Home to You

by Robyn Carr

“Get that old codger to give you a day off and go over to Garberville or Fortuna and get a do.”

  “You have nothing but days off anymore,” Doc grumbled.

  “That’s an interesting statement coming from someone who didn’t want any help around here,” Mel teased. Then to Hope she said, “You know big sisters. She just wanted to make sure I hadn’t gotten myself into anything that held the potential for disaster, and now that she’s convinced I’ll live, she can go back to her family with a clear conscience. What have you been doing with yourself, Hope?” Mel asked. “I haven’t seen much of you.”

  “Just the garden, from morning till night. I plant and grow, the deer come in and eat it. I need to round up Jack’s marines and get ’em all out there to pee a border around the property.”

  Mel sat back. “That works?”

  “Hell, yeah. Better than anything.”

  “Well, live and learn,” she said. Mel finished her beer. “I’m going home,” she stated flatly, getting off her stool.

  Mel was barely out the door when she felt Jack come up behind her. He took her arm and walked with her to her car. Once there she turned to him and said, “Think you can find your way out to that little cabin?”

  He leaned down to kiss her and groaned. It was happening to him again. “I’ll be right there,” he said.

  “Take your time. Give me a head start so I can wash Hope’s cigarette out of my hair. Go finish serving dinner.”

  He lowered his lips to her neck. “I’m going to walk back in there and yell ‘Fire!’”

  She laughed at him and pulled away. “I’ll see you later,” she said. And got in her car to leave.

  Mel drove home knowing that he was starving and wouldn’t be long. He was the most sexually driven man she’d ever known. But there were a couple of things she wanted to do. When she got home, she put her medical bag by the front door and went to the bedroom. She sat on the bed, picked up Mark’s picture and held it. She looked into his kind eyes and mentally said to him, “You know I love you, and I know you understand.” And then she slipped it into the drawer.

  Then she went to the shower to freshen up.

  * * *

  Jack went back behind the bar and made sure everyone was taken care of. He brought Doc his dinner, said good-night to Hope as she left, then went for Preacher. “It’s thinning out,” he said. “I’m going out to Mel’s,” he added, knowing Preacher would have his tongue cut out before he’d tell anyone. As if anyone needed telling. When Jack and Mel were in the same room, the air warmed up. People glanced at them knowingly. “You can reach me there if you need me. Don’t need me.”

  “I’m good,” Preacher said. “Ricky and I can handle things.”

  Jack might’ve driven a little too fast down the curving, tree-canopied road, but he was dying for her. He parked and went to the porch, sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs to pull off his boots. Inside, he heard the shower running and called out so he wouldn’t frighten her. “Mel?”

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” she called back.

  But he was already out of his shirt, his hands on his belt buckle. He left a trail of clothes through the living room to the bathroom. The glass of the shower was steamed and inside was her small naked form in the mist. He slowly opened the door and stood there looking at her in all her glistening beauty. God, she was so perfect. She reached a small, inviting hand in his direction and he stepped in with her.

  “You didn’t take your time,” she said against his lips.

  “I tried,” he admitted.

  “I wanted to freshen up for you.”

  He covered her mouth with his, but his hands were all over her, running up and down her smooth, soft back, over her bottom, caressing her breasts, digging into her wet hair, down her neck and over her shoulders, down her arms to entwine his fingers with hers. He trembled, he wanted her so badly. And her hands were on him, running over his chest, around to his back, filling her hands with the hard muscles on his butt, and finally over his flat belly and down to his swollen erection, causing him to say, “Ohh... Mel...” before capturing her lips anew.

  His fingers wandered lower to examine her, gently probing. It made him swell with some kind of erotic pride to find that she was slick and as anxious as he. This woman didn’t need much warming up. This mutual need, this had become the best part of his life. He lifted her up. Her arms went around his neck, her legs around his waist and he settled her upon him, entering her slowly, firmly. He turned with her in his arms, bracing a shoulder against the shower wall. Then he began to move her upon him, lifting her up and down. Her sighs became quickened breaths, her legs tightened around him.

  Mel hung on to his shoulders and neck, her mouth on his, their tongues hot and desperate as they devoured each other. The sensation of his arms and shoulders at work as he held her caused her blood to boil and she felt her desire rising and rising to a wonderful pitch that soon erupted into bliss.

  Jack loved nothing so much as bringing her that crazy moment and feeling her tighten around him. When she cried out, he held her closer, if possible. He reached himself as far inside her as humanly possible and the storm of his own wild climax shook him to his core.

  She held on to him, he on to her, while they calmed, their breathing slowly returning to normal. She nibbled at his lip and said, a little breathlessly, “I didn’t know that was even possible. Being with you... It’s an adventure.”

  “You do something to me. You drive me out of my mind.”

  “Good. You do good work, brainless.” And then she laughed and touched his shoulder. “You have a little bruise...”

  “I love that little bruise...”

