Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(90)

“You do?”

“I do.” He leaned over the bed and dug around on the floor for his pants, pulling a box out of the pocket. He passed it to her. “It’s how I feel about you.”

She opened the box and there, curled around a velvet circle, was a sparkling diamond bracelet. She was speechless. “My God,” she finally said. “My God.”

“Here’s how I feel. If we somehow manage to keep it together, through separations and school and all that stuff, I want to be with you forever. I didn’t want to get you a ring—that would be too crazy. I mean, a senior in high school wearing an engagement ring? A senior like you who practically aced the SATs and is going all the way—you can’t be wearing an engagement ring. I want you to be thinking about yourself now—you’re just a girl.” He took the bracelet out of the box and put it on her wrist. “But you can wear this. To remind you that I love you. And I’m not leaving you to be away from you, but to start building what we’re going to have.”

“Oh God,” she said again. “Is it real?”

He laughed. “It actually is.”

“How could you afford this?”

“I have a couple of bucks and college is paid for by the Army. It’s not the best diamond bracelet ever made and the rocks are real little, but for your first one, it’s okay. Later, I’ll get you better diamonds, I promise. Brenda, I love you, honey. And I need you to stop crying. Leaving is hard enough. I’ll be back in August for a little while, before I start West Point. You can make it till then, can’t you?”

“I can make it as long as you need me to,” she said.

“It’s not going to be easy, you know. Even if you go to school in New York. We’re going to be mostly separated for four years, maybe five while you finish—”

“No,” she said. “Four. I’m going to finish college in three.” She stared at her bracelet, then when she lifted her eyes to his, she raised one light brown brow and smiled. “Do you have any doubt I can do that?”

He grinned at her. “None whatsoever.”

“Then I’m going wherever you go, Tom.”

“The Army is going to keep me from getting married while I’m at West Point. This next four years, this is when we’re going to find out what we’re made of, because Army life isn’t easy. It’s good, and it’s strong, but it’s not easy. My dad always said that sometimes the Army spouses have to be tougher than the soldiers—my mom was left to raise us alone so many times. I know she was lonely, sometimes scared, and she was probably pissed some of the time, but she was so proud of my dad’s work. You’d never know it was hard for her. You have to know that going in, it’s just not easy. If you change your mind, if someone else comes along that can offer you—”

She put a hand against his cheek. “What if someone comes along for you?” she asked.

“Brenda—I think all I’m going to get in the Army are sore muscles and a completely worn-out brain.”

“You never know—there could be some really sexy drill sergeant,” she said with a laugh.

“Right,” he said. “Listen to me now. My mind is made up, but I want you to promise me—keep your options open. Have fun, be a single girl and enjoy yourself. Take a good hard look around you, a long look at the world. When this four years is up, you have to be sure. You have to think I’m your best choice—not your only choice. I don’t want you to ever think you made a mistake, betting on me and this life. Because if you’re still my girl, I’m going to marry you the first day I can, and then I’m not letting you go without a fight.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open, Tommy,” she said. “But I bet my heart will only be able to see you. And I’ll miss you so much, but I’m proud of you. I know we’re pretty young—but I’m not too young to know I have to marry a man I can be that proud of.”

It made him smile. “I’ll work on making sure you always feel that way.”

“Yeah, I know you will.”

“I used to hate my dad for coming up with Virgin River,” he said with a laugh. “Now I’m thinking of putting him in my will.”



Jack drove to Garberville to pick up Ricky from the bus early the next Wednesday morning. He was thinking about the phone call he’d had from Ricky a few weeks ago. It changed his world, but it was something he could have predicted.

The boy stepped off the bus not in uniform, but in his jeans and boots. Even so, that jarhead haircut branded him as a marine on leave. Jack’s chest swelled with pride. Boy? This was no boy. Here was a man, a fighting marine, who had matured and grown even stronger in the months he’d been away. His grin, however, was the same young, infectious, optimistic smile as when he first rode his bike up to Jack’s years ago.

It took willpower not to run to him and fetch him up in his arms, but Jack stood stock-still, letting the boy—the young man—come to him. They grasped hands and brought themselves shoulder to shoulder. Rick had grown yet taller. He was every bit the six-two Jack was. “Hey, man,” Ricky said.

“Damn, boy. Look at you. You’re almost as old as me.”

“Hardly.” Ricky laughed. “Look at you. You’re getting gray, what’s this?”