Jack actually heard the motorcycle pull into town before he saw the biker. The Harley had a fierce rumble, like someone had poked a screwdriver into the muffler a few times. On purpose. He glanced out the side window behind the bar and saw a roadster with high handle bars parked right next to the bar. Seconds later its rider ambled in.
He was a big guy with a lot of leather and hair, long retro sideburns and a shaggy goatee. And it kind of surprised Jack to note a wedding band.
“Afternoon, pardner,” Jack said.
“Hey,” the guy answered. “Just a cup of coffee while I think about food. And while you’re pouring that, can I trouble you for the restroom?”
“Absolutely. Right through the kitchen there. Be sure you hit the one with the sign on the door and don’t make a wrong turn into the cook’s residence.”
“I’ll do my best,” he said, making his way through the door.
He was back momentarily, looking a little spruced up. His long hair, which had been a little matted down where it wasn’t wild and crazy, had been combed into a fresh pony tail; he might’ve washed his face.
“Get the bugs out of your teeth?” Jack asked.
“Pretty much,” he said, lifting his coffee cup. “It’s a beautiful day out there.”
“This place really lights up in spring,” Jack said. “Where you headed?”
“Don’t know,” he answered. “Just around. What’s good today?”
“There’s the irony,” Jack said. “There’s no choice, but it doesn’t matter—everything is good here. It’s whatever the cook dreams up. Today it’s a seafood bouillabaisse—there was a special on lobster and scallops.”
“Damn,” he said. “That sounds awesome!”
“It is. Has a coconut base and Preacher said to be sure to tell anyone who’s gonna eat it, there are peanuts in it. Not a lot, but they’re there. The way he tells it, people who are allergic to peanuts can’t take the smallest amount.”
“No problem. I love peanuts.” He looked at his watch. “Am I too early for some of that?”
“I think I can talk him out of some even though you’re a little ahead of the dinner crowd. Excuse me a second.” Jack went to the kitchen door to ask the question. “Fifteen minutes,” he said to the biker. “Can I get you some bread and butter to tide you over?”
“I’ll be okay, thanks,” he said. “But I’ll have some with the bouillabaisse, if you don’t mind.”
“My pleasure. Your bike was pretty loud coming into town….”
“Hope I didn’t wake anyone from a nap,” he said. “I have a couple of problems with the engine and muffler. I could work on it now, but it’s safe, and after I eat, I’m headed home.” He got up, took off his leather jacket and hung it on the hook by the door, ready to get down to some serious eating. When he came back to his stool at the bar, Jack couldn’t help but notice the tattoo of a naked woman on his forearm.
“Where’s home?”
“Sacramento. How long you been up here?”
“Jeez, seven or eight years now. Best move of my life,” Jack said.
“You get a lot of bikers through here?”
“Just now and then,” Jack said with a shrug.
“I’m surprised you don’t get a lot of big groups. The roads up this way are just the kind riding clubs go looking for. In fact, that’s what I’m doing—scouting. We have a group ride coming up and I’m putting together a plan for a road trip. From the mountains to the coast, challenging roads, incredible views. I don’t get this far north too often.”
“You’re welcome to spread the word, as long as we don’t attract gangs,” Jack said.
“I don’t belong to a gang and I don’t hang with ’em.”
“Some of the riding clubs can get a little wild, can’t they?”
The man shrugged. “Maybe. What’s wild?”
“Get drunk, start fights, tear up the town,” Jack speculated.
“That sounds awful,” he said. “I wouldn’t hang with a group like that. That sounds like jail time and a big fine, not to mention a bill for property damage.”
Jack grinned. “We don’t look much alike, but it turns out we think a lot alike.”
“Looks like you just got out of the service. Seven years up here, you say?”
“I guess it’s always going to look that way,” Jack said, running a hand over his head. “Twenty in the Marine Corps. You get used to combing your hair with a washcloth and it’s hard to change. You do any military service?”
“I did not,” he said. “And I thank you for yours.” He put out his hand.
“My pleasure to serve,” Jack said, shaking his hand. “I’m Jack.”
“Walt.” Preacher came out of the kitchen with a steaming bowl and basket of bread on a tray. Walt actually rubbed his hands together. “I’m really looking forward to this.”
