Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(54)

“I only see you about once a week, anyway, and that’s if you’re not in Cabo or Alaska or out on the research boat. We’re busy people with demanding work schedules and kids. In fact, I’ve never had so many calls from you during the week! Does this whole situation threaten you?”

“It concerns me,” he said. “I thought a week would be enough to get things lined up with this guy so we could have our lives back as they were.”

“Well, that makes you a lot more optimistic than I was,” she said. “Getting to know a small child you didn’t even realize you had takes time and patience, and I’m certainly not going to toss Rosie at him and expect him to sink or swim! She’s my baby, for God’s sake!”

“Are you purposely—?”

God bless that siren! It went off, followed by the official and somewhat mechanical voice giving the coordinates of a motor vehicle accident on Highway 5 with critical injuries, dispatching a helicopter, one paramedic ground unit and two ambulances—one of which came from a different service. Must be a bad one.

T.J. would have heard the blast. “Gotta run!” she said, signing off.

She ran for her helicopter with the rest of the crew and didn’t think about him again before morning.

Sunday morning in Virgin River found Ellie Baldwin, the Presbyterian church secretary, getting herself and her kids ready for the church service.

Ellie’s life had changed so much in just a few months that she barely recognized herself. To start with, she’d grown up poor. Not kind of poor, dirt poor. She’d lived with her grandmother in two rooms and they’d shared a pull-out sofa bed her entire life. They had managed on Social Security checks and food stamps. Then she had two children without the benefit of marriage or support of any kind. Her grandmother kept them while Ellie worked day and night to keep body and soul together. She took any kind of work. After her grandmother died Ellie even held a job as a stripper for a short time. It paid the bills and put food on the table.

Now at the ripe old age of twenty-five she lived more comfortably than she ever had, and so did her kids, four-year-old Trevor and eight-year-old Danielle. Ellie rented a lovely, but tiny, room over the Fitches’ garage. For the time being, her kids stayed downstairs in the big house with Jo Ellen Fitch and her husband, Nick. Ellie got the kids up in the morning and put them to bed at night. She had a wonderful friendship with Jo and Nick, and if life went on like this forever, she wouldn’t dare complain. But just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, she fell in love with Noah Kincaid, the local minister, an amazing and wonderful man.

Noah, now her fiancé, had been in search of a house where they could live like a real family. It was only right, she knew. As it was, he was creeping into her rented room more nights than not, and this really wasn’t the best behavior for the town pastor. Noah didn’t fret over that and, this being Virgin River, Ellie assumed everyone knew everything; they probably just didn’t say anything in front of them.

Right before the church service this Sunday morning, Noah whispered that he had a house for her to look at. “It’s not much,” he said, “but it’s in our budget and it might be redeemable. I just want us married and all under one roof.”

Bless his little heart, Ellie thought with a flood of warmth. When a girl is looking for a passionate man, common sense would say that she doesn’t go looking for him in a church. But what she had learned from Noah was that men with passion and commitment don’t limit themselves to one single agenda—their passion, commitment, honor and courage will permeate all the facets of their lives.

Noah loved her passionately and he made her whole; he made her life full.

Their service that morning showcased the Virgin River Presbyterian church choir’s very first performance, accompanied by Ellie and her rusty piano skills, and it was just short of horrid. But in this town people were so supportive of one another, they actually stood and clapped. It made her flush, but she was just happy to be through it. Then after some coffee and cookies in the church basement, Noah spirited her away. He said it was best to send the kids home with Jo and Nick so they could view this potential house alone.

It wasn’t far from the church—just on the edge of town, past the established neighborhood. They were in Noah’s old truck and he pulled off to the side of the road where the weeds had gotten tall and the shrubbery overgrown. He turned toward her. “Ellie, if this isn’t right, we’ll just keep looking. Be warned, it needs a lot of work. Here’s what’s good about it—it’s large, even if it is in disrepair. It has a big piece of land under it, not a small yard. It’s not in the middle of town, but it’s only a half mile away. It has a huge kitchen…” He paused and cleared his throat. “A big kitchen without a single working appliance, but that’s just fix up. And—”

“Noah, how did you come across this house?” she asked.

“Oh, Buck Anderson knew someone who knew someone who’d been renting the place out for years but only because he couldn’t get rid of it. He said if I was clever, it could go cheap. I don’t know if I’m clever with negotiating a price, but I’m okay with a hammer. And we might not be as settled as we should be, but we get by thanks to Jo and Nick. I saw some promise in it and thought I’d show you before I write it off.”

“Good idea, Noah. Because I am clever with money, you lucky dog. I’ve had to be.”