Moonlight Road (Virgin River #11)(29)

Luke had brought Art up from the river to the porch for a talk. He popped the top on a cola for him, told him to sit down and said, “Okay, I found where Netta lives and I talked to Ellen.”

Art’s eyes lit up and he got very excited. “Okay, Luke. Let’s go there now.”

“Not right now, Art,” Luke said. “Ellen said you can visit on Sunday afternoon, and I’ll be glad to take you. Today is Thursday, so you have to be patient. But right now I want to know—what kind of friend is Netta?”

Art looked a bit confused. “A good kind?” he said in the form of a question.

Luke was uncomfortable, and when he was, his neck got red and he scratched it absently. “Right. Good. What I mean is, when you visit with her, what will you want to do with her?”

Art straightened very proudly. “I want to date with her.”

“Ah.” Luke sighed. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Have you dated with Netta before?”

“I don’t think so. We talked and held hands sometimes. But Shirl used to make the girls stay on one side of the house and the boys on the other side, except for eating and TV.”

“Well, I’ve got news for you—dating is mostly talking and holding hands. Also, eating and watching TV,” Luke informed him. “But I have a couple of concerns, Art. Because you’ve been so excited about seeing Netta again, some things have come to mind. Like—do you know about sex?” His neck got redder.

“Yes,” Art said confidently. “Yes, I do, Luke.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” Luke let out a breath he’d been holding for a long time. “Thank God for that. Who taught you about sex?”

“My mother,” he said. “Sex?” he asked. Then he made a check mark in the air with his finger. “Male!”

Luke dropped his head into his hand. “Aw, man,” he groaned. He lifted his head wearily. He saw Aiden drive in after another one of his hikes. They all waved and then Luke said, “Listen, we’re going to have to talk about some things before you visit with Netta. And I don’t know where to start.”

“Does she want me to visit with her? Ellen? And Netta?”

“Yes, Art. They’re happy about it. Ellen said that Netta’s asking about you. So it’s all good. Except for the parts I haven’t figured out yet.”

“What parts? I don’t know the answer to that.”

Luke patted his knee. “Let’s worry about one thing at a time, Art. One thing at a time.” And then he heard an engine, like that of a big city bus, and looked up to see a big, flashy RV coming down the driveway to the cabins. “Oh, man, I have never been so happy to see my mother. That’s Maureen and George, Art. They’re visiting in a brand-new RV. That should take your mind off things for a while.”

“What things?” Art asked.

“I rest my case,” Luke answered, standing up and waving them in. Good God, when she said motor home, he had been picturing one of those little fifth wheels! He opened the door and yelled into the house, “Shelby! Baby, you don’t want to miss this.”

Rosie came running from the river, Franci behind her. Shelby came out on the porch and Aiden stepped out of his cabin wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt, rubbing a small towel over his hair and beard.

Aiden’s quiet retreat time in Virgin River was officially over. His brother’s place had become a madhouse.

Luke had a three-bedroom house and six one-room efficiency cabins. Art had one cabin as his own, Aiden rented one, Franci, Rosie and Sean would use another for a couple of weeks and two others were rented to tourists. Since Shelby and Luke did not provide restaurant services and the real attraction of the place was the great outdoors, the tenants weren’t usually much in evidence. There was a couple in their sixties who were in Virgin River for bird-watching and a group of four college-age women who had planned a week of hiking.

With the gathering Riordans, it didn’t take long for the compound to take on a carnival atmosphere. As Shelby’s burden was still lowering and her walk was taking on that strain of a woman in late pregnancy, it was past time to put the nursery right. They already had a bassinet and small bureau in their bedroom for newborn needs, but Shelby’s uncle Walt and his lady friend, Muriel St. Claire, wanted to be involved in the painting, papering and decorating of the baby’s room. Of course, Maureen wouldn’t be left out of that. And Vanessa, Walt’s daughter and Shelby’s cousin, couldn’t stay away, either, and where Vanessa went these days, two small children followed.

Within a couple of days the place was teeming with Riordans and Booths. Right in the middle of all the action, Luke pulled Aiden aside. “I need your professional help, man.”

“Shelby okay?” Aiden asked reflexively.

“Fine, she’s just ready to explode. I need your help with Art. He’s all steamed up about visiting Netta, who he says he wants ‘to date with.’ I had a talk with him, Aiden—he doesn’t know anything about sex. Nada. Nothing.”

Aiden just grinned. “Maybe he doesn’t need to know anything.”

“We can’t take any chances. The last thing I need is Art getting some girl pregnant because he doesn’t know anything.”

“And you want me to…?”

“I don’t know. Talk to him. Take him to Fortuna to see his girl and talk to the girl’s caretaker or whoever that Ellen is she lives with. Make sure we’re on top of this.”