by Robyn Carr
“I guess,” she said very softly.
“I do have one suggestion, though,” Kelly said. “Might want to change his name from Spike to Sparky.”
Courtney’s laughter blubbered through her tears.
Spike was discharged, though his tail was indeed a bit shorter. Kelly stopped by the Victorian to get something comfortable for the evening so she wouldn’t have to sleep in her clothes again. She showered at Lief’s and made some kick-ass mac and cheese for dinner. Courtney went to bed with her puppy while Kelly dug around in the cupboard for the hidden brandy. She was just getting real comfortable on the couch in the great room when Courtney appeared. She was holding her pillow and her puppy, now alert, was standing at her side.
“Aren’t you coming?” she asked Kelly.
“Coming?”
“I guess you don’t want to sleep in Dad’s room, but you could sleep in mine.”
Kelly thought about it a minute. Then she said, “I’ll be right there.”
Lief’s flight was a little late. He didn’t get back to Virgin River until one in the morning. There was a light left on for him. A note on the counter said Mac and cheese in the fridge.
When he didn’t see Kelly on the couch, he got a little excited, hoping he might find her in his bed. He carried his bags back to his room. Nope, not in his bed.
He doubted she’d leave Courtney alone, not after all that had gone on. With the hall light to illuminate Courtney’s room, he pushed open her door. There, in her bed, Kelly was curled around his daughter, his daughter curled around her dog. All asleep.
Spike lifted his head. He wiggled free of Courtney’s embrace and trotted out toward Lief. When Lief pulled the bedroom door closed, Spike, with a slightly shorter tail, trotted alongside.
“You’re not exactly my first choice,” Lief said to the dog. “But you’ll do.”
A week later, it was time for Kelly to go. Kelly and Jill sat at the kitchen table with their morning coffee. The fire was lit, making it cozy. Though the sun came up bright and the sky clear, it was still cold outside. Jill said, “Well, it was a great fantasy, that you’d cook what I grow, sell it under a family label and stay.”
“Maybe that will still happen someday,” Kelly said. “Just not right now.”
“I’m encouraged by the fact that you’re leaving your furniture on the third floor. At least I’ll see more of you than I used to.”
“Luca has lots of properties around the Bay Area. He insists I use one of his small furnished apartments while I think about where I want to live. And why not? He’s richer than God, and he’s getting a bargain in me. Besides, I want a place like this as my getaway. I’m never going back to the kind of grind I suffered before I walked out on that insane restaurant. People need balance. We can’t work all the time.”
“And there’s Lief,” Jill said.
“And there’s Lief,” Kelly agreed with a smile. “I can’t give him up cold turkey. Because I love him. But hey—he won’t be neglecting his daughter if she spends the night with a girlfriend once or twice a month! He can drive down to the city once in a while. I’ll come up here sometimes.”
Jill held Kelly’s hand across the table. “I know we never lived together after you turned eighteen and went off to study food, but it’s very hard to give you up after having you here for five months.”
Kelly squeezed the hand. “You’re not giving me up. But Jill, you have your business and your relationship. What I have is too much time on my hands, too much room left over in my heart. I need more than work. I learned that when I fell in love with Lief. I need to feel needed, not superfluous. I need to be a part of something that’s vital and growing, not waiting around to see if anything will take root. I’ve given this enough time. It’s no one’s fault. It is what it is. This is the right decision for me. I’ll come back up for a weekend in two or three weeks.”
“What did Lief say when you were with him last night?” Jill asked.
“That he loved me and wishes I could stay, but of course he understands. He was never in a situation like I am. When he met his wife, she had a little girl who instantly adored him. It wasn’t a challenge. He still hopes this can work out between us.”
The back door opened, and Colin was pulling off his gloves as he stepped inside. He wore an army-green canvas jacket over a black turtleneck, his hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was smiling. “I completely repacked the back of your car. Now you’ll be able to actually use the rearview mirror. You’re good to go.”