That brought a slight smile from Preacher. “I’ve only made this once before, but it was a hit.”
“No menu, huh?”
“I can’t keep this kitchen on budget if I cater to the town. I do try to keep in mind what the hunters and fishermen like, but that’s so easy it’s almost embarrassing. It’s wet and cold—they have favorite stews, soups, chili, and of course, they want something like their kill or catch—venison stew or chili, salmon or stuffed trout.”
While Preacher talked, Walt dipped his spoon into the bouillabaisse. The first sip of the creamy broth had him rolling his eyes back in his head and humming with approval. “When’s hunting season?” he asked. “I don’t hunt, but I eat like a champ.”
“You cook?” Preacher asked.
“Not at all. The two best things about riding are the views and finding the best places to eat. There are hidden gems like this place all over California—the back roads. My wife won’t even ride with me more than once every couple of weeks anymore—she loves to eat as much as me, but says I’m making her fat.” He shook his head. “Women are funny that way.”
“I have a wife and four sisters,” Jack said. “There’s a lot of talk about butts and thighs.”
“I hear a lot about that, too,” Walt said, dipping into that bouillabaisse again. “I don’t know what she’s worrying about, but whatever makes her happy. Look at me? Am I Tom Cruise or something?” He fished out a scallop and popped it in his mouth.
“Happy wife, happy life,” Preacher said.
“Preacher, this is inspired. You have a gift.”
Jack and Preacher both watched as Walt fished a lobster tail out of the stew and halved it with his spoon.
“There’s this little hole in the wall in Paradise owned by this Hungarian guy. He and his son do all the cooking. It’s amazing—one of my favorite places. Pull up to it and you think it’s a shack, a lean-to. Inside? Crystal and white tablecloths and the best food I’ve ever eaten. Then there’s a really small restaurant in Napa I love. I think they only seat about a dozen patrons, but it’s fantastic. Fancy and pricey, but they earned it.” He chewed, swallowed. “That’s pretty much my hobby—road trips and restaurants.”
“I could get into that,” Preacher said.
Walt grinned. “Get a little more hair on you, you’d be a natural.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your meal,” Jack said. “But I’d sure like to hear about your bike club.”
“Well,” he said, chewing, swallowing. “Well, I’m associated with a few bike clubs through the shop. This group I’m scouting for—they’re a little rough around the edges—these are not IBM sales reps out for a weekend ride. They take their bikes and rides pretty seriously, and they’re safe as babies, but I think they’ll appreciate it if you act a little scared when they show up.” Then he grinned and went after the stew again.
“Might have to practice that,” Preacher said, and Walt chuckled through his mouthful. Preacher gave him a half smile. “Give him a discount, Jack. The man shows the proper reverence for my work.” Then he went back to the kitchen.
“There should be four to six of them in this group,” Walt went on. “We’ll be back about a month from now. We can camp, but if there’s lodging around here that would make for a good base, point me to it, will you? These guys are not as into the restaurant part of the trip as I am. I’m planning on spending some quality time with Preacher.”
The door to the bar opened, and Conner came in, dragging off his hat as he entered.
“There are some cabins along the river, owned by a friend of mine. I have no idea how booked he is. Conner here stays in one. Conner, meet Walt. Walt here is a front man for a group of riders, checking out the area for a road trip.”
“Hey,” Conner said, putting out his hand. “Where are you from?”
“Sacramento area. You?”
“Colorado,” he said a bit uncomfortably. “Road trip, huh?”
“We do that kind of thing a lot,” Walt said. He dove into his stew again. When he came up for air, he asked Jack to write down some directions to the cabins for him and Jack slipped down the bar a bit where he had a pad of paper and began writing.
“And what do you do when you’re not planning a road trip?” Conner asked.
“Work in a bike shop. Big surprise, huh? I’m pretty good with a wrench. You?”
“Build and remodel kitchens and bathrooms. I’m pretty good with a hammer and saw. That your bike out there?”
“Not exactly,” Walt said. “I’ve been working on that bike for a customer. Kind of a pet project. I’ll be riding my own bike when we come back up here, but I told my customer I wanted to take his bike out on the road for a long ride before turning it over. Good thing I did, too. That bike isn’t ready.” He plucked out some fish, ate it, wiped his lips and beard with a napkin. “Gave me a pretty good ride, though. I’ll give him a break on the repairs.”
