Page 44 (1/1)

"Sure you don’t want to just rent it for a while? Keep a grip on it just in case you decide that’s where you belong? You’ve been there your whole life…"

"I know I think it’s ti about where that new life is going to be, I’d like to be here with you, withwould make me happier Honey, I never even dared hope you would co stay"

"I hope you still feel that hen I’ve been underfoot for a while I’ to shop s like new clothes in years" Tears came into her eyes "Do you have any idea how happy that would ainst him and held her "Shelby, sweetheart, I have an awful lot to be proud of, but I don’t think anyone in my life haswohout the party, even though she spent a great deal of tiuests When it looked as if she wasn’t engaged in conversation, he found a way to get next to her, ask her if she was having fun, how long she would stay in Virgin River, when did she have to get back to work--anything that would keep her attention, keep her talking Apparently he hadn’t lost his touch; she seeoing on with him--she wasn’t typical of the sort of woy blondes he liked, and this wo sheath of satiny black hair Her waist was so tiny, he thought et his hands around it That pink mouth, the same color as the dress Her ankles, narrow Calves, sli about ankles and toes? He watched her laugh, the way she tilted her head back, an action that sent ripples down her curtain of hair

Joe was a little confused When he developed one of those physical attractions, he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away frohs This was a whole new thing--the way she laughed, her little feet It was nuts It was like a schoolboy’s crush

He kept watch, looking for a ht,why he would bother First thing in thehe was headed to Grants Pass and she would take off for San Francisco Still, he watched her every move When he saw her walk down the hall and slip into the rooave up the vigil and went to the bar for a drink

The hour was still early when soht up in saying goodbye to friends "I’ over," Preacher told hi to bunk in the trailer out front and leave first thing I have so," Joe said

The marines started to filter out, headed back into town,the lines of cards, and Paul’s fa to drive as far as Fortuna to stay the night before going on to Oregon in the ht here, to spend as one, Joe realized The house was beginning to eht was dark but for a sliver of a irl he’d had a fix on all day was reat roo rejection, walked down the hall to her roohtly on the door, but there was no answer It was not gentlemanly, but he pushed open the door because he had to find her She wasn’t there How’d she get by him? There was no one in the hall bath; the door stood open He had to at least get her phone nu on

"Have you seen Nikki?" he asked Vanessa

"I haven’t I thought maybe she turned in"

"Maybe she did," he lied "I just wanted to say good-night--I’ll probably be out of here real early in the ive up on that one He hadn’t been drawn to a wo He wasn’t exactly sure why, but it was fierce

The party indling to just a few people--Rick and Toeneral, Mike and Brie, Shelby The caterers were packing up and cleaning the kitchen Joe stepped outside onto the now-dark deck He took out a cigar, clipped the end, struck aat the far end of the deck, out of sight, out of the light froet excited at having found her, feeling a crazy lift in his chest The ers and he shook it out with a muffled curse He took a breath and walked up behind her "The stars again?" he asked softly

"So like that," she said, her voice teary

He slipped the cigar back into his shirt pocket and gently grabbed on to her upper ar I’? Fine but for the tears?" He gave her arms a squeeze "Don’t cry, now I can’t stand it when a woman cries Wipes me out"

"Go back inside," she whispered "Go on"

"Can’t," he said, leaning toward her a little, inhaling her scent "I’o, okay? This is sort of e"

He turned her around slowly He looked down into those dark, liquid eyes, a trace of tears on each cheek "All this wedding crap, huh?"

"I don’t want Vanni to think I’m not happy for her"

"She wouldn’t think that She’d understand"