Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(95)

“Shame on you, Maureen! Tell the young man you’re not going to be alone!”

“No! It’s none of his bloody business!”

“You’re just being stubborn. If he’s worried, it might put his mind at ease.”

“I’m not ready to talk to Aiden about you. Besides, once you tell one of those boys, they’ll all know. They’re worse gossips than a bunch of girls. Nothing is sacred with them. No way I’m confessing to any one of them.”

“Could be a very long drive,” George observed.

“I’d counted on driving alone. I like to drive. And I had looked forward to being alone with my thoughts. I have a lot on my mind, you know.”

“I know,” he said with a laugh. “Plus, you need time to check in with your priest, see if you can trick him into giving you a blessing.”

“I’d like your opinion about something,” she said, smiling slyly. “I mean, I do realize your education in the religious arts is spotty compared to a Catholic priest’s…”

“Indeed?” he said with laughter in his voice.

“But do you suppose, at my advanced age, God would trust me to make my own decision about you?”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Maureen, have you ever heard the story about the Lutheran who went to heaven?”

“I don’t believe I have…”

“Well, let’s see if I remember it correctly. As I recall he wasn’t a real bad sinner, as Lutherans go, and made it to heaven based on his good works. Saint Peter was giving him a little tour. They walked through magnificent gardens, past glorious mansions, beside breathtaking waterfalls and rainbows. There was a group of people in a fabulous park and Saint Peter said, ‘Those are the Baptists—no dancing or card playing over there.’ They walked farther and passed what appeared to be a big celebration, a roaring party, and Saint Peter said, ‘Methodists. Anything goes.’ And a little farther along there was a gathering of folks visiting, chatting and laughing, having a good time, and Saint Peter said, ‘Shhh, be very quiet.’ When the Lutheran asked why, Saint Peter said, ‘Those are the Catholics. They think they’re alone up here.’”

She laughed and gave him a playful slap on the arm.

George grew serious. “Maureen, you have to follow your heart. You’re a good woman and God loves you.” He smiled almost shyly. “And, I think, so do I.”

“It’s going to be a long month before I see you again,” she said wistfully.

“You’ll miss Rosie, won’t you?”

“Dreadfully. And you’ll miss Noah and Ellie.”

“And the children. Even though I’m not Noah’s father, I feel like one—I’ve never seen him happier. It’s not so hard to be away from him, knowing how much he loves life right now. But it will be hard to be away from you.” He kissed her deeply, lovingly. “Travel carefully, sweetheart. Don’t be too hard on Aiden.”

During the month of December, Maureen was kept busy getting ready for a very special Christmas. While she shopped for gifts for Rosie and a new Riordan baby, gender still unknown, she kept thinking, This is what Christmas is all about—children! She talked to Rosie on the telephone a couple of times a week and made plans with her, getting her all wound up and excited. “When I come to California, we will shop together and go look at Christmas lights,” she had told her granddaughter. “I’ll help you buy presents for your mommy and daddy, if you like. And we can bake Christmas cookies together for the whole family.”

Maureen had talked to Sean; he was spending approximately four days a week—just three nights—at Beale. He had enough long weekends in Eureka with Franci and Rosie for it to almost seem as though he wasn’t gone at all. He was scheduled to have the Christmas holidays off. And, he reported to his mother, Franci was now wearing his engagement ring, wedding plans to follow soon. She couldn’t have worked that out better herself.

She heard from Colin and Paddy—they were going to make it to Virgin River for at least a few days over Christmas. Colin was coming from Fort Benning, Georgia and Paddy from Virginia.

She talked to George on the phone, too, even more often than to anyone in her family, and he had new ideas for big travel plans on a daily basis. According to George, Noah and Ellie and the kids had managed to make enough progress on their new old house to move into it in time for Christmas. George, however, was planning to use the guest room over the Fitches’ garage that Ellie had just vacated. “I’m sure I’ll be spending most of my time with Noah and the family, and with you when I can wrestle you away from your granddaughter, but according to Noah his house still has a long way to go and they don’t have a place to put me except on a lumpy sofa.”

“When will you arrive in Virgin River?” she asked him.

“I’m coming early. As soon as I’m done at school, I’ll head down to Virgin River. Noah can probably use my help with the house. And, Maureen, I’ve put my house on the market.”

“Have you!” she exclaimed. “You’re really doing it, then!”

“I’m really doing it. Check your e-mail—I’ve sent you pictures of RVs! And when we see each other, I’ll show you brochures from my recent shopping trip.”