Conner tried to keep the suspicion from his eyes. “I took a friend’s bike out on some back roads along the Pacific cliffs recently and I have to say—I liked that. If I wanted to buy a good bike and was willing to go to Sacramento, where would you recommend I shop?”
Walt stood up to reach inside the pocket of his jeans. He had chains around the heels of his boots, a long chain connecting the wallet in his back pocket to a belt loop and keys attached to the opposite belt loop. He pulled out a pretty limp business card, worn from a long ride in the pocket of his jeans, and handed it to Conner. It said, Walt Arneson, Maintenance and Sales, Harley-Davidson.
“Call me at that number. I’ll meet you at one of the dealerships and show you some good stuff.” Then he put out his hand. “I’m Walt. And you’re?”
“Conner,” he said. “Conner Dan…Conner Danforth.”
“Look forward to it, Conner.” Then he turned back to the bar and put his hand out to Jack. “Thanks, man. That was outstanding. Thank Preacher for me.” He took Jack’s directions to the cabins, stuffed it in his pocket and shook his hand. Then he pulled out his wallet and put a couple of twenties on the bar.
“Whoa,” Jack said. “Put one of those back and I’ll get you some change.”
“Keep it,” Walt said. “The company was almost as excellent as the food. See you in about a month.”
“We’ll be here,” Jack said.
Walt left, and it was only a moment before the loud rumble of the cycle filled the afternoon.
“Okay, that was a little weird,” Jack said. “Your last name is Danson.”
“Yeah. Right at the last minute I didn’t feel like giving him my name.” Conner shrugged. “He looked a little, I don’t know, like a Hell’s Angel or something.”
“Yeah, he looks that way but I didn’t get a bad vibe off the guy. He’s got a job, he loved Preacher’s bouillabaisse, in fact, he was a nice guy for a big, hairy, tattooed biker. But then, I’ve gotten used to all kinds of strange characters up in these mountains.”
“Did I offend you?” Conner asked.
“Well, no. But that was a little weird. That you would be skittish like that. You got me and Preacher if you get scared.” And after saying that, Jack grinned.
Conner slapped a hand against his chest. “Oh, man, I forgot about that. Next time I’ll remember and offer the strange dude my phone and social security numbers.”
“Wiseass. You in here for a reason?”
“A beer, if it’s not too much trouble. You want ID?”
Jack served him up a beer. “You and Leslie going out to Dan and Cheryl’s this weekend for their housewarming?”
“Absolutely. I was wondering, what do you think I should give them as a gift? Do you think they’d like some good wine?”
Jack grinned. “Nah,” he said. “Dan has an occasional beer and as far as I know, Cheryl doesn’t drink alcohol.” The door to the bar opened, and the first of the dinner crowd ambled in. “Something for the house. Or something nonalcoholic. Hey, folks,” Jack greeted the newcomers. He moved away from Conner.
Conner drove down the mountain in search of bars for his phone for two purposes—to call Katie and the boys and to call Brie.
“Hey, Brie, Conner here. This is probably nothing, but I ran into a biker at the bar—big, kind of scary-looking guy from Sacramento. He said he was scouting out the area for a road trip. I got his business card—he works for Harley-Davidson. He asked my name and I fudged it a little bit.”
“Did you get the impression he was looking for you or something?” Brie asked.
“Not really. But it seemed an interesting coincidence. Can you check him out, make sure he’s not a hit man or something?”
“Finding out who he is won’t be the same as finding out if he’s a hit man, Conner. Hit men usually have a nice, legitimate cover.”
“Jack liked him,” Conner said.
She laughed. “Jack likes most people. What’s his name?”
“Walt Arneson. And here’s the address and phone number.” He read it off the business card. “Thanks. I appreciate it. Oh, and before I forget, I explained things to Leslie. And I told her you were my contact in case she gets worried or needs to talk to a woman.”
“How’d she take it?”
“I’m a lucky guy,” he said. “She was everything I expected. Supportive and understanding, if a little shocked out of her mind.”
“Then don’t let her get away,” Brie said. “I’ll call Max with this name. He has detectives assigned to the prosecutor’s office.”
