Hidden Summit (Virgin River #17)(63)

“I’d like to be stronger,” Katie said.

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re strong enough,” he said. “You’ve really made lemonade with what life handed you. Better than anyone I know.”

“I’ve always had you,” she reminded him.

“And you always will have me,” he said. “Even if we end up on opposite oceans.”

She was quiet for a second. “So, are you saying there’s absolutely no chance Leslie would consider a major relocation?”

He put his hands in his pockets. “She’s an only child. Her parents are a long way from needing her, that’s my guess, but they are in their late sixties and it’s something she thinks about. She’s close to them—yet another thing about her I love. With any luck they’ll be in their late eighties before they call on her for help, but I think Les and her parents need each other emotionally. I know if Mom and Dad were alive, I’d feel that way.”

Katie’s head tilted to one side, and she smiled. “Did you finally find someone who feels the same way about family that you do?”

He leaned his big hands on the breakfast bar. “Katie, even if I live in California and you live in Vermont, you can always depend on me. You know that, right? That you’ll never be stranded and alone? All you have to do is call me.”

“I know that,” she said. “Keith is like that, too. He’s very close to his mother and his sister and he looks out for them. You’ll like him, I know you will.”

Of course Conner liked Keith. He was easy to like. He arrived on time, brought a nice bottle of Chardonnay, because that’s what Katie liked. The boys ran to him, hugging his legs, and he bent to receive them. When he stood up he was holding Andy with one arm under his rump and ruffling Mitch’s hair while he had a bottle of wine tucked under one arm. He stuck out his hand toward Conner. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “Katherine can’t stop talking about you.”

Katherine? he wondered. That wasn’t an alias, but her given name, the name that appeared on her driver’s license. Katherine Malone—her married name. “Don’t believe everything you hear,” he said with a laugh. “Nice to meet you, Keith.” And then he reminded himself that not all men had hard handshakes; not all men did hard physical labor for a living. In fact, there were many times Conner wished he didn’t have to toil so hard, wished he could take it a little easier.

Keith Phillips wasn’t a large man like Conner. He was around five-ten and had the slim build of a runner/skier and a dental perfect smile. He seemed just right for Katie, who was a little five foot four. And like Katie, Keith looked young.

“You sure you went to dental school and everything?” Conner asked him.

He chuckled. “And everything,” he said. He put a hand on Katie’s shoulder, gave a squeeze and smiled at her. He handed over the wine. “Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay—2009. I think you’ll really like it,” he said.

“How sweet, Keith, thank you!”

“Do you have a favorite vineyard?” he asked Conner.

“Not much of a wine drinker, actually,” Conner said. “More of a beer connoisseur.”

“Imported beers?” Keith asked.

“Pretty much any beer,” he said. “My first choice would be a Mich, but if push comes to shove, I’m not all that fussy.”

Keith laughed and said, “Caught me—I’m trying to impress Katherine.”

“Well that’s pretty easy,” Conner said. “One of her virtues is that she’s easy to please. She takes great pleasure in every little thing. She’s the one person I know who is so completely positive and happy it puts me to shame. In fact, it’s pretty hard to bring her down.”

Keith smiled appreciatively. “What a gift,” he said. “That’s how it is around the office. And that’s why everyone loves her. Katherine, can I help with dinner? Do anything for you?”

“Not a thing. If you two wouldn’t mind keeping the boys busy for a little while, I’ll finish setting the table and we’ll have dinner in just a little while.”

This was a good idea, Conner decided. It would give the men a chance to talk without Katie listening. So they took the boys into the small backyard. Andy and Mitch lit out for the play set. It wasn’t quite as nice as the one that had been left behind in Sacramento, but it worked. It was a heavy wooden bar supported by four legs and sported hanging rings, a climbing rope, a bar to swing on.

“Look at them go,” Keith said. “What a couple of monkeys.”

“No children in the family?” Conner asked.

“Oh, I’m an uncle. My older sister has two teenage daughters, age thirteen and sixteen. It’s a whole different ball game.”

“I imagine. And I have no experience with girls.”

“Katherine told me you’re like a father to these boys,” Keith said.

He gave a nod. “Pretty much. What else did Katherine tell you?”

“That you’re in Colorado working. Sorry to hear about your company going out of business—it’s a rough economy right about now. Hopefully we’re headed for a recovery.”

“It’s not going to be quick,” Conner said.

“But we all do what we have to do. Even dentistry has taken a hit, Conner. People tend to put off things like that as long as possible.”