Whispering Rock (17 page)

The men faced each other; Delaney leaned on the hood of his truck, and the grower kept his hands in his pockets. They
didn’t shake hands or greet each other as friends, and no money or goods changed hands—it was not a drug buy. In less than five minutes they got back into their respective trucks and left the area.

There were a number of possibilities, but the most likely was that Delaney had himself an informant inside the cannabis trade.

P
aul Haggerty would help Jack anytime he could—that went without saying. It being a profitable venture for him as well made it even more palatable. But when he got right down to it, the deal maker was the fact that Vanessa was now residing in Virgin River.

He found six men who were ready to sign on immediately, so he had a contract drawn up for Jack and faxed it to the bar. Next he leased a large mobile home and had it delivered to the homesite, along with a portable toilet and commercial Dumpster for the grounds. His crew could drive down and sleep in the trailer during the week, going home weekends if they so chose. He’d haul his own small trailer for himself. He’d change out and add crews as progress was made on the house. Jack would have to double as a foreman because Paul couldn’t stay in Virgin River all the time. He was leaving his dad and two brothers to run their construction company while he took on this project and he’d have to spend some time back in Grants Pass trying to pull his own weight.

While the structure was being completed, Paul would scout
around the area for painters, carpet layers, tilers, paperhangers, cabinetmakers. Jack would have no trouble having light and plumbing fixtures and appliances installed, once Mel chose them. The house had been started last spring and great progress had been made, but alone, it would take Jack another year. Together, with crews, they might be able to finish it in a few months. If the weather didn’t hamper them too much, by early spring at least.

And during that time he would see Vanessa. The idea threatened to give him hives. He loved being around her, went nuts with her effervescence and buoyancy. The problem was that he found her just as sexy and distracting pregnant as he had that very first night Matt put the moves on her. He wondered if he was just setting himself up for a lot of long, troubling nights of thinking about her and feeling sorry for himself because he would never, under pain of death, touch his friend’s woman. He felt guilty that he even wanted to.

But this would be his secret, that he desired her, worshipped her. And while Matt was at war, Paul would look in on her from time to time, be sure she was holding up.

He and Matt were like brothers. They had gone to the same Oregon high school, had a couple of years of college together, joined up and went into the Corps together. But Matt was the one who was confident with the girls, while Paul had always been the reluctant one, a little shy. It was hard for him to make that first move; he’d always had to think it through for a long time before he could work up to approaching a woman. He’d overcome a lot of that by now, but not enough. He’d never have the speed, finesse and confidence of his best friend.

He remembered that night just a few years ago as if it was yesterday. Matt was on leave and they met in San Francisco
to do the town. They were out drinking when they spotted a group of flight attendants on layover at one of the bars. Paul had said, “Oh, my God, would you look at that! Would you look at
her!
”

“Which one?” Matt asked.

“The leggy one with the red hair and gold skin. I’m going to pass out.”

“I’ll go get her for you.”

“No! God, don’t do that. Wait till I figure out something….”

And Matt grinned and said, “Three, two, one… I’m gone.”

But he didn’t bring her back. Instead, he waved Paul over and tried to hook him up with one of Vanessa’s friends. And Paul went along with it, because what else was he going to do? If he’d had an ounce of courage he would’ve said, “Stop! I saw her first! She’s
mine!
” To this day, he regretted that.

Before that weekend was over, Matt and Vanessa were in love. Since she had airline travel privileges and he was state-side, she spent every weekend with him for a year. A year after that Paul was best man at their wedding. He swore if he ever again saw a woman he was that drawn to, he would tackle her on the spot, probably knocking her off her feet, and never let her get away.

As far as he could remember, that hadn’t ever happened to him before. And it sure hadn’t happened since.

When Paul got to Virgin River he went directly to the job site to be sure everything was in place. The trailer had made it just fine and stood ready for his crews. His best supervisor, Manny, would be bringing materials on the big truck and the others would follow. He unhooked his fifth wheel, leaving it at the site, and drove his truck to the Booth household. When he pulled in, he immediately had second thoughts—he should
have called her. But wouldn’t calling her indicate that she had some play in his coming here, doing this for Jack? That wouldn’t be good. So he just knocked on the door.

Walt answered, his glasses pushed up on his head and his newspaper in his hand. “Paul! Damn, boy! What are you doing here?”

