Forbidden Falls (Virgin River #9)(106)

She was quiet a minute. “I’m sorry, too,” she said. “And my list is long, too.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart,” Nick said softly. “I just want a chance to live the rest of our marriage in love again, like we used to be. Like I’ve been all this time.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Really. Will you think about it?”

“I will,” she said. And by the way she said that, he knew she wasn’t going to say no. He could see relief in her eyes that matched the relief he was feeling in his heart.

“Whew,” he said. “Think I’ll have a brandy. Want one?”

“What about your tea?”

“I hate tea,” he said. Then he smiled at her.

Noah couldn’t wait to tell Ellie about what Nate Jensen suspected—that Lucy was the mother of eight pups left under the Virgin River Christmas tree eight months ago. He had to be patient, however. It wouldn’t do to go bursting in on the Fitch household. And he’d be sure to run it by Ellie before sharing this story with the kids. It made him grin, though, knowing how the kids would enjoy it.

But he didn’t have to wait to tell Jack and Preacher. He leashed Lucy to the porch rail for her dinner, went inside for his own and said, “Wait till you hear this….”

When Noah repeated the story, Jack said, “No way! I never even knew Lucy before you brought her back to life! ’Course, I never knew Silas, either. His ranch was on the other side of the valley. Heard about the wreck, but—”

Jack turned and banged on the wall, bringing Preacher out from the kitchen. And when Preacher heard the story, he said, “No way! Lucy? Two of ’em didn’t get the border collie markings, just the long hair and pointy ears, but those pups could definitely belong to Lucy. Well, Noah, isn’t that just unbelievable? I’m going to have to look that up on the computer, see what I can find out about breeding, about mother dogs being reunited with their pups after a long separation.” And with that, he turned and went back to the kitchen.

Jack grinned. “That’s going to keep him busy for days. He won’t stop till he knows everything.” Jack leaned close. “Noah, Henry Depardeau took your man Arnie away. Said he’d broken some laws in another state and that he’s not going to make quick bail.”

“Good,” Noah said. “Because Ellie has her custody hearing on Friday morning.”

“I know,” Jack said. “It got leaked. Me and Preach, we’re closing up shop and heading for Eureka with our wives. I think we’ll have a good showing for her. I know it doesn’t really count for the judge’s decision, but it’ll make Ellie feel good.”

Noah was touched. “That’s nice, Jack. She’ll appreciate that.”

When the light tapping came at her door, Ellie didn’t have to ask who was there. Arnie was tucked away in jail and it was Noah’s usual visiting hour, which he liked to stretch out till dawn. When he walked in, Lucy by his side, Ellie said, “Oh, thank God, she’s all right.”

“Better than all right,” Noah said, taking off his jacket and tossing it in her chair. “Wait till you hear this. It turns out that little Christopher Middleton’s dog, Comet, and seven other pups that were abandoned in the cold of last Christmas, left to freeze, rescued by the town, are probably Lucy’s pups. Taken from her too early. She might have been trying to find her way back to them. That’s what Nate Jensen thinks could have happened.”

Ellie knelt in front of the dog and began to massage her neck and jowls with loving hands. “Is that a fact, my dear girl? Good for you.”

“Isn’t that remarkable?” Noah said.

Ellie shrugged. “It is if you don’t know much about women and mothers,” Ellie said.

“Are you doing all right?” Noah asked. “When I left you earlier, you were kind of strange. Preoccupied.”

She stood up. “I’m real edgy. Facing that custody hearing, even though Brie said it can only go one way, is bigger than I am. I thought it could only go one way the last time, and look what happened. It’s going to be a long night, getting ready for court.”

“I’ll help you pass the time,” Noah said, reaching for her. He pulled her against him and sighed. “The church will be done, the Booth and Riordan families have all arrived for the wedding, George is coming tomorrow…”

“Everything right on schedule,” Ellie said. “Just like we planned.” She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “When I tricked you into giving me this job, I said I’d get out of your hair the minute I had custody again. It would free you up to get a real pastor’s assistant.”

He chuckled. “The joke was on me. I couldn’t have found a better pastor’s assistant if I tried.”

“Or at least a more accommodating one,” she teased. “I doubt you’d have snuggled up to Mrs. Nagel this well. Noah, I can stick to the deal. If I do get through this hearing and get my kids, I won’t owe anybody as much as I owe you. If you hadn’t given me a chance, it wouldn’t have worked at all.”

“I told you,” he said. “I gave you my word, my commitment, that I’d stand by you, wouldn’t let you down. I’ll love you forever, never let you down, stay with you from now on. I couldn’t have made love to you under any other terms. It’s not just some notion of mine, Ellie, but part of who I am. When I make promises like that, I don’t back out. No matter what.”