Forbidden Falls (Virgin River #9)(94)

Paul didn’t think about it long. He turned on his heel and without saying goodbye, he darted out of the bar, jumped in his truck and drove home. All the way there he was saying to himself, Please let it not be any more nuts than usual.

When he walked into the house, he could hear Vanni talking to the kids in the kitchen and the sound of little fists and little spoons banging on high-chair trays. There was a huge mess scattered around the dining room. A box sat beside the table and there were smaller boxes and pictures and stuff everywhere. And of course the great room was strewn with baby gear and toys. On some bizarre instinct, he peeked into the master bedroom. He saw a couple of suitcases on the bed. And he thought, This isn’t happening to me.

He went to the kitchen. “Hi, honey,” he said tentatively.

“Oh, Paul, you’re home!” she said. She didn’t look as though she was leaving him.

“Have you been cleaning out closets or something?”

“No. Will you turn on the oven, please? Three-fifty. I’ve got a frozen lasagna to put in there. I hope you’re not starving, because I’ve been really busy.”

He turned on the oven. “Vanni, are you leaving me?”

She laughed at him. “For a few days. I’m taking the kids to Grants Pass. I’ve already talked to your mom and she’s going to help me with them and watch Matt for me. I could’ve called the Rutledges,” she said, speaking of little Matt’s biological grandparents. “But frankly, I’m not up to explaining Hannah to Carol just now. What I have to do is take Hannah to see her grandmother—I don’t know how sick she is. What if she doesn’t have long to live? What if I miss a chance to ask her questions about Hannah’s mother? There are things Hannah is going to need to know.” Vanni was rambling, talking more to herself than to Paul, it seemed. “There doesn’t appear to be family Terri was close to while growing up. I don’t dare waste a second. I’m afraid to even wait till the weekend. I’m going to pack tonight after the kids are in bed and leave right after breakfast.”

Paul was really sorry he hadn’t had that beer. It felt as if the ground was moving under his feet, things were shifting so quickly. He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a bottled beer, popped the top and sat down at the kitchen table. Vanni was trying to referee dinner, two kids in two high chairs with Matt pretty adept at getting the food from his bowl to his mouth, while Hannah was just barely getting the occasional spoonful there. Her hands sure worked good, though.

“Hannah took steps today, Paul. All by herself. Didn’t you, sweetheart?” she said to the baby. “Such a big girl.” Then to Paul, “Her first birthday is coming up in just a month and we haven’t even talked about it. I got the digital camera out and took a few shots of her standing, but I want a movie camera. Right away. The digital will do a two-minute movie and that’s not good enough. I don’t care what usually happens—the second child in this house isn’t going to have an invisible childhood just because I’m really busy. Maybe I’ll pick one up on my way into Grants Pass so I can get some movies of Hannah with her grandma.”

Paul took a big slug of beer. Then he said, “Um, Vanni? I’m a little behind here, sweetheart.”

She turned and looked at him. “I’m sorry, darling. My head is spinning. I’ve been thinking so hard today, about everything. Hannah’s grandma, Terri’s mom, sent a big box full of memorabilia. Pictures of Terri, her cup and spoon, her stuffed puppy…Terri’s whole life fit in a box and her mother’s very sick with MS. I need to bring Hannah to see her right away.”

“Jack said you were trying to find Rick today….?”

“Oh, that. Uh-huh. I had to find out from Rick how he felt growing up, with his parents gone since he was a baby. He said he had his grandma to answer his questions about his mom and dad. If I don’t find out as much as I can about Terri while her mother is able to tell me, I won’t be able to answer Hannah’s questions when she’s older.”

“Oh,” Paul said dumbly, thunderstruck and afraid to ask anything more.

“I asked Rick if he felt he missed out on anything and he said, not really—his grandma was great. But there was one thing he said—it would have been nice to have had a regular family. A mom and a dad. Paul, I want Hannah to have a mom and a dad who love her. I have to get to work on that!”

Paul felt his eyes sting. “We’re keeping her?” he asked softly.

“As my friend Ellie would say, you’re damn skippy.”

Paul swallowed hard, afraid he might burst into tears. He took a drink of his beer and set it down. He cleared his throat. “I’ll take a couple of days off, take you to Grants Pass…”

She focused on Paul. “Are you sure? I know you need to work. You have so many projects. And if we’re going to have a houseful of kids, you’re going to have to make a decent living.”

“I’ll call Dan Brady,” Paul said. “He loves it when I leave him in charge. I don’t want you to have to do this alone.”

Vanni got a little teary. “I looked through those pictures, Paul. And I realized that if I didn’t act soon, a real important part of Hannah’s babyhood could be lost. I don’t want her to have one month of her life without a mom and dad who adore her. While we’re in Grants Pass, we should give Mr. Hanson a call and tell him to get our paperwork going. Unless you have reservations.”