Angel's Peak (27 page)

“I managed fine as a single woman,” Franci told him. “I know how to call a repairman if I need one.”

“It’s just as easy to call my brother,” Sean said. “Not only is Luke cheaper, he’d be offended if you didn’t.”

On this particular Sunday night Franci had work to do; she had a couple of demanding classes on Monday because it was nearing end of term. So Sean took over bath and bedtime duties with Rosie while Franci sat on her bed with her laptop balanced on her knees, perfecting her lesson plan.

Once Sean had Rosie in the tub, they sang what Rosie called the soap song: “If I were a little bar of soap, I’d go slippy slippy slidey over everybody’s hidey…” It had many verses and Sean now knew them all. Then it was off to bed to read Rosie’s favorite book: Everyone Poops. When Rosie was all settled, Sean gave Luke a call.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Sean asked.

“Are you kidding?” Luke said. “Shelby’s already asleep. She feels like shit.”

“Again?” Sean asked. “Jeez, what’s the deal?”

“You haven’t guessed? She doesn’t want to tell anyone yet, but she’s pregnant.”

“Luke!” came Shelby’s loud, strident voice out of the background.

“It’s just Sean!” Luke yelled back. “I thought you were asleep!”

Sean chuckled into the phone. “Well, kind of seems like you two don’t have to try real hard to reproduce. You might want to keep an eye on that.”

“No kidding. Don’t tell Mom yet. Shelby wants to get past a couple of months. Even though she hurls every morning and falls asleep by seven every night, she wants to be sure.”

“Perfectly understandable,” Sean said. “I’ll see you tomorrow after I drop Rosie at preschool.”

Then he puttered around the house for a while, quietly, not even turning on the TV in the living room because Franci was working. He took out the trash, leafed through the newspaper again, brushed Harry’s hair off the sofa, enjoyed domestic balance and tranquility. He checked on Rosie; she was sound asleep with her little bird mouth open. When he watched her sleep, he always thought, She’s mine! And while a few weeks ago that idea had terrified him, now it filled him with wonder. With awe. She was a miracle he just didn’t deserve.

He left Franci alone until about nine o’clock, then he dished up a bowl of vanilla ice cream and took it to her. “Can you take a break?” he asked.

“I can be all done,” she said, closing the laptop. “This for me?” she asked, reaching for the ice cream.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You’re working out very well. I like having a good-looking manservant around the house.”

He got a pained look on his face. “I’m not going to be around the house much longer, baby. But I’ll call every day, and anytime I’m not flying or have more than one day off in a row, I’ll be here.”

She touched his cheek. “Don’t worry about us, Sean. We’ll be okay. I think of this as temporary. Once you know what the air force has in store for you next, we’ll come up with some more permanent plans.”

“As permanent as possible, given the fact Uncle Sam owns me.”

“Don’t grouse. It’s a good life. And I’m proud of you. You have general plastered all over your personnel file, Sean. You can go all the way, and you should.”

“I want to make sure I say a few things before I have to go back to Beale. I’ve done everything I can do for now, Fran. Got the college trust set up, made a new will, have a new life-insurance policy, worked my charm on the boys at the Military Personnel Center in assignments.” He took a deep breath. “I have to say something to Rosie about not being around all the time. Think she’ll understand if I say I have to work?”

Franci smiled and nodded. “She understands that I work, that grandma works. She knows you’ve been on ‘bacation.’” Her eyes glistened. “She’s going to miss you a lot. So will I.”

“I think Jake will work with me on time off, especially since I’m short.” That was the term for someone who could be reassigned without warning. The short guy doesn’t get any long-term or real important projects; he might not get to finish them. “Franci, it’s likely I’m going to go away for a while. You know how hard it is to stay in touch. Think she’ll be able to understand something like that?”

“I can help her get through it,” she said. “You know, you being in the air force was never a problem for me, right?” she asked. “I liked the military—I loved my job. I just didn’t want to do that kind of job with a family, and family got real important to me.” She shrugged. “All of a sudden.”

He laughed and rubbed her knee. “Yeah, I got excited, forgot the rubber and family got real important to you. Listen, I was going to rehearse this and say it right, but here’s the thing. I’m ashamed of the kind of guy I was, Franci. Cards on the table—I was a selfish, egotistical asshole who expected you to stay with me forever, but I wasn’t willing to make it worth your while. I thought I was a man of the world, but I was a stupid kid. I was mad as hell I didn’t know you were pregnant, but it scares me to death to think how I might’ve reacted if I had known. Franci, the truth is, I probably would have asked you to end the pregnancy, and when I think about what that would have cost us, it almost brings me to my knees. My world is so huge right now—when a Wide Iwish Rose puts her arms around my neck and calls me a silly daddy, my heart almost doesn’t fit in my chest. That Rosie—she isn’t just an idea. She’s more than I could have imagined if my imagination had gone into overdrive.”

