Return to Virgin River

by Robyn Carr

  “No, it wasn’t, but he was very cooperative,” Janette said. “Actually, it was Howard who set it up. He called me and asked if I could round up some of the girls. He talked to the Templetons and arranged to borrow the house for us. He offered to pay for everyone’s transportation and for the food for the holiday. In the end, no one wanted or needed his offer of money, but I think it’s worth acknowledging—he did this for you.”

  “He came to visit me a couple of weeks ago,” Kaylee said. “He really wants us to work on having a father/daughter relationship. He’s pestering me to death. I just don’t know what to do with him.”

  “He’s trying, Kaylee,” Michelle said. “Do you really want to be so angry with him?”

  “Nah, not really,” she said. “But he’s let me down so often. I don’t want to trust him to be there for me and be let down again.”

  “This is a whole new Howard,” Janette said. “In fact, he became a whole new Howard a long time ago. Remember, I’ve known him since he and your mother were engaged. He had a short attention span, thought only about himself, was fixated on making sure he was deliriously happy all the time, and was easily bored. And let’s be honest, doing nice things for others was never one of his gifts. But he’s changed. I guess I noticed the change about the time I was going through my divorce—for the first time since I’ve known him he became kind and caring. He was always charming, that’s how he racked up so many conquests. But he went beyond charm and began to act as though he actually cared about people. He was very supportive of me when Carl left me and I was in a bad way, at least briefly. I think it was all his failed marriages and relationships. It took its toll. I think he took stock of his losses.”

  “He really started acting wounded when my mom got sick,” Kaylee said.

  “We all noticed that,” Terri said.

  “But it was about the time you graduated from college that he began to change. He was married for the third time and it wasn’t going well. You weren’t around that much. You were busy with your job, then Dixon, then your divorce—you know. Life. And he started visiting with Meredith more, talking to her more. They went out to dinner now and then. Not a lot, but a few times. She said he was a little lost. Don’t get me wrong, she didn’t feel sorry for him or anything. But she said that underneath it all he was a good man. She also said they would never be anything but friends and even that was a miracle.

  “And she said he really cared about you,” Janette added. “But you were a stubborn girl, just like your mom. You said that was fine, that he cared. A little late, but what the hell.”

  “Yeah, I was not impressed,” Kaylee said. “She asked me to be kind to him. She kept reminding me that he was my father, as if I needed reminding.”

  “Can I tell you, cookie? People will hurt us. Disappoint us and let us down. Sometimes we just can’t forgive them. I’ll never forgive Carl, even though I am in a much better place since he left me. Of course, Carl never asked to be forgiven, either. But my son has let me down several times. He can be such an ignoramus, and I’ll give him as many chances as I have in me. There’s one thing—when they say they’re sorry and ask to be forgiven, that’s a big step. I may be a fool, but that’s a step worth acknowledging. I put on my body armor, remind myself of the truth of their character, stay cautious and alert, and give them a chance. An apology and an effort are both rare and valuable.”

  “The queen has spoken,” Korby said.

  “You can make fun of me if you want, but I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. I’ve been studying this for a long time. I see clients who are angry and unforgiving. I see them trying not to be when they’re certainly entitled. And sometimes I see them when they’re moving on, no longer fueled by the anger. I always hope I’ll see them by then so I can remind them to protect themselves by maintaining boundaries.

  “If Kaylee asked my advice I would say, see Howard on your terms in your time. And if you think there’s a reason he might offer some comfort, take it.”

  “How can Howard possibly offer me comfort now?” Kaylee asked.

  “There are some ways. He went to a lot of trouble to set up this little party, thinking it would make you happy. Which it did. And you can probably share memories of your mother together. You might even learn some things about her that you weren’t aware of. There is no question in my mind, Howard loved your mother. He told her he regretted ending their marriage, and I can see why. I doubt she told him but she came to be grateful because she landed in a better place. She told me that was how she felt. It was the same with me. I was devastated when Carl left me, but a year later I saw how much better my life was as a single woman than the wife of a man who put himself first, who never worried about my happiness. Of course neither of us, your mom or me, felt inclined to thank the bums for cheating and abandoning us.”

  “I suppose a lot of women come to you when they’ve been abandoned by their spouse,” Korby said.

  “That’s who mostly comes to me. Some of them are left in impossible situations—no job, no money, kids to take care of. There’s so much to overcome. I get to watch them gain their independence and blossom. Meredith and I did all right; our exes paid some child support.”

  Getting a master’s in counseling was one of the gifts Janette gave herself after divorce. Kaylee remembered her struggle, with a couple of kids in high school and Janette working and going to school. She also remembered when Janette completed her program and took a job as an associate in the counseling office that got regular contracts from the county. Meredith had just started her own business, also a struggle. “I remember you and my mom sat on the phone late at night, talking...”

  “Talking each other off the ledge, mostly,” Janette said with a laugh.

  For the next couple of hours the women talked about their relationships with each other, with Meredith, with their families, jobs and other friends. They had all staked out their sleeping spots, and one by one they drifted off to bed. When Kaylee closed her eyes on the day, she was smiling. It wasn’t just because she was with her tribe, she was with her mother’s tribe. It was a wonderful reunion.

