Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(112)

Her work was not done; the placenta had not delivered. A midwife friend who was older than Mel by twenty years had given her a tip years ago that seemed like sheer magic, yet worked. Mel looked at Paige and said, “Paige, time to let go of the placenta, please.” Then she got back in her position, massaged a little more and, remarkably, the job was done. She shook her head and chuckled to herself. People who didn’t do this all the time would simply never believe it.

Mel finished her work, let the baby suckle awhile to get the uterus contracting and stanch the bleeding. She examined her patient—no stitches necessary—then covered her and took the baby. “Let’s clean her up,” she said softly. “People will want to see her soon.”

Preacher sniffed back his tears, wiped at his face. But when he spoke, his voice was still weak with emotion. “God, Mel—thank you. Thank you so much. You took such good care of her. Of them.”

“They did most of the work. Help me, Preach. Help me wash the baby.”

She unwrapped the newborn and placed her in Preacher’s palms; his large, soft, gentle palms. Mel coaxed him to lower her into the bath and carefully ran a warm cloth over the little body, cleaning her off.

“Look at those big feet,” Preacher said. “Look at that tiny little head.”

“She’s gorgeous.” Mel held the towel. “Right here, Preach,” she said.

Preacher laid the baby in the clean towel and Mel wrapped her. “Take her out in the hall to show Doc. But please, stay upstairs for now. I’m going to do a little cleanup and you can bring her right back in.”

Mel didn’t want Preacher in the room when she handled the cleanup of his wife, the changing of bloody sheets. And she didn’t want him carrying the baby down the stairs in case he got light-headed again. She worked faster than usual. “How are you feeling?” she whispered to Paige.

“Like I’ve been up all night.”

Mel palpated her uterus. “You’re already contracting like mad. That uterus is getting nice and firm.” She smiled at her patient. “He’ll be okay now, I think.”

“Poor John. That was harder on him than me.”

“The bigger they are…” Mel laughed.

Her work was done by 7:00 a.m. Preacher was seated at Paige’s side, holding his baby daughter. Mel went downstairs and stepped out into the fresh, bright morning. She stood on Doc’s porch and heard the sound she loved. Thwack, thwack, thwack. Jack was splitting logs behind the bar. She walked across the street.

She leaned on the corner of the building, watching him. Her mind wandered back in time to her first delivery in this town—a one-hundred-percent-successful delivery much like the one she had just assisted. Then, as now, she had crossed the street and watched Jack as he hefted an ax over his head and brought it down. Watched the muscles in his arms and shoulders at work and admired his hard good looks.

When he saw her, he leaned the ax up against the stump and went to her. She smiled and walked into his arms. He crossed those arms under her bottom and brought her up to his face. “It was perfect,” she said.

“I love the way those babies light you up.”

She kissed him deeply and his arms tightened under her.

“How are they doing?”

“Preacher’s a little wobbly, but Paige and the baby are great.”

“He’s been looking forward to it for so long,” Jack said.

“He might’ve gotten himself a little too worked up. Maybe he peaked too soon,” she said. “Did you sleep?” she asked, touching his hair.

“I don’t sleep when you work,” he said, touching her lips again. “Can I get you anything? Breakfast?”

“That would be nice. My children will be awake by the time I get home.”

“Was it hard, baby?” he asked. “After the hysterectomy?”

She shook her head and smiled. “That wasn’t the hard part. There is nothing sad about bringing a new life to a couple as in love as they are.” She kissed him again. “I admit, I was thinking of one more, down the road a bit. I tend to think like that after ours are settled in bed and quiet….”

“We have a lot more than either of us thought we’d get,” he said.

“I’m dealing with it pretty well. I’m telling myself not to be greedy. As long as I have you—”

He laughed, a rich, deep rumbling sound. “As if you could get rid of me now.”



Joe used to look forward to trips to Virgin River—it was such a welcome respite from his demanding work. Usually he was going with a purpose that included his friends—either a gathering of the boys for sport or someone in need of help. In fact, if it hadn’t been for certain memories that were hard to shake, this trip would be a celebration. Preacher’s baby had arrived, and Joe liked babies—he’d been an uncle five times. He’d always thought that by now he’d have a couple of his own.

The drive seemed longer than usual, but he made it before Saturday noon. He went straight to Jack’s bar and once there, his first order of business was to deliver a large bouquet of flowers to Paige. There was no one in the bar and he didn’t even glance into the kitchen, but went straight to the apartment. The door was standing open, so he tapped lightly and went in. He found Paige sitting on the couch with the cradle nearby, folding clothes into neat little piles. “Joe!” she said, her face brightening when she saw him. “Oh my, are these for me?”