Whispering Rock (Virgin River #3)(58)

She laughed. “Well, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard those provocative words.”

“I can just tell,” the general said.

Paul thought, he probably just can. The general had spent an awful lot of years looking at the faces of young soldiers and he’d learned to read them pretty well. He kind of nodded to the general. “So? You ground him or something?”

“Yeah, he’s grounded, but I told him I want him to make better friends, because if he lies to me again, he’s history. I’ll send him to another school—a private school. I thought this place would be quiet—the kids would be docile. I think they’re wilder than the city kids. At least, this one he’s been running with. This kid’s a bad influence. Now, never mind our family troubles—what are you doing here?”

Paul looked at Vanni and said, “I told your dad we have to keep this quiet until I understand how much of this is out—but I’m here to help Jack finish his house. I rounded up a crew, installed a trailer out on his homesite and we’re going to try to get it done as quickly as possible. Because your midwife is pregnant—they need more room.”

“Really? Wow.”

“My intel says she’s very annoyed by this development—she wasn’t quite ready for another one yet. So Jack, being the Prince Charming of a husband he is, is paying all my boys overtime to get that house finished.”

“Aw. That’s sweet. Are you saying the pregnancy hasn’t been announced?”

“I’m not sure, but I don’t want to be the one to announce it. So let’s not say anything. And I don’t know if she knows what Jack has done.”

“But where are you staying while you’re in town?” she asked. “Won’t she wonder why you’re here?”

“Oh, I’m sure Jack’s going to tell her about my crew real quick because, as I understand it, she goes out to the site fairly often just to look around. She’s going to notice the people, the trailer—and I brought down my fifth wheel.”

“No!” she said. “Stay here! With us!”

“Absolutely,” the general said. “We have lots of room.”

“I couldn’t do that,” he protested. “I’ll be coming and going, my hours will be weird, I’m sure I’ll spend some time with Jack and Preacher in town….”

“Who cares about that? Come and go as you like! We’ll just fix you up with a key.” She laughed. “Not that anyone remembers to lock a door around here.”

“I’m going to have to commute—I left my brothers with the company in Grants Pass. I’ll be going back and forth, but honestly, it’s going to be—”

“I can’t stand to think of you in a fifth wheel for weeks—and I don’t care what kind of hours you keep!” Vanessa protested.

“To tell you the truth, Paul, I could use a hand,” Walt said. “I’m making a run down to Bodega Bay almost every week for a couple of days. Every other week at least. Do you remember Vanessa’s cousin Shelby, from the wedding?”

“Of course,” he said, sitting up straighter.

“Her mother, my sister…she’s disabled. Bedridden now.”

“I’m sorry, sir—I had forgotten. ALS, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. Frankly, none of us expected her to last this long, but she’s still with us. The bravest soul I’ve ever known. But since I can’t convince Shelby she’d be just as well off in a nursing home, I go as often as I can. To help, to visit. To offer moral support. Vanni goes now and then, as well. It sure would ease my mind if there were someone around here to keep an eye on things when I have to be gone.”

“Keep an eye on Tom, he means,” Vanessa said. Then she grinned. “I’m sure he’d prefer your mothering to mine.”

“Any way I can help, sir,” Paul said. “I’m awful sorry about your sister.”

“Thank you—she’s not in any pain. The hardest part about this is that my niece has taken it on, full-time, and she’s just a girl.”

“Shelby’s doing exactly what she wants to do,” Vanessa said. “She’s very stubborn about it. If it were my mother, I’d do the same as my cousin.”

“I’m sure we can work out our schedules, General,” Paul said. “If you make your trip down the coast while I’m working on the house and not back in Oregon, I’d be glad to hang around here. Make sure no one’s going wild.” He smiled, but inside his pulse picked up a bit. Being under Vanessa’s roof while her father was away wasn’t going to do much for sleeping soundly.

“You’re a good man, Paul,” Walt said.

Paul thought, if I were a good man, I wouldn’t be having these thoughts, these feelings.

Jack showed up at Doc’s at about eleven in the morning and found Mel at the computer, David in his playpen not far away. “Hey,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“Not so much,” she said. “I’m scheduling our mammogram unit to visit town. What’s going on with you?”

“I have something to show you—if you can take a break.”

“What?”

“Can’t you be surprised?”