Mel didn’t tell Doc where she was going, just that there were a couple of people she wanted to look in on. He asked her, since she was out, to stop and check on Frannie Butler, an elderly woman who lived alone and had high blood pressure. “Make sure she has plenty of medicine and that she’s actually taking it,” he said. He popped an antacid.
“Should you be having so much heartburn?” she asked him.
“Everyone my age has this much heartburn,” he answered, brushing her off.
Mel got Frannie’s blood pressure out of the way first, though it wasn’t quick. The thing about house calls in little towns like this was it involved tea and cookies and conversation. It was as much a social event as medical care. Then she drove out to the Anderson ranch. When she pulled up, Buck came out of the shed with a shovel in his hand and an astonished look on his face when he saw the Hummer. “Who-ee,” he said. “When did that thing turn up?”
“Just last week,” she said. “Better for getting around the back roads than my little foreign job, as Doc calls it.”
“Mind if I have a look?” he asked, peering into the window.
“Help yourself. I’d like to check on Chloe. Lilly inside?”
“Yup. In the kitchen. Go on in—door’s open.” And he immediately stuck his head in the driver’s door, taken with the vehicle.
Mel went around back. Through the kitchen window she could see Lilly’s profile as she sat at the kitchen table. The door was open and only the screen door was closed. She gave a couple of quick raps, called out, “Hey, Lilly,” and opened the door. And was stopped dead in her tracks.
Lilly, too late, pulled the baby blanket over her exposed breast. She was nursing Chloe.
Mel was frozen in place. “Lilly?” she said, confused.
Tears sprang to the woman’s eyes. “Mel,” she said, her voice a mere whisper. The baby immediately started to whimper and Lilly tried to comfort her, but Chloe wasn’t done nursing. Lilly’s cheeks were instantly red and damp; the hands that fussed with her shirt and held the baby were shaking.
“How is this possible?” Mel asked, completely confused. Lilly’s youngest child was grown—she couldn’t possibly have breast milk. But then she realized what had happened. “Oh, my God!” Chloe was Lilly’s baby! Mel walked slowly to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair to sit down because her knees were shaking. “Does everyone in the family know?”
Lilly shook her head, her eyes pinched closed. “Just me and Buck,” she finally said. “I wasn’t in my right mind.”
Mel shook her head, baffled. “Lilly. What in the world happened?”
“I thought they’d come for her—the county. And that someone would want her right off. Some nice young couple who couldn’t have a baby. Then she’d have young parents and I—” She shook her head pitifully. “I just didn’t think I could do it again,” she said, dissolving into sobs.
Mel got out of her chair and went to her, taking the fussing baby, trying to comfort her. Lilly laid her head down on the tabletop and wept hard tears.
“I’m so ashamed,” she cried. When she looked up at Mel again she said, “I raised six kids. I spent thirty years raising kids and we got seven grandkids. I couldn’t imagine another one. So late in my life.”
“Wasn’t there anyone you could talk to about this?” Mel asked.
She shook her head. “Mel,” she wept. “Country people... Small-town country people know that once you talk about it... No,” she said, shaking her head. “I was sick when I realized I was pregnant and forty-eight years old. I was sick and a little crazy.”
“Did you ever consider terminating the pregnancy?”
“I did, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I make no judgment, but it isn’t in me.”
“What about arranging an adoption?” Mel asked.
“No one in this family, in this town for that matter, would ever understand that. They’d have looked at me like I killed her. Even my friends—good women my age who would understand how I felt, could never accept it if I said I didn’t want to raise another child, my own child. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“And now what do you intend to do?” Mel asked.
“I don’t know,” she wailed. “I just don’t know.”
“What if they come now—Social Services? Lilly, can you give her up?”
She was shaking her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. Oh, God, I wish I had a chance to do it over.”
“Lilly—how did you conceal your pregnancy? How did you give birth alone?”
“No one pays much attention—I’m overweight. Buck helped. Poor Buck—he didn’t even know till it was almost time—I kept it from him, too. Maybe we can adopt her now?”
Mel sat down again, still jiggling the baby. She looked down at Chloe, who was burying her fist in her mouth, squirming and fussing. “You don’t have to adopt her, you gave birth to her. But I’m awful worried about you. You abandoned her. That must have almost killed you.”
“I watched the whole time. Till you and Jack came to the porch. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. It was terrible hard, but I felt like I had to. I just didn’t know what else to do.”
“Oh, Lilly,” Mel said. “I’m not sure you’re okay yet. This is just too crazy.” She passed the baby back to Lilly. “Here, nurse your baby. She’s hungry.”
“I don’t know that I can,” she said, but she took the baby. “I might be too upset.”
“Just hook her up—she’ll do the work,” Mel said. When the baby was again at the breast, Mel put her arms around Lilly and just held them both for a few minutes.
“What are you going to do?” Lilly asked, her voice a quivering mess.
“God, Lilly, I don’t know. Do you understand that doctors and midwives protect your confidentiality? If I’d been here when you’d discovered your pregnancy, you could have trusted me with your secret. You could have trusted Doc, or Dr. Stone in Grace Valley. The people in the family planning clinic keep confidential records—they would have helped. But...” She took a breath. “We’re also bound by laws.”
“I just didn’t know where to turn.”
Mel shook her head sadly. “You must have been so scared.”
“I haven’t ever been through anything as difficult in my life, Mel. And me and Buck, we’ve had some real hard times holding this family and ranch together.”
“How did you keep the breast-feeding from your kids? I assume they’re around quite a bit—and don’t your boys work the ranch with Buck?”
“I give her a bottle if anyone’s around, and I nurse her when we’re alone.”
“Even though you planned to let her go, you nursed her? You didn’t have to do that.”
Lilly shrugged. “It seemed like the least I could give her, after what I did. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. You just don’t understand what it’s like—spending your whole life raising kids—and then having another one on the way when you’re a grandmother. Me and Buck—we’ve struggled with money our entire marriage! You just don’t understand.”
“Oh, Lilly, I know you were terrified and desperate. I can imagine. But I’m not going to kid you, this is complicated.”
