Virgin River (Virgin River #1)(70)

It seemed like a quick beer at Jack’s was in order and they went into the bar arm in arm, laughing because Mel had whispered, “If I catch you looking at his crotch, I will slap you.” Which almost guaranteed Joey was going to find the temptation irresistible. Then they invited him to come out to the cabin for dinner, and he not only eagerly accepted, he brought a six-pack.

They told stories from their childhood and teenage years that had him laughing right along with them till almost midnight.

When Jack was getting ready to leave, Joey slipped discreetly away so Mel could say good night to him in private. Outside, on the porch, with only the filtered light from inside the cabin, Jack stepped down a step so that he could be eye-to-eye with Mel. She draped her arms over his shoulders while he encircled her waist with his large hands. She leaned toward him and teasingly nibbled at his lower lip.

“You told her everything,” he said.

“Nah,” she said, shaking her head.

“She keeps looking at my crotch,” he said.

Giggles. “Not everything,” she said. “I kept the more delicious stuff to myself.”

“Have you been all right?” he asked, drawing his brows together in concern. “Any more tears?”

“Completely all right.” She smiled.

“I miss you already, Mel.”

“It’s only been a couple of days…”

“I missed you after a couple of hours.”

“You’re going to be a lot of trouble, aren’t you? Demanding, imposing, insatiable…”

He covered her mouth in a searing kiss that answered the question. She yielded happily, holding him closely. Ah, she thought. This is such a wonderful, powerful, sexy man. She never wanted it to end, but at length it had to. “I have to go,” he said in a husky voice. “Either that, or carry you into the woods.”

“You know, Sheridan…This place is growing on me.”

He gave her a little peck on the lips. “Your sister is great, Mel.” He gave her another.

“Get rid of her,” he said. Then with a whack on the butt, he turned and left her. When he got to his truck and opened his door, he turned to look at her. He stood there for a long time. Then he slowly lifted his hand. And she did the same. Jack was sweeping off the porch at the bar the next morning when he saw Joey and Mel walk out of Doc’s house and embrace at Joey’s car. Then Mel walked back inside and to his surprise, Joey came over to the bar.

“I’m going to shove off,” she said to him. “I thought I’d beg a cup of coffee from you on my way out of town. Mel has a couple of patients this morning, or she’d have come with me. So we said our goodbyes.”

“I’d be glad to buy you breakfast,” he said.

“Thanks, I’ve had a little something already. But I’m not going to pass up your coffee. And I wanted a moment. To talk. To say goodbye.”

“Coming up,” he said. He leaned the broom against the wall and held the door for her. She jumped up on a stool and he went behind the bar to serve her coffee. “It was great meeting you, Joey. And spending a little time.”

“Thanks. You, too. But mostly, thanks for what you’ve done for Mel. For taking care of her, looking out for her…”

He poured himself a mug. “I think you know—you don’t have to thank me. I’m not doing anybody any favors.”

“I know. Still…Just so you know, it’s easier for me to leave her here, knowing that she isn’t all alone.”

It was on his mind to tell her that he hadn’t felt like this since he was sixteen. All steamed up, crazy in love, willing to take a lot of chances for just one chance. But what he said was, “She won’t be alone. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

She sipped her coffee. She seemed to struggle with something. “Jack, there’s something you should keep in mind. Just because the crisis seems to have passed doesn’t mean…Well, there could still be some struggles ahead for her.”

“Tell me about him,” Jack said.

Joey was startled. “Why?”

“Because it might be a long time before I can ask Mel. And because I’d like to know.”

She took a deep breath. “Well, you have every right to ask. I’ll do my best. But the only thing that allows the rest of us to hold it together as well as we do is because Mel has been so fragile. It was like losing a brother. It was losing a brother. We all loved Mark.”

“He must have been one helluva guy.”

“You have no idea.” She sipped more of her coffee. “Let’s see—Mark was thirtyeight when he died, so that made him thirty-two when he met Mel. They met at the hospital. He was the senior resident in the emergency room and she was charge nurse on the swing shift. They fell in love right away, moved in together a year later, married a year after that and had been married four years. I think the most characteristic things about Mark were his compassion and sense of humor. He could make anyone laugh.

“And he was the one doctor you wanted in Emergency when there was a crisis that required the family be handled with kindness, with sensitivity. Our whole family loved him right off. His entire staff adored him.”

Jack didn’t realize that he chewed absently on his lower lip.

“It’s hard to remember that he wasn’t perfect,” she said.