Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(66)

The cold didn’t affect Rosie—she wanted to fish…and fish and fish. First, Sean took her along with Art, then Luke took her, then Franci took her and finally Maureen had a turn. She wanted to fish rather than eat; she wanted to fish rather than have a nap. She was told she could only fish with Mommy’s or Daddy’s permission and never without an adult along. She squealed and pitched a little fit about staying in, even though her fingers, toes and nose were bright pink. As soon as her fit ended, however, she passed out cold, exhausted.

In the late afternoon, as everyone allowed their big meal to settle before they tackled dessert, the children napped peacefully on the sofas. The women gathered around the dining room table, Art wandered off to fish some more and the Riordan brothers, plus Walt and Paul, stood on the porch with beers and cigars.

Luke was the one to broach the subject that was on everyone’s mind. “What happens now, Sean?”

“Anyone’s guess. What should happen—I should go remote without a family or to a foreign base until a slot at Air Command and Staff opens up. But I’ve been all over the flesh peddlers at MPC looking for a job that carries me over a year or two and has a squadron in my future. The possibilities have been interesting—everything from an attaché position in Belgium to a test-pilot job in the high desert in Southern California.” He coughed. “They’ve suggested plenty of open time in the sandbox.”

“What does Franci say?”

“She says to let her know when I have an actual question and she’ll try to come up with an answer.” They all laughed. “Listen, isn’t it obvious? I don’t want to be away from them, but asking her to leave her mom, her home and her job right now is asking a lot, and I don’t even know that I’ll go someplace I can take a family. I’m trying to keep so many balls in the air, I don’t know which end is up. And on the first of December I have to go back to work. To Beale. Any second now, my orders will be cut.”

“What’s your dream job?” Luke asked.

“Air Command and Staff on my way back to Beale as squadron commander,” he said. “I’d probably have to do some time at the Pentagon or MPC en route to pay my dues for my upgrade. I had it in my head I was going all the way—retire as a full bull at least.” He glanced at Walt, who had retired from the army with three stars. “To tell the truth, I had my eye on a star or two. Sir. Now, I’m not so sure I’ll make it to retirement.”

“It’s going okay with Franci?” Aiden asked.

“With my mother living four doors away with Franci’s mother? I’d say we’re doing pretty well in spite of that. One more person gets in our business and we’re probably doomed.” He laughed and shook his head. There was silence for a few moments and Sean finally said, “I regret that I didn’t know about Rosie four years ago, but it terrifies me to think how I might have reacted. I thought I was a man of the world at twenty-eight, but—”

Walt Booth put an arm around his shoulders. “Son, I bet there’s not a man on this porch who doesn’t feel like looking back and changing a few things. Just do right by your family now. And if there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word.”

“Got any favors to call in, sir?” Sean asked.

“I’ll give it some thought, son, but the problem there…they’d be army favors.”

Sean shook his head. “That’s kind of the way my luck’s been going lately.”

When the men walked back in the house, Rosie popped up from her sleeping position on the couch and said, “Daddy? Go fishing now?”

Twelve

Ellie Baldwin was very proud of herself. Although she and Noah met with the seller’s Realtor together, he hardly opened his mouth. She had researched the property and hired Paul Haggerty to check the house for its structural competence. Paul took care of things immediately and provided them with a folder filled with notes that brought the price down by a quarter. The money would be spent on the extensive repairs the owner should have made on the house, she told the Realtor.

Of course their offer was accepted; the seller was anxious to unload the money pit. The closing on the property was scheduled right away, which thrilled Ellie to no end. She asked Noah why he didn’t get more involved in the negotiations. “You had the situation well under control, and you’re absolutely right about me—I might’ve backed down. Ellie, pretty soon you’re going to have to accept how smart you really are.”

She stayed tense about the sale until the closing on the property. It had been less than a week but, to Ellie, it had felt like a month. The seller owned the place outright and Noah had some kind of retirement trust as collateral. The mortgage approval was a banker’s dream and the closing followed quickly.

When they left the title company after signing the final papers that Friday morning, and the old house was completely theirs, she flew into Noah’s arms and almost knocked him down in her excitement. He laughed as he grabbed her. “Whoa! You’re the only woman I know who would be so grateful for that trash heap of a house!”

“Noah, one day that’s going to be the most beautiful house in Virgin River. It’s going to take a while and some hard work, but it will be. You wait and see!”

“Let’s get married now. We have the license. We have to get married before we can send legal paperwork to Trevor’s biological father to release him for adoption, so let’s get it done. We’ll put up a notice for Friday night, a week from today.” He grinned. “In England they call it posting the banns. We can call Harry Shipton from Grace Valley, ask him to officiate—”