Virgin River (Virgin River #1)(58)

“Not to worry,” she said, patting her hand. “I’m not going anywhere before you deliver, which from the look of things is going to be real soon.” She laughed and added, “I just hope we don’t have to pull off to the side of the road on our way home today.”

“I hope you’ll stay on,” June said. “It’ll be nice to have you so close by.”

“Close by? It took us over a half hour of twisting, turning and inching past logging trucks, just to go one way! And I bet it’s not twenty miles!”

“I know,” June said. “It’s just over fifteen miles. Isn’t it great that we’re neighbors?”

Before they were done with lunch a man came into the café carrying a baby. He reminded Mel just slightly of Jack—equal in height, muscled, rugged-looking in his jeans and plaid shirt, fortyish, and handling a baby with ease. He bent, gave Dr. Hudson a kiss on the cheek and handed over the baby. “Meet Jim, my house husband. And our son, Jamie.”

All the way back to Virgin River Mel was thinking, I didn’t feel so out of place today. She loved June and John Stone. Even old Doc Hudson was a kick. After she dropped Sondra off at her farm and drove back into town, it seemed as though the town was cuter somehow. Not quite the falling-down little burg she’d first thought. It seemed oddly like home.

She pulled up in front of Doc’s house and noticed as she did so that the men were just getting back to Jack’s from fishing all day. She went into the house to find Doc in the kitchen assembling something at the kitchen table. It looked as though he’d gotten himself a new bag. “Doc Hudson sends his regards, as do June and John. What are you up to?”

He put a couple of things in the bag and pushed it toward her. “Time you had one of your own,” he said.

It was fun to watch the marines load up their gear and head for the river in the early morning. Mel waved to them from her spot on Doc’s front steps where she took her morning coffee, and though they’d been up half the night playing poker and drinking, they seemed full of energy and enthusiasm. They’d shout and wave, and whistle at her. Flirt. “Oh, baby, you are so beautiful in the morning,” Corny yelled across the street. His reward was a playful whap on the back of the head from Jack. They were barely gone when a large, dark SUV pulled into town, driving slowly down the street. To Mel’s surprise, the driver stopped in front of Doc’s. The door opened, but the engine continued to run. A man got out and stood in the street next to the open door, half-hidden. He was a tall guy, broad-shouldered. He wore a black ball cap and his hair curled out beneath it. “This doctor make house calls?” he asked. Mel stood up. “Someone’s sick?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Someone’s pregnant,” he answered.

She felt a smile reach her lips. “We can make house calls, if necessary. But it’s a lot more convenient to do prenatal checks here in the clinic. We see well patients on Wednesdays.”

“You Doc Mullins?” he asked, his eyes crinkling doubtfully.

“Mel Monroe,” she said with a chuckle. “Family nurse practitioner and midwife. Doc hasn’t been doing much women’s health since I got here. Where does your wife plan to have the baby?”

He shrugged. “That’s up in the air.”

“Well, where do you live?”

He tilted his head. “She’s on the other side of Clear River. Almost an hour from here.”

“We have a hospital room here. Is it a first baby?”

“I think so, yeah.”

She laughed. “You think so?”

“It’s the first one I’ve been around for,” he said. “She’s not my wife.”

“Sorry,” Mel said. “I made an assumption. Bring the lady in for a prenatal checkup,”

Mel said. “I can show her our room and talk to her about her options.”

“How about if she has it at home?” he asked.

“Well, that’s an option, too,” Mel said. “But really, Mr….?” The man didn’t respond as he should, with his name. He just stood there, big in his denim jacket, tall in his boots. Serious. “Really, the person having the baby needs to be involved in the discussion. Want to make an appointment?”

“I’ll call,” he said. “Thanks.” And he got in the SUV and proceeded out of town. She found herself chuckling; she’d never had a consultation go quite like that. She hoped the man would confer with the pregnant woman about where she’d like to give birth.

The marines left at the end of the week and the town quieted down, but after getting to know them, she was actually sorry to see them go. While the boys were in town, Preacher was a lot more animated, laughing easily, scowling so much less. And each one of them grabbed her and hugged her goodbye, like she was part of their family. Mel found herself looking forward to having Jack to herself again, but it was not to be. Jack was oddly morose and somewhat distant. He didn’t lift her off the ground or pester her for kisses, and for someone who had resisted and complained of the inadvisability of same, she was disappointed. Bereft. When she questioned his strange mood, he said, “I’m sorry, Mel. I think the boys wore me out.”

When she went to the bar for lunch, Preacher reported that Jack was fishing.

“Fishing?” she said. “Didn’t he get enough of that last week?” To which Preacher merely shrugged.