Franci was quiet for a moment. Then she put a spoonful of ice cream to his lips. “I know,” she said. “You’ve turned yourself into a wonderful silly daddy.”

He swallowed the ice cream. “I need you to forgive me for the man I was…If you can.”

“I forgave you when I saw you with our daughter. It’s all different now.”

“I know I suggested marriage before, but you were on to me. I was just trying to check off the items on my to-do list. It isn’t like that now. I want to marry you because you’re the most important thing in my life. You’re the beat of my heart, Franci—the mother of my child, my best friend and my future. I love you more than anything. I love Rosie as much. I’d lay down my life for either one of you.”

“Sean…” she said in a whisper, tears coming to her eyes.

“I’m so sorry I had my head up my ass when we were together before—if I could do that whole time over, I’d prove to you that I’m not completely brainless. I love you, baby. You and Rose.”

“I know,” she whispered. “We love you, too.”

“Will you marry me?” he asked. He grinned. “Bite the dust with me? Spend our lives as husband and wife?”

“I will, of course. You’re obviously useless on your own.”

“We can plan a wedding or do it quick or wait to decide when I get orders—it’s up to you. Anything you want. But let’s get a license right away so we’re ready, because I need the official contract. I want to be your legal partner as well as your lover and best friend. And let’s get you a ring. Will you consider taking my name, baby? And let me give it to Rosie?”

“Uh-huh,” she said, a fat tear rolling down her cheek.

“It’s just details, honey—but the important part is right this minute, when we make the decision that we’re a family now.”

“We’re a family now,” she said.

“Whew,” he said. “I thought you’d probably say yes, but there was a little worry in the back of my mind that maybe I had more to prove. Thank you.” He leaned toward her and covered her lips with his. “Thank you,” he said again. “I love you so much. So let’s get the license and ring this week—what do you think?”

She put her bowl on the bedside table. “I think my ice cream is soup, so you should close the door and take my clothes off. What do you think?”

He grinned hugely. “I think I’m going to love being married to you.”

Ellie Baldwin asked Jo Fitch, her landlady and friend, to be her matron of honor, and Jo said, “I’m thrilled to be asked, but I’d rather be the mother of the bride. Ask Vanessa or Brie and let me do some special mother-of-the-bride things for your important day.”

“Like what?” Ellie asked.

“Well, I’d like to get some of your friends and mine together to put some flowers in the church, dress up myself and the kids, maybe decorate the bar for the reception…”

“Jo, I don’t want you to go to a lot of trouble and expense,” Elly said. “You’ve already done so much for me. You saved my life and got me my kids back.”

“But see, that’s why! That’s what a mother does! And you’re like a daughter to me.” She grabbed her hands. “Let me.”

So Ellie said, “Sure, fine, just don’t go crazy.”

And Jo said, “You are the bride—you stay out of my business and I’ll make it nice without going crazy. Just let me—it’s my one and only chance.”

On Friday afternoon Vanessa dressed Ellie in a cream-colored cocktail dress with a swoop neck for the big day. Vanni wore the pale green chiffon that she’d married Paul in. They dressed at Jo’s house; ordinarily Ellie walked to the church every day, but this day she and Vanni would drive down to keep their dresses and hairdos fresh and their shoes clean. Ellie followed instructions and went in the side door leading to the church basement, waiting until they were called upstairs, to the sanctuary foyer, when it was time. That was when she first saw what her kids were wearing.

Jo Ellen had shopped for special dress clothes for Danielle and Trevor to wear; Jo insisted they weren’t expensive, but they cost more and were more beautiful than anything Ellie had ever purchased for them. In their lives! Danielle was beaming in her ruffles and Trevor stood proud in his very first suit. “Where will they wear them after the wedding?” the ever-practical Ellie asked Jo.

“They can wear them to church as often as they want until they grow out of them,” Jo answered. And then Jo handed Ellie and Vanni beautiful bouquets, a surprise to Ellie.

“Oh, Jo!” Ellie gasped. Tears came to her eyes; she had checked the cost of flowers and asked Jo to just get her a long-stemmed rose. “Oh, how beautiful!” In her hands she held a bouquet made of pale yellow roses, lacy ferns, baby’s breath and white chrysanthemums.

“I knew you’d approve, once you saw the flowers.”

“But you weren’t supposed to do too much!”

