Promise Canyon (Virgin River #13)(64)
That brought a slight grin to Jack's face. He tilted his head toward Preacher. "Always makes me feel better when Preacher's ticked off," he said. He put a hand on the big man's shoulder. "Did you hear about Preacher's dinner party?"
"Huh?" Mike said. "What's that?"
"Aw, it was just one of those things," Preacher said, looking down shyly.
"Preacher met himself a five-star chef from San Francisco at the sale. She was staying out at Luke's cabins with some of her girlfriends on their way home from Vancouver, and Preacher opened up the bar so they could taste some of his favorite dishes."
"How'd you rate?" Mike asked.
He stood a bit taller. "I'd say she was impressed. She gave me a few tips, too. Little ginger in the beans, a sprinkle of thyme on the roasted vegetables. And she offered to come back and cook up her special soup and show me her rhubarb pie, which she says is good. Mine's always sour, no matter what I do. She said just try 'em and if they're not way better than the recipes I'm using, no hard feelings." He grinned. "I don't think another cook has ever eaten here."
"How'd the girlfriends like your food?" Mike asked.
"They were all groaning and holding their stuffed bellies when they left. I set 'em up right at the counter in the kitchen and kept it coming till they begged me to stop." He sniffed the air, lifted his chin and said, "I think it's fair to say I knocked their socks off."
The men laughed at him, but Preacher took it in stride. Truthfully, nothing could have made him more proud than to have a real cook admire his work.
"How are things at the cabins, General?" Jack asked. "And how's Colin getting along?"
"Luke's been there with him almost a week and he's coming back in a couple of days. Colin is doing better. Boy took a heavy crash and a lot of broken bones are hard to heal. Their mother, Maureen, is there now. George is with her. Luke says Colin can be discharged within the week, but he'll be transported to a wounded warriors support center at Fort Benning, where he's currently serving. Luke's a little nervous about leaving Colin in Maureen's hands--she and George aren't strong enough or experienced enough to take care of a big man like that who's in an arm cast and a whole bunch of bandages. Luke wants to make sure the arrangements for his transport are complete--guys from his unit will make sure he's taken care of." He chuckled. "And Colin is begging Luke to throw him out a ten-story window rather than leave him at his mother's mercy."
"But he's going to recover?"
"So they say." Walt shrugged. "You know how that goes--a lot of it's up to him. He needs physical therapy. He has to build strength. You know what Luke says he complains about the most? The elbow! He's got screws in his elbow and it's driving him crazy."
"And Shelby and the baby?"
"Oh, they're getting along fine. I go out there every morning and stay till dinner. Sometimes Muriel comes out and eats with us. Cabins are going to fill up next week--hunting season."
"The bar might see some action, too, when the hunters come."
"So you're not going to go broke while the town is in a snit?" Nate asked.
"Nah, we got hunters and fishermen," Jack said. "But I'll tell you what--if these folks don't get over themselves real quick, they might find they're just not so welcome here. Doesn't make you want to be the good neighbor, if you know what I mean."
"It's going to pass real soon," Mel said, lifting her beer.
Nate leaned an elbow on the bar and peered at Mel. "Is your business suffering, since you're consorting with the executor?"
She shook her head. "Couple of the old boys are a little put out that Jack didn't open up Hope's trust for them, but for the most part the women are fine with things the way they are. It's not that many of the guys, really--just seems like a lot to Jack--he's not used to being viewed as the bad guy. By anyone."
"Because I'm not," he said emphatically.
"Of course you're not, darling," she said. "But you just can't please all the people all the time. It's such a thankless job to be in charge of anything, isn't it?"
"I liked it best when I was in charge of this little space back here," Jack said, throwing his arms wide, indicating the area behind the bar. "I don't even have many opinions about what goes on in the kitchen."
"Very wise," Preacher said.
Suddenly there was a slight vibration, a distant and faint rumble, and the bottles on the shelf behind the bar clinked up against each other. It lasted only a few seconds, during which time everyone was stone still and silent, experiencing it.
"That was either the biggest rock slide we've ever had around here, or an earthquake," Jack said when it had passed.
And Mel, who had lived many years in Los Angeles before coming to Virgin River, said, "It was an earthquake, I believe. But thankfully not much of one."
Thirteen
When Lilly was lying in Clay's arms, flesh to flesh, with nothing heavier than a sigh between them, it was a time made precious by more than just physical intimacy.
It was still early evening. They'd had their dinner, showered and climbed into bed together.
Robyn Carr's Books
- The Family Gathering (Sullivan's Crossing #3)
- Robyn Carr
- What We Find (Sullivan's Crossing, #1)
- My Kind of Christmas (Virgin River #20)
- Sunrise Point (Virgin River #19)
- Redwood Bend (Virgin River #18)
- Hidden Summit (Virgin River #17)
- Bring Me Home for Christmas (Virgin River #16)
- Harvest Moon (Virgin River #15)
- Wild Man Creek (Virgin River #14)