“But will you help us? Will you help Chloe?”
“I’ll do what I can—but those laws...” She sighed. “I’ll do whatever I can,” she said gently. “We’ll find a way to sort this out. Just let me think.”
Not long after, when Mel was sure that Lilly was calmed down and safe, Mel left her. She’d been with her about forty minutes, but Buck was still combing the Hummer with envious eyes. “Helluva ride, Mel,” he said, grinning.
“Buck, go in the house and comfort your wife. I just walked in on her nursing your daughter.”
“Oh, boy,” he said.
It was on the ride back to town that Mel realized Doc Mullins was onto this. In fact, he might’ve given birth to it, so to speak. He’d always said the mother would turn up, and she had. Weeks ago when Mel had told him that Lilly had offered to take in the baby, his eyebrows had shot up in surprise. He hadn’t expected it to be Lilly. He had never called social services. And yet, he never brought her into the conspiracy.
By the time she got back to his house it was after four and she was steamed up pretty good. Doc was seeing a patient who was coughing and hacking like a dying man. She had to wait. And while she waited, she began to seethe. When the man finally left with a butt full of penicillin and a pocket full of pills, she faced him down. “Your office,” she said flatly, preceding him in that direction.
“What’s got your dander up?” he asked.
“I went to the Andersons’. I walked in on Lilly nursing the baby.”
“Ah,” he said simply, limping around her to sit behind his desk, his arthritis obviously kicking up again.
She leaned her hands on the desk and got in his face. “You never called social services.”
“Couldn’t see the need. Her mother came for her.”
“What do you plan to do about the birth certificate?”
“Well, when we get this straightened out a little better, I’ll sign and date it.”
“Doc, you can’t pull this shit! That baby was abandoned! Even though her mother came back for her, it might still be considered a crime!”
“Settle down. Lilly was a little overwrought is all. She’s fine now—I’ve been keeping an eye on it.”
“At the very least, you could have told me!”
“And have you go off half-cocked like this? Snatch up that baby and turn her in? That woman was at the end of her rope—and turned out all she needed was a little time to cool down, come to her senses.”
“She should’ve seen a doctor.”
“Aw, Lilly had all her kids at home. She’d have come in if she was sick. Fact is, if Lilly had turned up any sooner—I’d have insisted on examining her, just to be safe. By the time she came around, it was obvious she was in good health.”
Mel fumed. “I can’t work like this,” she said. “I’m here to give good, sound medical care, not run around in circles trying to guess what you’re dreaming up!”
“Who asked ya?” he threw back.
She was stunned quiet for a moment. Then she said, “Shit!” And she turned to leave his office.
“We’re not done here,” he bellowed. “Where are you going?”
“For a beer!” she yelled back.
When she got to Jack’s it was impossible for her to hide the fact that she was all riled up, but she couldn’t talk about it. She went straight to the bar without saying hello to anyone.
Jack took one look at her and said, “Whoa, boy.”
“Beer,” she said.
He served her up and said, “Wanna talk about it?”
“Sorry. Can’t.” She took a drink of the icy brew. “Business.”
“Must be sticky business. You’re pissed.”
“Boy howdy.”
“Anything I can do?”
“Just don’t ask me about it, because I’m bound by confidentiality.”
“Must be a doozie,” he said.
Yeah, a doozie, she thought.
Jack slid an envelope across the bar to her. She looked at the return address—it was from the clinic in Eureka he had visited. “Maybe this will brighten your mood a little. I’m clear.”
She smiled a small smile. “That’s good, Jack,” she said. “I thought it would come out like that.”
“Aren’t you going to look?” he asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I trust you.”
He leaned forward and put a light kiss on her brow. “Thanks, that’s nice,” he said. “You go ahead and sulk in your beer. Let me know if you need anything.”
She began to calm down with her beer. It was probably a half hour later that Doc Mullins came into the bar and sat on the stool beside her. She glared at him, then focused again on her glass.
Doc raised a finger to Jack and he set up a whiskey. Then wisely, left the two of them alone.
Doc had a sip, then another, then said, “You’re right. I can’t leave you out of the loop like that if you’re going to help take care of the town.”
She turned and looked at him, one eyebrow lifted. “Did you just apologize to me?”
“Not quite, I didn’t. But in this one instance, you’re right. I’m just used to acting on my own, is all. Meant no disrespect.”
“What are we going to do?” she asked him.
“You’re not going to do anything at all. This is on me. If there’s any malpractice involved, I don’t want it on you. You were always prepared to do the right thing. I wanted to do the right thing, too—but I had a different right thing in mind.”
“I think she should be examined. I can do it or we can make her an appointment with John Stone.”
“I’ll call John,” Doc said, taking another sip of his whiskey. “I want you away from this for now.”
“And this time, you’ll actually make the call?”
He turned and regarded her, glare for glare. “I’ll call him.”
Mel just concentrated on her beer, which had gone warm and dull.
“You do a good job, missy,” he said. “I’m getting too old for some things, especially the babies.” He looked down at his hands, some fingers bent, knuckles swollen. “I can still get things done, but these old hands aren’t good on the women. Better you take care of women’s health.”
She turned toward him. “First a partial apology. Then a partial compliment.”
“I apologize,” he said without looking at her. “I think you’re needed here.”
She let out her breath slowly. She knew how hard that was for him. She took another deep breath and put her arm around his shoulders. She leaned her head against him.
“Don’t go soft on me,” she said.
“Not a chance,” he returned.
* * *
Jack had no idea what had passed between Mel and Doc, but she said they were going back to the clinic and would have a bite to eat together there. He assumed they had issues to work out. Then she promised to come back to the bar before going home.
He served quite a few people at six. By seven the crowd was thinning and there were only a few people there when the door opened. Charmaine. She’d never come to Virgin River before; he’d let her know that he wanted to keep those two parts of his life separate. She wasn’t wearing waitress clothes tonight, so her intention was pretty obvious. She wore a nice pair of creased slacks, a crisp white blouse with the collar folded on the outside of a dark blue blazer. Her hair was down and full, makeup thick but perfect, heels. It pleased him to be reminded that she was a handsome woman, especially so when she didn’t wear those tight clothes that drew attention to her large breasts. She looked classy. Mature.