Jo shook her head. “I didn’t do too much. I did everything just right.” She smiled warmly. “This is a happy day. No tears.”

“They go with the flowers in the church, Mama!” Danielle said.

“The flowers in the church?”

“It’s beautiful,” Vanni said. “Wait till you see.”

“Some of your friends helped us,” Jo said. “Brie, Shelby, Muriel…”

“Me, too!” Danielle said. “I helped a lot!”

Vanni smoothed Ellie’s blush with a soft finger. “Nervous?” she asked.

“About marrying Noah? Oh, shoot, I won the lottery! About the kids wrecking those fancy clothes? You bet!”

Jo Ellen looked absolutely stunning in a blue chiffon dress, and she was beaming—so proud of the kids, so proud of her new family. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful bride,” she said to Ellie. “Nick, are you ready? Because I think it’s time.”

“Let’s go upstairs, everyone,” he said, presenting his arm to Ellie.

Once they were upstairs standing behind the closed double doors to the sanctuary, Jo said to the kids, “It’s time for us to take our seats. Then right after that Vanni will go down the aisle and then Nick and your mom will follow her. Ready to go inside?”

And with that, Jo and the kids slipped through the doors and into the church.

Vanni leaned toward Ellie and kissed her cheek. “Have a wonderful day, sweetheart. And many happy years of married life. This couldn’t be happening to two nicer people.”

“Thank you, Vanni. I’ve never had a friend like you.”

“You have lots of friends here, Ellie. This town? We’re quick to notice when people are kind and generous and loving. It was our lucky day when you came to live with us.” At exactly that moment the tempo of the recorded music picked up a bit and Nick reached for Ellie’s hand, tucking it in the crook of his arm. “I’ll see you up front,” Vanni said, as the double doors were opened and she began her walk down the aisle.

Ellie looked at Nick. “This was supposed to be just a little thing. I didn’t expect to do the whole walking down the aisle bit. We never even practiced.”

“I think it’ll come natural,” Nick said with a laugh.

“The best part is, I’m not attempting to play the piano for this gig,” Ellie said. And at that point the sanctuary doors were opened again by handsomely suited-up Jack and Preacher. Ellie stood there, getting her first look into the church. She gasped and clutched Nick’s arm tighter. Not only was the church full of people, far more than they had for Sunday services, but it was filled with flowers and candles. November’s early dusk had darkened the church, but candlelight glittered everywhere. “Who did this?” she whispered in shock.

“Me and Jo Ellen, the kids, your husband to be, your friends,” Nick said proudly.

She glanced to the right and in the very back pew sat some of the boys from the vagrants’ camp, men Noah not only visited regularly but also brought to church. She smiled and felt a huff of laughter escape as she noted they weren’t one bit cleaner or dressed up than usual, but she was so touched to see them there. And in addition to the Sunday regulars, she saw people she knew from town, people who didn’t come to Sunday services—Dr. Cameron Michaels, his wife and twin babies; Luke Riordan’s brother Sean with his girlfriend, his daughter and mother; some neighbors she’d met at Jack’s Bar; a young man named Rick and his fiancée, Liz; and Dan Brady with a woman she’d never seen before. Hope McCrea was there—that old crone had previously owned the church but had never before officially set foot in it. And right up in front was Dr. Nate Jensen, who had saved Noah’s adopted dog’s life, and his fiancée, Annie.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Ellie, don’t stare,” Nick said. “Just smile at Noah. He’s waiting for you. He looks like he’s been waiting forever.”

“Well, he hasn’t,” she whispered through gathering tears.

The flowers and candles in the church had been a big surprise for Ellie, but the number of people at the wedding, and at Jack’s afterward, had surprised Noah, as well. It felt as if half the town was there and, unlike typical weddings, there were people Noah and Ellie had never met before. These people brought gifts and potluck dishes, and they offered congratulations and partied as if they’d known Ellie and Noah forever. The happy couple hadn’t expected the large number of guests, nor the many, many wedding gifts. What Noah realized was that he might not be everyone’s pastor—they had individual preferences of faith and denomination—but they were everyone’s neighbors. That realization brought a satisfaction that was indescribable.

The bar was decorated with colorful streamers, flowers from the church, napkins embossed with Ellie’s and Noah’s names and the date. The centerpiece of the event was Preacher’s cake—a two-tiered white masterpiece that he beamed over. “I’m going to start doing more of this,” he said proudly. “I think I have a knack.”

It was only a casual gathering with covered dishes and well wishes, but Preacher had rigged up his speakers from his house stereo and there was some dancing, even though there was hardly room to move. There was no garter to throw and Ellie wouldn’t part with her bouquet but no one seemed to mind.

