. How does four weeks sound?”
“But if we’re both writing for four solid weeks, we won’t get to see each other—”
“OK. Eight weeks.”
“That leaves me half of the time to spend with you and plan our wedding. It works. And, Josh…don’t worry about defending your dissertation. Your committee will be too busy trying to pump information from you about the conspiracy. You’ll breeze through it.”
“I’m not worried about my dissertation or defending it. I’m more worried about where to take you on our honeymoon.”
“Here we are talking about a honeymoon and we haven’t even had one decent date. On our first real date, two terrorists tried to assassinate us.”
He pulled her close in his arms, peering into her eyes. “You are so beautiful, Kate.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“And I love you, too. But there’s one condition that needs to be met before we do any more planning.”
“Is there something you haven’t told me?”
“Yeah. But I just found out about it myself. You see…” he held her shoulders and studied her face, “…Granddad wants this to be a short courtship. He said to give him his great-great-grandchildren. ASAP.”
Kate’s cheeks turned pink, then they glowed orange in the yellow aura of the sunset. She buried her face in his chest. Slowly she turned her face until she looked up into his eyes. “In this family, Granddad’s will usually prevails. Tell Granddad we will give him what he wants.”
“Kate, we’re both getting PhDs soon. You had planned to work for the FBI, the Seattle Division Cyber Task Force.”
“Mom and Dad had to make a similar decision. It worked out for them and Mom’s extremely happy. I will be, too.”
“Then shouldn’t we do something to formally accept all—”
Her lips stopped his words, as she poured all the sweetness of Kate and the passion of the woman she had become into a few moments, moments that Josh would carry with him for the rest of his life. And then on into eternity.
“Kate, where did you learn to kiss like that?”
“In Whistler. You taught me.”
“And where would you like to go for our honeymoon?”
Kate pressed her cheek against his chest. “You can take me anywhere you want, sweetheart. Or we don’t have to go anywhere at all.”
Two sets of little feet pitter-pattered across the deck. Two tugs on his shirt sleeve.
Grace and Grady’s brown eyes looked up into his, filled with excitement. “We know where you can take Kaykay on your honeymoon,” Grady said.
“Where’s that, little man?”
“Take Kaykay to Maui. Like Mom and Dad.”
“Maui, like Mom and Dad?” Kate’s eyes widened. “Nooooooo!”