  “Let’s dry off and meet in the bed.”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice. But please, don’t move just yet. This part is dicey.” He held her a moment longer and then, carefully and slowly, lifted her up and away from him, setting her down on her feet in the shower. They showered off, dried off. Mel needed a little extra time to dry that golden mane of hers—emerging roots and all. Jack went to the bedroom and sat on the bed. It was gone—the picture. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew that only the picture was gone, not the memories. Still, it made him smile to himself. He settled himself in her bed and waited impatiently.

  When she came to the bedroom, she reached for the light and he said, “Leave it on, Mel.” Without questioning him, she slid into the bed beside him. Lying on his side, he rose up, his head braced on his hand. “There are a couple of things we should talk about. The other night wasn’t about talking.”

  “Oh-oh,” she said, suddenly on edge. “Is this the part where you explain about casual sex and consenting adults?”

  “No,” he said. “Not at all. Just details. I want you to know something—there have been...women. You know? Mel, I’m forty. I’ve never been celibate. I always wore a condom. Always. Plus, the marines were ridiculous about medicals, including tests for STDs. But if you’d like me to be tested...”

  “I tend to be cautious...”

  “Done. And then, we didn’t talk about birth control, and I don’t want to be irresponsible. This comes a little after the fact—I’m sorry.”

  “You’re okay,” she said. “I’ve got that covered. But, if you’re so used to putting on the condom, what happened the other night?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t have anything handy, and the only thing on my mind was making sure everything was good. It started out as such a bad night for you and Jesus, I didn’t want you to regret it. I guess I went a little crazy. But I can be prepared in the future. Just say the word.”

  “And tonight?” she asked.

  “I apologize—in the pocket of those jeans on the living room floor, there’s... Sorry. I was so ready to be with you. I was out of my head, Mel. It doesn’t have to be like that every—”

  She
put a finger on his lips, smiled and whispered, “I like it like it is. When you’re a little crazy.” She looked up into his eyes. “Ordinarily, I would have thought of the condom, but I guess the state I was in...well. If you’ll just take care of that screening, I’m sure we’ll be all right. Have there been an awful lot of women?”

  He made a face. A frown. “More than I like.”

  “Any really special ones?” she asked.

  “You’re going to think I’m lying. No.”

  “What about the woman in Clear River?” she asked.

  “Mel, we were only sleeping together. No, not true—I never spent a night. She didn’t come to Virgin River. I never thought I’d be embarrassed about that.”

  “You don’t have to be embarrassed. You’re a grown-up.”

  “It wasn’t like this. This feel casual to you?” he asked her.

  “Actually, it feels a little intense.”

  “Good,” he said. “Everything about this is different. I hope you understand that.”

  “You’re not just sleeping with me?” she asked, teasingly.

  “I am sleeping with you,” he said, running his hand over her smooth shoulder and down her arm. He gave her a sweet, short kiss. “It’s not just sex. It’s everything. It’s special.”

  She laughed at him. “Are you seeing me?” she teased.

  “Yeah,” he said. “It’s a first for me.”

  “So, in some ways, you’re just a virgin from Virgin River.”

  “In this, I am.”

  “That’s very sweet.”

  “This is madness, I want you all the time. I feel like a kid.”

  “You don’t act like a kid,” she said.

  “Melinda—I have had more erections in the last week than I’ve had in the last decade. Every time you walk by, I have to concentrate on something else. This hasn’t happened to me since I was sixteen, when anything from a beer commercial to a geography assignment could put me in agony. It was almost laughable, if it wasn’t just so ridiculous.”

  “Raging hormones,” she said with a laugh. “You are an amazing lover.”

  “I’m not doing this alone,” he said. “You’re pretty amazing yourself. Damn, baby. We fit together real nice.”

  “Jack—does everyone in town know?”

  “They’d be guessing. I haven’t said anything.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think you have to.”

  “We could try to keep it quiet, if that works better for you. I could manage to not look at you like I’m going to have you for dessert, if that’s what you want.”

  “It’s just that...well, you know. I have these issues.”

  “I know. I held you through some major issues. And I do understand that it’s going to take more than a little sex to resolve all that.” He grinned. “Good sex.”

  “Very good sex.”

  “Oh, yeah...” he agreed breathlessly.

  “Just so you know. I’m still all screwed up. I don’t want to disappoint you. Jack, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  He ran a hand down her body, lightly brushing her soft, warm skin. “Mel, this doesn’t hurt.” He smiled. “It feels real, real good. Don’t worry about me.” He gave her a light kiss. “You want to try to keep this...us...quiet? Private?”

  “Think it would work?”

  “There’s probably no point in pretending,” he said. “It’s your call.”

  “Oh, what the hell,” she said. “It isn’t against the law, is it?”

  He leaned over her and kissed her more deeply. “It probably should be.” He kissed her again.

  * * *

  In the early morning as dawn was just beginning to streak through the cabin windows, Jack was stirred awake by the soft sound of slightly off-key humming. He found Mel nestled into the crook of his arm, her breath tickling his chest. She was purring, humming, her lips moving slightly, as though singing. It might’ve troubled him if her expression had been sad or disturbed. But she was smiling. She snuggled closer, throwing a leg over his. And this sleepy little music, contented, drifted out of her.

