Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2)(47)

“Not in this, I’m not,” he admitted.

“I know about you. Miguel is not the first young man you’ve kept vigil for. He said you’d never leave your man—no matter how dangerous staying with him could be.”

“He exaggerates,” Jack said.

“I don’t think so. I’m going to get some rest so I can be alert in the early morning. Thank you for doing this.”

“I wouldn’t leave this one, Mrs. Valenzuela. He’s a good troop.”

In the middle of the sixth night, Mike opened his eyes, turned his head and said, “Sarge?”

Jack was on his feet instantly, leaning over the bed. He saw clarity in Mike’s eyes. “Yeah, Gunny. Right here. Lotta people here for you, buddy. You have to stay with us now—the hospital staff is ready to throw us all out.”

A nurse was instantly at the bedside. “Mike?” she asked. “You know where you are?”

“I just hope I’m not in Iraq,” he said weakly.

“You’re in the hospital. In intensive care.”

“Good. No snipers here.”

“Mike, I’m going to call your mother,” Jack said. “I’ll be nearby.”

Jack walked out of the ICU and down to the lounge where family and friends could wait, make phone calls, rest. The Valenzuelas were in the trailer provided by the police department, but there were easily a dozen men passing the night in the lounge, just to be close by. “He’s awake. He’s recognizing people.”

A collective sigh of relief came out of the room. Jack called the trailer to bring Mrs. Valenzuela to her son’s bedside, then went back to ICU. By the time he got there, two doctors were examining his friend. One of them was Sean, the other a neurologist.

Sean came around the bed and, his hand on Jack’s arm, led him away from Mike. “I haven’t called Mel yet, but I’m going to. I just wanted to say something—you’ve been here every night, through the night, for almost a week. I’m damn glad you decided not to let her be lonely. You’re a good man, Jack. A good friend.”

“I told you—he’s a good guy. He’d do the same for me.” He smiled. “As for Mel, when she took me on, she made my life.”

While Jack was away Mel had one important errand to occupy her. She picked up Liz at the corner store to make the trip to Grace Valley to see Dr. Stone, the OB. Liz was waiting outside for her. “Are you sure you don’t want to invite your aunt Connie along?”

“No, really,” she said. “I want to go with just you.”

“That’s fine. You look very pretty today,” she said.

Liz smiled. “Thanks,” she said.

It pleased Mel that Liz had gone to some trouble to look nice today, since she’d be meeting Dr. Stone for the first time. Her hair was shiny clean and curled, her makeup tasteful. She had on those tight jeans with a long sweater pulled down over the belly that wouldn’t allow them to close anymore.

“Are you looking forward to this?”

“I think so,” she said. “I’m nervous.”

“Nothing to worry about—it’s completely painless.”

When they got to the Grace Valley clinic, Mel realized that the appointment was probably not the only reason behind Liz’s primping, and there was definitely another reason Liz didn’t invite Aunt Connie. As they pulled up to park, a very familiar little white pickup was waiting across the street. Rick got out of the truck and began to walk toward them. When Liz saw him, she beamed with happiness and ran to him, meeting him halfway. Now, Mel had seen them together since Liz returned to Virgin River—at the bar and around town. They were pretty cautious, especially around Connie and Ron, and Connie and Ron seemed to always be around. Rick would hold her hand, drop an arm over her shoulders, maybe put a mature little kiss on her temple.

But this was different. She ran into his arms. He held her closely, lovingly. She saw Rick in a different light, his arms full of a pregnant girl. Tall, broad, strong, handsome, yet a boy—full of all that seventeen-year-old testosterone.

They embraced and kissed in the middle of the street, kissed like grown-ups. Liz’s hands were on his cheeks, pulling him hard against her mouth. Hungry, eating each other’s mouths—there was enough passion in their kiss that steam was rising. He held her tight against him, his hands running up and down her back. He slid a hand over her tummy while he talked and smiled against her parted lips. This was no boy, but a man. Man and woman, yet children.

Mel cleared her throat.

They reluctantly parted and walked toward Mel. “Hey, Rick. I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I had to cut school. I don’t think an ultrasound appointment for the father is the usual excused absence. But Liz wanted me here.”

“I can understand that.” So old. So young. They were kids; it was disconcerting. In fact, their apparent love for each other was somehow more unsettling than getting a poor young girl through something like this alone. These two seemed to want to have this baby together, and what could be more impossible for kids so young?

“Well, let’s go in and meet the doctor.”

Mel had talked to John Stone, told him about her patient. The exam got under way. Rick took his place beside Liz, holding her hand, like any young husband might. She looked up at him adoringly while his eyes were more fixed on the monitor. John moved the wand over her belly, and on the screen the baby fluttered and kicked. “Oh, man,” Rick said. “Man, look at that.”