With her face buried in his neck, she asked, “Are you still my daddy?”

Sean felt his heart catch. All at once he was filled up with so much emotion he was sure he wouldn’t be able to swallow if he tried. And he suddenly couldn’t focus his vision. He turned his head and kissed her cheek. “I’ll always be your daddy, pumpkin.”

“You’re a silly daddy,” she said.

“You’re a silly Wide Iwish Rose. I’m so glad I found you.”

Ten

While Sean was helping Rosie into her pajamas, Maureen was handing toys over to Viv. The two women had never met before today and had spent a whole ten minutes together in the entirety of their acquaintance, and that was when Maureen and Sean had picked up Rosie earlier in the day. “I want to thank you,” Maureen said. “Rosie is an incredible, brilliant, wonderful child and I bet some of that had to do with what a fantastic grandmother you are.”

Viv put a hand on Maureen’s forearm. “I have things to tell you,” she said quietly. “Important things about Rosie—what she likes, what she hates, momentous moments in her little life…about her temper, her giggles, her ear infections and her love for animals. And also, I want you to know that I argued hard for Franci to find Sean and let him know about his daughter. Maureen, there is only so much we, as mothers, can do when our adult children have relationship issues. In fact, in most cases, the more we do, the worse it’s bound to get.”

Maureen laughed ruefully and nodded in agreement. “Oh, I know. I have five sons. Do you think they talk to me about the women in their lives? Even though I might be able to answer the hard questions? It’s true what they say about sons and daughters—your daughter is your daughter all her life, but your son…”

“…is your son till he takes a wife.” Viv gave a short nod. “We’ve both been wives. We’d probably both agree it’s all right that way.”

Again Maureen laughed. “I want to stay on and dominate Rosie’s time. Not just to get to know her, but for her to get to know me. But I’ve been with Luke and Shelby for almost a week now and they need their house back. In fact, Sean needs the freedom to work things out with Franci and Rosie! I don’t want to be in the way of that! No matter what’s to come with them, I want my granddaughter to have a father and I want to be part of her life.”

“You will be—please don’t worry about that. I have an idea. I’m sure the three of them will want to spend tomorrow afternoon and evening together as they have the past week, but Sean can drop you here, with me. We can look through photo albums, go to an afternoon movie, have a nice dinner out, and I’ll be happy to drive you to Virgin River tomorrow evening so Sean and Franci don’t have to work their schedule around either one of us.”

“Really?” Maureen asked. “Really?”

“I’d enjoy it so much. Your position right now must be tough.”

“You have no idea.” Maureen laughed. Then she dropped her voice to a whisper. “My new daughter-in-law is certainly pregnant and I’m not sure she even realizes it herself yet! She is moody, nauseous, cries at the drop of a hat, and they want a baby. Vivian, I have to get out of there so they can be alone together for this news. I remember when I was barely pregnant with Aiden and my mother-in-law just wouldn’t leave. I thought about killing her in her sleep!”

Viv laughed. “I have a spare room if you think your life’s in danger.”

“I can’t stay much longer or it will be, though I do try to be helpful…”

“I know—and sometimes the more helpful you are, the worse it gets.”

“You do know!”

“I didn’t have five, but I’ve been there for Franci for thirty years. Come over tomorrow and spend the day. Maybe we can get a game plan, you and me. For example, you can always come for a visit and stay here. That way you’d have lots of time to spend with Rosie and you’d be able to give both those boys their space with their women. As for me? I’d get a companion!”

“You don’t even know me! Are you so sure I wouldn’t be a burden? I could be a slovenly houseguest!”

Viv tilted her head and smiled. “I work full-time as a physician’s assistant for a small family practice in town. More than full-time, some days. I’m betting you cook like a dream.”

“Ohhh, what are you getting yourself into?” Maureen asked.

“I lived with my pregnant daughter and then Franci and a baby! Do you intend to be more trouble than that?”

The two of them were laughing and holding on to each other when Sean came out of Rosie’s bedroom. He stopped in his tracks, looked at them and said, “Uh-oh.”

After hearing from Sean, Francine was kicked back in a recliner at the station on Saturday night. Also in the same room were two flight crews—another nurse, a couple of paramedics, two pilots and two copilots. They shared the station with other emergency first responders—two fire-engine crews, two paramedic ground crews and a staffed ambulance crew. She’d been on a couple of runs during the day, routine hospital transports that were serious but not critical—one cardiac patient in need of bypass surgery and one expectant mother of twins in early labor.

She was just thinking about grabbing some sleep in case the night proved busy when her cell phone chimed and she recognized the number. T.J. on a Saturday night. She jumped out of her recliner and left the rec room to take the call so as not to bother the people watching TV. “Hello,” she said as she stepped into the next room, which was the kitchen. “How are you?”

“A little disappointed,” he said. “It’s been a week, Francine. I thought by now you’d have something to say to me.”

She shook her head. “Say to you? I’m completely confused. I’ve given you almost daily updates. Sean is trying to get to know Rosie. His mother is in town and met Rosie for the first time today. I heard from him fifteen minutes ago that Rosie had a fun day, seemed to get along fine with the new grandma, and—”

“What about him?” T.J. asked.