Typical of Virgin River parties, people began to leave early. Those who had a drive ahead were the first to depart, followed by the farmers, ranchers and vintners, who didn’t get days off. Sean Riordan left early, taking his family back to Eureka. Noah smiled to see his friend George bow over Maureen Riordan’s hand as he said goodbye, brushing his lips against it like a courtier. Nick and Jo took Ellie’s kids home to bed, but a hard-core group remained at the bar—the diehards who were willing to endure a lack of sleep for a good party. As the evening grew late, the men were found on the porch with brandy and cigars, Jack’s space heaters lit to warm them against the chill November night. The women sat by the fire indoors and laughed together. And, finally, around eleven, everyone wended their way home.

And at three in the morning in the little apartment above the Fitches’ garage—tonight, the honeymoon suite—no sleep had taken place at all. Noah rolled onto his back and groaned, “Oh my God, I love you!”

“You’re a maniac,” Ellie said. “I’ve never met a man who liked sex so much.”

Noah laughed. “That’s nice, Ellie. I’ll take comfort in that.”

“Really,” she insisted. “Have you finally had enough?”

“For now,” he said. His eyes were closed, but there was a smile on his lips.

She rolled over on her belly, propped up on an elbow and looked into his beautiful eyes. “So, is married sex better than sneaky sex?”

He ran his fingers through the hair at her temples. “Yeah. For me, it is.” Then he pulled her head down and kissed her deeply, his heart completely hers. He couldn’t remember ever being more content.

“It is for me, too,” she whispered. “Can we sleep now?”

He pulled her against him, her head resting on his arm, and holding her tight they drifted off to sleep. But not for long. Ellie was up, showered and pulling on jeans and a sweatshirt first thing in the morning. The smell of fresh coffee filled the small room and she jostled Noah awake. “Come on, don’t be a bum—I promised the kids we’d start poking around the new house as soon as everyone woke up.”

He rolled over with a loud moan and put the back of his hand over his eyes. “What’s the matter with you?” he asked.

“I’m so excited.” She laughed. “That house has been ours for a whole week and we haven’t had time to do anything to it yet! You said we’d get down there right away, as soon as we got married.”

He moaned again and rolled over. “My right away and your right away are at least a couple of hours apart…Aren’t you in the afterglow from a wedding night of magnificence?”

She giggled. “Not anymore. Come on, Noah. Don’t be lazy.”

“Lazy, she says,” he muttered, dragging himself out of bed. “There should be a warning attached to marrying an energetic younger woman…”

They went downstairs to Jo and Nick’s kitchen; the kids were just rising, so they were talked into more coffee and breakfast. By the time everyone was moving at a normal pace, Ellie was jittery with anticipation. She loaded a few things in the back of Noah’s truck—broom, mop, rags, detergent, scrub brushes, trash bags. Jo promised she and Nick would follow behind with the kids. So, on their first official day of married life, Ellie and Noah took off down the road to their new old house.

Ellie and Noah could hear the sound of heavy equipment well before they could see it, but neither said a word because they couldn’t imagine that it would have anything to do with them. The next thing they noticed was that the road to their house was difficult to navigate because it was lined with parked cars and trucks.

“What in the world…?” Ellie said. Noah edged his old truck closer, and the moment they broke through the trees they were both momentarily stunned. Their property was a beehive of activity. Someone was driving a large farm-size mower around the property. There were men on ladders propped up against the house; more men pounded hammers on the roof, and at ground level people were raking up the cuttings, hauling trash, scraping off old paint, replacing boards and sanding porch rails.

George was standing on the porch wearing a carpenter’s apron, looking very much at home. Noah walked up the porch steps. “What’s going on here?”

“Looks like your friends have decided to give you a hand to get you started. Don’t worry, Noah—there’s going to be plenty of work for you to do.” Then he grinned.

Paul Haggerty walked up behind Noah and Ellie, balancing a dozen or so long baseboards over one shoulder. “Morning, Noah, Ellie,” he said as he passed.

Inside the house they found Muriel up on a ladder, using a liquid chemical mixture to slowly remove years of white paint from a solid oak archway that separated the living room from the dining room. She had about two feet of the arch’s natural wood exposed. Walt was at work doing the same thing on the banister. “Hi, Ellie,” Muriel called from her place on the ladder. “I had to take paint off the most beautiful wood at my old house and, let me tell you, it looks awesome when it’s done! You’re going to love this when it’s stained and varnished. It won’t be quick, but it’s worth it. And there’s nothing we can do about the beveled stairs. Each step will have to be replaced from the wear, but it’s not a hard job. I can do it.”