  * * *

  Thanksgiving Day dawned bright and sunny with a light dusting of snow on the ground. A couple of women were busy in the kitchen putting out a breakfast. A couple had bundled up and were sitting on the porch, taking in the view of the snowy mountains. Kaylee made sure to take her morning walk.

  Then they began to get their meal ready. King crab legs, mussels and oysters were the main course, but Janette brought a brisket as well. The red meat was in a marinade and she flipped it regularly. They made twice-baked potatoes smothered in cheese and sour cream and sprinkled with bacon. They had corn casserole, broccoli mixed up with onions, peppers and mushrooms, and a giant loaf of soft French bread. They prepared dishes of butter for dipping and Korby made her specialty of pot stickers. Janette prepared an appetizer of snails; she brought the shells and special plates from home. There was enough food to feed an army and dinner was scheduled for four o’clock.

  Michelle put on a movie—An Affair to Remember followed by Sleepless in Seattle. Two favorites guaranteed to give them all an excuse to cry.

  “Like a purge,” Michelle said. “Some good old tears will clean out the pipes.”

  By the time Landry showed up late in the afternoon, they were all dabbing the tears from their eyes but were ready to eat. Kaylee had to explain what they’d done—prepared food all day, watched a couple of tearjerkers and set the table.

  They had already started the brisket on the grill, but Landry was more than happy to take over. The mussels were cooked indoors, the crab was thrown on the grill, scattered around the brisket, the oysters were served chilled, the potatoes, casserole and vegetables all warmed for the table. Dinner was scheduled for four but it was promptly at five that they all gathered around the big dining room table and lifted their glasses in a toast.

 
“To Meredith,” Michelle said.

  “And to Kaylee,” Janette added.

  Then, except for regular comments about the food being out of this world, there was very little talking. In fact, Landry did most of the talking when he said, “Oh my God,” and “Are you kidding me right now?” There was very little additional comment from him. He was too busy chewing.

  “Landry, you don’t seem to be uncomfortable partying with a bunch of women,” Michelle said.

  “Are you kidding me?” he said. “I haven’t eaten like this in at least a hundred years. This is amazing.” He lifted his glass and added, “And never have I had such beautiful and brilliant company for a holiday dinner.”

  “Very slick, Landry,” Terri said. “You seem to know who to flatter. We like having you, too.”

  “I would travel far for another day like this!” he said.

  “Unfortunately, we leave in the morning,” Janette said.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Landry said. “The day after Thanksgiving is a big day in Virgin River.”

  “What’s going on?” Kaylee asked. “We’ve already handed out all the food baskets. They’re having Thanksgiving dinner at Jack’s.”

  “The tree, Kaylee!” Landry said. “The tree is going up in town. A huge tree between the bar and the church. Appropriate, wouldn’t you say? And it’s not just that it’s incredibly big, it’s that the men from town have to make it happen while the women from town are giving advice and directions and bossing them a lot. Hardly anyone misses the tree raising and trimming. It’s not like you have to stay all day but if you stay into the afternoon, you’ll see some of it. And... Well, if you’re interested in meeting Kaylee’s rescue dog and her pups, it would be great to have you all come out and see where she lives. Kaylee brought that dog out of the woods, saved her life, and now Lady lives for a smile from Kaylee.”

  “I would like to see where you are living for now,” Korby said.

  In the end Michelle and Janette decided to head back to their homes first thing in the morning while Korby, Terri and Maggie stayed on until afternoon. And the day did not disappoint.

  They raved about Landry’s pots and sculptures and other art; they loved the little house he had rented to Kaylee. Lady completely charmed them and Landry had to nearly arm wrestle them to keep them from absconding with the puppies. Otis and Tux got a fair bit of attention as well.

  Then their trip into town paid off. They got there at about noon, just as the big flatbed was pulling in with the tree, and they were all stunned by the size of it. The raising of the tree was exciting and great fun. People were already lingering around what could almost be called a town square, waiting for the tree, and when it arrived, cheers roared. Then people kept coming as the tree was lifted with pulleys and positioned to be raised.

  Kaylee was so glad that her friends had decided to stay a while longer; she wouldn’t have missed this for the world. She introduced Korby, Terri and Maggie to Mel and a few of the other women she knew, and they all admired the collection of ornaments and lights that would adorn the tree.

  In the early afternoon the cars kept coming, people gathering around the tree to watch the complicated process of raising it. By midafternoon the tree was standing and Jack claimed possession of the cherry picker.

  “We have to be going,” Korby said. “It’s going to be a very long day of driving. But I feel so good about you being here. This place—it’s a little magical.”

  “Not what I was expecting at all,” Kaylee said. “I expected to be hiding out here, not having the time of my life.”

  “Not having a new boyfriend...”

  “That was the last thing I expected.”

  “Well, I like him. I hope it works out for the two of you.”

  “Thanks, I’ll be sure to let you know how things go.”

