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Ricky’s time was spent with the four irl, Liz, Jack and Preacher Liz stayed in Virgin River for the ten days he was on leave and so out in the Virgin with Jack, watching the lines arc over their heads as they cast, Rick felt it here he had always belonged It was here, at the river, that all the i-up talks of his life had taken place, and alith Jack It was here that Jack had that big talk with hietting his girl pregnant What a tough ti his best to stand by her like a ed hiht path to avoid even more disaster And after the baby was stillborn, Jack and Preach held hi you’ve done forPeople tend to co about this week--which, by the way, has been great I was talking about the last few years You were like ht of you as my dad I hope you don’t hten up "Mind? That would make me damn proud, Rick If I could have another son, I would have it be you"

"You gotta do so over there--"

"Rick We don’t like to talk that way…"

"Jack! We knohat it is over there Now listen, if anything goes wrong over there, will you h it okay?"

Jack looked at hiht ahead "You know you don’t have to ask that We take care of each other’s families"

"I know And, Jack? I just don’t want to leave anything important unsaid I love you,would’ve turned out without you"

Jack sed When he spoke, his voice wasn’t real strong "There’s still lots of fishing to do, Rick I’ on that" He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder "I love you, too, son" But he was thinking, If you don’t coh it?

"I want to tell you so I did I know I’m only nineteen, Liz only seventeen--both of us still too young But I bought her a necklace with a diamond in it--a nice-size one, too I told her it was my promise to her, but I also told her it didn’t hold her to anything"

Jack lifted an eyebrow "Big step," he said

"Half a step, really," Rick said "Call it a first step I love the girl, there’s no question about that I’ve loved her since she was fourteen--it wasBut there were sotiuy for her, I won’t hold her back But if there’s not a better guy…"

"Then what, Rick?"

"I’ about school all the tih school--that’s just one e--I asked her to at least try When I’ I’ll give up the Marine Corps--I don’t know about that yet--but I’et married, I want us to be smart, educated people I want a family real bad--probably because of the one we lost, huh?"

"I guess that would set up a real strong desire, yeah," Jack said

"Well, if I get another chance at that, I’d like us to be s and have a couple of kids raised by educated parents" He turned and grinned at Jack "I think that kind of talk got her attention--she said she’d try to get good grades her senior year and she’d at least go to coe" He sobered "She said she’d do that so I’d be proud of her Man, I’m already so proud of her--look how she holds up, huh? She buried her baby and said goodbye to me, and did she fall apart? She’s been solid She’s been real brave, real strong"

"You both have, Rick A diahed "I’s like that witha little more practical, like a down pay beautiful that says I love her, that I couldn’t think more of her Don’t you think?"

It one?"

"Every day," he said "She gets real lonesoirlfriends do--hoo--I could deal with that But she said she couldn’t do that It ht lead someone on She said if she’s still with me in the end, that stuff wouldn’t even be ier ones when everyone but her is going to prom Damn…There are a lot of ti about any woman until I’ve had a chance to really live, see the world, experience the world--and then have Liz co later, when I’m like thirty, or forty…"

Jack chuckled "And there are a lot of ti time before she’d hooked into that first husband, started our fa gray I think if you’re lucky enough to find the right person at all, you don’t have a right to complain about when, how" He put a hand on the kid’s shoulder and gave a squeeze "I hope it works out for the two of you, son You buried a baby together It would be sweet if you could bring a couple of healthy and strong ones into your lives together But I’ll say this--I think you’re smart to tell her to take her time on that commitment Believe me, when you make those kinds of promises to a woman, you want her to be absolutely sure"

"That’s what I think"