Angel's Peak (18 page)

“I give you my word, but don’t test me by making it too long a wait. I’m a weak old woman,” she said, walking back to the living room and grabbing her purse off the table by the front door.

“Yeah, right,” Sean replied to her back.

“Let’s eat something Italian,” she said. “That’ll hold us till we get to the outback.”

He chuckled and walked out the patio doors as she followed. They’d only gone a few steps when she whacked him in the back of the head. “Ma!” he yelled, a hand going to his head as he whirled on her.

“Holy Mother Mary, you ought to be ashamed of yourself! Were you raised by wolves?”

Nine

Forty-eight hours after receiving a phone call from Sean and his mother, Luke rode his motorcycle up to Walt Booth’s stable and parked it outside, right next to Shelby’s Jeep. He walked in, pulling off his gloves as he went. When he found his wife in one of the stalls with a rake, he slapped his gloves into the palm of one hand to get her attention. When she turned to look at him, she smiled and shook her head.

“Where’s your uncle Walt?” he asked.

“I think he has plans with Muriel. He called my cell phone around noon today and asked me if I could tend and feed the horses on my way home from school. His truck is gone.”

Luke stuffed his gloves in his jacket pockets and pulled the rake out of her hand, leaning it up against the stall. “His truck better stay gone or he’s going to see us naked.”

She laughed at him. “Can’t you wait for bed?”

“I could, but the house is full of people. Why’d you insist my mother had to stay with us in the house? She was perfectly willing to take a cabin.”

“First of all, there’s only one cabin empty and it’s hunting season, and second, I’m not going to have your mother stay under a different roof when we have two perfectly good upstairs bedrooms. That would be rude. Besides, we’re married—we’re allowed to have sex in our own house, in our own bed.”

He grabbed her perfect behind in two large hands and pulled her against him. “You’re noisy when you come.” Then he swooped down on her mouth and kissed her like a starving man. When his lips were somewhat satisfied he broke away slightly and said, “And before and after.”

“No, I’m not,” she argued.

“Uh-huh. Then you snore and talk in your sleep.”

“Do not.”

“And you missed a period.”

“You noticed that? It’s just a little late.”

“Did you pee on a stick yet?” he asked her.

Shelby shook her head. “I think it’s too soon and I don’t want to be disappointed. Besides, it might be coming—I feel weepy and my breasts are a little sore.”

“You’re pregnant,” he said. “And I want to do you in the hay. You can scream until the horses stampede.” He grinned at her. “Maybe I can get you more pregnant.”

“Luke…I don’t want to go home with hay in my hair…”

“I can take care of that problem,” he said. He picked her up and carried her out of the stall, closing the door behind him, and into the tack room. He tugged her shirt out of her jeans, deftly opened her belt and popped the snap. Before sliding them down he lifted one of her legs and grabbed a boot heel, pulling it off. Then the other. And then the jeans and panties were in a heap on the tack room floor and Shelby was left mostly naked in her shirttails and socks.

“We should do this kind of thing more often,” he said. “Adventure sex.” He drew off his belt because of the large buckle and let it fall. Then he pulled her against him once more, kissing her deeply while his hand wandered to the V of her legs and gently, slowly, sweetly and deeply caressed her. He smiled against her lips. “Shelby, you’re not very good at this hard-to-get game. You’re ready for me.”

“I know,” she said in an exasperated tone. “And you’re bursting,” she added, her hands going to the snap on his jeans. In a second she had his jeans around his hips and him in her hand.

He laughed low in his throat. “My innocent little wife. Prepare to start screaming.” He lifted her up; her legs went around his hips and he sat down on the bench with her straddling his lap. A little maneuvering was required to seat her on him just right, but the sensation took his breath away and caused her to gasp. She held him tightly and rocked on him, with him. “God,” she said. “Luke, Luke, Luke.” All he could do was groan and pump his hips, hanging on for her. And she talked and moaned and whimpered until it happened, and it happened quickly—she shattered and spasms tightened her around him. She bit his lip, then sucked it.

He enjoyed every second of her orgasm before he cashed in. It shook him, like it always did, leaving him with a loud groan, clasping her tightly to him. In a few minutes, he realized it was actually cold in the stable. He hadn’t noticed that before, and neither had she.

She shivered and he tightened his embrace. “Feel better?” she asked him.

“You are so good to me,” he said. “Do you feel better?”

“I was faking,” she teased.

“You know what, baby? As long as you keep faking that good, I’m okay with it. And see? No straw in your hair.” He grinned at her. “You are sooo loud.”

All of a sudden her chin quivered and her eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Luke,” she said softly. “What if I’m not a good mother?”

“Shelby, don’t be ridiculous. You’re the most loving person I’ve ever known. How could you not be a good mother?”

“I’m very selfish in some ways. And I like my sleep.” She sniffed and hiccuped.

“Um, we’re still attached here and you’re crying about being a mother,” he said. “I suggest we get dressed, finish up with the horses and go home. And while I build a nice warm fire, you better pee on a stick. Seriously.”

