“No kidding?” Jack asked. “And who might that be?”

“Just a couple of guys from army days. We haven’t been that good about staying in touch but every time we touch base, it’s like yesterday. You know what I mean?”

“I have a few like that,” Jack said. “They lifers like you?”

“No, short timers. Both were pilots, both got out at the first chance. One of ’em had some family store or something up in Oregon. The other one had a little bit of trouble in the army and our favorite uncle pretty much asked him to leave. Trouble of the disciplinary sort, if you get my drift.”

Jack laughed. “Have one or two of those, too,” he said. “Hunters?”

“As it happens both of them love to hunt. Fortunately for me, since I’m full of hunters during the season, it turned out the only time we could all get together was right before the season opens. We’ll get in some fishing at least. But I’d put these two in the house if I had to. They’re good guys.”

“Let us know when you expect them and maybe we can round up a poker game or something,” Jack suggested.

“Deal us in,” Luke said, finishing his beer. “How’s my tab these days?”

“I think you owe me a great deal of money.”

“See you later,” he said with a laugh, putting a couple of bills on the bar.

He’d only been out the door a minute when he was right back inside.

“Wait till you see what just pulled up outside,” Luke said from the door. “I think it’s a limousine.”

“In Virgin River?” Jack asked. He came around the bar and went to the door and sitting in front of the bar was an oversize, cream-colored town car trimmed in gold with a driver in a black suit holding the back passenger door open.

“That a limousine?” Luke asked.

“Sort of. Not really,” Jack said. “Fancy town car with a chauffeur.”

A small woman got out of the car. Even Jack could tell she was dressed to the nines but he couldn’t guess her age. Older than she looked by the way she moved, he thought. Her short hair was blond but almost gray; her face was soft and smooth-looking but had a look of experience, especially around the eyes. She walked to the base of the porch and asked, “Are you the proprietor, sir?”

He gave a slight bow, then stepped down from the porch to meet her on equal ground. The little thing was probably five foot one in her shoes. “I’m Jack Sheridan, ma’am, and this is my bar.”

“Charming little place,” she said with a smile. Her teeth were perfect and healthy. “I bet you have a wonderful time!”

“Just a simple place, ma’am. Would you like to come inside?”

“I’m going to have to make it another time. I’m looking for my grandson and perhaps you know where I might find him. His name is Dylan Childress and I believe he was last seen around here.”

“I know Dylan,” Jack said. “I bet you’ll find him at his lady friend’s cabin. In fact, it’s my cabin which I lease to his lady friend and chances are—”

“Ah, yes, the lady friend,” she said with a tilt of her head. “I heard there was a lady friend, but we haven’t met.”

“He’s been seen around with Katie Malone,” Jack said. “She’s a newcomer here, but we love her already.”

“What a nice recommendation. Can you tell Randy how to get to that cabin?” And she nodded over her shoulder to her driver. On that signal alone, he stepped forward.

“Easy enough,” Jack said. “Go back out 36 almost exactly two miles. Right turn at a dirt road…not the best road, either. Go about two and a half miles back up the mountain until you come to a mailbox and newspaper drop. Take a left down the drive right up to the house. It’s a small A-frame in a large clearing. Dylan and Katie’s brother erected a jungle gym in the clearing for her kids and there are a couple of Adirondack chairs on the porch.”

Randy nodded but the lady looked surprised. “She has a family?”

“Twin boys, five years old. I didn’t catch the name, ma’am.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, how rude of me! Adele Childress and please, just call me Adele. It appears as if I’ll have to enjoy your public house another time, Jack. Right now I’d like to see Dylan.”

“But I want your promise that you’ll be back,” Jack said good-naturedly.

“Absolutely! It looks charming.”

And then she let Randy help her back into the car. In a moment, they were pulling out of town.

Luke whistled. “You don’t see that every day.”

“No shit,” Jack said.

“You aren’t going to call him, are you?”

“I should,” Jack said. “I have a feeling this will come as a surprise. If he’d been expecting her, Randy wouldn’t have needed directions.”

“Yeah, but don’t,” Luke said with a decidedly evil grin. “I mean, come on. Can’t we have a little fun?”

“Give it up—you won’t be there to see it. Think of Dylan!”

“Yeah, who is Dylan?” Luke asked.

“The grandson of Randy’s boss!” Jack said, heading back into the bar.

Dylan was just a little self-conscious about how easy it was to chill him out. A little romp in the sack with Katie and all his rough edges and worries were smooth and soft. But he was only a little embarrassed by that because he was cognizant of how simple it was to soothe him, and no one had ever soothed him like Katie could. Suddenly all the problems and complications of the earlier days seemed unimportant. As he sat on the porch watching the boys on the play set, feet up on the rail, hat tilted over his eyes, he thought, Nice—I have a woman with my bun in her oven, she loves me, she’s going to keep me on the right path.

He heard the phone in the cabin ring, heard Katie answer. Then she was at the door. “Dylan? It’s Jack Sheridan and he’d like to speak to you.”

“Keep an eye on things out here, will you?”

“Sure,” she said. “Oh, God, Dylan—the boys are upside down again!”

“They’re fine,” he said. “They prefer to be upside down. I’ll be right back.”

A few moments later he was back on the porch, but the expression he wore was odd. He looked puzzled and maybe unhappy. “I’m not sure there’s any way to prepare you for this…”

And just as he said that, a long and classy Lincoln town car pulled into the clearing. It looked like a modern version of Cinderella’s coach.

“Dylan?” she asked, standing from her chair.

