066: Just to be safe

When he turned onto the highway that led to the airport Maille sat up straight again. But this time she didn't say anything and Kell didn't have to tell her to trust him. It was obvious what they were doing. He helped her out of the car and tucked her arm in his, tugging her along through the bustle of the airport to a smaller flight, where he presented two tickets. Maille strained to see where their destination was but she was whirled immediately away from any signs or billboards that may have given her a clue.

Without any further chance for questions, she found herself seated securely in a small dart plane across from Kell who was strapped into his seat, their knees touched, the space was so small. There were less than twenty seats and less than ten of them filled. Kell had a small duffle bag that he stowed above himself and watched her eyes trying to pry details from his behavior.

"First thing that comes to mind." she said as the plane took off and then leveled out. He nodded.

"Duffle bag?" she said, leaning forward and putting both hands on his knees. 

''Toothbrush." 

She cocked her head to one side. "You have to be honest.'' 

"I am. That's the first thing that popped into my mind." 

She eyed him skeptically. ''North."

"South."

She pursed her lips. ''Plane?" 

"Take off."

Maille's eyes flashed fire.

"You want to try a different game Miss Prying For Information?" he asked her with a quirky grin.

"Like playing the 'answer my questions honestly' game?" she asked, watching him carefully for clues to his mood.

"Nah , where's the fun in that?"

"Kell ..." her voice held that tinge of warning. She would go along with him only so far. Kell reached into his pocket and deposited something in his other hand and then leaned back and settled his arms across his chest.

"How about revelation. I'll tell something really revealing about myself, and you tell something really revealing about yourself." he suggested.

Maille screwed up her face. "I don't know anything really revealing." 

"Then I'll ask all the questions."

"What if I don't want to answer?"

"Then I won 't have to answer one either. But if I do answer, then you have to answer. And if I don't, then you don't either. You can pass." his dark eyes scrutinized her in the dimness.

"Okay. You start." she said with a hesitant smile.

"How old do you want to be when you get married?"

Maille's eyes narrowed. "Married?" she bit her lip to one side. "I've never really thought about it. Is this rhetorical? You want me to think about it?"

Kell shook his head. ''No, I want the answer."

"Married?" she mused. "I don 't know. I don't care, I guess. I'm old enough. Or later, whatever." Her voice held an awful lot of wariness,  he knew she was trying to figure him out.

"Where do you picture yourself married?" 

"What's all this married business?"

"I've been hanging out with your sisters and brothers-in-law." he said. "I'd like your opinion." 

"Okay..."she smiled, satisfied for the moment. "Om. I picture myself married in the temple." 

"Which Temple?"

"Om ... Cardston." 

"Is that Canada?" 

"Yes."

"And how do you picture your wedding night?"

Maille shook her head as if to clear it. Her eyes crinkled up, not sure what to answer.

"Do you see yourself a virgin, and the groom too?" Kell clarified.

"I suppose so." 

"You or him?"

"Both?" she quipped back uneasily. "Why? Did you want to know what the Mormons think about premarital sex, or what my sisters did? I can tell you both without all the questions."

"Then tell."

Maille sighed. Was that it then? For a minute she'd thought he was leading her someplace else. 

"Mormons don't believe in any premarital sex, and if you have had it you'd have to repent and talk to your Bishop. In most cases, after sincere repentance you can still be married in the temple." she smiled. "Melia met Ryan and started messing around right away, but he went on his mission and she married Jared, and I think they might have had premarital sex. Jared wasn't a member when they married. Melia would never say for sure. They did get married in plenty of time for the baby to be legitimate."

"And Megan?"

"Megan was way more innocent than anyone believed. But once Steve settled on her, I think she told me, they got married within like three months. Once they both knew."

"So they got married in the temple?"

''Yes. They were both worthy recommend holders." 

"Both baptized members, you mean?"

