Moonlight Road (Virgin River #11)(40)

“You should mean that, and you should ask, it’s reasonable. Don’t look now, but this is a date. The bear doesn’t count, but this counts.”

She looked down. When she raised her eyes, she said, “Is this when you ask me about my dating history?”

He shrugged. “Only if you feel like talking about it.”

“I don’t date much,” she said. At all. Ever. “I’ve only been on a few dates the past year—all of them first dates.”

“Hard to please?” he asked.

“I think so, yes.”

“And you’re busy,” he said.

“Does that sound like an excuse? Because really, a lot of people depend on me and I take that very seriously.”

“The little brother and sister?” he asked.

“Oh, they’re all grown-up and doing great. But I have clients with serious tax issues. I also have clients with delicate family relationships who need help with their estate planning and trusts. There are other lawyers and paralegals and a legion of legal secretaries to help, but I’m the partner who manages that for the firm. I haven’t taken a vacation in a long time.” At all. Ever. “I had to plan this time off from the firm for a year.”

“Why no vacations?” he asked.

“You know. The same reason as everything else. Busy. People depending on me.”

“And you’re here because it’s close enough to get to your sister if she needs you?”

“Of course,” she said. “It’s my first nephew. The first baby in the family. And Marcie and I are very close. Plus, I thought it would be so relaxing up here. I hadn’t accounted for the bear.”

“Hopefully he doesn’t bother you again,” Aiden said, and lay down on his back on the blanket.

“Hopefully,” she said, lying down also, on the other side of the picnic basket. “Aiden, did you grow up kind of poor?”

“Depends on your definition of poor. It’s probably more accurate to say we grew up on a tight budget. My mother really knew how to stretch a dollar. We ate a lot of mac and cheese. We had a big summer garden and she canned. What she didn’t grow she bought at the farmers’ market. And the woman was a genius with soup. We ate so much soup that now I don’t even like soup.” She giggled. “Colin was the only one in the family to get all new clothes all the time because even though he was second born, he outsized Luke. The rest of us got new jeans when the hand-me-downs got handed down too much, but everything in our family was stretched as far as it would go. I got screwed—I was third. Stuff lasted just about long enough for me, but by the time it got to Sean or Patrick, it was too worn-out and had to be replaced. I guess that’s why everyone enlisted—there was no hope of college being paid for. Although…”

“Although what?”

“There were some scholarships and financial aid. My brothers Sean and Patrick went to military academies—one air force, one navy. I had a partial scholarship….”

“And worked as an EMT,” she filled in for him. “What’s the most important thing you learn as an EMT?”

He thought for a second. “Load ’em and go, go, go!” She laughed and he turned on his side, facing her. “Really, getting someone to the hospital is what that job is all about. Although I did learn some good emergency procedures—resuscitation, how to stop bleeding, that kind of thing.” He smiled. “What to do with a head wound. But an EMT is not usually as highly trained as a paramedic, depending on where you work.” He flopped on his back. “How about you?” he asked.

“I don’t know how to stop bleeding…” She yawned.

“Did you grow up poor?”

“Nah, middle class. My dad had even saved a little for college. We had…I mean we have a four-bedroom house—everyone had a bedroom. I still live in that house. It’s not a new house, but it’s been fixed up regularly. Modernized and redecorated. It’s a very nice house.” She yawned again. “Big kitchen.”

They fell silent for a while.

“Aiden?” she asked. “Did you go to the prom? In high school?”

“What?” he asked. “The prom?”

“Yeah. Did you go?”

“Hmm. Senior year. I had a girlfriend.”

“I bet you’ve almost always had a girlfriend,” she said softly, tiredly.

There was quiet again and both of them nodded off on the beach, side by side on the blanket, their bellies full, the sun shining down on them and the crashing of the waves all around them.

Too soon, Aiden was jostling her. “I hate to do this to you, Erin, but we have to pedal back. We can’t sleep here all afternoon. We’ll freeze to death next to the ocean at night and there are no lights on the bikes.”

“Mmm,” she said, sitting up sleepily. “But that was nice.”

He slipped an arm around her waist, brought her up against him and kissed her forehead. “Told you you’d like it.”

On the way home they stopped at a restaurant in Fortuna, a fish place, and ate out on the patio. By the time they got back to Erin’s cabin, the summer sun was setting, which made it after eight. He walked her to her door and grabbed her jaw in one big hand, his other arm around her waist. “Close the doors like I told you, have the phone and repellent with you in the bedroom. You’ll be fine.” He pulled her closer and gently lowered his lips to hers. He moved over them leisurely, giving her lips a final lick before backing off. “Mmm, that’s nice. Have a good sleep and I’ll see you later.”