Forbidden Falls (Virgin River #9)(28)

“Of course I’ll be nice about it,” she said, sounding affronted. “It’s just that—”

“It’s very hard for her, so let’s all be generous,” he said.

“Of course,” Jo Ellen said. “I didn’t mean—”

Noah took a breath. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Fitch. It’s been a rough day for them.” For me, he thought. “I know you’ll be very kind to them. Thank you.”

He thought he should probably go someplace quiet and just pray until he fainted or lost bladder control, but instead he collected Lucy and went to Jack’s. He leashed Lucy while she ate, and he went into the bar, his throat dry and aching. He asked for ice water.

“Anything to eat or drink with that?” Jack asked him.

“Not yet, thanks,” Noah said. And then he sat, pondering the water in his glass, thinking. He’d been close to more than one difficult domestic situation in his career, especially as a counselor. Some of them had been more dramatic than Ellie’s, frankly. But this time it felt personal. Just listening to Danielle in the backseat of his car, her voice barely controlled, “Mama…” It tore his heart out.

“You getting hungry?” Jack asked him a while later.

“Nah,” he said.

“Having trouble with the cleanup next door?” Jack asked, obviously trying to pin down the reason for Noah’s unusually quiet mood.

Noah lifted his eyes to Jack’s face. “I have a situation.”

“No kidding,” Jack said. He nodded to Noah’s glass. “You haven’t downed that water yet. And you don’t have much to say, either. Which is a first.”

Noah took a breath. “You know just about everyone around here, right?” he asked Jack.

“I’ve been around long enough to know plenty of people.”

“I have an issue to resolve. It’s not a confidence, but I really can’t talk about it.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to pry,” Jack said.

“It’s just that it’s…Well, it’s a custody issue. I’m trying to puzzle it out.”

Jack lifted his eyebrows. “You divorced?”

“Nah, it’s not my issue. It’s a friend’s.”

“Ah, I see. Hard to know how to help, I guess.”

“That would be it,” Noah said. “I feel helpless. That’s my least favorite feeling.”

“You haven’t had enough time around here to make your connections, figure out who’s going to be useful to your work,” Jack said. “That helping-people line of your work, I mean. I’m sure you’re good for some mighty powerful praying, but sometimes a man has to know who’s gonna pass him the ammunition.”

Noah had to chuckle. “You hit that right.”

“Friend of mine had some serious custody concerns a couple years back. There was a woman he was interested in and she was running from a dangerous ex. She had a kid with her and nowhere to turn. But my buddy had been fishing with this judge from Grace Valley and they were tight. That old judge—named Judge, by the way, like his folks knew the day he was born where he was headed. Anyway, that tough old bird, he didn’t like domestic violence. Irked him right down to his toes. He helped. So did my little sister, Brie—she’s a lawyer. She’s dealt with more than her share of domestic situations, not to mention her own divorce. She lives right next door to me and Mel. The judge and my sister helped my buddy out.”

“Really? And is the woman safe now?” Noah asked.

“I’d say so.” Jack smiled. “My buddy married her, had a baby with her. Everything got sorted out.”

“That’s good to know. Maybe I ought to go see this judge. Or talk to your sister. Maybe someone has some advice.”

“First off, why don’t you go back to the kitchen, have a chat with the other Preacher around here while he slices and dices. He might head you in the right direction so you can help Ellie.”

“Ellie?”

“Noah, everyone seems to like you fine, but you don’t have all that many close friends yet. If it isn’t Ellie and it isn’t me, the person’s not from around here.” He gave the counter a wipe. “Go talk to Preacher. He’s real good at confidences. He’d have his tongue cut out before he’d give up your secrets, but he’s candid about his own. And he knows everything. He gets on that computer of his and gets himself an education about every issue under the sun. He’s one smart critter. And awful helpful.”

“Think he’d mind? Even if I can’t really discuss the particulars of this problem?”

“Noah, most folks around here would jump in to help a neighbor, but Preacher is one of a kind. He might be built like a refrigerator and look scary as hell, but he’s the sweetest man I know. He’d do anything in the world to help. Go on back. Then I’ll give you some dinner.”

Five

Noah didn’t see Ellie all day on Sunday and didn’t expect to. The way they had left it, he was planning to drive with her to take her kids back to Redway to their stepfather’s house. He was hoping that if she had support, it might modify the jerk’s behavior.

But that wasn’t the way it worked out. He walked down to her rented room at three that afternoon, but she wasn’t there. Her deadline for getting her kids back was four and her car was already gone. He waited around awhile in case she came back looking for him, then at close to four he went back to his RV. At six he and Lucy grabbed a bite to eat at Jack’s, hung around for a while, then walked down the block just to see if her car was back yet.