Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(98)

Nikki, it turned out, had had an affair or two go south before the one who made her cry. She dated an airline captain for a while without realizing he was actually married. And then, to her supreme embarrassment, she continued with him for a while after knowing. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, but she’d been really young then. “I regretted that, you can’t imagine how much. He’s been with quite a few single women since, though still married.”

Lots of intimate talk, lots of wonderful, sweet but powerful sex. The sun was starting to peek over the mountains when Joe nodded off with Nikki close in his arms. It was high up when he heard the sound of an engine and bolted upright, finding the bed beside him empty. He couldn’t believe she’d sneak away without saying goodbye. Then it occurred to him she might’ve escaped into the house, into her guest room, to keep her private life private from her hosts.

He dressed, shaved, ran a comb through his hair and hoped to meet her at the coffeepot in the general’s kitchen. He had to get with her one more time to plan their next meeting, to tell her he wanted to call her, talk to her, find out when she would allow him to come to the Bay Area. He was already missing the sound of her voice. The smell of her skin.

When he got into the house, he found Vanni in the kitchen, the baby in his bouncy seat on the table. “Morning,” he said, headed for the coffeepot. When he got back to the table and sat, he was met by her glare. “What?” he asked, perplexed.

“I cannot believe you did that,” she said.

“Did what?” he asked.

“My best friend. You know she’s been through a hard time.”

He looked around a little frantically. “Vanni, what? Where’s Nikki?”

“Gone,” she said flatly.

“Gone?” he asked, rising out of his chair. “Gone?”

“Yes,” she affirmed. “What were you thinking?”

He gave a huff of unhappy laughter. “I was thinking I’d just found the woman of my dreams,” he said. “She left?”

“In tears,” Vanni said, her mouth set in a grim line.

“Tears? Vanni, I did not make her cry!”

“Didn’t you have sex with her all night long in that little fifth wheel?” she asked, anger in her tone.

Hoo-boy. You don’t talk about that, especially when it’s meaningful. “Vanni, I swear to you, I didn’t do anything to hurt her.”

“Didn’t you find her on the deck, crying, and kiss her and seduce her and take her to that little trailer?”

“Well…Yeah…I did that part.…” And he was thinking, was there a felony in there somewhere? Because all through the night the only thing he had tried to do was show her how much she could be loved. And it was wonderful; she was wonderful. Spontaneous and aroused and ultimately quite satisfied. And happy. He’d heard her sigh, he’d heard her laugh. There was absolutely no crying.

“Didn’t it occur to you that after her heart had been broken, that was probably not a great idea?”

He got a little angry himself. He leaned his hands on the table, got a little bit in her face and said, “No. I thought it was a terrific idea, and so did she. I wanted to be good to her and I was. I treated her with absolute respect, and she consented one hundred percent. Now, give me her number. I need to talk to her as soon as possible.”

“She said absolutely no.”

“What? No, I have to get in touch with her. Vanni, this isn’t funny.”

“No, it’s not. I just don’t know what went through your mind.”

“Wait a minute here, I didn’t talk her into anything! I was a perfect gentleman, I swear to God!”

“Don’t you know anything about women?” she asked him.

“Apparently not!” he answered hotly.

“She’s just spent five years with a guy who wouldn’t come through. What do you suppose she thinks you’re going to do after one night?”

“She could give me a frickin’ chance!”

Vanni’s mouth was set in a firm line. “She said absolutely no.”

“Oh, for God’s sake. Vanni, this is cruel and unusual. Listen, I have feelings for her. Really.”

“After one night?” she asked, a definite superior tone to her voice.

“Before the night,” he said. “Will you ask her to call me? Please?”

“You knew her for what? Ten minutes?”

“Shit,” he said. “Okay, it was fast. Okay? I admit it. But by the time we’d spent a night together it seemed…” It seemed as if he’d been with her for years! Jesus, his voice was quivering. He was losing his mind. He should be saying, fine—if that’s the way she wants it, fine. But in his head, his heart, his gut, he was feeling desperate. Driven. He was not letting this woman get away.

His good sense said give it up. She’s a nutcase. A whole night of magnificent love, intimate talk, something deep and meaningful going on and she splits? Like that? Never wanting to hear from you again? Give it up. Let it go. Move on. She’s probably crazy. Joe had had one or two crazy women for excruciating but short duration, and he didn’t want another one.

But he said, “Vanni, I have to talk to her. I won’t do to her whatever he did to her. I won’t make any promises I can’t keep and I never did or said anything that wasn’t a hundred percent sincere.”