She laughed a little. “What about him?” she countered. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do. Think, Francine. Give the guy visiting privileges that don’t interfere with your personal and professional life. Tell him you’re committed, that he can’t be hanging around.”

“I’ve pretty much done that,” she said. “He’s asked if he can pick Rosie up in the afternoon from day care, bring her home for me, have dinner with her. He’s doing all this because he’s on leave right now, but he’s not on leave forever, and it’s not only good for Rosie, it helps me out.”

“And I haven’t seen you at all,” T.J. said.

“I only see you about once a week, anyway, and that’s if you’re not in Cabo or Alaska or out on the research boat. We’re busy people with demanding work schedules and kids. In fact, I’ve never had so many calls from you during the week! Does this whole situation threaten you?”

“It concerns me,” he said. “I thought a week would be enough to get things lined up with this guy so we could have our lives back as they were.”

“Well, that makes you a lot more optimistic than I was,” she said. “Getting to know a small child you didn’t even realize you had takes time and patience, and I’m certainly not going to toss Rosie at him and expect him to sink or swim! She’s my baby, for God’s sake!”

“Are you purposely—?”

God bless that siren! It went off, followed by the official and somewhat mechanical voice giving the coordinates of a motor vehicle accident on Highway 5 with critical injuries, dispatching a helicopter, one paramedic ground unit and two ambulances—one of which came from a different service. Must be a bad one.

T.J. would have heard the blast. “Gotta run!” she said, signing off.

She ran for her helicopter with the rest of the crew and didn’t think about him again before morning.

Sunday morning in Virgin River found Ellie Baldwin, the Presbyterian church secretary, getting herself and her kids ready for the church service.

Ellie’s life had changed so much in just a few months that she barely recognized herself. To start with, she’d grown up poor. Not kind of poor, dirt poor. She’d lived with her grandmother in two rooms and they’d shared a pull-out sofa bed her entire life. They had managed on Social Security checks and food stamps. Then she had two children without the benefit of marriage or support of any kind. Her grandmother kept them while Ellie worked day and night to keep body and soul together. She took any kind of work. After her grandmother died Ellie even held a job as a stripper for a short time. It paid the bills and put food on the table.

Now at the ripe old age of twenty-five she lived more comfortably than she ever had, and so did her kids, four-year-old Trevor and eight-year-old Danielle. Ellie rented a lovely, but tiny, room over the Fitches’ garage. For the time being, her kids stayed downstairs in the big house with Jo Ellen Fitch and her husband, Nick. Ellie got the kids up in the morning and put them to bed at night. She had a wonderful friendship with Jo and Nick, and if life went on like this forever, she wouldn’t dare complain. But just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, she fell in love with Noah Kincaid, the local minister, an amazing and wonderful man.

Noah, now her fiancé, had been in search of a house where they could live like a real family. It was only right, she knew. As it was, he was creeping into her rented room more nights than not, and this really wasn’t the best behavior for the town pastor. Noah didn’t fret over that and, this being Virgin River, Ellie assumed everyone knew everything; they probably just didn’t say anything in front of them.

Right before the church service this Sunday morning, Noah whispered that he had a house for her to look at. “It’s not much,” he said, “but it’s in our budget and it might be redeemable. I just want us married and all under one roof.”

Bless his little heart, Ellie thought with a flood of warmth. When a girl is looking for a passionate man, common sense would say that she doesn’t go looking for him in a church. But what she had learned from Noah was that men with passion and commitment don’t limit themselves to one single agenda—their passion, commitment, honor and courage will permeate all the facets of their lives.

Noah loved her passionately and he made her whole; he made her life full.

Their service that morning showcased the Virgin River Presbyterian church choir’s very first performance, accompanied by Ellie and her rusty piano skills, and it was just short of horrid. But in this town people were so supportive of one another, they actually stood and clapped. It made her flush, but she was just happy to be through it. Then after some coffee and cookies in the church basement, Noah spirited her away. He said it was best to send the kids home with Jo and Nick so they could view this potential house alone.

It wasn’t far from the church—just on the edge of town, past the established neighborhood. They were in Noah’s old truck and he pulled off to the side of the road where the weeds had gotten tall and the shrubbery overgrown. He turned toward her. “Ellie, if this isn’t right, we’ll just keep looking. Be warned, it needs a lot of work. Here’s what’s good about it—it’s large, even if it is in disrepair. It has a big piece of land under it, not a small yard. It’s not in the middle of town, but it’s only a half mile away. It has a huge kitchen…” He paused and cleared his throat. “A big kitchen without a single working appliance, but that’s just fix up. And—”

“Noah, how did you come across this house?” she asked.

“Oh, Buck Anderson knew someone who knew someone who’d been renting the place out for years but only because he couldn’t get rid of it. He said if I was clever, it could go cheap. I don’t know if I’m clever with negotiating a price, but I’m okay with a hammer. And we might not be as settled as we should be, but we get by thanks to Jo and Nick. I saw some promise in it and thought I’d show you before I write it off.”