She sat up at the bar and smiled at him. “I thought I’d drop by and see how you’ve been,” she said.
“Good, Char. You?”
“Great.”
“How about a drink?” he asked.
“Sure. Yes. How about a Johnny Walker, ice. Make it a good Johnny.”
“You got it.” He set her up with a black label—he didn’t have any blue. Too pricey for his usual crowd. In fact, he didn’t move much of the black label. “So, what brings you to my neighborhood?”
“I wanted to check in. See if things are the same with you.”
He looked down for a second, disappointed. He had hoped not to have to do this again, and certainly not here. This was no place to discuss their relationship, such as it had been. He looked back into her eyes and simply nodded.
“No change, then?”
He shook his head, hoping he could leave it at that.
“Well,” she said, taking a sip of her drink, “I’m sorry to hear that. I was hoping that maybe we could... Never mind. I can tell by the look on your face—”
“Char, please. This isn’t the right time or place.”
“Take it easy, Jack, I’m not going to push. Can’t blame a girl for checking it out. After all, what we had was pretty special. To me, anyway.”
“It was special to me, too. I’m sorry, but I had to move on.”
“So—you still insist there’s no one else?”
“There wasn’t at the time. I didn’t lie to you. I’ve never lied to you. But now—”
Just as he said that, the door swung open and Mel came in. Her expression earlier had been angry, but now it was subdued. Tired. And she did something she had never previously done. Rather than jumping up on a stool and asking for a beer, she came around the bar. To Charmaine he said, “Excuse me just one second.” He met Mel at the end of the bar.
Mel immediately put her arms around his waist and hugged him, laying her head on his chest. His arms went around her, as well, returning the gesture, painfully aware that Charmaine was burning a hole in his back with her eyes.
“Today was trying,” Mel said softly. “Doc and I had a come-to-Jesus meeting about how we’re going to work together, if we’re going to work together. It was harder than I thought. Emotionally draining.”
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine. Might I have one of those nifty little Crowns? I’ve eaten and I promise to only have one, with ice, and you’re welcome to take me home tonight. If you want to.”
“You’re kidding, right? I’m scared to death to let you go home alone. Who knows what you’ll do, who you’ll take a ride with.” He put a small kiss on her brow and turned her around so she could go to the front of the bar. He didn’t make eye contact with Charmaine, but rather fixed the drink and put it before Mel. By now she was on a stool at the very end of the bar. “You’ll have to give me a minute.”
“Sure,” she said. “Take your time. I just want to unwind.”
“Unwind away.” He went back to Char.
The expression in Charmaine’s eyes was one of hurt, but at least there was clarity.
“I think I understand,” she said, taking another sip of her drink.
He reached for her hand and held it. “Charmaine, I wasn’t lying. Doesn’t really matter now, I guess, but I’d like it if you believed I was telling the truth. There wasn’t anyone else.”
“But you wanted there to be.”
He nodded, helplessly. He glanced at Mel. She was watching them. Her expression was perplexed and unhappy.
“Well. Now I understand,” Charmaine said, pulling her hand away from his. “I’m going to take off. Leave you to your business.”
She plunked down a twenty-dollar bill, insulting a former lover who would buy her a drink. She whirled off the bar stool and headed for the door. Jack grabbed that twenty and went down to the end of the bar. “Mel, I’ll be right back. Stay put.”
“Take all the time you need,” she said, but she didn’t say it happily.
Just the same he followed Charmaine outside. He called to her and she stopped once she got to her car. He caught up with her and said, “I’m sorry it worked out like this. I wish you’d just called.”
“I’m sure you do.” She had moist eyes, as though any minute there might be tears. “I see now,” she said.
“I’m not sure you do. This is... It’s very recent,” he said.
“But she was on your mind?”
He took a breath. “Yeah.”
“You love her,” she said.
He nodded. “Oh, yeah. Big-time.”
She laughed hollowly. “Well, who’d guess. Mr. No-Attachments.”
“I didn’t mean to mislead you, Char. That’s why I broke it off, because I knew if Mel gave me half a chance, I’d find myself with two women, and I wouldn’t do that to either one of you. I’d never deliberately...”
“Aw, take it easy, bub. She’s young, she’s pretty—and you’re a goner. Now I know. I just wanted to be sure.”
He grabbed her hands, pressing that twenty into one. “You can’t believe I’d let you buy a drink in my bar.”
“Old lovers drink on the house?” she asked sarcastically.
“No,” he said. “Good friends drink on the house.” He leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. I didn’t mean to.” He took a deep breath. “I never saw it coming.”
She sighed. “I understand, Jack. I miss you, is all. I hope it all works out for you, but if it doesn’t...”
“Char, if this doesn’t work, I won’t be worth a damn.”
She chuckled. “Okay, then. I’ll take off. Good luck, Jack.” She got in her car, backed out and drove away. He watched until she was gone, then went back inside.
He stood behind the bar, facing Mel. “I’m sorry about that.”
“What was that?”
“An old friend.”
“Clear River?”
“Yeah. Just checking up.”
“Wanting another run at you?”
He nodded. “I made it clear...”
“What did you make clear? Huh, Jack?”
“That I’m off the market. I tried to do that kindly.”
Her expression softened somewhat. She smiled a little and put the palm of her hand against his cheek. “Well, I guess I can’t bitch about that. Your kindness is one of your best features. But tell me something, cowboy. Is she going to keep showing up here?”
“No.”
“Good. I don’t like competition.”
“There isn’t any, Melinda. There never was.”
“There better not be. Turns out I’m a very selfish woman.”
“I broke it off with her before I even held your hand.”
She lifted an amused eyebrow. “That was optimistic of you. You could have ended up with no one.”
“A chance I was willing to take. The other way—I didn’t want to take that kind of chance. It could have seriously messed up what I wanted. And I wanted you.” He smiled at her. “You’re being a pretty good sport about this,” he said.
“Hey. I know why she was here. I wouldn’t give you up at the point of a gun. Wanna take me home? Spend the night?”
