Moonlight Road (Virgin River #11)(31)

Aiden didn’t often come up against things he was completely ignorant of—but this was one. His training prepared him to offer birth control for mentally challenged women who might have sex because they had no discretion, but this hadn’t been a concern in his military practice. Predators? “Has there been an issue with sexual abuse?” he asked.

“No history of that as far as we know and no symptoms that we noticed, but it’s a danger. Two of our women have Down’s and their vulnerability shows on their faces. Plus, they’re so trusting, so anxious to please. They so often will just do as they’re told. But isn’t Art…?”

“Infertile? My brother doesn’t know if he’s been tested. For that matter, Art doesn’t seem to know if he’s been tested. I haven’t seen any of the signs of sex drive that you mentioned, and he’s a very gentle soul.”

“You probably would have had hints by now, if he had a high-functioning libido,” Ellen said. “We belong to a support group for the parents and guardians of mentally challenged adults and one of our friends has a young man who masturbates quite a lot. It’s sometimes difficult to distract him. I think what we have here with Art and Netta is a perfectly nice friendship.”

“Maybe if we manage to arrange quality time for them, they’ll be very happy.”

“Mentally challenged adults fall in love all the time, Dr. Riordan,” Ellen reminded him. “As a couple, they often end up living with one of their parents, or together in the same group home. It can be complicated in some cases, and I know people who would go to great lengths to discourage relationships like theirs. But doesn’t everyone deserve to feel love and affection? No matter their disability? I see my primary job as keeping Netta safe and from getting in over her head. If what you say about Art is true, she’s interested in a very sweet and kind man.”

“Art is an angel,” Aiden said. “And he’s very functional. He’s been with Luke a couple of years now and hasn’t had a single problem. He loves working with Luke, loves fishing in the river, never wanders off. It’s been good for both of them.”

After two hours of chatting, they came up with a plan. Twice a week, when possible, Art could visit. If Luke could just call in advance, there would probably be times he could drop Art at either the bakery or the house to see Netta while Luke ran errands. If either Ellen or Bo was available to take Netta to Virgin River, she could spend a few hours at the river, learning to fish and visit with Art. They would have phone numbers for each other. That was a good place to start. Just a little reassurance that they wouldn’t lose each other in the system again might be an enormous comfort.

Art’s behavior on the way back to Virgin River seemed to reinforce that idea. He clutched the piece of paper with Netta’s phone number. Art had never spent any time on the phone, but just holding that number appeared to give him such confidence.

Aiden had a stop to make and Art was fine with that. Aiden drove straight up that road to Erin’s cabin. “Where’s this?” Art asked him.

“The person living here was trying to make a garden, so I helped,” Aiden said. “I just want to check it. Maybe water it.”

“Okay, Aiden.”

Erin’s car wasn’t parked at the cabin, so Aiden took a six-pack of beer out of the back and sat down on the deck to write a note. Chill this. My whole family is in town and it’s a circus. See you soon. A.

Then he went to look at the garden. Well, well—she’d been tending it. The soil was moist and the weeds were few. He went to the shed that was back against the trees, got out his tine cultivator and scrambled up the dirt a little bit. He bent to pull a few weeds, then dragged out the hose to spray it down. Art wandered around the backyard. “Don’t go in the forest, please,” Aiden yelled.

“I’m not,” Art yelled back.

Eventually, Art ended up in the hammock, still strung between the trees. He was swinging himself a little wildly and Aiden hoped it wouldn’t break loose. Art was not small!

“Hey,” a woman’s voice said. “I thought you’d given up on me.” She was smiling and holding the six-pack in one hand. “I tried to keep it going.”

“You did fine,” Aiden said. He stepped over the short fence. “I thought I’d leave some beer and maybe next week…”

“Sure,” Erin said. “Next week.” She looked beyond Aiden. “Friend of yours?”

“Yeah, that’s Art. Did I tell you my brother has some cabins on the river? Art’s a helper of his. We were just out running some errands and I thought I’d swing by and check the garden. You haven’t escaped back to the city yet?”

“Not yet. But I’ve discovered the best reason to work sixty hours a week is daytime TV.”

“Only sixty.” Aiden grinned. “Slacker.”

She grinned back. “I guess the navy works you 24/7.”

“Well, they do, but remember I told you my sister-in-law is very pregnant? Family is gathering. They tend to take up space and time.”

“What kind of family?” she asked.

He shrugged. “My mother—in her sixties—arrived in an RV with her seventy-year-old boyfriend. That’s hitting a nerve or two. One brother is due back from Iraq tomorrow, on leave, staying in the cabins with his family. My pregnant sister-in-law has a lot of family around here and they’re always available, if you get my drift.”