Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2)(33)

Later in the afternoon, as they drove back to Virgin River, Paige said, “Now comes the scary part.”

Rick was whistling as he arrived at work. He came from the back, through the deserted kitchen, into the bar. Jack was going through some receipts at the bar as Rick came in. “Hey, Jack,” Rick said. And Jack looked up. “Holy God!” Rick said, jumping back. “Man!”

“Yeah. Kind of ugly, huh?”

“Who hit you?”

“I ran into a door,” he said.

“Nah,” Rick said, shaking his head. “That door has a name. And there’s only one guy I can think of who could get one like that off on you. What did you do to piss him off?”

Jack shook his head and chuckled. “Too smart for your own damn good, aren’t you? I had an opinion I should’ve kept to myself.”

“Uh-oh. You told him not to get mixed up with Paige, didn’t you?”

Jack straightened indignantly. “Now, why the hell would you say something like that?” he demanded.

“Well, it’s pretty obvious how Preach feels about her, and her kid. Where is the big man?” Rick asked, looking around.

“He took Paige over to the county courthouse to see a judge. He should be back any time now.”

Rick’s face split in a huge grin. Then he started to laugh. He plunged his hands in his pockets, rocked back on his heels, shaking his head. Laughing.

“What?” Jack demanded.

“Aw, Jack,” he said. “Did you tell him not to do that?”

“No!” Jack insisted. Then he let out a huge sigh. “I’d be dead now if I’d told him not to.” He pointed at his face. “I got this for telling him he might want to think about it.”

“Oh, my Jesus,” Rick said. “Preacher-man is all in. Got a woman.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure he gets that yet, so watch your step.”

Rick stepped close and gave Jack a shot to the arm with his fist. “Come on. I’m not dumb enough to get between him and a woman.”

“Yeah?” Jack said. And he thought, am I the only one around here without a brain?

Jack left the bar a little early because he was tired of people asking him what happened to his face. He was having a quiet evening in the cabin with Mel when the phone rang. When Jack heard the voice of his youngest sister, he beamed. “Brie! How you doing?”

“Hi, Jack. How are you?”

“Great. Listen, Preacher told me he asked you for some advice about this young woman he’s helping out. That was good of you, Brie. It’s a bad situation.”

“Yeah, I’m calling with some names for you to write down. Got a pen?”

“You sound a little rushed.”

“Yeah, a little. Ready to copy?”

“Sure,” he said, picking up a pen. “Go.”

She rattled off a few names of lawyers, a couple in L.A., a couple in northern California, spelling for him when he asked her to. “Tell the woman to contact one of these local lawyers immediately, before she makes a move, before the husband can make another move. Immediately.”

“Sure. Why do you sound so pissed off?” he asked her. “Bad day in court?”

“Big case,” she said shortly. “Not my best day.”

“So, what’s Brad up to? He around?”

Without missing a beat she said, “Put Mel on.”

“Sure,” Jack said. “You okay?”

“Great. Can I talk to Mel, please?”

Jack held the phone toward Mel, who, with a perplexed look on her face, got off the couch and went to him. She took the phone in confusion; she said hello.

“Listen,” came Brie’s stressed voice. “I need you to tell him for me, because I can’t talk to him about this yet. Tell Jack—Brad left me. Left me for another woman. He hasn’t even taken his clothes, which tells me he might already be moved in.”

“Brie?” Mel said in question. “What…?”

“My best friend,” she said, rage dripping from every word. “Christine, my best friend. I never knew. Never even suspected.”

“Brie, when did this happen?” Mel asked, and that question spoken into the phone brought Jack back to the kitchen, hovering.

“It’s been almost a week since he told me he’s been f**king her for a year! We were talking about babies—he said he wanted a baby. We’ve been ha**ng s*x like mad, and he’s been having it like mad down the street.” She laughed bitterly. “You suppose she wanted a baby, too?”

“Ah, Brie…” Mel tried.

“He wants to come back for his things. I’m thinking of burning everything on the front lawn.”

“Brie…”

“He’s seen a lawyer already. He knows better than to face me without a really good lawyer. He wants a divorce—fast.” She laughed. “Maybe she’s pregnant or something. Wouldn’t that be rich?” And then her voice broke for a moment.

Mel had only known Brie a short time. For that matter, she hadn’t known Jack all that long. But of Jack’s four sisters, she felt closest to Brie; they were around the same age and Brie was Jack’s pet. The baby of the family.

Jack and Mel had just been to Sacramento—it was where they were married. Unless she was completely blind and distracted, it had looked to her as if Brad and Brie were the most loving, the most openly affectionate couple out of his four married sisters. This didn’t seem possible, a few short weeks later.