"Well, and endowed members. Steve had served a mission, and Megan had planned to serve one, but she was having some medical problems and had put her plans on hold when she got hooked up with Steve again. So they were actually both ready to go to the temple whenever they wanted."

"I see." he said musingly. "And Cassie?"

"Cassie?" she hadn't spoken to him of Cassie that she knew of. But maybe being around Megan and Mia had clued him in. "Well, Cassie, I don't think she had premarital sex. She's very strict about living her religion and she married Matthew who is even more strict."

"Are you strict?"

Maille froze. That was a telling question, or in this case, a revealing question. If she said yes, then might he think her a prude? And if she said no, would he take it as free consent to become more familiar with her?

Kell watched her carefully. ''Let's say you were very attracted to someone and you thought you might marry them. And let's say that you became engaged. Would you have sex with him then? Knowing you were going to be married anyway?"

Maille was shaking her head. "No." she said. "Not before marriage." 

"But if you were engaged."

''No." she was adamant.

"Okay." he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let's say that you fell in love and you wanted to be married, but say, the groom wasn't temple worthy, and would have to wait, what is it? A year?"

"Well, there's two options." Maille said as if quoting a Young Women's Manual. ''First you could wait. That would be the best. But if you couldn't wait, then you could have a secular marriage. And then wait a year."

"What would that do to the couple? Would they be shunned at church? Would everybody look down on them?" Kell asked intently.

Maille swallowed, trying to picture the different scenarios that occurred to her. ''Not really." she said thoughtfully. "It's their choice. Ideally, they should wait. I think it makes them stronger as a couple. Waiting. But sometimes, like if they were living together, it would simply be better to get married and wait a year and then go to the Temple."

"Do you know anyone who has done that?"

"What? Well, Ryan and Mia had to wait. But it was while he was on his mission, and the year was up when he got home, so they didn't have to deal with all the temptation. She often told me that was easier, because she was so attracted to him she didn't think she could have waited."

Kell smiled. "A new question." he said.

Maille breathed a little easier. It was hard thinking of those kinds of answers. She didn't feel like an authoritarian on the subject.

"What kind of jewelry do you like?"

Maille cocked her head with a soft, bewildered sort of smile. "I don't wear a lot of jewelry." 

"I know that. But I notice you have a ring..."

"It's my high school ring." she said holding it out for him to look at. 

"Do you like rings?" He reiterated, holding her fingers softly.

"I really don't wear a lot of jewelry." She said again, but he'd kept her hand and was fingering her ring finger.

"If you could have any piece of jewelry from me what would you like the most?" he said in that very low seductive voice.

Maille's eyes searched his face. Was this a trick question? If she named a kind of jewelry, would he automatically go and get it for her? All the talk of marriage, and now he was asking about rings?

The plane was descending. Kell kept his eyes focused on hers. Had she looked outside? Did she know where they were? What would she think? Was he too impulsive this time?

He slid the ring he'd bought her onto her ring finger. It fit perfectly. Maille glanced down at it. It was a band, an engraved band of gold, with little leaves and flowers on it. In the center of the flowers were teeny tiny diamonds, almost too small to see. It was not a conspicuous ring.

"It's a promise ring, Maille." 

"Promise?"

"I'm getting baptized today. In one year I want to take you to the Temple. I promise to take you to the temple. One year. Okay?" he was leaning toward her now, focused completely on her face. Maille's eyes were shocked, her face had drained of color. He'd known it would. They'd only known each other a month, or was it three weeks? And to tell her he was getting baptized? That was a shock too.

Maille glanced down at the ring, then back up at him. Then she glanced out the window beyond him. She pulled her hand away. ''Then what are we doing in Reno?" 

Kell looked down , his restraint wearing thin. "Another promise."

"You're going to marry me right now?" she said softly, all humor gone from her voice. 

"A promise, Maille. Like a promise ceremony."

"What's that mean?"

"It means I am being baptized, and I want to marry you in the Temple, but if somehow I can't wait, and something should happen, then there will be a promise between us, and we'll already be married."

******