Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(96)

“But you haven’t made a commitment yet, have you?” she asked.

“Not until the house sells. And I want to finish up the next semester. And, of course, your opinion matters to me. After all that, anchors aweigh!”

Since Christmas Eve would fall on a Friday Maureen was planning to arrive in Virgin River on the Saturday before. She had agreed to meet Aiden in Sacramento and drive with him the rest of the way. She decided that, on this visit, she would stay with Luke. Because it was a holiday week the cabins were not all full. It hadn’t taken too much arguing to convince Luke that a couple of his brothers could stay with him in the house and Maureen could have her own space in one of the cabins.

When Maureen had driven home from California right after Thanksgiving with Aiden, he had returned to the subject of her refusal to date. She assured him nothing could be further from the facts—that if she met someone she liked, she’d most certainly keep company with him. Then she’d said the subject was closed!

The trip from Sacramento back to Virgin River was going to be much more interesting.

When she arrived in Sacramento, her son was waiting. He’d gotten there first, taken care of the car rental and was waiting for her in the baggage area at the airport. Once they were under way and zooming north, traffic rather sparse, she said, “I have a couple of things to tell you, Aiden.”

“Shoot,” he said, giving her a glance and a smile.

“I’m thinking of selling my condo. I might put it on the market after Christmas. I’d divvy up all the furniture and keepsakes I’ve been polishing, dusting and storing for over forty years, of course. Is there anything in particular you’d like to have?”

“Wait, wait, wait,” he said. “You’re getting rid of everything?”

“Not everything,” she corrected. “But definitely the furniture that came from Illinois, the crystal and china that was left by my mother and your father’s mother, and absolutely all the things from your childhoods that I’ve kept safe. I think it’s time you boys take charge of your own fifth-grade report cards and prom pictures.”

“I see,” he said warily. “And what are you going to sit on? Sleep on?”

“Well, that’s a rather long story, but the short version is that I haven’t refused to date at all. In fact, I’ve had quite a few dates with a gentleman friend I met in Virgin River. George Davenport—that nice friend of Pastor Kincaid’s who Luke accused me of brushing off.”

Aiden was quiet for a moment. “Are you getting married or something?” he asked cautiously.

“No.” She laughed. “That would be premature. I’ve only known him for a short time. Although I’ve talked to him every day since before Thanksgiving, and we had several long lunches when we were both in California.”

“All right, let’s back up a little bit. You didn’t brush him off, after all, and—”

“Oh, but I did! I was rude, in fact, and I apologized, and we had lunch and began to get to know each other. And I found out I actually liked him. He’s very nice. We have a lot in common, it turns out.”

“But you’re thinking of selling your condo,” Aiden said. “What are you planning to do?”

“Travel,” she said. “We got to talking about how spread out our families are. He has a couple of grown, married stepsons who have children—children who consider him their grandfather. And my sons are all over the country. Sean and Luke might be more or less in the same place right now, but that’s temporary. And with Rosie and a baby on the way…But that’s only part of it—getting around to see all the grandchildren. There are so many things I’ve never seen—from the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone! I’m not getting any younger, you know.”

“And you’re planning to travel with this George? This man I’ve met once?”

“I plan to introduce him to everyone over the Christmas holiday,” she answered calmly. “He’ll be in Virgin River, visiting Noah’s family, and all you boys will be around to meet him again.”

“How nice, Mother,” Aiden said sarcastically. “You’re going to introduce him, and then you’re going to take off with him? To see the sights? This man we don’t know at all and you barely know?”

“Please, don’t be ridiculous.” She laughed. “I thought maybe Sean or Luke might overreact, but I thought you, who lectured me about the part of my life that’s not over, would remain calm and curious.”

“All right—here’s calm and curious. You’re planning to introduce us to this man and then go traveling with him?”

“Not exactly. We’ve only known each other for a little while. What I’m going to do is continue to get to know him. I’ll visit him in Seattle and he’ll visit me in Phoenix and we’ll meet in Virgin River a time or two. He’s a professor, you know, and he’s finishing out the term. We also e-mail and talk on the phone. If, at the end of the term in June, we haven’t changed our minds, then we’ll do some traveling together.”

“I see,” Aiden said calmly. “Then you’re getting married?”

“I don’t exactly know,” she answered. “It’s something to think about, but really, Aiden, I don’t feel in a big hurry to make that kind of commitment right now. However, I do think he has a point—we’re getting a little too old to put off doing the things we’ve always wanted to do—like travel. And there are practical considerations—like Social Security benefits, pensions, that sort of thing. I’d have to give it a lot of serious thought.” Then she shrugged. “I might not have made up my mind about that by June. I might want to test the waters a bit. You know? See if our rapport is as good when we spend a great deal of time together. As good as the visits, phone calls and e-mails.”