Moonlight Road (Virgin River #11)(92)

“She’s a ghoul?” Aiden asked.

“She’s too gutsy for her own good, not afraid of anything. She’s braver than I’ve ever been. What the hell, it got her through some wicked stuff. I admire her. But I don’t want her all zooped up on Annalee’s craziness right now. Right now I want her growing my nephew to a healthy size and having a safe delivery.”

He considered this. “Makes perfect sense, the way you say it.”

“Because she’s gutsy and I’m sensible.” She turned toward him. “I love you. I’m in it with you. Trust me. Let me be in it with you.”

He put his hand around the back of her neck, threading his fingers into her hair. “Of course I trust you. I just don’t want you driven totally crazy right along with me.”

“Too late. The woman’s got me so nuts, she better be careful around me.”

Five days after Aiden had been arrested, the phone rang at Erin’s cabin. She answered and Annalee said, “Put Aiden on.”

“Well, good morning, Annalee,” Erin said. “Everything all right?”

“Put Aiden on. Quickly.”

Aiden was sitting at the table with his laptop open, a cup of coffee beside him. When Erin extended the phone toward him, she said, “Guess who’s turned up again?”

He took the phone at once. “This better be good,” he said. He listened for a long time, then he finally said. “Of course, you realize that extortion is against the law.” Again, he listened for a long time. “Would you like the phone number for my attorney so you can make that offer to him?” Again he listened. “Fine. I’ll pass the offer along to my attorney…and, Annalee? You might want to get a really, really good one yourself.” Then he disconnected.

Erin just stood, a frozen look on her face, waiting.

“Here’s her offer. If I give her a hundred-thousand-dollar cash settlement off the books, she’ll sign everything right away. Otherwise she plans to take me to court and sue me for desertion, abuse, battery, mental cruelty, imprisonment…” He laughed suddenly, sardonically. “Imprisonment? God, I couldn’t get away from her fast enough!”

Erin took a step toward him. “Aiden, she can’t prove any of those things!”

“But there was a report. Of course she can’t prove anything—but what she can do, as she so cleverly pointed out to me, is circulate rumors, even using the press. She can make enough of a stink that no practice with one working brain among them would ever give me a chance as a woman’s doctor. When I pointed out that blackmail was against the law, she said she hoped I had some recording device working. Then she said to make a decision within the week or she’d be beat-up again. And the police were probably tired of my lawyer girlfriend lying for me.”

“Aiden! She can’t get away with this!”

“But she can,” he said. “I mean, she’ll never prove anything—but can she make it real tough for me to carry on without a long history of innuendo and gossip that alleges I’m abusive toward women? Ruin my career? I think even if she goes to jail, she could still manage to create a lot of damaging suspicion about my character.” He laughed suddenly. “Doesn’t this all sound familiar? Except the price—the price has gone way up.”

Mel was just hanging out in the reception area, a stack of lab results in one pile and charts in the other. Cameron was at the desk, working on the computer. They were in the process of trying to go paperless, filing all their patient charts on the hard drive. Mel had found them a perfect customized program, but it still required a lot of charting, filing, sifting, sorting and inputting.

“The second we have an extra dime, we’re getting at least a part-time secretary. I spend half my life on paperwork.”

Cameron just grunted his reply. He was drowning in it as much she was.

Business was definitely picking up. They were now up to two appointment days a week, and with more people in the area getting insurance, they were both making a living, if a modest one.

The door opened and Darla Prentiss popped her head in. “Mel, hi! Got a minute for me?”

“Absolutely! How are you?”

“Fantastic.”

Darla waved out the door and Mel heard the engine of a truck as it was turned off, the slamming of a door. Then Phil Prentiss was beside his wife. He pulled his ball cap off his head as he entered. His jeans, plaid shirt and boots were well-worn and a little dirty—he’d been working. Darla was dressed up, however—she wore her best creased pants and starched white blouse. She was clutching a large manila envelope protectively against her chest. “Mel,” Phil said with a smile and nod. “Doc,” he said to Cameron.

Cameron got up to shake the man’s hand. “You two are looking good,” he observed.

“You, too, Doc. Mel—may we talk to you a minute? A special request?” Phil asked.

“Right this way,” Mel said, heading toward their office. “You know I’d do anything for you two.”

Phil laughed; Darla joined him in laughter. “That’s exactly what we’re hoping.”

When Phil and Darla were seated in front of her desk and Mel behind it, she couldn’t help but grin at their youthful, secretive amusement with each other. She folded her hands on top of her desk. “Gonna let me in on the joke?” she asked.