Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(112)

“My man, it was the hardest work I’ve ever done,” Preacher said.

“Um, John,” Paige said.

“I didn’t mean you didn’t work hard, baby, you know that. But I damn near worried myself into the ground. Mel almost had to give me something.”

“Was it everything you thought it would be?” Joe asked.

“It was way more than I thought it would be. I cried like a baby.”

These two, Joe thought. He wondered if they had any idea how cute they were. “We have to call Paul, tell him I’m here. And Brie and Mike. I think we have the plans final and I’d like to get out to the properties today so I can leave early tomorrow.”

“You have to take off so soon?” Paige asked.

“I’m afraid so,” he said. “I could have had the plans delivered, but I didn’t want to miss a chance to see the baby. And if Paul’s building schedule goes as planned, you’ll be in your new apartment in no time at all. You shouldn’t have to spend even six months in Jack’s cabin, which puts you back home before Christmas. Plus, if Preach can cook during the day in spite of the noise, the crews should be able to leave the property by dinnertime. I don’t think the bar will have to be closed much at all.”

“I can’t wait,” Paige said.

Phone calls were made and everyone convened in the bar to look at house plans. When everyone seemed in agreement about their plans, Joe and Paul went out to the general’s house so that Vanessa could comb over her plans, which took a couple of hours.

“Okay, let’s walk your property first,” Joe said to Paul. “Then you’re good to go. We’ll get the Valenzuelas on the way back to town. You have concrete ready?”

“Coming this week. Will you come back for dinner?” he asked Joe.

“I’ll take a rain check,” Joe said. “I want to visit with Jack and Mel a little bit tonight, so I’ll take dinner at the bar. Then I’m on the road early tomorrow morning.”

“Aw, I was hoping to get a little more time with you,” Vanni said.

“Next time, okay? It’s a quick trip for me.”

“Joe,” she said, laying a hand on his arm. “I can’t help but feel we’ve had a big misunderstanding. And it’s affected our friendship. Five minutes before Paul asked me to marry him, he told me I have the worst goddamn temper…and that I’m really hard to shut up. I think I might’ve overreacted.”

He chuckled in spite of himself. “The misunderstanding must have been between the woman and I.” He shrugged. “I still can’t figure out what went wrong. Our friendship is okay, Vanni. Be patient with me. This will pass.”

“I hope so, Joe. I’m sorry you were hurt. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

“Hey,” he said, laughing it off. “What could you do? It’s not like I’m going to help you out with the details. Whatever she says is her business, but I’ve already said more than I like. I don’t want to betray her privacy.”

By five, Joe had left the drawings in Paul’s very capable hands and was headed back to Jack’s, where he found Mel and the kids waiting for him. Before long everyone but Vanni and Paul had gathered. There was a humorous debrief on Paige’s delivery that had them all laughing while they enjoyed Preacher’s broiled trout with rice.

Not long after Mel and the kids left, a group of Hot Shots, USDA federal firefighters, came in—a hand crew of about ten of the usual eighteen—getting everyone’s attention. Most of the firefighters used locally were inmates, felons, but since these guys were not, Jack and Preacher pushed tables together and set them up with beer as well as dinner in exchange for news. There had been a fire back in the Trinity Alps and these boys had been working it for two days. It looked to be contained and they were released to go home and wouldn’t be recalled. They were starved for decent food and a cold beer.

“I can’t believe I wasn’t even aware of it,” Jack said. “I can see for miles from my front yard.”

“Winds have been from the southwest, it’s up the mountain and we’ve had it curtailed to a slow, dense burn for twenty-four hours. I think we’ve got it now. We can’t be recalled for at least twenty-four hours, so we’re probably done with that fire. We’ll be headed to the Mogollon Rim in Arizona, if it’s still hot in two days.”

“Where exactly was this last one?” Jack asked.

“Only about twenty-five miles back there. Just over the mountain.”

Twenty-five miles was uncomfortably close; Jack and Preacher had a lot of questions for them about the winds, the weather forecasts, any controlled burns in the area. “There aren’t any controlled burns near the redwoods right now,” one of them said.

Jack set them up one more time, given they were on the way home and wouldn’t be going back into the forest. Of course he wouldn’t take a dime from them. “You keep our towns safe—you eat and drink on the house anytime you’ve been working a fire. It’s the least we can do. As long as you have a designated driver…”

They all laughed, a couple of them slapping one comrade on the back. “We always try to keep at least one Mormon on the crew—the designated good influence.”

As the hour grew later, Jack kept the bar open a little while longer so the firefighters could unwind. Joe sat up at the bar facing Jack. “You can pour me one good-night pop, then I’m getting out of your hair.”