“Yeah,” he said with a smile. “I always want to.”
“Get permission from your bald guy then. I want you to prove yourself to me tonight. Again.” Then she grinned.
* * *
July came in sunny and warm with a bit of occasional rain. Jack was sitting out on the porch when Rick showed up for work. He came in earlier in the day during summer when there was no school—sometime between breakfast and lunch. It was the peculiar look on his face that caused Jack to say, “Hold up, pardner. How you doing?”
“Good, Jack,” he said.
“Pull up a chair. I haven’t wanted to ask, but it’s been on my mind. You and Liz.”
“Yeah,” Ricky said, leaning against the porch rail rather than sitting. “Must show all over me, huh?”
“Something’s showing. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I guess.” He took a breath. “I kept after her to let me know if we were all clear, you know? And when she finally said it was okay, she wasn’t pregnant or anything, I told her that I thought maybe we should cool it. It killed her.”
“Whooo,” Jack said. “Rough.”
“I feel like the biggest dog.”
“I guess you had your reasons.”
“I tried to explain—it’s not that I don’t like her. A lot. I really like her a lot. I’m not just saying that. And it’s not just because of what we did. You know.”
“I get that, yeah,” Jack said.
“Can I tell you something?”
“It’s all up to you, bud.”
“I really like the girl a lot. I maybe even love her, if that doesn’t sound too stupid. But it turns out it’s a little too hot for me to handle, and I don’t want to screw up my life and her life because of that. That one time—Jack, I did not see that coming. I think it’s best for her and me to put some miles between us. Does that make me a wimp?”
Jack felt a slow smile spread across his lips. “Nah. That makes you a person with a brain.”
“I feel like a damn dog. But Jack, that girl—she just does it to me. Holy God. I get close to that girl and I have no brain at all.”
Jack sat forward in his chair, leaning toward Rick. “There will be times when too hot to handle will work right into your plans, Rick. But you won’t be sixteen anymore. You need to be smart. Sounds like you’re being smart. I’m sorry you and the girl are having a hard time with this.”
“I hope you’re right about this. Because I feel like shit. Plus, I miss her like mad. And not just that... I miss her.”
“Ricky, buddy, you are too young to be a daddy. I’m sorry this hurts, but sometimes you have to do the difficult thing. And she’s just too frickin’ young to be put in that position. Someone has to be a grown-up. You’re doing the right thing. If she’s the right girl, it’ll keep.”
“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head sadly.
“Let the girl get a little older, pal. Maybe you can check back with her later.”
“Or maybe not, Jack. I think I hurt her real bad. I might not get another shot.”
“Do yourself a favor. Don’t keep going back to the scene of the crime. It’ll just buy you trouble.”
* * *
Mel began to glow in the brightness of summer. She had a patient in her last trimester with a first baby and first babies were so much fun. This couple, unlike Polly and Darryl, unlike the sad and anonymous couple in the woods, had been trying for a baby for quite a while, so they were filled with anxiety and excitement. Anne and Jeremy Givens were in their late twenties and had been married eight years. Jeremy’s dad owned a large orchard, and Jeremy and Anne lived on the land with the extended family. The baby would come before the apple crop.
Jack and Mel had solidified a couples’ friendship with June and Jim, and John and Susan. They spent more time in Grace Valley and the other couples came to Virgin River twice—once to Mel’s little cabin for dinner, once to Jack’s bar. On the last visit Susan announced that she wouldn’t be leaving town again, unless she could use the twisting, bumpy, thirty-minute drive to start labor. She was about to pop. Jack invited Jim, Elmer Hudson and a friend of Elmer’s, Judge Forrest, to fish with him and Preacher in the Virgin, and their catch was good. It made her almost as happy that the men were friends as it did that she had these women friends in her life.
Given the time she was spending with her girlfriends, Mel had opened up a little, but just a little. She admitted she was in a relationship with Jack and that he was the best thing that had happened to her in Virgin River. “It looks like you were made for each other,” Susan said. “Kind of like June and Jim—barely acquainted and like old soul mates.”
To Joey she reported, “I never sleep by myself anymore. It feels more natural to have him near. And Joey—it’s so nice not to be alone anymore.” She didn’t dare tell her sister that after going out to a marijuana grow to deliver a baby, Jack would hardly let her out of his sight. She smiled secretly; there was always a bright spot to everything.
“Do you get any sleep?” Joey asked.
Mel laughed. “I sleep very well, every night. But Joey,” she said, shivering, “I’ve never known anything like this. Every time I look at him, I just want to get undressed.”
“You deserve it, Mel.”
“He asked me to do something that has me a little tense—he’s going to Sacramento for his youngest sister’s birthday—a gathering of the whole family. And he wants me to go.”
“Why would that make you tense? You sprung me on him and it went very well. He’s crazy about me,” she added with a laugh.
“I’m not worried that they won’t like me. I’m worried they might make more of this than there is.”
“Ah,” Joey said. “Holding back a little?”
“Not on purpose,” she answered. “For some reason I just can’t stop feeling that I’m married to someone else.”
“Oh, Mel—go! That other guy—the one you still feel married to? He’s not going to get in the way of this. In fact, if he’s watching, he’s probably glad you have someone special to warm up your nights.”
“If he’s watching,” she said, “I’m blushing.”
Jack convinced her. All the way to Sacramento, she was nervous as a cat. “I just don’t want your family to think we’re in a serious relationship.”
“Aren’t we?” he asked her. “Aren’t you?”
“You know there’s no one else in my life,” she said. “I’m completely monogamous. I just need time... You know...”
“Man,” he said, laughing. “This figures.”
“What?”
“All those years I made sure the woman I was seeing at the time knew I couldn’t be tied down... There are women out there, Mel, who would think I’m getting just what I deserve right now.”
“You know what I mean. It’s just my issues...”
“I’m waiting out the issues. And I’m serious about that.”
“You’re very patient with me, Jack. And I appreciate it. I just don’t want them to get the wrong idea. And we will sleep in separate bedrooms at your dad’s.”
“No,” he said firmly. “I’m over forty years old. I sleep with you every night. I told my dad that one bedroom would be just fine.”