“Appreciate it,” he said. “Better to be safe than sorry.”
“Of course. And, Conner? I’d like to tell you this over the phone so I don’t have to look you in the eye. I read that letter from your ex-wife, laborious though it was. I wasn’t nosy, I had to be sure she didn’t reference something we should know—like if she learned you were the only witness of the crime or something like that. Many things are easy to assume—it was your store, there was a threat from an unknown source, the police were called immediately, et cetera—”
“Brie, I don’t care that you read it,” he said. “I gave you permission anyway.”
“I thought you should know something. What you do with it is entirely up to you, but you should know. She knew she was sick, Conner. When she met you and married you, she thought she could tame her wild compulsions by being hooked up to you, and she has regrets about that, about the position she put you in. She didn’t suddenly learn she was a sex addict when you caught her with another man. She thought you were the kind of man who could ground her, slow her down, keep her happy, so to speak. That was before she knew very much about her disease.”
“Disease,” he said in a grumble.
“Did you know that? That she married you with that agenda?”
“No. And I don’t know that I buy that whole disease thing, either.”
“I know,” Brie said. “I don’t really get it, either. But then there are a lot of things I have trouble understanding. I don’t understand why smart, strong women let men hit them, and yet I end up helping a lot of them. The human condition, Conner, is complex and often confusing. But there’s one thing I do know—holding a grudge isn’t going to help. I hope you can let it go soon. I realize you didn’t feel the need for any information from her letter, but I wanted to be sure you knew that. Conner, it wasn’t your fault in any way. She knows it and you should know it.”
Leslie hadn’t met Dan’s fiancée, Cheryl, even though she’d helped Dan with some of his housewarming party details. She called Cheryl just the same. “Let me come over a little early on Sunday and help you around the house or kitchen,” she said. “You probably have a lot of people coming and tons to do.”
“That’s so nice of you,” she said. “It’s appreciated.”
So Leslie, armed with her favorite Merlot and a bunch of flowers, headed to Dan and Cheryl’s new house. They’d built in the countryside, far enough up the side of a hill to afford them a decent view. It was a small house at the end of a long, curly drive, and while there was still plenty to do around the yard, it was a nice-looking brick-and-wood ranch. There were a few pots of flowers flanking the front door.
The front door was opened by a lovely, smiling woman. “Hi, I’m Leslie,” she said, cradling the wine and flowers in one hand and sticking out the other.
“Gee, it’s nice to finally meet you. Dan is one of your biggest fans.”
“And I’m one of his,” Leslie said, entering. She held out the flowers and wine. “These are for you.”
“You’re so sweet,” Cheryl said, taking the flowers. “I don’t drink, but if you’d like a glass of that… I don’t even know if there’s a corkscrew in the house…. Maybe Dan has one on that fancy knife of his. Want me to ask?”
“Gee, I never even thought to ask,” Leslie said. “Since I’ve seen Dan at Jack’s…”
“He likes a cold beer sometimes,” Cheryl said, heading for the kitchen. Once there she put the wine and flowers on the counter; the work island was full of food trays in progress—a veggie tray, potato and corn chips still in bags sitting in big bowls, a couple of large Crock-Pots, bags of buns, condiments, relishes such as pickles, onions, tomatoes. “He doesn’t overdo it,” Cheryl went on. “He’s one of the lucky ones. An amputee doesn’t want to throw himself off balance.” And then she laughed. “Have you ever seen Dan on one leg?”
“I’ve heard,” Leslie said.
“He’s pretty amazing. He says it’s a survival instinct. And me? I don’t drink because I’m a recovering alcoholic.”
“I didn’t know,” Leslie said, somewhat embarrassed.
“Then you’re probably just about the only one. I had quite a reputation back in the drinking days. I’ve been sober three years.”
“Congratulations. Is that the appropriate thing to say? Congratulations?”
“I’ll take it,” she said with a laugh. “They knew they had a tough one when they saw me coming.” Cheryl opened a cupboard and pulled out a vase for the flowers.
“They?” Leslie asked before she could stop herself.
“Sorry, I spend so much time talking to other people in recovery sometimes I forget there are people who haven’t faced all that. AA. Rehab. And I’ve been taking courses toward a counseling degree. I work at the college, get discounted courses, and my dream job is working with people in recovery.”