Having his mother at Luke’s, waiting so impatiently for her chance to meet Rosie, didn’t exactly make for a relaxing atmosphere for Sean. Before springing a new grandma on the little tyke, Sean had some business with the first grandma. He phoned Vivian Duncan at the family practice clinic in which she worked and asked her if he could buy her lunch. She was completely surprised by the invitation. “Sure,” she answered with some hesitation.

“Let me pick you up,” he offered. “Just give me a time and some coordinates.”

He found she was waiting outside the clinic for him at exactly twelve-thirty. He popped out of the car and held her door for her. “Thanks for doing this for me, Viv,” he said. “I haven’t said anything to Franci about us having lunch together, but I thought you and I should talk.”

“I kind of thought your mother might be with you,” she said. “Franci told me she’s at Luke’s, standing by.”

“Standing by very impatiently,” he admitted. “I wanted some time alone with you first. There’s a little Italian place right around the corner. Will that work for you?”

“Fine. That’s fine. Should I be dreading this conversation?” she asked with some trepidation.

“I hope not.” He tried to sound reassuring, but wasn’t sure he pulled it off. Then he laughed. “I should probably be the one dreading it.” He reached across the front seat for her hand. “I have a few things to say, that’s all.”

To his great relief, she let it go during their short drive, not asking any more questions. Sean settled her in the restaurant, at as quiet a table as he could find, and cajoled her into ordering something before they talked.

“All right, Sean, the suspense is killing me,” Vivian said impatiently. “What’s this about?”

“This is about me apologizing to you,” he said quickly. “Franci told me that you weren’t at all pleased with the way she handled the situation with her pregnancy. Now, I have to tell you—she did the only thing she could do. Cards on the table, Vivian—I didn’t give her an opening to trust me with that kind of news. If she had insisted on having a baby, I would have insisted on marriage. And it would have been a terrible marriage. In short, she was right about me.”

Vivian lifted a blond brow. “Was?” she queried.

He laughed, but his cheeks took on a pink stain. “I might’ve come a long way since then, but I didn’t come fast and I’m not all the way there. The truth is, I had to suffer without Franci for a long time before I realized I needed her in my life. And this whole business of suddenly being a father…It’s going to take me some time, but I’m working on it. I want you to know, I’m doing my best.” He took a breath. “You should have gotten in touch with me and told me. Then I could do my learning without a three-and-a-half-year-old watching.”

Vivian was shocked and her expression reflected it. Was he taking her to task? She let out the breath she was holding. “I thought about it,” she admitted. “At the end of the day, I couldn’t betray my daughter’s wishes.”

“Since we can’t go back, let’s let each other off the hook for any imperfections. How about that?” he suggested.

Vivian was quiet for a long moment, during which time the waitress brought iced tea for both of them. She measured her words carefully before she spoke. “Listen to me, Sean—I want my daughter to be happy, but Rosie is the beat of my heart. When Franci told me she was having a baby and having her alone, the first thing I felt was resentment—I was barely fifty! I still feel I have a lot of life left to live! And I’d already raised a child alone, so I knew firsthand how hard it would be for her. Franci was going to need a lot from me, and I didn’t really have a lot to give. But I held that baby and, within seconds, I felt she was as much mine as my daughter’s. If you think for one second I’m going to be patient with you while you try to figure out if you have what it takes to be a good father, you’re wrong. Dead wrong.”

Sean briefly wondered if in an earlier life he had pissed off a bunch of tough old goddesses; he was surrounded by strong, opinionated women. “I completely understand. I have a lot to learn about her. About Rosie.”

“I don’t care what happens between you and Francine—she’s all grown up and can shoulder disappointment. But you’d better not let down my granddaughter, Sean.”

“I know,” he said. “You’re going to have a lot of backup in that department. My mother’s on the job, beating me with the guilt stick every chance she gets, and no one does guilt like an Irish Catholic mother. Are you going to give me a chance?”

“Yes,” she said, relaxing back in her chair. “Every chance. Don’t screw it up.”

“I’m doing everything I can, for both of them. I’m trying.”

“Well,” she said, taking a calming breath. “At least you’re honest.”

He sipped from his glass of iced tea. “Hm. Well, honesty didn’t buy me as much sympathy as I thought it would.”

“And you’re surprised about that? Listen, when the heart of a small child is at stake, there’s not a lot of wiggle room. I suggest you get this right the first time.”

He smiled in spite of himself. He shook his head and laughed. “I think you’re going to like my mother,” he said.

Aiden had jarred Maureen into remembering what it was like when one’s mother visited, and it didn’t matter if it was the maternal or paternal mother. There was a definite lack of privacy for the newly married couple, but the upside could be domestic assistance, and Shelby needed some of that. Although Shelby and Luke had been together quite a while, they hadn’t been married a whole month yet—and the bedroom Maureen was using was filled with wedding gifts that had yet to be put away. Shelby was a new college student and Luke worked hard on his property, his cabins and house, all day, seven days a week. And there was Art, who was very attached to Maureen and often spent his time with her.