She sighed heavily. Nervously. “Okay then. But we’re not doing it at your dad’s.” And he laughed at her.
* * *
It was so much hotter in Sacramento in July than in Virgin River. Hotter even than L.A. in July—Sacramento was located on an inland valley and had no ocean breezes to cool the land.
Sam Sheridan still lived in the house where he’d raised his five children—a spacious ranch-style home in the suburbs with a lush yard, pool and a big kitchen. When Mel met him, she looked into the eyes of an older version of Jack—a man of the same height and girth with thick, steel-gray hair, a big smile and a powerful handshake. Jack and Sam embraced like brothers, so happy to be together.
The three of them had a nice evening with steak cooked on the backyard barbecue and red wine. The men insisted on cleaning up the dishes, so Mel took her glass of wine and wandered around the house a little bit. She found herself in what passed as Sam’s study, or office or bragging room. There was a desk, a TV, computer, bookshelves and wall upon wall of pictures and awards. All his daughters in their wedding dresses, all his granddaughters, ranging in age from five to eighteen, but the thing she hadn’t given any thought to at all were the pictures she would see of Jack. Pictures she had never seen around Jack’s room—a marine wearing rows of ribbons. Jack and his various squads and platoons, Jack and his parents, Jack and generals. Jack and the guys who came to Virgin River for their Semper Fi reunions. And cases of medals. She didn’t know much about military awards, but there was no mistaking three purple hearts and silver and bronze stars.
She reached out and gently ran her fingers over the glass case that held the medals. Sam came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “He’s a hero,” he said softly. “Many times over.”
She looked over her shoulder at Sam. “You’d never know that from talking to him,” she said.
“Oh, I know.” He laughed. “He’s modest.”
“Dad,” Jack said, coming into the room, drying a wineglass with a dish towel. “I told you to put all that shit away.”
“Ha,” Sam said, just ignoring his son, turning his back on him. “This one is from Desert Storm,” he told Mel. “And this—Bosnia. There were downed fighter pilots—Jack and his unit went into a hot zone and pulled them out. He got shot in Afghanistan, but still managed to get his squad out of danger. And this one—the latest Iraq conflict—he saved six men.”
“Dad...”
“Your dishes done, son?” he asked without turning around, dismissing Jack.
Mel looked up at Sam. “Do you think this bothers him? The memories?”
“Oh, I’m sure some of them do. But it never bothered him enough to keep him from going back, time and again. They might’ve sent him anyway, but every bit of training and fighting—he volunteered. This boy has been awarded medals by many generals and one president. He was the marines’ best—and I’m damn proud of him. He won’t keep the medals with him. He’d put ’em in storage or something. I have to keep them here to keep them safe.”
“He’s not proud of this?” she asked.
Sam looked down at Mel. “Not the medals so much as the men. He was committed to his men, not military awards. You didn’t know this about my son?”
“I knew he was in the marines. I met some of his friends. These guys,” she said, pointing at a picture.
“He’s a leader of men, Melinda,” Sam said. He glanced over his shoulder and seeing that his son was gone, said, “He tends to act embarrassed that he was only a high-school graduate when his sisters—and their husbands for that matter—all hold college degrees, and even some postgraduate degrees among them. But I think the man has accomplished more, done more good and saved more lives, than many a man or woman with more education. And if you know him, you know he’s very intelligent. If he’d gone to college, he’d have excelled there, as well, but this was his path.”
“He’s so gentle,” she heard herself say.
“He is that. I’ve seen him with each one of my granddaughters, handling them like they’re nitro and might blow up if he makes a wrong move. But he is not gentle when he’s in the fight. This man is not just a marine. He’s a highly decorated hero. His sisters and I stand in awe.”
“It must have been hard for you, when he was in combat.”
“Yes.” He looked at the pictures and medals with a wistful expression on his face. “You can’t imagine how much his mother and I missed him. Worried about him. But he did what he was driven to do. And he did it well.” Sam smiled. “We’d better get back to the kitchen. He gets surly when I brag.”
* * *
When Mel got up the next morning, Jack was not beside her. She heard him talking with his dad in another room; she heard them laughing, so she showered and dressed before joining them. She found them in the dining room, paperwork spread out all over the table.
“Board meeting?” she asked.
“Something like that,” Sam said. “So, son, everything look okay to you?”
“Great. As usual.” He stuck out his hand and shook his father’s. “Thanks, Dad. Appreciate it.”
Sam gathered up the papers, clutched them in a stack atop an accordion file and left the room.
“My dad was an agent for a brokerage firm before he retired. While I was in the marines, I’d send him money from time to time. He’s been investing for me for twenty years.”
“I didn’t think a marine made a lot of money,” she said.
“Not really.” He shrugged. “But if you’re single and you keep re-upping and going to war, there are bonuses, incentives, combat pay, promotions. My buddies—most of them—had those benefits eaten up by housing, braces on kids’ teeth, the usual. I always lived cheap and saved. My dad,” he said, “he always made that such an issue while I was growing up.”
“Smart man,” she said, and she wasn’t speaking of Sam.
Jack grinned. “You thought I was making a killing on that little Virgin River bar?”
“I figured you didn’t need to. With a military retirement and low cost of living...”
“Nah. That aside, I’m set,” he said. “If the bar burns to the ground, all I have to do is support Preach for the rest of his life. And I’d like to make sure Ricky gets an education. That’s about it.” He reached for her hand. “Otherwise, I have everything I need.”
* * *
That afternoon the rest of the family descended on the Sheridan home—four sisters and their husbands, eight nieces. As they came, one family at a time, they flung themselves on Jack. His sisters ran to him, hugging and kissing him. His brothers-in-law embraced him fondly. He picked up each one of his nieces and hugged them like they were his daughters, spun them around, laughed into their pretty faces.
