Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2)(67)

“Let’s have a cup of coffee while we think about what to do with her. She’ll keep.” Jack bent down and picked up the empty bottle to throw away.

Twenty minutes later Mel came into the bar, her jacket collar pulled up around her neck, hands in her pockets, all that blond hair scrunched up at her shoulders. Mike looked at her appreciatively; her cheeks were rosy with love, her eyes bright, lips bruised pink. “Jack, Cheryl Chreigton is kind of weaving down the street with a blanket around her shoulders. You know anything about that?”

“Yeah,” he said. “That means I don’t have to take her home. She was passed out on the porch when we opened up this morning.”

“Oh, Jack, there must be a way to get that woman some help. My God, she’s only thirty years old!”

“If you think of something, I’ll be glad to pitch in,” he said. “But, Mel, her parents have been trying for years.”

“They’re obviously not trying the right things,” she said. She shook her head sadly and left the bar.

Jack had barely finished splitting logs when Connie was in the bar, visibly upset. “Well, they did it,” she said. “They ran off.”

“Aw, Jesus,” Jack said. “When?”

“Who knows?” She shrugged. “Could’ve been the middle of the night—I didn’t hear anything. Ron’s out driving around now. I can’t stand the thought of calling my sister.”

“Well, don’t,” Jack said. “Give me a minute. Help yourself to coffee.” He went into the kitchen, pulled out the business card that was stuck between the phone and wall, dialed up the sheriff’s department and asked if they’d dispatch Henry Depardeau, the deputy assigned to their area. He called the California Highway Patrol. Both times he gave a description of Rick’s truck and said that family in Virgin River needed to get in touch with the young couple. Then he went back to Connie. He refilled his mug with coffee. “I’ve tried to stay out of this, Connie. But maybe I shouldn’t have.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, Rick’s just got Lydie, and she’s old and not too well most of the time. If Rick has anyone coaching him into manhood, trying to teach him, it would be me and Preacher. Probably not the best father figures in the world, but that’s all he’s got. We should do better by these kids right now.”

“Look, Jack, I’m doing the best I can.”

“I know that. Do you know why they ran off? Because I have some ideas. One is—they don’t want to give that baby away. Holding that hard line with them, even if it seems to make the most sense, might drive them to do more drastic things.”

“What are they going to do with a baby, Jack?”

“When Rick found out there was a baby, he said he was going to make sure Lizzie wasn’t afraid. He’s going to protect her, whatever it takes. He must have felt like he was facing a firing squad—you know any seventeen-year-old boy looking to be a father? Huh? But he said he was going to stick close to Liz. Me and Preach, we were damn proud of him for that. He’s trying to be a man here, take care of the mother of his child. He shouldn’t be protecting her from us.”

“I agree, he’s a good boy, but still, Jack…”

He shrugged. “Rick’s going to be eighteen in a few months. Young, but not the youngest father on record. But he’s living with his grandma, Liz is living with you, and they can’t even be alone together.”

“Jack, they shouldn’t get any more involved! They’re children!”

“They made a baby together, Connie. Do you think you can un-shoot that gun? Every day is a hard day for Liz—and sometimes she needs the only person she thinks is on her side to put his arms around her. It isn’t a good time for her to think she doesn’t have love in her life, when it’s growing in her every day. She needs him, Connie.”

“But, Jack, Lizzie is fifteen.…”

He gave a nod. “I know this, too. Now, Connie, I hope I never say anything about a woman that isn’t gentlemanly, but I’d like you to do a quick memory check. When Rick and Liz got involved, she was only fourteen—fourteen going on twenty-one. Two kids with grown-up bodies and adolescent minds. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s better if they don’t get married just yet. And being in somewhat the same position as Rick, nobody would get my baby away from me. Not at knifepoint.”

She looked down and shook her head. “I didn’t have my own kids,” she said. “My sister shouldn’t have stuck me with this. She told me to watch that they don’t get any more serious, make sure that baby gets adopted by someone who can give it a good home.”

“You’re right there—she shouldn’t have done that to you. But I’m glad she did. Doesn’t sound like your sister has the wisdom or patience for it, and I’ve known you for some time now. I know you’re up to it. It might be better if you start playing by your own rules, not someone else’s. After all, Liz is living under your roof.”

“I don’t know what’s the right thing, the wrong thing….”

“Sure you do. They’re a couple, Liz and Rick. Unfortunately for them, they got into this so young, we don’t know if they can make it stick, but they’re a couple right now. They should be getting ready for the baby, because I can tell you, that baby’s coming no matter what they decide to do. Even if Liz can be forced to give him up, Rick can’t. Maybe we should put our heads together and see if we can help them be parents and finish school, because the only thing for sure right now is, they’re going to be parents. No matter what we do. We might as well offer up some support.”