“Thanks,” Kelly said. “I’m going to miss you, too. But I think I have to hit the road before you get pudgy.”
“You spoiled me, that’s for sure. You call us the minute you get there.”
“Sure.”
“And take your time,” he ordered, opening his arms to her.
“Yes, sir,” she said, walking into his embrace. “Take care of my sister, Colin. I’m counting on you.”
“Jilly’s in good hands, Kell. Take good care of yourself. You’re always feeding everyone else—remember to feed yourself, too. And I’m not just talking about food.”
“Thanks, I’ll remember that.” Kelly hugged her sister. “Thank you for everything, honey. I was so happy here in your wonderful house. You made it so easy for me.”
“You remember, it’s always here for you. Always. If you get tired of working for that crazy Italian, you come up here and make sauces and relishes.”
“I will.”
Colin held the door open for her, letting Kelly precede them onto the back porch. And there Kelly stopped, coming face-to-face with a little sprite a few inches shorter than she was. Courtney looked a little surprised. Maybe nervous. “Well, hello,” Kelly said. “I didn’t expect you to be up so early. We said our goodbyes. Maybe I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
Behind Courtney, leaning against Kelly’s packed car, his hands in his pockets, was Lief. Beside him, sitting politely, was the dog.
“You can’t go yet,” Courtney said.
“Courtney, I have to get moving or I’ll end up in city traffic—”
“No, I mean, don’t go at all. Not yet. There’s still things we can try. Like Jerry said we might try some group counseling to see if we’re all in the same canoe—he likes to say that. He also likes to say ‘Get it out there where we can look at it.’ Here—so you can look at it—most of the time when I wasn’t so nice, I knew it. I’m not even sure why, but I knew it. I can be a lot nicer. Seriously.”
“Why are you doing this now?” Kelly asked.
“I didn’t think you’d really go,” she said. “Seriously, I thought there’d be at least one more warning.”
Kelly hugged her quick and hard. Then she pulled away, looked into Courtney’s pretty eyes and said, “Listen, I won’t be far. And I’ll be back at least every month, maybe a couple of times a month.”
“But no,” she said. “Don’t go.”
“Courtney, I’m sorry, but Luca’s counting on me. He offered me a good job and I made a commitment to him. He needs me. But I’ll visit, I promise.”
“But my dad needs you,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.
Kelly felt a hand on her shoulder, too big and heavy to be Jill’s. Colin’s hand. Shoring her up.
Kelly looked at Lief. His posture was unchanged, but he made a slight shrug, barely discernable.
“Courtney, your dad can call me every day. We’ll talk. We’ll see each other now and then. This isn’t a surprise. We talked about it.”
“You can’t just walk out on him,” she said. “You have to give it a little more time.”
“I’m not, honey. I’m not walking out on your dad and he understands that. Lief,” she said. “Lief, tell her that I’m not abandoning you.”
“She’s not, Court. She needs to be someplace where she feels she really belongs, where she’s counted on and feels useful and appreciated. I understand that.”
“This isn’t goodbye,” Kelly said. “I’ll see you soon.” She g
ave her another hug and stepped down the porch steps.
“Okay!” Courtney yelled. “I need you! Sparky needs you! Don’t go! Just please, don’t go!”
Kelly stopped in her tracks, met Lief’s warm and dark brown eyes and his slight smile. She slowly turned back to Courtney, who had her fist covering her mouth and tears slipping out of her eyes.
“Okay, so I really want you to stay,” she said softly, then hiccupped. She lifted her chin. “He won’t mind, believe me. But it’s me, okay?”
Kelly frowned. “Why?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged with a half sob. “Because you just take me as I am, pretty much. Because you’re not mean. Because you help.” She sniffed and wiped her hand across her nose. “Because you said my dad was going to ground me forever and wouldn’t cover for me to get on my good side, but still slept in my bed with me because I was crying. Come on.” She pulled the necklace Kelly had given her for Christmas out from the inside of her shirt to show it to her. “Give us a break. Huh?”