Mel wasn’t sure what she had expected them to be like. Having seen the family picture in his room and those around the house, she knew they were a good looking family; good genes. His sisters were very different from each other, but each was svelte, lovely, smart. Donna, the oldest, was very tall, probably five-ten, with short, frosted hair, Jeannie was nearly as tall, quite thin and chic, Mary was next tallest at perhaps five-five, but so trim and fragile-looking it was hard to imagine her handling a big commercial jet. Donna and Jeannie each had three daughters, Mary had two. And then there was Brie, the baby, celebrating her thirtieth birthday. She was the only sister who did not yet have children. She was just about the same size as Mel with long light brown hair that fell down her back almost to her waist—a little bitty thing who put away hardened criminals for a living. And their men, like Jack and Sam, were big guys, the nieces, each one beautiful.
Jack’s sisters brought some of Mel’s closest friends with them—Ralph Lauren, Lilly Pulitzer, Michael Kors and Coach. Each one of them had a strong sense of style, but what was more obvious than their collective taste in fashion was their warmth and humor. They all met Mel with delight, eschewing the offered handshake and immediately embracing her. It was a very physical, affectionate family. Every time Mel stole a look at Jack he had his arms around a sister or niece, frequently dropping kisses on their heads or cheeks. Just as frequently he would seek out Mel and put a possessive arm about her shoulders or waist. And to her surprise, so would Sam, as though they’d been close for years.
All Brie had wanted for her birthday was to have the family together and her brother home. “He’s not so very far away,” Mel said. “Don’t you get to see him often?”
“Not nearly often enough,” Brie said. “Jack has been essentially gone for twenty-three years. Since he was seventeen.”
It was a loud day, filled with laughter and good food. Sam took care of the meat while the sisters brought delicious side dishes. After dinner, the kids took off to watch DVDs on the big screen or jump in the backyard pool or play video games on Grandpa’s computer. It was just the adults sitting around the patio tables and they told stories about Jack that almost made him blush.
“Remember, Dad, when you were giving away Jack’s bed and were going to surprise him with a new bigger one because he’d gotten so tall? So heavy?” Immediate laughter from everyone—Mel was the only one not intimate with this story. “A friend of the family wanted the bed for one of his younger kids. He was a respected member of the PTA...”
“Aw, you act like he was the frickin’ preacher or something,” Jack protested.
“And when they pulled off the mattress, Jack’s private library was exposed for all eyes to see,” Donna said, and everyone howled.
“I’d been raising girls,” Sam said. “I completely forgot what boys were doing when they were supposed to be doing homework.”
“At least it was good, solid, decent girlie magazines and not pictures of women in bras from Sears catalogs,” Jack said in his defense. “Fine, upstanding, naked women!”
“Hear, hear,” the brothers-in-law intoned.
“You know,” Mel said, “I’ve noticed there’s only one bathroom besides the master bath in this house...”
Immediate noise erupted—shouts, laughter, whistles, jeering. “We used to have the biggest fights over the bathroom,” one of the women said.
“I wasn’t in that,” Jack insisted.
“You were the worst!” it was accused.
“Plus, when he got the bathroom, he’d stay in there for hours! He wouldn’t give it up until all the hot water was gone!”
“Mom had to give him a timer for his shower—so the rest of us could get clean, too. Of course, he just ignored it. And Mom would say, now, now, I know Jack’s trying. Because Jack was her little precious.”
“I started showering at night—it was the only way,” Donna said.
“Speaking of nights—do you know what he used to do to us at night? Mary and I had the same bedroom, and it was crammed to the ceiling with our stuff. Jack and one of his friends used to sneak in when we were asleep and tie strings to our fingers and toes and connect the strings to stuff around the room, so when we turned over in our sleep—everything came crashing down around us!”
“That’s nothing,” Jeannie said. “I used to come home from school and find all my stuffed animals with nooses around their necks, hanging from my bed canopy!”
“They act like they never did anything to me,” Jack said.
“Do you remember the time we were all in the family room, all five of us, and Mom came into the room with a bunch of condoms in her hand and said, ‘Guess what I found floating in the washer? Jack, I imagine these must belong to you.’”
Wild laughter erupted and Jack got all stirred up. “Yeah, but they weren’t mine, were they? Because mine were right where I’d left them! I suspect Donna!”
“I was a feminist,” Donna declared.
“Mom would never have believed it—Donna was her pride and joy!”
“Donna was screwing around!”
“I can’t take these stories,” Sam said, standing up and going for a beer, making them all laugh.
“It’s okay, Dad,” Donna yelled. “I don’t need birth control anymore!”
When it was time to clean up and the sun had set, the men went off somewhere and three of the sisters insisted that the birthday girl and the guest relax while they did the work. Mel was left with Brie. They sat at the patio table by candlelight.
“My brother has never brought a woman home before,” Brie said.
“After watching him with his family—all these females—it’s so hard to imagine. He’s completely comfortable with women. He should have been married years ago. He should have a big family of his own,” Mel said.
“It just never happened,” Brie put in. “I blame it on the marines.”
“When I first met him, I asked him if he’d ever been married and he said, ‘I was married to the marines, and she was a real bitch.’” Brie laughed. “Have you visited him in Virgin River?” Mel asked.
“Not en masse,” she said. “But we’ve all gotten up there at one time or another. The guys like to fish with Jack and Preacher. Dad will go up there for as long as a couple of weeks at a time—he loves that little bar of Jack’s.”
“Jack seems to have found his niche, his happy place,” Mel said. “I’ve only been there a little over four months, and my adjustment hasn’t been that easy. I’m used to big-city medicine where you can get anything you want, and fast. This is a whole new game. And I had to drive for two hours to get a decent haircut and frost job.”
“What made you choose Virgin River?” Brie asked her.
“Hmm. The flip side of big-city medicine—I’d had it with the chaos and crime. As I told Jack, I left the E.R. not just because I felt drawn to midwifery, but I thought I could get away from having half my patients brought in by the police. And guess what? The first woman I ever delivered had multiple felony warrants and was being arrested when she went into labor. She was handcuffed to the bed when I examined her prior to delivery.” She chuckled. “I was looking for something smaller and simpler.” She laughed. “I got smaller, but simpler? Little towns like Virgin River have their own challenges.”
“Like?”
