He sat up and rubbed a hand over his goatee. “How long is that going to take?”

“A couple of days to prep, tops. You’ll be put up in a hotel and you will have protection, so don’t worry about that. I don’t know when they’ll put you on the stand—whenever it’s most strategic, I imagine. What I’m saying is, I don’t know how long you’ll be stuck in Sacramento. But you should be there in a week at the outside. Which gives you a little less than a week to see your sister and get to Sacramento.”

“I should go directly from my sister’s to Sacramento?” he asked.

“That’s the best idea, I think. Then you won’t raise any eyebrows in Virgin River. And another piece of information you’ve probably been wondering about—your biker is safe. All good. He works in a Harley dealership and there are a lot of group rides out of that shop. He’s clean as a whistle.”

“Not a hit man, huh?”

“Doesn’t appear to be, no. Now, can I suggest you pack and tell your boss you have a family emergency back in Colorado?”

“And what am I going to say it is?”

“Just tell him you’re not real comfortable talking about it right now as you don’t have all the details, but you’ll stay in touch and be back as soon as possible. If it seems safe and appropriate, I could have a word with Paul.”

“Please, if you can,” he said. “I want the job, if I can still have it after the trial. And do this for me, Brie. Check on Leslie.”

“Certainly. Tell her if she needs anything at all, call me.”

“I already have.”

“Then say your goodbyes and get going. It’ll soon be over, Conner.”

Of course Conner had known that he’d be headed to Katie’s home soon, but not quite this soon. He’d already purchased a ticket for a departure a week from now, but he’d wisely chosen a refundable one that, for a fee, could be changed to a different flight, just in the event something like this came up.

Thank God it was only five in the morning. That gave him a little time.

He put the phone back on the bedside table and rolled over, pressing Leslie down into the bed. “In a couple of hours I’m going to drive to the job site to tell Dan I have to leave town. Then I’m going to drive out to the office to tell Paul. Then I’m going back to the cabin to check flights and pack up. I’ll call you when I get to Katie’s.”

“And now?”

“Now, I want to love you one more time before I go.”

“Please, don’t act like it could be the last time. I don’t want to be afraid.”

His eyes bored into hers. “It’s not, Les. It’s not—don’t even think that way. It’s just an inconvenient piece of business that has to be handled. That’s all it is.”

She ran her fingers through the short hair at his temples. “Serious business,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “Just kiss me.” And with that, he devoured her with one of his possessive kisses.

An hour and a half later, his hair still damp from his shower, he was standing at her front door, with Leslie pressed tightly against him. “I’ll talk to you later. Tonight, if I don’t have any problems getting flights changed and make it to the East Coast. But if you don’t hear from me tonight, don’t worry—I’ll call first thing in the morning.”

“I hope you find out your sister is in a good place,” she said.

“I’m sure you’re perfectly safe, Les, but don’t take anything for granted. Lock your doors and pay attention to what’s going on around you.” He put a kiss on her nose. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” she said, letting him go very reluctantly. “Come back to me soon.”

There were things Conner had not thought to ask Brie, like when, if ever, they could share the truth of this situation with close, trusted friends. When Conner told Dan there was an emergency back home in Colorado, true to his character, Dan said, “Oh, man! Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I just have to get home right away. Sorry to leave you without any help here.”

“Don’t worry about that, buddy. I’ll snag some crew off another project and pull ’em over here. Won’t be as talented as you, but family comes first.”

“Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Don’t say another word. You have my home number, right? Because if things get hairy or you need help, call me first. I’ll do whatever I can.”

He’d only known Dan since early March and it was now late May, yet this was as close as he’d felt to a friend in a long, long time. One more reason not to be owned by a business that left no time for quality friendship. He wished he could say how much it meant to him. He settled for, “Thanks.”

“It’s what friends do,” he said. “Travel safe. Don’t get in a hurry and wreck or something. Just let someone know you’re okay.”

“I’ll let Les know when I get there. I’ll probably call her tonight if I can.”

Then there was Paul. “Oh, jeez, Conner, that’s too bad. You okay for cash? Need an advance or loan or anything?”

He was speechless for a moment. He hadn’t even said why he had to leave without notice, yet his boss was offering him money. What was to prevent him from taking advantage of that offer, accepting a tidy little wad and never coming back? “No, I’m good. Sorry to take off like this, but—”

“Hey, if you were going fishing I’d dock your pay, but you gotta take care of your people. If you run into a problem, call me. I can always find some way to help out. If you get on the road and decide you were a little hasty and you do need some cash, I can wire you money. Don’t stand on ceremony.”

“That’s terrific of you. I have enough money, but thanks.”

“I hope you get things worked out.”

“I’ll do that as fast as I can.”

“I’m not worried about how long it takes you—I’ll hold your job for you. Just make sure you don’t come back here too hastily. Settle things. Family business can get complicated—I know that.”

Now this was a nosy town, Conner knew that, yet neither one of them had asked him what was wrong or what was going on. They might be curious but they showed a respectful restraint when it came to personal family business. He hadn’t offered extra information, and they hadn’t pried.

Conner felt this kind of loyalty and support was more than he deserved. The day would come when he’d return the favor. He’d make sure of it.

Fourteen

Conner had a long and tiring day traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast, and even though it was late by the time he arrived in Burlington, Katie had kept the boys up and insisted on meeting him at the airport. Katie stood in the baggage claim area with a little boy on each hand…a cranky, tired little boy on each hand.