So Maureen busied herself by making sure she spent quality time with Art, often fishing with him, and trying to tidy the house and put away the wedding gifts. She made sure that Shelby and Luke ended their busy days to find dinner prepared, clean and folded laundry on their bed and the house polished and smelling good. That much she had learned from her own mother and mother-in-law.

As for daughters-in-law, Maureen didn’t have much experience with them. Sean had been painfully accurate in describing Aiden’s and Luke’s attempts at marriage as train wrecks. She’d go a step further and label their wives difficult, high maintenance and selfish. Shelby was none of that, and although she hadn’t seen Franci in years, Maureen remembered her as good-natured and sweet. However, Shelby had been extremely moody just lately and Maureen wondered if her mere presence had become an irritant. Also, she had not yet been invited to meet Rosie; she wasn’t sure if that was Sean’s doing or Franci’s. She suspected Sean; he’d grown very protective of his newfound daughter. And Sean was unusually quiet. Something weighed on the mind of her most entertaining son. She suspected it had a lot to do with his being down to four weeks and a few days of leave left with which to get his entire future settled.

As for Maureen, she hadn’t been this lonely since her husband’s death twelve years ago, when she found herself so isolated in a dark Illinois winter. That’s what had motivated her to move to Phoenix where she could work, make friends, be outdoors year-round and live somewhere her boys might enjoy visiting her.

But playing the waiting game at Luke’s while everyone around her was busy with work, school or chores was wearing on her last nerve. Four days had passed with no reprieve. Sean helped Luke until midafternoon when he was allowed to fetch Rosie from day care and take her home. Then he had dinner with Franci and Rosie, and then he was back at Luke’s before ten. Home, without much to say, although he had kept his word and taken pictures every day.

On her fifth day in Virgin River, Maureen finally got her break. The next day was Saturday and she was invited to accompany Rosie and Sean to Beale Air Force Base. Sean would introduce Rosie to both her grandmother and his plane, at least one of which Rosie had expressed great interest in.

“Will Franci come along?” Maureen asked.

“Franci is pulling a twenty-four-hour shift in Redding with a medical airlift group and Rosie stays with Franci’s mother. Since Franci leaves at about 5:00 a.m. to make the drive over the mountains, I’ll be picking Rosie up at Vivian’s first thing tomorrow morning and returning her tomorrow night. So, we have her all to ourselves.”

“What will I say to her?” Maureen wondered out loud.

“Tell her you’re happy to meet her. Then ask a question or two—like what color her bedroom is, what she likes to wear for dress up or what she likes to cook in her play kitchen. That’ll get you two talking in no time. And rest up—she’s exhausting!”

Sean could see that the hardest thing for Maureen was trying to keep her enthusiasm in check enough so she didn’t completely overwhelm Rosie. He shouldn’t have worried—Rosie took the edge off things right away. “You have wed hair like me!” she exclaimed. From that point on, the two redheads chattered like a couple of magpies all the way to Beale—more than a three-hour drive. They took along books and a couple of Rosie’s favorite toys—her toy computer helped her practice letters, numbers and writing. Maureen sat in the backseat with Rosie and they played and read the whole drive while Sean chauffeured. Franci called his cell twice to check on them before he even made it to Beale.

An air force squadron is a little like a small town. The men who work and fly together get real tight, and Sean had a close working relationship with their squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Sorrell. That came in real handy, since Sean had to phone and tell Jake the circumstances that would bring him to Beale during his leave—he wanted to give his mother and daughter a tour of the base and the airplane, the U-2. Given the high security, he had to have special permission and an escort, even though it was basically Sean’s ride.

“Daughter?” Jake had asked during their phone conversation. “Our most notorious bachelor has a daughter?”

“That’s right,” he said, and for the first time it struck him how lucky he was that little accident had happened with a woman he happened to have had a serious relationship with. Then he thought of something that struck him damn hard. What if that accident had happened with someone he hardly knew—like Cindy? “I’ll explain more about that later, but obviously I just learned about her and the one thing she’s asked of me is to see my plane. And my mother happens to be in town also.”

“Good,” Jake had said. “Your mother can keep an eye on your daughter while you and I steal a half hour for a conversation.”

“On Saturday?” Sean asked.

“I’ll be in the office when you’re done with your tour.”

Sean drove his mom and Rosie around the base and showed them the hangar and an airplane that happened to be in for maintenance. He laughed when Rosie put both her little hands over her cheeks and gasped at the size of the U-2. He took a picture of her in the cockpit without getting any of the instrument panel in the photo. In fact, he’d have Jake download the pictures, delete them from his camera and send them to Franci’s e-mail address when he was satisfied there wasn’t the slightest security breach. It wasn’t as though the U-2 was a secret—the plane sat on static display during air shows. But this was a working plane.

He also showed her the KC-135 tankers that refueled the jets in the air, a batch of C-130s and a staggeringly huge C-5. By three o’clock, Rosie was completely exhausted and Maureen was looking a little worn, as well. He took them to the squadron’s waiting area—not very fancy—and asked them to read for twenty or thirty minutes. “I won’t be long. We can have dinner on the way home. I’m sure Rosie will nap in the car after I fill her belly.”