“Wow. I’m surprised Dan never mentioned any of this. I mean, I knew you had a job at the college, but…”
“Oh, Dan wouldn’t say anything. He’s very good that way. These are my issues to talk about or not talk about. He leaves that entirely up to me and I appreciate it. A couple of years ago I couldn’t talk about it. Now I can’t shut up about it.” She arranged the flowers in the vase. “How’s this?” she asked. “I’m completely untrained in domestic skills.”
“Looks great. I know there’s a lot going on at the moment and we should get this food together, but I’d love to see the house if there’s time. Dan talks about it all the time. He’s so proud of it.”
“He should be—it’s almost entirely his project. He stays off ladders and scaffolding, but everything else has his fingerprints all over. Come on, it won’t take a minute—it’s a small house.” And with that she led the way. First, they walked through the living room/dining room to a large master bedroom and bath. The master formed an L-shape with the living/dining so that doors in that room opened onto a deck also. There were also two more small bedrooms—one set up as an office. “This is for me,” she said. “Some women dream of a sewing room—I wanted an office with a computer so I could research and study. This is something I never imagined possible when I was a kid!”
A small powder room separated the two small bedrooms. Back in the living/dining room, Cheryl opened the doors wide onto the wooden deck as they walked outside. The house had a short yard that backed right up to the hill and the trees. “We have all kinds of animals that wander right up to the house. Deer, bear, puma, you name it. This is the most relaxing spot in the house, right on this deck. If you’re real quiet in the early morning or early evening, animals might come close enough for you to count their eyelashes.”
“Okay on the deer,” Leslie said. “You might want to be real careful of the others.”
“I’m careful,” she said. Cheryl looked up at the trees that surrounded her house and took a deep breath. “I’m careful not to take this for granted, too.” After a moment, she turned to look at Leslie. “Let’s get the food ready. We’ll have company pretty soon, I think.”
Leslie didn’t realize the significance of the day for Cheryl until Paige Middleton explained it as best she could. According to Paige, Cheryl felt as though she’d left the town in shame, having been driven out of town to an alcohol treatment facility. Mel, Jack’s wife, was the one to find her a program that the county paid for, the beginning of the rest of her life. Then she’d stayed in Eureka for months, living with some women in a halfway house and slowly but surely falling in love with Dan Brady.
“She’s been very slow, probably reluctant to come back to us, as if she couldn’t shake her reputation. I’m pretty sure she expected to be judged harshly. Plus, I’m sure she has a lot of negative memories of growing up in Virgin River, the place where she got into so much trouble as a youth.” Paige shrugged. “There are plenty of people ready to take that judgmental role, I guess. Most of us, though, are just so grateful she was able to save herself. Cheryl is an amazing woman. She’s going to be a great counselor. I have no doubt she’ll help many people.”
When more people started to arrive, Leslie positioned herself in the kitchen so she could help them find paper cups and paper plates and then be sure the discarded made it into the trash. From around two till five, friends both from Virgin River and Cheryl’s college made their way to the house. They didn’t come in droves but in manageable numbers. There were perhaps twenty from town, and Leslie knew them all, from the Haggertys to the Sheridans. There were a few of Haggerty’s crews—men Dan had worked with. And the rest were Cheryl’s friends from Eureka. And people didn’t stay long—an hour, hour and a half. Just long enough to see the new house, have a bite to eat, congratulate the happy couple.
When Conner arrived, Leslie was aware of him the minute he entered the house. Her eyes went to him, and the feeling that came over her was like a swelling in her heart, a shudder of instant desire and love. He was such a beautiful man, so tall and strong, and those blue eyes were instantly on her. Then his lips curved in a smile only for her, and he was quickly at her side. He slipped an arm around her waist and touched her temple with his lips.
Cut her losses? What losses? He was the best man she’d ever known.
All around them people noticed their intimacy and smiled.
These people didn’t realize that in addition to being a good man, a handsome man, Conner had the courage of ten men. She was so proud of him.
After helping Cheryl get the kitchen under control, she was only too glad to say goodbye to her new friends and whisk him away to have all to herself. Every minute felt as if it went by too quickly.
