Sunrise Point (Virgin River #19)(82)

“Does he carry your books to class, too?” Tom asked.

“Why, Tom,” she said, a teasing tone to her voice. “Are you possibly jealous?”

He was sure he would not have a problem telling her, tonight, that she’d better get some new ideas about her future because he was now officially off the map. The woman drove him insane. “Let me get the rest and get that shower.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

He did not dare turn around and look at his grandmother’s expression.

* * *

After Darla picked her way through an amazing roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, Tom helped his grandmother clear the table and take care of the dishes. Darla excused herself to change into something more comfortable.

“Thank God,” he said to his grandmother. “Okay, listen, Maxie. You’re going to have to disappear for a while, give me the room. I have to tell her how it is—that we are not seeing each other, not now, not ever. She’s very determined, although I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”

“Maybe you just blow every whistle she’s got,” Maxie said with a sneer.

He just stared at her. “Oh, yeah, you have to leave the room. You’re losing control of your filter.”

“Well, I’d go into town, maybe stop off at Jack’s looking for gossip, but I had to drink two glasses of her very expensive wine just to be able to sit through dinner with her. Don’t you ever bring an anorexic to dinner here again! And by the way, she got screwed on the wine! Doesn’t she think we country hicks know good wine? We have award-winning vineyards around here! We know our wine! If that bottle cost more than eight-ninety-nine I’ll wet myself!”

He rolled his eyes. “Can you find something to do in your…room?” he asked.

“And miss the Raiders and Cowboys game?”

“If you do this for me, I’ll buy you a fancy flat screen for your bedroom.”

She snatched the dishtowel out of his hands and said, “I’ll record the game. And read. But would you please not beat around the bush? I’ve had about enough of this. And for God’s sake, don’t lie!”

“Yeah, stupid me,” he said. And then mocking himself, “What kind of trouble could a hunting lie create?”

“See? If you’d just listen to me…”

“Well, now,” Darla said brightly. “I brought some movies if anyone is interested.”

Chapter Eighteen

Although Tom dreaded the whole idea, he was burdened with the impossible task of helping Darla understand his position, which was one of not being even slightly in love with her. Ironically what made this even more difficult was the fact that he couldn’t understand what in the world made her want him. She didn’t really love his world, his apple kingdom.

“Movie, Tom?” she asked. “Maybe While You Were Sleeping?”

“Darla, before we look at movies, we have to talk. Let’s talk in the kitchen. I’ll fix you up with another glass of wine,” he said. “I’ll have a beer with you.”

She grinned devilishly. “Tom, are you trying to get me drunk?”

“No,” he said, though that wasn’t a bad idea. “Thing is…” Then he stopped. “Listen, how did you say you met Bob?”

“Did I say?”

“I think so. I can’t remember.”

“He was in Colorado Springs, snowboarding.”

In Vail, skiing. He did so remember.

“Did you date very long?”

“Not long, no. A few months. Almost just enough time to plan a nice wedding. It was beautiful. He had his orders for deployment right before the ceremony, actually.”

“Hmm,” Tom pondered, rubbing his jaw. “You must’ve fallen in love with him the second you met him.”

She sighed. “Well, what wasn’t to love? Big, handsome, decorated hero. Every woman I knew envied me. Bob was very nearly famous!”

“Didn’t you worry about how complicated life might be with a husband in the Corps? Hadn’t he deployed before?”

“Three times before,” she said with a nod. “But no—I wasn’t worried. And I sure wasn’t going to wait till the age of forty to be married.”

“Huh?” he asked.

“I expected to be married by thirty and when that didn’t happen I—”

“Huh?” he said again, interrupting her. “Bob was twenty-seven,” Tom said. “He enlisted right out of high school. He had almost ten years in. He told me he wanted a career.”

“That was just talk among the men,” Darla said with a wave of her hand. “Bob was a little younger than me.”

He leaned toward her. “How much younger?”

“A few years. But it was instant love…”

She had searched him on Google, Tom thought. Why hadn’t he done the same? “How old are you?” he asked.

“Tom! Do you need to see my driver’s license?”

He gave a nod. “Don’t need to, but…”

“Thirty-five,” she said, unmistakable annoyance in her tone. “That wasn’t a problem for us!”

“And you weren’t married very long when he deployed?”