“Like how about loading a critical patient in the back of a pickup truck and speeding down the mountain, hanging on for dear life, trying to get her to the hospital before she goes into cardiac arrest. Man, did I ever lust after that big, chaotic emergency room that day. And there’s always the adventure of having your services requested by a big, gun-toting drug farmer in the middle of the night... Um, if you tell Jack that version of the story, there’s going to be a scene.”
Brie laughed. “He doesn’t know?”
“Not some of the details. He was very pissed that I went alone to an unknown location with a man who was basically a stranger.”
“Holy smoke.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a good thing I did. There were complications with the delivery. But I don’t think that will cheer up Jack too much.” She shrugged. “Jack’s protective. Of everyone.”
“Have you found your niche?” Brie asked.
“I kind of crave a trip to Nordstrom’s,” Mel said. “I wouldn’t mind a facial and leg wax, either. On the other hand, I didn’t realize I could get by on so little. So simply. There’s something about that... It’s freeing, in a way. And there’s no question, it’s beautiful. Sometimes it’s so quiet, your ears ring. But when I first got there, I thought I’d really screwed up big—it was so much more rugged and isolated than I expected. The mountain roads terrified me, and Doc and I manage in that clinic with the most rudimentary equipment. The cabin I was promised, rent free for a year, was horrible. In fact, my first morning there the porch collapsed and dumped me into a deep, freezing mud puddle. The cabin was so filthy, I was on my way out of town—running for my life—when a medical emergency stopped me and I reluctantly stayed a few days that turned into a couple of weeks.”
“That turned into a few months...” Brie observed.
“Jack renovated the cabin without being asked, while I stayed at Doc’s house,” Mel said. “About the time I was going to make a break for it, he showed it to me. I said I’d give it a few more days. Then my first delivery occurred and I realized I should give the place a chance. There’s something about a successful delivery in a place like Virgin River where there’s no backup, no anesthesia... Just me and Mom... It’s indescribable.”
“Then there’s Jack,” Brie said.
“Jack,” Mel repeated. “I don’t know when I’ve met a kinder, stronger, more generous man. Your brother is wonderful, Brie. He’s amazing. Everyone in Virgin River loves him.”
“My brother is in love with you,” Brie said.
Mel shouldn’t have been shocked. Although he hadn’t said the words, she already knew it. Felt it. At first she thought he was just a remarkable lover, but soon she realized that he couldn’t touch her that way without an emotional investment, as well as a physical one. He gave her everything he had—and not just in the bedroom. It was in her mind to tell Brie—I’m a recent widow! I need time to digest this! I don’t feel free yet—free to accept another man’s love! Her cheeks grew warm and she said nothing.
“I realize I’m biased, but when a man like Jack loves a woman, it’s a great honor.”
“I agree,” Mel said quietly.
* * *
Late, in the dark of night, as he held her in his arms in the bed in his father’s house, she said, “You have the most wonderful family.”
“They love you, too.”
“It was such fun watching you all together. They’re ruthless—you don’t have a secret left!” And she laughed.
“I told you. No slack here.”
“But what fun, to have all that history, all those hysterical stories.”
“Oh—I listened to you and Joey for a few days. You didn’t grow up deprived.” He kissed her neck. “I’m just glad you had fun. I knew you would.” He kissed her neck again, nuzzling closer.
“Your sisters are all so put together,” she said. “Very classy, very sharp. I used to dress like that, before I moved to a place where you’re overdressed in good jeans. You should have seen my closet in L.A.—it was huge, and bulging.”
He pulled the T-shirt she wore up and over her head. “I like what you’re wearing right now. In fact, I find you overdressed in this thong.”
“Jack, I thought we decided, we’re not going to do it in your father’s house...”
“No, you said you weren’t going to.” He slipped the thong down. “I’m thinking of going after that G-spot again...”
“Oh, God,” she said, weakening. “We shouldn’t. You know how we get...”
He rose above her and grinned into her eyes. “Want me to get a sock for your mouth?”
* * *
Susan Stone delivered her son in August—a robust eight-pounder. She went to Valley Hospital, had a stunning delivery and was home in Grace Valley in forty-eight hours. It was in Mel’s mind to give her some time alone with her baby, but both John and June called and urged her to come the next Sunday afternoon, the baby not yet a week old.
Jack would not be left behind. He brought the beer and cigars.
Susan was very fit for a woman who had just delivered, but still she stayed on the couch, bassinet nearby, and let her friends fuss over her. In typical country fashion, women brought food so that the new parents wouldn’t have to be bothered with cooking. Mel was surprised to see such an air of celebration and atmosphere of an open house so soon after bringing a baby home.
There was another couple present, a very pregnant Julianna Dickson and her husband, Mike. John dropped an arm around Julianna’s shoulders and said to Mel, “This one is legendary—she could never seem to wait for the doctor. June and I finally got to attend one of her births—it was the last baby, and it was sheer luck. She delivers with about fifteen minutes’ notice. This is number six. We’re going to admit her tomorrow and induce.”
“Don’t let the baby hear you say that,” Julianna said. “You know what always happens.”
“Maybe we should go over there right now?”
“Maybe you should strap yourself to me and keep one hand on my stomach.”
The women gathered in the living room around Susan with cups of coffee and cake. John plucked the baby out of his bassinet to show him off. As Jim already had baby Jamie in his arms, John offered the baby to Jack. And he willingly, happily took him into his arms. He cooed at the little bundle.
Mel’s eyes warmed as she watched him.
“You’re pretty good at that for a bachelor,” John said appreciatively.
“Nieces,” he said.
“Eight of them,” Mel added.
Jack jiggled and the baby sent up a loud wail. “I guess you’re not that good,” John said.
“Jack did fine. He’s hungry,” Susan said, reaching for the baby.
“Okay—there’s going to be breast-feeding,” John said. “We should find something to do.”
Jack pulled cigars out of his breast pocket and immediately a very grateful hum of approval sounded. Jim handed Jamie off to June and left the women and babies in the house to go outside and indulge.
“They’re going to stink,” Julianna said.
“To high heaven,” June agreed.
“At least they’re out of our hair.” Susan settled the newborn onto her breast and Mel watched with longing. “Mel,” she said, “how’d it go in Sacramento? With Jack’s family?”