“I’m here on a job, sir,” he said, laughing. “We’re going to have to keep it on the downlow for now—I don’t think it’s out yet.”

“That so?” he asked, pushing open the door. “Come in, come in! You can tell us all about it. Vanessa! You won’t believe this!”

Paul stepped into the foyer of the house and looked around appreciatively. It wasn’t much from the outside—just a long, narrow ranch. But inside it was spacious with vaulted ceilings and lots of windows facing the stable and corral so they could watch their horses from the house. It looked as though the general had probably gutted it and had it completely remodeled. The foyer opened up into a great room with an impressive fireplace and lots of soft leather furniture. As Paul stepped into that room he saw that the dining room was to his right and he leaned slightly to peek into a huge modern kitchen. Down the hall, he assumed, were bedrooms. Out the great-room windows he could see horses in the pasture, the new stable and a view of the mountains and river. It wasn’t hard to tell why the general had chosen this place. He was a hunter, fisherman and sportsman who loved his horses.

Out back, a foot up on the corral fence, looking at the horses, was a young man. That would be Tommy. He couldn’t wait to get a closer look at the kid. At the wedding a couple of years ago he’d really enjoyed his sense of humor. He was an intelligent, handsome teen who was funny but with the
kind of careful manners that would come from being raised in a strict household, by an Army general’s firm hand.

Vanessa came down the hall toward him. Her face lit up in pleased surprise. “Oh, my God!” she said, grinning widely. “What are you doing back here so soon?”

“Well, I’ll tell you in a minute. How are you? You look fantastic!”

“I’m starting to get really fat,” she laughed.

“You look perfect. I think you’re more beautiful than ever. Are you taking lots of pictures for Matt?”

“Every week I have Dad take a new picture of my belly. Time-lapse photography.”

“That’s great.”

“How about a beer, Paul?” Walt asked.

“Sure, why not? Is that Tommy out there?”

“Yeah. He’s having a bad day. Let me get that beer. Go sit down.”

“Come on,” Vanessa said, taking his hand and pulling him into the great room. She led him to an overstuffed chair with an ottoman near the windows that overlooked the corral.

Before Paul even got comfortable in the chair opposite Vanessa, the general appeared with a cold beer poured in a tall glass. He had one for himself as well and said, “Vanni, I didn’t get you anything, honey. I didn’t even think.”

“No problem, Dad. I’ll go get some water in a minute. Boy, doesn’t that beer look good! I have to admit—I can’t wait.”

The general was at least six feet tall, broad shouldered and silver haired, with black brows, square face, about sixty years old; he had had a magnificent Army career that spanned over thirty-five years. A few years ago his wife had died, and when that happened he wrapped it up with the Army. Without that great partner of his—a woman lauded often but whom Paul
had never met—he wasn’t interested in any more military challenges.

“What’s up with Tommy?” Paul asked, taking a drink of his beer.

“Aw, teenagers,” the general said. “He’s hanging with this kid I just don’t like. He got himself in a little trouble—went out to some forbidden kegger in the woods. I found out there’s been a little beer after school and noticed his grades slipping in a couple of his classes. And I think it’s this one kid.”

“That’s not all of it. Dad doesn’t like his face.”

“Huh?” Paul asked.

The general shook his head. “This kid, he’s got that shifty look, that manipulative little grin. I mean, we were all seventeen, right? Had a couple of beers, drove our cars too fast, tried to pick up girls? Huh? But this one’s different. I think he’s a little fucker, and I don’t want him fucking with my kid. Sorry, Vanni.”

She laughed. “Well, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard those provocative words.”

“I can just tell,” the general said.

Paul thought, he probably just can. The general had spent an awful lot of years looking at the faces of young soldiers and he’d learned to read them pretty well. He kind of nodded to the general. “So? You ground him or something?”

“Yeah, he’s grounded, but I told him I want him to make better friends, because if he lies to me again, he’s history. I’ll send him to another school—a private school. I thought this place would be quiet—the kids would be docile. I think they’re wilder than the city kids. At least, this one he’s been running with. This kid’s a bad influence. Now, never mind our family troubles—what are you doing here?”