  “Kaylee, you must be crazy about him. I see the way you look at him.”

  “I might have fallen for him,” she said. “At least a little. And now I’m going to fall for that book, finish it and see what comes next. Please text me when you’re home safe.”

  Her friends left with hugs and thanks, but Kaylee and Landry stayed for the afternoon, watching the decorating of the tree. They were in no hurry to leave, didn’t want to miss anything, and had a light dinner at Jack’s. When they realized the decorating wasn’t going to be finished in a day, they decided to head home to their dogs, planning to come back the next afternoon to see the tree lights come on.

  “It’s like a circus,” Landry said. “I’m not very social, but I always drop by to watch the tree go up.”

  They checked on the dogs, made sure Lady had a break from the pups and Tux got a bowl of food, and then fell into each other’s arms like lovers who had been apart for years. Their mouths were glued together, their arms clutching, their hands roving. “Damn, I missed you,” he said. “I’m glad your friends came, but I missed sleeping with you.”

  “Seeing them again, especially on this particular holiday, I think it was just what I needed. But I missed you, too.”

  “They’re fantastic,” he said, kissing her cheeks, her lips, her neck. “And now I’m glad they’re gone and I have you to myself again.”

  “Aw, that’s very selfish.”

  “Kaylee, I’ve found that when it comes to you, I am selfish. Thank you for including me. It was like meeting your family.”

  “They are my family. The only other family I have is my aunt Beth, my mother’s sister. I talked to her yesterday. She lives in Seattle and was very busy, having a ton of people for Thanksgiving. I love Beth but I’m closer to Janette and the girls.”

  “That’s kind of how things go,” he said. “Our close connections aren’t always planned. They grow. Sometimes they surprise you. Look at us. You rented my house and now—I’m closer to you than anyone I know.”

  “Did you talk to Laura?” she asked. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “It’s entirely your business and you don’t have to apologize. She called me yesterday and asked me what I was doing for the holiday and I told her I was spending it with you and some of your friends.”

  “How’d she take it?”

  “She asked me if I loved you.”

  “Ew, that was direct. You don’t have to tell me. Okay, what did you tell her?”

  He chuckled. “I told her the truth, Kaylee. Maybe not quite as much truth as she really deserves. I told her we were the best of friends and that I hoped it worked into something more for us. I also told her we didn’t have any future plans and no matter where things go from here, I’m ready to be unmarried. A decade is long enough to test the waters, to think about it. I said I hadn’t changed my mind. And yes, she was emotional. She asked if she was too late.”

  “Oh, Landry...”

  “Laura is used to having her way. She’s having trouble accepting that it was too late a long time ago,” he said. “There’s no going back for me.”

  “I hope you don’t regret it,” she said.

  * * *

  Late that night, while Landry was getting a shower before bed, Kaylee called Howard. “I hope I didn’t wake you?” she said.

  “No,” he said sleepily. “No, not at all. I mean, wake me anytime. It’s good to hear from you.”

  “I wanted to say thank you,” she said. “I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the girls. That was very thoughtful for you to suggest it.”

  “In the end I didn’t do much but make a few phone calls. There are no plane tickets to be had on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Did you know that’s the busiest travel day of the year? So a couple of them had to drive a huge distance, but they were good sports about it. I’m going to send out some fruit or dessert baskets as a show of my appreciation.” He paused and started to cough.

  She suddenly felt a chill. What if Howard became
gravely ill right as she was beginning to not hate him anymore?

  “It’s obvious, they love you very much,” he said. “They seemed happy I suggested the idea even though it was last-minute and a lot of trouble. Was it fun?”

  “So much fun,” she said. “We ate like pigs, drank a little too much, watched movies, talked till we went hoarse. It was wonderful, Howard. If I’d thought of it myself, I wouldn’t have wanted to impose, so you doing that meant even more. But you know what was the best part? That you seemed to understand my relationship with those women. The relationship I had with Mom and those women. That you respected it and didn’t try to include yourself.”

  “No, honey. I realize that’s yours. I’m so glad you were able to be together.”

  “So, maybe if you’re willing to travel again, we can get together? Not on Christmas because I don’t know how I’m going to feel on Christmas. Probably like crap, considering. But maybe we can have a nice dinner before Christmas. A week or ten days before. How does that sound?”

  “I would like that very much.”

  “Landry has a guest room. You can stay at his house, which is right next door to my house. Would that be acceptable?”

  “It would be wonderful. Just let me know when.”

  “I’ll give you a call. And thanks again. Dad.”

  “You’re welcome, honey,” he said, a slight catch in his voice.

  12

  BY THE TIME Landry and Kaylee returned to town on the second day of the tree raising, it was almost fully decorated. There weren’t as many people there as Kaylee would have expected. She found Mel sitting in a corner of the bar at a table, her laptop open.

  “This is usually my position,” Kaylee said.

  “Oh, hi. I was just working on a special project,” Mel said, closing her computer. “I barely talked to you yesterday. I was busy bossing Jack around most of the day. Sometimes I don’t know how he stands it.”