Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(77)

“How old are the eggs?” he asked.

“Hmm,” she said, looking. “I don’t think they’re deadly yet.”

“I think I’ll pass, thanks.”

“Coward.”

David had his Cheerios, then his playtime in the great room with all his toys while Mel started the laundry and Jack went outside to spend a few minutes on his favorite morning activity of splitting logs. By next fall there would be a nice huge stack of firewood ready for the winter. Some of the trees that had been felled to widen the driveway were stacked at the tree line on their property, and he was working on turning them into fuel for the fireplace.

Mel wiped down the kitchen cabinets with lemon oil. Paul and Jack had truly outdone themselves on the kitchen with its gorgeous oak cabinets, black granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. The house was absolutely magnificent, and much more than Mel had dared allow herself to expect. Compared to that little cabin she’d lived in for almost two years, it was huge—over three thousand square feet—but she’d managed to fill it up very quickly with furniture and accessories.

Once done with the cabinets, Mel did another laundry shuffle, then got a clean diaper for Davie. She followed that by getting to work on the shutters with the lemon oil. Then she busied herself with a special cleaner for the leather furniture, followed by one more load of laundry. When Jack checked in on her before lunch, she was pulling the tags off new little pink things that she’d had for a long time—gifts for the baby from Jack’s sisters and her sister. Mel laundered and folded all these infant garments, something that probably should’ve been done weeks ago.

Having babies barely a year apart creates a need for two nurseries—she cleaned David’s room and gave the new baby’s room a little cleaning, too, putting away the clothes and getting out the newborn diapers and bath towels.

By afternoon Jack found her down on her hands and knees scouring the bathroom floor around the toilet and tub. “For the love of God,” he said.

“What?”

“What the hell are you doing? If you want the bathroom cleaned, why don’t you just tell me? I know how to clean a goddamn bathroom.”

“It wasn’t all that dirty, but since I’m in the cleaning mood, I thought I’d whip it into shape.”

“David is ready for his nap. Why don’t you join him.”

“I don’t feel like a nap. I’m going to vacuum the area rugs.”

“No, you’re not,” he said. “I’ll do that if it has to be done right now.”

“Okay,” Mel said, smiling.

“I’ve been tricked.”

“Only by yourself, darling,” she said, whirling away to get the Pledge and Windex. After that was done—and there was a lot of wood and glass and stainless steel to occupy her—she was sweeping off the porch and back steps. Not long after that, she was caught dragging the cradle into the master bedroom.

“Melinda!” he shouted, startling her and making her jump.

“Jack! Don’t do that!”

“Let go of that thing!” He brushed her out of the way and grabbed the cradle. “Where do you want it?”

“Right there,” she said. He put it beside the bed. “No,” she said. “Over there, kind of out of the way.” He put it there. “No,” she said. “Against that wall—we’ll put it where we need it when she comes.” He moved it again. “Thank you,” she said.

The phone rang. “I’ll get it,” he said. He picked up a pencil and put it in her face. “If you lift anything heavier than this, I’m going to beat you.” Then he turned and left the room.

He has cabin fever, she thought. Spending too much time at home with me, making sure I don’t pick up anything heavier than a pencil. He should get out more, and out of my hair.

When Jack was done with the phone, she was on her knees in front of the hearth, brushing out the barely used fireplace. “Aw, Jesus Christ,” he said in frustration. “Can that not wait until at least frickin’ winter?”

She sat back on her heels. “You are really getting on my last nerve. Don’t you have somewhere you can go?”

“No, but we do. Go shower and get beautiful. Paul and Vanessa are back and after they view the prom couple, they’re going to the bar for dinner. We’ll all meet there, look at some pictures.”

“Great,” she said. “I’m in the mood for a beer.”

“Whatever you want, Melinda,” he said tiredly. “Just stop this frickin’ cleaning.”

“You know I’m not going to be able to do much of this after the baby comes, so it’s good to have it all done. And the way I like it.”

“You’ve always been good at cleaning. Why couldn’t you just cook?” he asked. “You don’t cook anything.”

“You cook.” She smiled. “How many cooks does one house need?”

“Just go shower. You have fireplace ash on your nose.”

“Pain in the ass,” she said to him, getting clumsily to her feet.

“Ditto,” he said.

An hour later the three of them were on their way into town. “So, you did it,” she said. “You got Paul down here staking out his territory. And now they’re together.”