Kelly shot a glance at Lief. He just cocked his head to one side as if to say it had nothing to do with him.
She looked back at Courtney.
“You just have to give us one more chance. Me,” Courtney said. “You just have to give me another chance, because really I never wanted you to leave, I just… I just worried about not being important around here, like I wasn’t important at Stu’s house.”
“Maybe we should take a breather,” Kelly said. “See where we are in a few months…”
“Don’t go,” she said. “My dad loves you. He told me at Christmas—he loves you. And I didn’t really want to, but after Sparky blew his tail off, I knew you were the real deal and I started to love you, too.”
“Wow,” Kelly said. “You sure made me work for it!”
Courtney laughed through her tears. “Seriously,” she said.
“You need to know something, little chick. If I pack my car again, ever, I’m moving.”
“I get that,” Courtney said.
“Hey,” Colin protested from behind her. After all, he was the one who’d packed the car. She shot him a glare to shut him up.
“So you’re staying?”
“I’ll give this a try,” Kelly said. “If you really think we’re in the same canoe.”
“I do,” Courtney said. “I do. You do love my dad, right?”
“I love him a lot,” she said. “And you’re really growing on me.”
Courtney laughed at her. “You should probably kiss him, then. He’s been awful to live with lately.”
Kelly approached Lief warily. When she was about a foot away, she asked, “Was this your idea?”
“I had absolutely nothing to do with it. Nothing. Now come here. She’s right. You should kiss me.”
She allowed herself to be pulled into his arms, met his lips and behind her she heard, “Ewww. Gross.” Kelly jumped back and looked over her shoulder.
“Kidding,” Courtney said with a laugh.
Looking back into Lief’s laughing eyes, Kelly said, “I bet there’s going to be a lot of that sort of thing, huh?”
“It’s a tough assignment, babe,” he said. “Definitely not for sissies. Now come on, lay one on me. I’ve been hell to live with lately.”
Epilogue
Six months later
Kelly and Jill stood on the widow’s walk and looked at all the activity below them. Late September was a perfect time of year—most of the garden was harvested and the leaves on the trees were changing, but the branches were not yet bare. The day was sunny, the air cool. Between the garden and the house, large round tables had been erected and covered with starched white tablecloths. The folding chairs were dressed in linen with fancy ties in the back, and each table had lush flower arrangements in orange, yellow, red and some dark plum. There were tall candles that could be lit when the sun went down. There was seating for over a hundred, and guests were milling around, visiting as they held on to long-stemmed champagne glasses. At the far western end of the yard, up against the lilac and rhododendron, there was a trellis draped in white. Next to the trellis, a string quartet.
The front of the Victorian showed cars, trucks and SUVs parked all down the drive. Out of sight from the widow’s walk, parked near the back porch, were two large white-paneled vans lettered with a red BRAZZI on their sides.
Jill glanced down at her fingernails. “I wore gloves all last week and I think I still have dirt under my nails…”
Kelly inspected them. “I think you’re okay,” she said. “I have some paprika under mine…”
“Kelly! Jilly! Come down here!” Courtney called. “Luca is here.”
They looked at each other. “Easy does it,” Kelly advised. “Getting up here in a long dress and heels is a lot easier than getting down.”
“You first,” Jill said.
When Kelly got to the bottom, there stood Luca bearing a silver tray holding four champagne flutes. His free hand went to his chest, and he sighed at Kelly. “Bella,” he said in a breath. “Magnifico! Mozzafiato! You have never been more beautiful.”
“Thank you, Luca,” she said. Her dress was a creamy off-white strung with dark burnt-orange ribbon around the bodice and decolletage. The ribbon matched the satin dresses worn by bridesmaids Jill and Courtney, and they would all carry bouquets of mums, daisies and the most luxurious burnt-orange roses brought from San Francisco by Luca.
