Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(83)

Her smile was alive. “It sounds wonderful. You’ll enjoy that. Maybe I’ll even see you now and then in Virgin River.”

“Or, you could come along,” he said. “You have all those military boys all over the place. We could check on them, as well. And believe me, once a couple of them get married and have children, the others fall in line. I’ve seen it a million times. As soon as I get an offer on the house—which is a good house and should bring a nice price even in a depressed economy—I’m going to start shopping for a quality RV. I’ve been looking at pictures online. Maureen, you have no idea how high tech these things have become! They now come with expandable sides, two people showers, freezers, big screens in the living room and bedroom, Whirlpool tubs—you name it! How’d you like to have a hot tub on wheels, Maureen?”

She looked over at him. He was so excited by his idea, he was actually a little flushed, and she found herself hoping it wasn’t high blood pressure. If the moment ever presented itself, she’d ask about that. But after all his rambling about his future RV, all she could say was, “Come along?”

“A perfect solution for both of us,” he said. “We’d have time together, we’d have fun together. We’d see the families, travel…”

“George, that’s outrageous. We’ve had a few lunches—”

“And we’ll have a few more! We’ll also e-mail, talk on the phone, get together occasionally—in Virgin River, but also in Phoenix and Seattle. We’ll spend the next six months figuring out if we fit as well as it seems we do.”

“Long distance? Occasional visits?” she asked doubtfully.

“It’ll give you time to look over my accounts to be sure you’re not getting conned out of your retirement.” He laughed at his own joke, slapping his knee. “Of course, with five brawny, overprotective sons you’re relatively safe from a dangerous guy like me.” He glanced at her and his expression was playful. “We’re not young, Maureen. We should be sure we’re attracted to each other and that we get along, but we shouldn’t waste a lot of time. Every day is precious.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m very attracted to you. I’d love to get you alone in a fancy RV for a few years.”

She laughed at him; she hated that she was behaving like such a girl. “Have you lost your mind?”

“I’ve been wondering what to do next. I’ve had a couple of fulfilling careers, but I can’t go on preaching and teaching forever—I’ll get bored. At a point I should retire again. When I lost Mary, I filled my time with activities—friends for dinner, going to the movies, attending a new play. I had a very nice life with Mary. I loved her deeply, as I’m sure you loved your Patrick. I miss her. But I also miss having a best friend to spend time with. Maureen, this is guaranteed not to sweep you off your feet, but you’re the first woman I’ve met in years who could actually be that kind of friend! We have so much in common it’s amazing!”

“You’ve slipped a cog,” she said. “We have nothing in common! I’m Catholic, you’re Presbyterian! I was almost a nun, you were a minister!”

“Almost a nun with five sons in ten years and, for your information, I’m still ordained.”

“Phhhtttt,” she emitted. “I like to play tennis, golf and bridge!”

“I jog,” he said. “I could learn tennis. I’ve always enjoyed golf but bridge bores the crap out of me.”

She burst out laughing. “Bores me, too,” she said. “But the women gather for bridge and so I play with them. But, George, I’m not about to commit to a man I’ve known such a short time and—”

“Of course not, Maureen! Here’s my proposal. Let’s carry on! How hard is that? Let’s communicate, visit, get to know each other and, even better, spend quality time together when we can. You’ll want to visit that little granddaughter, and I have to keep tabs on Noah so he doesn’t go astray! And six months down the road, we’ll be more sure of ourselves, and of our relationship. And, believe me, six months is asking a lot of a seventy-year-old guy!”

She narrowed her eyes. “How’s your health?”

“Excellent! After what happened to Mary by avoiding the doctor, I get a good physical every six months. I’m on cholesterol medicine, though. But I think it’s a waste of time. My father lived to be eighty-eight.”

“I’m on cholesterol and high-blood-pressure medicine.”

“You don’t say?”

“It’s working.” She shrugged.

“Isn’t it amazing? My doctor says, as long as we can find and treat these things, we’re going to be fairly hard to kill!”

Maureen shook her head and laughed. She would not let him get a foot in the door with this insane idea, but she knew, at once, she would have fun with him. Piles of fun. “I would have to run this idea by my priest,” she said.

“Whatever works for you,” he agreed. “But what idea are you talking about? The idea of getting to know me better, or the idea of joining me in the RV if it works out?”

She didn’t answer. She chewed her bottom lip and thought about when she’d gone to her parish priest as a young mother and said she could not keep having babies—she just wasn’t up to it! She wanted his blessing—the church’s blessing—on birth control before she lost her mind and her body. He wasn’t much help, and she’d already given natural birth control—timing her cycle, et cetera—two fair shots. They were named Sean and Patrick, Jr. She clicked her tongue without realizing it. That was more than thirty years ago and there had been progress on these matters in the church since. But she had to admit that some of the rules had been hard to take at that time.