Forbidden Falls (Virgin River #9)(39)

He spoke first to Shelby MacIntyre and set up a time to visit with her and her fiancé, Luke, to get the details regarding her upcoming marriage. He had a couple of other calls. One woman wondered when he’d be set up for a baptism or should she take her new grandchild to Harry in Grace Valley, and another wondered if he’d have a position for a choir director when the church was functional. And, last of all, he phoned Gloria Tuttle at the hospital. She had left all her numbers: work phone, home phone and cell phone.

“How are you, Reverend Kincaid?” she asked cheerily.

“Very well, thanks. So, I understand you’re a nurse at Valley Hospital?”

“That’s right. I saw you on one of your visits and a volunteer told me you stop by now and then. Your church is in Virgin River?”

“It is, but we’re still in development. It’s an old church and needs a lot of work. I’m trying to get it back in shape while I get to know the town. Meanwhile, I try to make a few calls at the hospital and nursing home.”

“Aw, that’s so thoughtful. Would it help if I could point you toward patients who don’t have visitors? Or who seem particularly lonely?”

“You don’t have many long-term-care patients at Valley, do you, Gloria?”

“Well, we’re small, and critical-care patients are sent to larger facilities, but there’s almost always someone who could use cheering up. Why don’t we meet for coffee at the hospital the next time you’re over this way.”

“That would be helpful, thank you,” Noah said. “I won’t be back over there until at least next week. I have commitments here in town and a lot of work to do on the church. When will you be working?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I live close to the hospital and can dash over for coffee whenever it’s convenient for you. Do you have my cell number and home number?”

He repeated the numbers for her.

“Then I’ll look forward to hearing from you next week,” she said.

They chatted for about fifteen minutes, but Noah had known within thirty seconds that Ellie was absolutely right. Gloria was interested in him. Well, at least in checking him out. He’d seen a number of nurses at the hospital, of course, but he had no idea who she was.

He supposed it was too much to hope that Gloria would ring all his chimes.

Noah liked women, rather more than he probably should. He’d never considered himself indiscriminate; however, it had never taken all that much to get him interested. And dating was a good idea, he knew that. But he had a real healthy libido. He happened to think sex was one of the best things in life. That hadn’t gotten in his way when he was throwing fish and studying, but since entering the seminary, women who were attracted to him had their eye on an entirely different thing. They were setting themselves up to be Mrs. Minister, and he had entered a whole new territory. Every word or gesture, every affectionate move was translated into how it would contribute to their future together. He could hardly take a woman out on a first date without her imagining he wanted to get married. He had to use caution. And caution just didn’t appeal to him. He’d talked with his best friend and mentor, George, about this.

George was now seventy. He was divorced from a first wife, a second had passed on, and he wasn’t exactly indulging in lengthy or lonely grief. George had lady friends. Quite a few, in fact. “Even if you have no interest in another marriage, you should be seeing women, at least casually,” George frequently told him.

“What for?” Noah asked.

“Because it rounds you out as a human being,” George always answered. “You’re a single man, not a hermit. You should have friends of both genders.”

“What for?” Noah asked again. “I’m not into long, platonic courtships. It’s painful.”

George had sighed enviously. “God, how I wish I was young again.”

So he would have coffee with Gloria at the hospital. They would talk and he would be friendly and kind. And she would offer to cook him dinner, poor lonely bachelor that he was, and he would wiggle out of it to keep from leading her on.

And then, although there were other things he could be doing, he fired up the laptop and got online. He had a satellite dish on the RV, but the wireless connection he was using came from the bar. Jack invited him to make use anytime; since he installed the satellite for the TV and Preacher’s computer, most of the town jumped off their connection.

Noah searched for Arnold Gunterson on Google. The only thing he came up with was his position as director of Brightway Private Elementary School. The school had a small Web site where the bios of the board of directors were posted, but the staff was only listed by name. A further search didn’t turn up any Arnold Gunterson in Northern California. A statewide search turned up one other man by that name in La Jolla, and he was eighty-nine years old.

Arnie no doubt had degrees that qualified him, prior experience that proved him capable of his position, a résumé that he could give to parents of prospective students. But, he wasn’t likely to give that information to Noah, not after what had passed between them.

Noah decided he’d have to find a moment to quiz Ellie on what she knew about her former husband. And then he’d figure out a way to learn about this guy’s past. Because if he knew anything, just based on Arnie’s behavior, he knew Arnie had a past.