Paradise Valley (Virgin River #7)(57)

“But you got out,” Jack said. “You climbed out.”

“Not when you were ready, Jack. When I was,” Mike said. “Go easy.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Maybe I should go,” Mike suggested. “Jack, you never really got shot up. Or blown up. Maybe I should go.”

“I’m going,” Jack said. “I’ll go easy.”

The next morning, Jack pocketed the cell phone he only took when he would be out of the mountains and had reception. He threw his duffel in the back of the truck and Mel said, “Jack, try to be patient. Your expectations of him have always been high. You miss him, you want him to bounce back, be his old self because you care about him, because you miss him.”

“I know,” Jack said. “And because I don’t want him to feel any pain. Everyone is so ready to help him with any pain or fear or worry he has, and he’s got this wall. It’s awful.”

“Let him talk. Try not to tell him how he should feel.”

“I know,” Jack said. “And if he doesn’t talk?”

“Remember that you want him to talk because you miss him. If he doesn’t want to talk yet, let him be quiet.”

“I just want to know why he couldn’t at least call Liz and tell her what’s—”

“Jack, that’s between them. When he gets home he’s going to have to work it out because she’ll be around and he can’t send her to voice mail when she’s standing right in front of him. Jesus, this is your weakness. You, who didn’t fall in love till you were forty, think you can fix up everyone’s relationships.” She shook her head. She got up on her toes and kissed him. “Well, your heart’s in the right place, that’s for sure. Make sure your mouth is in the right place, too. Closed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And for God’s sake, drive carefully. I need you back.”

Nine

When Cameron got to the clinic in the morning, he had a patient waiting. Mel had arrived early, opened up the office, and checked in a young mother and her eighteen-month-old son who suffered with an obvious ear infection. He had a fever, was batting his ears and crying. Mel could have handled it, but knowing Cameron was due, she waited for the pediatrician.

In no time, he had sent them on their way with Tylenol, antibiotic and decongestant. Then he found Mel in the kitchen. “I usually beat you here,” he said.

“Aw, Jack left this morning for San Diego. He’s gone to pick up Rick. And he’s not handling the situation all that well. He didn’t sleep much, was up by four, anxious to get on the road, troubled about the whole ordeal. There was such a ruckus around the house, the kids woke up too early and they’re all cranky, so I left them having morning naps at their aunt Brie’s. We’re all out of sorts.” She took a breath. “Jack’s so worried about Rick. And sometimes when Jack gets worried, he acts out.” She shook her head. “He has so much love in his heart. He just wants his people—the people he loves—to be all right.”

“God,” Cameron said. “You have no idea how nice that sounded.”

“It did?”

“You can’t imagine what it would mean to me if the right woman said that about me.”

She lifted her coffee mug to her lips, taking a sip. “Well, maybe she has, Cam. If she hasn’t, she just doesn’t know you well enough. You and Abby doing okay?”

He smiled. “I haven’t been banished to the loft yet.”

“Good for you, Cameron,” she said. “That’s something.”

“I probably should be. I also haven’t talked to her about it yet.”

“Well, why not?”

“Because I’m afraid when I tell her the truth about how I feel about her, she’s going to run for her life, that’s why not.” The wall phone in the kitchen rang. “I got it,” Cameron said. He lifted the old-fashioned receiver. “Clinic,” he said.

“Cameron,” Abby said in a whisper. “There are deer in the yard!”

“Really?” he asked. “Why are you whispering? Can they hear you?”

“I don’t want to scare them off. Oh, I wish you were here. There’s a baby. And a couple of deer look ready to pop. Not as ready as I look, but wild animals probably don’t get this big.”

He laughed into the phone. “I told you, you’re perfect.”

“If you’d been home another half hour, you’d have seen them. Cameron, there are six of them.”

“Any bucks?”

“Just the mamas. And one baby.”

“That’s a fawn,” he said.

“It looks like it’s barely born. He’s wobbling on his legs. Oh, I wish you could see him.”

He turned the phone away from his mouth. “Mel? Can you spare me for a little while? Abby has deer in the yard.”

“Sure, there aren’t any appointments. I can call you if someone wanders in and needs you,” she said, smiling, cradling her coffee cup in two hands. “Go on.”

“I’ll come,” he told Abby. “I’ll park down the road and walk up. I might scare them off anyway if they smell a human. But I’ll give it a shot.”

He drove a little faster than necessary out to the cabin because he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face, all lit up and excited about the deer. He parked before he got to the clearing and crept up the long driveway as quietly as he could. By the time he got to the clearing, the deer had moved to the tree line. He gave them a wide berth by going around the far side of the cabin to the door. He had to tiptoe across the porch. One doe lifted her head; they could no doubt smell his human scent, but they didn’t bolt. That surprised him. There were too many hunters up this way for them to feel safe.