Second Chance Pass (Virgin River #5)(93)

The general found Paul. “You ready to take the plunge, son?”

“Sir, I’ve been ready for a long time. I promise you, I’ll do right by her.”

“I have no doubt. Nice group of men you have at your back.”

“They are, sir. The best. Thanks for making them welcome. Thanks for sharing Tom’s going away with all of us.”

“It’s an honor, Paul. It’s good for him to see this—he’ll have this in no time, a crowd of brothers, shoring him up. I’m going to miss that boy.”

“We’ll all miss him, sir.”

“Think you’ll ever just call me Walt? Or even Dad?” he asked.

Paul smiled. “I don’t know, sir. I think I’d kind of miss the edge.”

As the evening aged and dinner was done, Joe stepped out onto the porch, pulled a cigar out of his pocket and snipped the end. He struck a match against his shoe, when he heard a sound and looked up. Nikki was leaning on the porch railing. “Oh, sorry,” he said, shaking out the match. “I didn’t know anyone was out here.”

She smiled at him. It seemed a shy smile, maybe a sad smile. “Vanni’s nursing the baby,” she said, then looked upward again. “I couldn’t figure out what she saw in a little town like this. But then I had a look at this sky.”

Joe stepped up beside her. “It’s something, all right. Nikki, isn’t it?”

“Yes. And you’re Joe. Paul’s friend from Oregon.”

“That’s right,” he said with a smile. She remembered him. She remembered him? “You must be a city girl.”

“San Francisco. What’s Grants Pass like? Big? Small?”

“Small, but not this small. Twenty-three thousand, some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.”

“Have you lived there a long time?”

“Pretty much all my life. I have a big family there.”

“Lots of kids?”

“No kids.” He shook his head. “No wife.”

She frowned at him. “Still single?” she asked.

“Divorced.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“No problem. It’s been a long time. You?”

She looked away. “Single,” she said. “Recently broken up, actually.”

“Oh, then I’m the one sorry,” he said. “He must be an idiot.”

She laughed. “He is. You can have your cigar. It doesn’t bother me.”

He slipped it into his pocket. “It’ll keep. How long have you known Vanni?”

“We started flying together eight years ago. She stopped flying when she got pregnant, so we don’t see each other as often as we used to.” She looked out at the sky again. “This is the second time I’ve been her maid of honor. She promises it’s the last.”

“I think you can trust her on that. She can be yours next time.”

“I doubt that’ll ever happen,” she said, looking down.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “You’re young. You even thirty yet? And beautiful. It’s just a matter of days, probably.”

She just sighed. “Imagine, Vanni finding two wonderful guys like that in such a short period of time. You knew Matt?”

“Very slightly. We grew up in the same town but went to different schools, and I didn’t serve with him. I met him through Paul later, after I started designing houses for Paul’s company. If Matt was on leave, home for a visit, we’d run into each other for a beer when he was out with Paul. Good man.”

“These all seem like good guys. Does this happen often? Gatherings like this?”

“It used to be a lot of hunting and fishing, but lately these old boys have been tying the knot a lot. First Jack, about two years ago. Then Preacher last year. Mike, just a few months ago. Now Paul. Bunch of bachelors who no one could catch, everyone real slow to find the right woman, then all of a sudden there’s a rush on. The only one who found his girl real early was Zeke—he’s been married since he was about seven. Four kids. Now it looks like I’m the last one left.”

“They’re all so good-looking. I mean, you’re all so good-looking—it’s pretty amazing you weren’t snapped up early.”

“That turned out to be my fatal mistake.” He laughed.

“How long have you been divorced?”

“Over ten years,” he said.

“I guess you’ve recovered your bachelorhood.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I guess. Can I get you anything? Something to drink, maybe?”

“No, thanks. I think I’ll just enjoy the stars.”

“Mind if I enjoy the stars with you for a while?” he asked her.

She looked at him and tilted her head slightly. His question finally coaxed a smile out of her, a real one, and he thought, damn. This girl is beautiful. “That would be nice, Joe.”



Jack was the first to leave when he noticed Mel was looking tired. He collected his son, said goodbye to his boys and took Mel out onto the porch. They passed Joe and Nikki and said good-night as they left. Next to leave was Brie, giving Mike a kiss good-night on the porch before walking across the yard to their RV. Paige disappeared for good as she tucked herself in with Christopher for the night—advanced pregnancy requiring rest. Next was Vanessa, out on the porch looking for Nikki. “Hey, you can stay as long as you like—there are plenty of people around to take you home.”