  He could count on one hand the number of times he’d spent the entire night in bed with a woman. And already, he couldn’t imagine waking up alone. He pulled her closer knowing he’d never been happier in his life.

  Twelve

  Rick called Liz every couple of days, although he wanted to call her seven times a day. His pulse always picked up when he dialed, then the sound of her voice made it race.

  “Lizzie, how you doing?” he’d ask.

  “I miss you,” she would always say. “You said you’d come over.”

  “I’m going to. I’m trying. But with school and work... So, how are...things?”

  “I just wish I was there, instead of here.” Then she’d laugh. “Funny, I hated my mother for making me go to Aunt Connie’s, and now I hate her for making me stay here.”

  “Don’t hate your mom, Liz. Don’t.”

  Then they’d talk for a while, about kids, about school, about Virgin River and Eureka, just mundane stuff. She never volunteered any information about the feared pregnancy.

  Rick was dying a million deaths. He was terrified something had gone wrong and she was caught with a baby on that one and only night. But almost worse than that, he wasn’t sure what was happening to him, in his head, in his body. He dreamt about her, wanted to feel his arms around her, wanted to smell her hair and kiss her lips. He wanted her breast in one hand, but he also wanted to have her riding beside him in that little truck on the way to and from school, cracking jokes, laughing, holding hands.

  This phone call was no different than the others had been. Then she asked, “Why don’t you come to Eureka?”

  He drew a heavy breath. “I’ll tell you the truth, Liz—I’m afraid to. You and me, we get pretty worked up.”

  “But you have those rubbers...”

  “I told you before, that’s not enough. You have to get something, too. Pills or something.”

  “How’m I gonna do that? I don’t even drive. You think I should say to my mom, ‘Hey, I have to get some birth control—me and Ricky want to do it’?”

  “If you were here, you could see Mel. Maybe you can talk your mom into a visit to Virgin River.” But even as he said that, he cringed. And flushed so hot he thought he might faint. Was he really suggesting to a fourteen-year-old that she get herself fixed up so they could have sex? In the cab of a truck?

  “I don’t know,” she said softly. “I think I would hate that. I don’t think I could tell someone who’s like, grown-up. Could you?”

  He already had; Preacher and Jack both knew. But he said, “I could if it was this important.”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I’ll think about it.”

  If you couldn’t stop dreaming about a girl, if you constantly thought about the way her hair felt against your cheek, if you couldn’t get the softness of her skin out of your mind, did that mean you loved her? If you felt a little better after every time you talked to her, heard her laugh, did that mean anything, or were you just this horny sixteen-year-old boy? He knew he was that—the thought of getting inside her again almost made steam come out of his ears. But there was other stuff. He could talk to Liz; he could listen to her. Wanted to listen to her. He could almost go into a trance when she told him about something as boring as algebra. If he had one drop of courage, he’d ask Jack—what is love and what is sex? When are they the same thing?

  Finally he asked, “Any news about being pregnant, Lizzie?”

  “You mean...?”

  “Yeah, I mean that.” Silence answered him. She was going to make him say it, once again. Every time he asked, his gut clenched just from forming the words, words alien to a boy. “Did you get your period?” he asked, grateful she co
uldn’t see the color of his cheeks.

  “That’s all you really care about.”

  “No, but I care about it a lot. Liz, baby, if I got you in trouble, I’m gonna want to die, okay? I just want the scare over, that’s all. For both of us.”

  “Not yet—but that’s okay. I told you—I’m not regular. And I feel fine. I don’t feel like anything’s different.”

  “I guess that’s something,” he said.

  “Ricky, I miss you. Do you miss me?”

  “Ohh, Liz,” he said in an exhausted breath. “I miss you so much it scares the hell out of me.”

  * * *

  Mel made a few phone calls the following week, then asked Jack if he could pry himself away from the bar for a full day to run some errands with her. She wanted to drive into Eureka, she said. And she didn’t want to go alone. Of course he said he could—he did anything she asked of him. He offered to drive, but she told him she’d like to take her car, put the top down and enjoy the sunny June weather.

  When they were under way, she said, “I hope this wasn’t too presumptuous of me, Jack. I made myself an appointment at the beauty shop and one for you at the clinic—that testing you offered.”

  “I was going to run over to the coast, to the Naval Air Station there, but this is just as convenient. I meant it when I offered. I want you to feel safe.”

  “I’m not worried, really. It’s just a precaution. And if anything turns up, I’ll get screened. I wouldn’t put you at risk, you understand. But the last seven years, it was only...” She stopped.

  “Your husband,” he finished for her. “You can say it. That was your life. That is your life. We have to be able to talk about it.”

  “Well,” she said, gathering herself up again. “Then, I’ve made arrangements to test-drive a vehicle and I’d like your opinion. A vehicle that doesn’t get stuck in the mud.”

  “Really?” he said, surprised. “What kind of vehicle?”

  She stole a glance at him, so neatly folded up in the front of her BMW, his knees sticking up so high it almost made her laugh. “A Hummer,” she said.