“You are all so delicious,” Luca said. He lifted the champagne flutes one by one, passing them to the women, the last one his own. He put down the tray and raised the glass. “To the blending of two beautiful families,” he said. “May God bless your households with great bounty and joy!”
“Thank you, Luca,” Kelly said.
They sipped, and Courtney said, “I knew it. Cider.”
“If you were in Italy, little bella, you would have the wine. Kelly, I should be the one to give you away to the groom. After all, were it not for me, you would not have found each other.”
“Well, not exactly,” she said with a laugh. “I believe we can give most of the credit to your wife. Besides, there’s no giving away, only an escort to my groom. Colin has volunteered.” She smoothed the starched white of his chef’s jacket. “You are so beloved in the kitchen. That you would do this for me, Luca, is the greatest honor.”
“I wouldn’t let anyone else feed your guests on your wedding day, sweetheart. Are you almost ready? Because they’re beginning to chew on the linens.”
“Hey,” Courtney said. “I get to stay up here while you and dad are gone, right?”
Kelly picked up a little lip gloss and leaned toward Courtney, giving her lips a little touch-up. “Sure. Whatever you and Jilly work out is fine with me.”
“I don’t know why I can’t go with you. I’ve never been to Cabo.”
“I draw the line there,” Kelly said.
“It’s not like I’d bother you,” she said.
“I’ll make a deal with you, chickie. You don’t go on my honeymoon, I won’t go on yours.”
“You can come with me on my honeymoon,” Courtney said.
“You look so beautiful today, Court,” Kelly said, changing the subject.
“You’re done talking about it, huh?”
Kelly nodded. Courtney looked at Jill and said, “Kind of hard to believe she’s never done this mother thing before, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Jill agreed. “Now let’s go get her married before the groom gets cold feet!”
“Are you and Colin ever going to get married?” Courtney asked.
“You look very beautiful today, Courtney,” Jill said, changing the subject and smiling.
Luca threw an arm wide, indicating the women should precede him down the stairs. Courtney was last. To Jill and Kelly’s backs she said, “I really think we’re gonna have to work on our communication skills around here…”
The women had to pass through the kitchen to get to the back porch, and Kelly marveled at t
he industry— Luca brought his own staff and much of the food. She had suggested a buffet, but Luca wouldn’t hear of it—they would serve. He said it wouldn’t be too fancy—only five courses and two wines.
Colin was waiting by the back door. He took in the formally attired women and said, “Are you ready? Because Reverend Kincaid has herded everyone to their tables.”
“Ready,” Kelly said. “Is Lief there?”
“He’s been there, his two brothers beside him. Muriel managed to get a table up front, though I think she had to negotiate it. And there are more Riordans here than expected at first. I hope there’s plenty of food.”
“Always plenty of food,” Luca bellowed from behind them.
“Then let’s do it,” Colin said.
Courtney led the procession, followed by Jillian, followed by Kelly and Colin. They wound their way through the tables toward the trellis, toward the minister, as the strings played.
Kelly smiled when she saw that Lief leaned down to give Courtney a kiss before she stood in her place to the left of the men. He also leaned in to give Jill a kiss on the cheek before she took her place.
And then as Colin and Kelly neared, Lief’s eyes grew dark and warm, and he smiled proudly, reaching out to her. Colin escorted Kelly right into Lief’s hands. They gazed at each as the words that would begin a whole new family were spoken by Noah Kincaid.
“Dearly Beloved…”
Acknowledgments
Special thanks goes to Laura Osika, the Be in Virgin River Contest winner! Thanks for dropping in to visit us in Virgin River! As a part of the supporting cast, you were a fantastic addition to the story!
To my readers, your thousands of supportive letters and your amazing word-of-mouth recommendations have made this little town come alive, and I am eternally grateful for your encouragement and kindness.
For this story, as for almost every story I write, special thanks to Michelle Mazzanti for early reading and research assistance. I just couldn’t get to the end of a book without your input and help.