The uniformed driver jumped out and went to open the back passenger door. Adele Childress stepped out. She was wearing cream-colored slacks that matched her car, low heels, a cinnamon blouse with a silk scarf under the collar and around her neck, the color of her slacks. She wore a gold chain belt and matching necklace. Her hair and makeup were perfect. Dylan smirked. This was her going-into-the-mountains attire.

Katie ran her hands down her pants, which were jeans with a short T-shirt that exposed her flat belly and navel.

“You look great,” Dylan said to Katie.

She ran her hands over her hair at her temples, patting it into place.

“You’re beautiful,” he told her. “Don’t be intimidated by flash.”

He crossed his arms over his chest as Adele approached the porch. Unlike Jack had done by stepping down from the porch, Dylan held his ground.

“I would have called ahead, but you haven’t answered any of my texts or voice mails or emails,” she said.

“Because as I explained, I was going to be out of cell contact for a few days and would be back in touch when possible.”

Katie whacked him on the shoulder and bounded off the porch steps. “Hi. I’m Katie Malone,” she said. For a second she was flustered, wondering whether to curtsy or shake hands. She put out her hand.

“It’s a pleasure, Katie,” Adele said, taking her hand. “Adele Childress. How wonderful to meet you. And those must be your sons.”

“Mitch and Andy,” she said. “Boys. Come and say hello to Dylan’s grandmother, Mrs. Childress.”

They seemed to climb down from the jungle gym a bit reluctantly, approaching warily.

“Are they shy?” Adele asked.

“Not in the least,” Katie said with a laugh. “Maybe they’re afraid they’ll get you dirty. And I’m sure they’ve never seen a car like that.”

“How in the world do you tell them apart?”

“It comes with time. Dylan can tell the difference. Would you like a glass of tea on the porch?”

“That would be lovely, Katie.” She turned to look at her driver. “Randy?”

“I’m fine, ma’am,” he said, going to the trunk which produced a cold drink.

Katie bent at the waist and focused on her boys. “Say hello, boys.” One at a time they said a very quiet “hello.” Then they began to back away, making Katie laugh. “Go ahead, you can play. Come up on the porch, Mrs. Childress. I’ll get you a cold tea.”

As Katie went inside and Adele stepped onto the porch, Dylan threw an arm wide, indicating the chair he had just vacated. She sat down and said, “Thank you, dear.”

“My pleasure,” he said. Then he jogged down the porch steps and into the clearing where he grasped the driver’s hand in a firm and welcoming handshake. Then he was back to the porch. “Now,” he said to his grandmother. “What are you doing here?” He leaned a hip on the porch rail and folded his arms against his chest again.

“Wouldn’t I welcome as hearty a greeting as the chauffeur received,” she said, indignant.

“We both know this wasn’t Randy’s idea. So? Your purpose?”

“Just a little recon, Dylan,” she said. “You mentioned unfinished business of the female kind and Lang said he was fairly sure you were here about a woman. And I was out of the loop.”

“I can’t believe you did this,” he muttered.

“I can’t believe you expected less,” she replied. “I ask very little of you—just that you stay in touch. There are all kinds of things happening in your life and I was…well, curious. Concerned.”

“Gran, I’m of age. I’m self-supporting. Some things I like to work out for myself.”

“Was I born yesterday? The only time you don’t call me regularly or at least take my calls is when something of magnitude is going on and you’re afraid you’ll tell me more than you want to. That doesn’t happen to us often. And I suspect this is the first time it involved a woman.” Dylan remained stubbornly silent. “So, this is serious?”

He gave a nod but said no more.

“Excellent. She’s very pretty, seems nice.”

“There’s no guest room here, Gran,” he said.

“I’ve made arrangements,” she said. “It happens I have an old friend in the area. You remember Muriel St. Claire.”

He chuckled and just shook his head. “Of course. Muriel lives around here? Why?”

“Hell if I know,” Adele said. “The town isn’t exactly…much. It’s even smaller than Payne.”

“I like small towns,” he said.

“Now, there’s a surprise I was unprepared for. When I took you to Payne, you saw it as a prison sentence and couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

“Not prison,” he said. “Rehab. And you were the first to leave.”

“Not until I knew I was leaving you in safe hands. Now, Dylan, what’s going on?”

“When there’s something to tell, you’ll be told,” he said. He loved and trusted his grandmother, but some things were personal. Confiding in her about business matters was one thing, but with matters of the heart, a man of thirty-five did not go to his grandmother for advice.

She sat back. She gave him a small smile. “Sometimes I look at you and can’t help but see my son in your eyes.”

Katie came outside with a glass of tea and a napkin. “Here you go, Mrs.—” She looked into the yard to find the car doors all open on the Lincoln and saw one of her boys behind the wheel. “Boys!” she called. “What are you doing?”

The driver stood up from the passenger side of the car and looked at her over the open door, smiling. “They’re all right, ma’am. They asked permission.”

“They’re going to get that car all dirty!”

“Not to worry, ma’am—I keep it clean.”

“Don’t worry, Katie,” Adele said. “Randy’s on top of things. He’s very protective of the car. Now sit down beside me and tell me all about yourself.”

“Prepare to be grilled,” Dylan said, pushing off the rail. “Just because she asks you something doesn’t mean you have to answer.” He went inside the cabin.

“Testy,” Adele said.

“Why is he so testy?” Katie asked.

“I invaded his space. He sent me a text message saying he’d be out of touch for a while and I would hear from him when he’s ready to be back in touch. Well, something like that. I waited as long as I felt like waiting. At first I was worried something had gone wrong with that movie he was considering, but when I called Lang and he said it was probably about a wo—about you, I decided we should meet. And why not? If you’re struggling to decide whether Dylan is worth your consideration, you should have a look at his baggage.” She took a small sip of her tea. “That would be me, Katie. The baggage.”