“Oh, they’re fantastic,” she said, coming back to herself again. “Four sisters who tell every secret he’d ever dream of keeping, and eight nieces, all beautiful, all in love with their uncle Jack. It was delightful. So, Susan—how was your labor? Back labor, like you predicted?”
“Epidural,” she said with a grin. “Piece of cake.”
“I’ve never had time for one of those,” Julianna said somewhat wistfully, smoothing a hand over her round tummy.
“You and Julianna are awful close to the same due date,” Mel observed.
They all laughed. “I might’ve neglected to mention—the big fight John and I had before this little conception? It happened at a night of cards with Julianna and Mike.”
“We were both so furious with our husbands—they had both been banished. Apparently we let them both into bed at about the same time.” More laughter. Julianna rubbed her swollen tummy. “I meant to stop doing this...”
“What in the world happened?” Mel wanted to know.
“Long story short—they had a couple of beers and started in on working women. I wanted to work alongside John and June in the clinic, but John wanted me to stay home, mind my own business and clean house. And make sure he had one of those solid country meals in front of him when he got home. Now, I come from the part of the world where a salad with some chicken strips is a dining delight.”
“Mike, on the other hand, thought it was wonderful that I didn’t work. With five kids and a farmhouse to run,” Julianna said.
“Oh, brother,” Mel said.
“They were made to suffer very appropriately,” June put in. “No conversation, no sex. Perfect discipline for idiots.”
“How’d it turn out?” Mel asked.
“Well, when I’m not nine months pregnant or postpartum and nursing, I run the clinic.”
“And very well, at that.”
“But a side effect was... Well, as you can plainly see—we had been knocked up. You might not want to drink the water around here,” Susan advised.
“No kidding,” said June, propping Jamie on her shoulder.
I drank the water, Mel almost said.
Nursing done, Susan passed the baby to Mel. She smiled gratefully and took the little guy. His rosy round face was contented in sleep; little baby noises escaped him.
The women talked about their labors, about their men, and they brought Mel into the conversation very well with questions about her midwifery experiences. June went to the kitchen for the coffeepot and refilled them all while Mel happily cuddled with the newborn. Her breasts actually ached as she held him. Hormones are amazing, she found herself thinking.
* * *
On the way back to Virgin River, Jack said, “Your friends throw a nice little party.”
“Don’t they?” she replied, reaching across the truck’s front seat to hold his hand.
“All these babies,” Jack said. “Everywhere you look.”
“Everywhere.”
He pulled up in front of her cabin. “I’ll shower off the cigars,” he said.
“Thanks,” she answered. “It actually makes me a little nauseous.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t realize.”
“No big deal. But I’ll be glad to loan you the shower. And meet you in the bed. I’m suddenly exhausted.”
* * *
Mel was just pulling up to the clinic in the morning when beside her an old pickup was pulling into the next parking spot. She recognized the man at once—Calvin. She hadn’t seen him since that first time, when she treated his facial wounds. He jumped out of the truck as she got out of the Hummer. His hands were plunged into his pockets and he seemed to nearly vibrate with the jitters. She suddenly realized something—the man who took her to deliver his baby in the backwoods, also a grower, didn’t seem to be on anything. This guy was wired. High. She’d never have gotten in a truck, in the middle of the night, with Calvin—baby or no baby. She further realized that without a plan of any kind, she could get hurt if she refused such a request from Calvin. He was pretty scary, and clearly unstable.
Before she could even address him, he said, “I need something. Back pain.”
“What do you need?” she asked calmly, very practiced in handling his type back in the city.
“Pain medicine. I need something for pain. Fentanyl, maybe. OxyContin. Morphine. Something.”
“Did you hurt your back?” she asked, trying to avoid his eyes as she proceeded to Doc’s front porch. He was jerking and tweaking, and upright rather than sitting on a low stool, she became aware of his size. He was almost six feet and broad-shouldered. It was clear he’d gotten his hands on something not depressive. Maybe methamphetamine, as Doc had earlier suspected. He wanted a narcotic to bring him down. The pot from his garden must not be doing it for him.
“Fell off a ledge out there. Might’ve broke it. It’ll be okay, but I need a little medicine.”
“Fine. You’ll have to see Doc,” she said.
His feet moved nervously. He pulled a hand out of his pocket and grabbed at her sleeve and she jerked out of his reach.
Jack, coming from her cabin arrived behind her and was just pulling into town as Calvin made that move and for a split second she almost felt sorry for him. Jack accelerated, screeched to a stop within inches of Doc’s porch and was out of the truck in one second. “Get away from her!” he shouted.
The guy backed away, but just a little bit. He looked at Mel. “I just need something for the pain in my back,” he said.
Jack reached into his truck and had his hand on his rifle. The look in his eyes was frightening. “I’m okay,” she said to Jack. Then to the twitchy young man, “I don’t prescribe the kind of drugs you’re looking for. We leave that to the doctor. And he’ll want an X-ray, undoubtedly.”
The guy stared at her, then grinned stupidly. “You ain’t got no X-ray.”
“There’s one at Valley Hospital,” she said.
Jack pulled the rifle off the rack and held it at his side for a moment. Then he kicked the truck door closed and came up onto the porch to stand beside Mel. He put an arm around Mel and pulled her against him. “Want to see the doctor?” he asked Calvin, rifle in hand.
“Hey, man,” he laughed nervously. “What’s your deal, man?” He backed away with his hands up, palms facing Jack. “Take it easy. I’ll go to the valley,” he said. He jumped off the porch, not bothering with the steps. Must be some back pain, she thought. He got in the old pickup, started it, put it in gear and drove away. But he didn’t go toward the valley—he went toward the woods.
“You know him?” Jack asked.
“He was at that camp Doc and I went to a few months ago. When you watched the baby for us. You remember...”
“Paulis’s?”
“Uh-huh. Did you have to do that?” Mel asked. “He really hadn’t done anything threatening.”
Jack glared after the departing truck. “Yeah,” he said. “I had to. He’s wrong. He’s just wrong.”