Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(92)

“Yeah, I sure did.”

“You’re about to pop, girl.”

“Pretty soon,” she said, grinning. “How’s your wife doing?”

“She’s great,” Zeke said. “I thought I could sneak one more kid by her, but she says I’m all done. I don’t know what her hang-up is. We only have four. You think four is enough?” he asked Paige.

“I think that’s more than I’m having.” She laughed. “I don’t know how you tricked her into that many.”

“What can I say.” He shrugged. “The girl’s been lightin’ my fire for almost twenty years now—since the first time I saw her in that cheerleading outfit.” He whistled. “Those pom-poms just knocked me out.”

“To say nothing of that short skirt,” someone supplied.

“And those itty-bitty panties,” someone else remarked.

“I am so cut off,” Preacher grumbled.

“John,” Paige warned, though she couldn’t help but laugh. Joe was next, hugging her, checking out the stomach. Right behind him, Josh. “All right, all right,” Paige said. “One at a time! You guys,” she happily admonished. This crowd of men, each one of them what would be called a man’s man, so driven in the masculine pursuits of soldiering, hunting, fishing and the like, loved women, pregnant women especially, and the babies they brought. It was uncanny. And tremendous fun.

Doc turned up for his whiskey, the general and Tom finally came in. Jack pressed a beer into Tom’s hand.

“Where’s the cop?” the general asked with amusement. “This kid’s underage!”

“I get around that by giving it away,” Jack said. “In fact, when this crowd’s here, I end up giving away the bar!”

“Hey, where’s Rick?” someone asked.

“He went over to Eureka to fetch Lizzie,” Jack said. Then he grinned and added, “Wednesday.”

The place was soon throbbing with the noise of men, and Paige made her escape, but not without the plans Joe brought. The barbecue was lit, the party spilled out onto the porch when Doc’s old truck rumbled into town and stopped in front of Connie and Ron’s corner store across the street. A hush fell over the crowd. The marines who hadn’t already been outside quietly gathered there as Rick got out, helped his girl out to go visit her aunt and uncle, but not before pulling her to him for one last kiss. The moment their lips met, the marines sent up a wild cheer.

The couple bolted apart in surprise. Rick saw them and his face was split in a huge grin. The cheering and jeering continued and with his arm still around Lizzie’s waist, he obliged the crowd by pulling her against him again to finish what he started. Then he let her go, gave her a little pat on the rump and sent her into her aunt’s store.

Tom leaned toward Paul and said, “I hope Brenda stays indoors until these whack jobs leave town.”

“Aw, don’t worry, Tom. They wouldn’t do that to you.”

“No?” he asked.

“No way. You’re Army.” He grinned. “It’s just not the same stuff, Tom.”

To the welcoming cheers, Rick walked across the street and stopped in front of the bar’s porch. “You guys are so frickin’ rude,” he said with a smile.

“Hey, jarhead,” someone yelled. “Last I heard, Eureka was only a couple hours away.”

“Make a stop or two, buddy?”

“He looks pretty loose to me.”

“Come on up here, pal—we don’t have much time before the invasion of women! I wanna hear about recon training. They scare you?” Rick was asked.

“They did,” he replied. “Reconnaissance rappelling looked like a suicide mission to me, but then I just couldn’t stop doing it. It’s such a rush. And I got pushed out of an airplane a few times—that really turned me on.”

“I don’t know,” Zeke said, shaking his head. “Airplanes make me throw up. Well, not regular airplanes. But when I’m in one painted up in camouflage with about a hundred and fifty pounds of gear on my back, it just does something to my stomach.”

“’Cause you’re a sissy,” Rick said, laughing.

The next to arrive to a huge and affectionate welcome was Mel and Brie and Jack’s babies. Jack took immediate charge of David, but couldn’t hang on to him long as he was passed around and admired. Next came Vanni and her girlfriend Nikki. “Hey,” she said, smiling. “Is this some kind of bachelor party?”

Joe Benson was sitting up at the bar when these last two women walked in, and he was brought instantly off the stool and to his feet. Nikki, small and dark-haired with big dark eyes and a small pink mouth, knocked the wind out of him for the second time. He had to shake himself. He’d met her briefly a couple of months ago and the memory hadn’t let him go. There was something about her that made his mouth drop open and his eyes shine. He couldn’t stop staring at her.

Paul hung on to little Matt for Vanni so she could be welcomed and introduce her maid of honor. Steaks were turned on the grill, salad tossed, potatoes baked, ears of corn buttered and some of Preacher’s finest pies set out. There was feasting and laughter. Toasts were made to Rick, Tom and the wedding couple. Women disappeared to nurse babies and reappeared as the sun slowly set.