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Mel came outside and he dropped an arled close "What is it?" she asked

"Fire Could be a controlled burn, could be wildfire It’s been awful dry"

"Has Virgin River ever been threatened by fire?"

"Not the town, no There was a big one just north of here a few years ago Right after Preacher showed up Everyone pitched in We dug a lot of ditches, hauled drinking water, drove trucks Then we got certified in training so we could be ready"

"What would happen?" she asked "If a fire got too close?"

"Well," he said, his ar in thelike the face of the ood, solid rain And there isn’t any forecasted This forest is pure kindling"

Toeneral and Vanessa hosted a party at their home, open to all their friends and all of To people were on thefrom one open house to another Tom and Brenda and some of their friends spent about an hour at the Booth horaduation parties, but the adults didn’t mind a bit that they were left to theratulations, including Muriel St Claire

"Can we count on you to co next Saturday?" Vanessa asked her

"Oh, sweetheart, thank you for includingA little guy naood hunter already--Luce, irl and best friend, a year and a half and brilliant But no dog should grow up alone" And then she grinned "But I hope to see you soon after the wedding It would be lovely to have dinner with you and Paul I’ll speak to Walt about that, since I can’t cook"

"At all?" Vanessa asked

Muriel shrugged "At all I’d like you to know, though, I have other talents I can paint, hang paper, sand and varnish, grow vegetables, hunt duck and tell jokes Besides, I heard there’s great takeout at Jack’s"

"There is" Vanni smiled "And you ride, too"

"I do I have two horses with o out for a ride so the river"

"I would like that so much," Vanni said "We have a lot to talk about"

"Yes, we do," Muriel agreed, then gave Vanessa a conspiratorial wink

As he was leaving the party Tom took Paul aside for a minute Just outside the closed front door, Tom asked, "So You ready to take on Vanessa?"

"More than ready, pal"

"Great, man I couldn’t have planned this better myself"

"Good I hoped you’d say that"

Tom took a matchbook out of his pocket and flipped it around in his hand "There’s an all-night graduation party tonight that Brenda and I are going to," he said He put theto it Someone should knohere we are, in case there’s any kind of e mouth shut"

Paul looked at the matchbook The Brookstone Inn Heto ask me one more time if I have a condom in my pocket"

"Why would I ask that?" Paul said "You’re way outta ue, brother"

"Just in case so"

"Thanks," Paul said, slipping the matchbook in his pocket "I appreciate that you think sone

When Paul went back in the house, Vanni aiting for him "What was that about?"

Paul leaned close to her ear "Just asking your brother’s permission to be his brother-in-law," Paul said "It’s official I’m welcomed to the family"

Tom checked into the Brookstone in Ferndale while Brenda waited in the car The way it had gone lately, they’d make wild love, and then there would be soain, then they’d have a few ether since that first time at his house, but there had been sos at the Booth house when Vanni was in Grants Pass and Walt was down at Bodega Bay with Shelby

"Before you start crying again, I have so for you," he said

"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"