Paul looked at Vanni and said, “I told your dad we have to
keep this quiet until I understand how much of this is out—but I’m here to help Jack finish his house. I rounded up a crew, installed a trailer out on his homesite and we’re going to try to get it done as quickly as possible. Because your midwife is pregnant—they need more room.”

“Really? Wow.”

“My intel says she’s very annoyed by this development—she wasn’t quite ready for another one yet. So Jack, being the Prince Charming of a husband he is, is paying all my boys overtime to get that house finished.”

“Aw. That’s sweet. Are you saying the pregnancy hasn’t been announced?”

“I’m not sure, but I don’t want to be the one to announce it. So let’s not say anything. And I don’t know if she knows what Jack has done.”

“But where are you staying while you’re in town?” she asked. “Won’t she wonder why you’re here?”

“Oh, I’m sure Jack’s going to tell her about my crew real quick because, as I understand it, she goes out to the site fairly often just to look around. She’s going to notice the people, the trailer—and I brought down my fifth wheel.”

“No!” she said. “Stay here! With us!”

“Absolutely,” the general said. “We have lots of room.”

“I couldn’t do that,” he protested. “I’ll be coming and going, my hours will be weird, I’m sure I’ll spend some time with Jack and Preacher in town….”

“Who cares about that? Come and go as you like! We’ll just fix you up with a key.” She laughed. “Not that anyone remembers to lock a door around here.”

“I’m going to have to commute—I left my brothers with the company in Grants Pass. I’ll be going back and forth, but honestly, it’s going to be—”

“I can’t stand to think of you in a fifth wheel for weeks—and I don’t care what kind of hours you keep!” Vanessa protested.

“To tell you the truth, Paul, I could use a hand,” Walt said. “I’m making a run down to Bodega Bay almost every week for a couple of days. Every other week at least. Do you remember Vanessa’s cousin Shelby, from the wedding?”

“Of course,” he said, sitting up straighter.

“Her mother, my sister…she’s disabled. Bedridden now.”

“I’m sorry, sir—I had forgotten. ALS, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. Frankly, none of us expected her to last this long, but she’s still with us. The bravest soul I’ve ever known. But since I can’t convince Shelby she’d be just as well off in a nursing home, I go as often as I can. To help, to visit. To offer moral support. Vanni goes now and then, as well. It sure would ease my mind if there were someone around here to keep an eye on things when I have to be gone.”

“Keep an eye on Tom, he means,” Vanessa said. Then she grinned. “I’m sure he’d prefer your mothering to mine.”

“Any way I can help, sir,” Paul said. “I’m awful sorry about your sister.”

“Thank you—she’s not in any pain. The hardest part about this is that my niece has taken it on, full-time, and she’s just a girl.”

“Shelby’s doing exactly what she wants to do,” Vanessa said. “She’s very stubborn about it. If it were my mother, I’d do the same as my cousin.”

“I’m sure we can work out our schedules, General,” Paul said. “If you make your trip down the coast while I’m working on the house and not back in Oregon, I’d be glad to hang around here. Make sure no one’s going wild.” He smiled, but inside his pulse picked up a bit. Being under Vanessa’s roof
while her father was away wasn’t going to do much for sleeping soundly.

“You’re a good man, Paul,” Walt said.

Paul thought, if I were a good man, I wouldn’t be having these thoughts, these feelings.

Jack showed up at Doc’s at about eleven in the morning and found Mel at the computer, David in his playpen not far away. “Hey,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“Not so much,” she said. “I’m scheduling our mammogram unit to visit town. What’s going on with you?”

“I have something to show you—if you can take a break.”

“What?”

“Can’t you be surprised?”

“I’m so bad at surprises,” she said.

“Yeah. I know. You should work on that. Where’s Doc?”

“He’s around here somewhere.”

“Well, find him and tell him you’re stepping out. I’ll get David. Let’s take a ride. I think you’re going to like this.”

“Jack,” she said, standing up, “I hate when you do this.”

“I haven’t given you one bad surprise yet,” he said, lifting his son out of the playpen. When she glared at him he said, “I haven’t! I make excellent babies and if you’re surprised, I think that’s your fault!”

“Yeah, you don’t have to rub my nose in it.”

It took Mel only a few minutes to get herself together, find Doc to excuse herself, grab her medical bag, which went with her everywhere, and shrug into her coat. Jack put David in his car seat—he was delighted to be going somewhere. Anywhere.