She looked like a teenager to him, like a little girl with her long, soft brown hair, makeup-free face, large blue eyes. And when she saw him, she started to cry. Her mouth twisted, her nose reddened, and her eyes grew very wet.

He kissed her forehead. “Don’t,” he said in a hoarse whisper. And then he fell to his knees and pulled the boys into his arms. “I missed you!” he told them, nuzzling their necks.

“You’re itchy,” Andy complained.

“Why do you have this?” Mitch asked, touching his goatee.

“I want to be cool,” Conner said, fighting emotion. “Look at you. You grew. Which one of you is bigger?”

Andy giggled. “We’re identical. We’re the same.”

“I don’t know,” he said, frowning at them. “I think Mitch is getting taller.”

“Naw, but I’m smarter,” Mitch said.

“Are not!”

“Am so!”

“Can we fight at home, please?” Katie asked, emotion tugging at her voice.

Conner stood and enfolded her in his arms, hugging her close. “It’s so good to see you, to know you’re okay. Let’s get these monsters home.”

She nodded, tears in her eyes. “Let’s get Uncle…” She stopped and looked around, clearly giving a second thought to saying his name out loud in a public place. “Let’s get the bags and go home before you two turn into pumpkins.”

“I never done that, but she says it all the time,” Andy said to Conner.

“You better look out. You just might one of these days. Honey, take one of them to get a cart. I’ll take the other one to get the bags.”

“You have a lot?” she asked.

He looked down at her. “Everything. I have everything. I’ll explain later.”

Her eyes got round for a moment, but then she was all about business, taking Andy with her to get a cart while Conner grabbed Mitch and went to the carousel, praying his duffels made it, and he wouldn’t have to deal with lost baggage.

Once they had three large duffels and a carry-on, they made their way to the car. Conner insisted on driving; Katie seemed emotional and tired. She gave him some directions to get them started, and they were hardly underway five minutes when both boys passed out in the backseat.

“Everything?” Katie asked softly. “You brought everything?”

“I’m going straight to Sacramento from here. They want to prep me for the trial, which should be starting soon. There was no point in paying rent on a cabin just to store my jeans and boots.”

“But you’re going back, aren’t you? You love it there!”

“I hope to, but one day at a time....”

“What about your girlfriend? Couldn’t she hang on to it for you?”

“I’m sure she would’ve been happy to, but I didn’t want to load that on her. She’s a little stressed about this whole thing as it is.”

“Aren’t we all! I’m still a little nervous about you doing this, coming here. We weren’t supposed to see each other until this was over. More to the point, we weren’t supposed to be seen together, the four of us. A big guy with a short woman and five-year-old twin boys—we stand out.”

“Look, I know Mathis must have a lot of connections, but I find it hard to believe any of them have traced us to Burlington, Vermont. Thinking about it, I agree it’s smart to get us out of Sacramento—that’s a hot potato. And they did demonstrate they’d burn down a building to make a point. But I doubt they have a huge interstate network of thugs and investigators trailing us both.” He reached across the console and squeezed her hand. “Why do that when they can wait in Sacramento for me to show up for the trial? That’s where I could be a sitting duck.”

“I’m so scared, Danny.”

He squeezed again. “Don’t be. This will be over before you know it. And, this might be hard for a while, but I’m keeping the name Conner now. We’re going to change. You don’t have to, but I am.”

“Why?” she asked, surprised.

“Well, all my new ID is in that name and while I don’t plan to hide forever, I think it makes sense to leave Danson Conner behind....” He looked over at her. “And…that’s what Leslie calls me. I’m keeping it. It’s convenient and it’s who she knows.”

“Wow. I think you’re in love again.”

He shook his head. “Not again. In love for the first time.”

Anyone would have had to be blind to miss Leslie’s melancholy, and she knew it. Conner had only been gone twenty-four hours, but she’d pulled into herself the minute he’d driven away from her house. Paul was good enough to ask if she was all right, and she said, “Of course, I just hope everything is all right with Conner’s family.” Brie called her at work and asked how she was holding up, and she said, “I miss him, of course, but I can live with that easy. Is he in danger?” Brie answered that he’d benefit from the best protection law enforcement could offer. Leslie stopped by the bar for a glass for wine and takeout, and Jack said, “So, your boy had family business. He okay?” And she said, “He made it there safely and said everything is going to be fine. He should have things sorted out in a week or so.”

“What kind of family business?” Jack asked, because he was Jack. “I hope there isn’t illness involved.”

“He didn’t give me any details. He left pretty quickly. But I understand there’s some kind of domestic situation.”

“Ah,” Jack said. “Sounds like a divorce brewing or something.”

“It does sound like that, doesn’t it? We’ll get the full story when he’s back, which hopefully won’t be long. I sure got used to having him around in a hurry. I admit, I miss him already.”

So due to that and a nagging worry that she simply couldn’t ignore, she was quiet and knew it. She also knew she wasn’t going to be able to spend a lot of time talking to Conner while he was away, so she’d have to suck it up and think positively.

The very next morning before work, she was out in the front yard, pulling dead blossoms off some of the flowers they’d planted together, every thought on him. She heard someone coming down the street and looked up to see an elderly woman walking with a young woman who held the tiny hand of a two-year-old and carried a pudgy, smiling baby in a backpack. She’d seen them before; sometimes the young woman had one of the kids in an umbrella stroller. She stood up and smiled at them.

“Well, hi,” she said, brushing off her knees.