“Have you already talked to him about this idea?”

She nodded. “I had to know what I was going to do as soon as possible.”

“Did you ever think about talking to me?” he asked.

“Oh, Tom, I couldn’t put that on you. You know—this whole place is so wonderful—long before that notice was tacked to my door, people offered me help. Space. Security. Noah told me to never worry. Adie said she’d take me in, even though she lives in a tiny house and there are three of us. I have no doubt you and Maxie would have been willing to help me, give me a place to stay. But I still have this crazy idea I’m going to somehow make it on my own…”

“But your dad…”

“Is my father and he feels he has a lot to make up for. Not only that, he keeps reminding me that if we’d never been parted, these are the things he’d want to do for me anyway. He tries so hard to convince me it’s acceptable—it’s not extra stuff given out of guilt.” She shook her head. “I just don’t want any more charity if I can help it. I just don’t want to be pitied.”

“Nora,” he said loudly. “I don’t pity you!”

“I didn’t mean you treated me with pity, Tom. I mean I want to build a life for my girls, not rely on someone’s kindness to do it for me. I would, you know. I have—I’ve had to take charity to get by. But trust me, it feels better to stand on my own two feet.”

He was quiet for a moment, then he took a slug of wine. Not a sip but a couple of big swallows. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” he said.

“Well, there are still a few days,” she said. “I can’t get out of that little house overnight. Jed is coming tomorrow. He’s bringing me some sturdy boxes. I’ll get us packed up early this week. He’s going to come back, rent a trailer for the furniture in Fortuna and we’ll drive south. I’ll follow him to his house.”

“Have you told anyone else?”

She shook her head. “But I’m going to take a couple of days to say goodbye, to thank people for everything they’ve done to help me. And I’m going to remember this, you know? I’m going to damn sure remember what it’s like to need help and have a good person hold out a hand. Believe me, I’ll pay that back. I might not have the luxury of paying back in Virgin River, but I’m going to be paying back the goodwill.”

“I’m not getting this,” he said. “It’s too fast.”

She started to stand up. “It’s okay, Tom. I know I’ve blindsided you. You’ll get used to the idea.”

“I don’t think so,” he said, also standing. “Sit down—let me get the dinner out of the oven… .”

“Um, if it’s all the same to you, I’m not too hungry.” She slid a hand over her stomach. “Telling you all this had me nervous and kind of scared my appetite away. I still have lots of Maxie’s soup at home.”

“Salad, then. A little something.”

She shook her head. “I think now that it’s out and we had a chance to talk, I’m going to just—”

“No,” he said. He came around the table. “You can’t just go.” And he pulled her to him.

But she put her hands against his chest. “Tom, think about this. You really don’t want to—”

But he pulled her harder against him and covered her mouth in a blistering kiss. No test kisses this time, just the kill. She could taste his desperation and sadly, it matched her own. She hated this at least as much as he did—she had been foolish enough to hope that given time, they might actually come together.

“Don’t leave yet,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Let me do something. Let me feed you. Hold you. Rub your shoulders. Change your oil. Anything, please.”

She looked into his hot eyes; she was almost shaken. “Pedicure?” she asked.

He covered her mouth with his again, moving over her lips with passionate need. He licked open her lips and invaded her mouth and she welcomed him. Her arms went around his neck while his big hands slid down her back to her butt, cupping her and pulling her harder against him. He devoured her mouth and she not only cooperated, she met his fever with her own. It was a long time before he broke away. “Better than a pedicure,” he said softly, making her laugh.

“I think I know what you’re trying to talk me into.”

“Nora, I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll take care of you and you know, I care about you. You know I do. If I just wanted sex, I could find that. I need you. I have protection,” he promised.

And so did she. She’d been caught off guard twice; she’d been on the Pill since she started working part-time at the clinic in town. Even though she’d made the excuse that she didn’t want to take chances, what she really hadn’t wanted to risk was her heart. Well, hell, it was too late for that.

She met his lips again, running her fingers through his short hair, kissing him deeply and with promise. “Oh, Tom,” she whispered against his lips. And he lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to his bed.

Chapter Twenty

This was not the setting he would have chosen for his first time with her, but there was no other place in this big house that he would have her. And if he’d had any idea it might come to this, he might have done something to make it better, but he had no idea what that could’ve been. “I’m sorry, this isn’t ideal…” he said.

“Is this where you sleep every night?” she asked him.

“Every single night,” he said. “Except for the one night at your house, I’ve been here every night since I came home.”

“One thing I just have to know,” she said. “Please tell the truth. Did Darla slip down the hall to this room when she visited?”

He withdrew from her slightly. “Never. Believe me, it never got that far with Darla.”

“You kissed her, I saw you.”

“Pah, it was friendly. Maybe hopeful. And that’s before I realized I couldn’t even be her friend. No one, Nora.”

“I should have made a rule before you started chasing me around the orchard—I don’t kiss boys who kiss other girls… .”

His fingers went to the buttons on her blouse. “Only you.”

She watched his eyes as he opened her blouse and spread it. She wore an ordinary white cotton bra that she’d had a long time and he let out his breath in a sigh, running his fingers over it gently as if it were fine French lace. “God,” he said. And then his fingers found the latch and he set her free. “God,” he said again, and his lips went to her neck, chest, br**sts.

She tilted her head back, eyes closed. The calluses on his hands were rough, but he handled her so carefully it felt wonderful. Although he’d shaved, his cheeks and chin were scratchy, and she loved it. His lips, oh, his lips, were soft and wet and perfect on her. She held his head in her hands. And then she pushed him back. “No fair. I want a bare chest, too.”

He sat back on his heels between her legs and pulled his shirt roughly out of his pants, probably springing the buttons in his haste, and over his head to cast it away. One hand reached behind his neck to grab a fistful of undershirt and rip it over his head. His haste made her laugh softly. But then she grew serious as her fingers sought out the tattoos—she’d seen the thorn branch around his biceps but had only vaguely noticed a flame that grew around his side to his right pec. She must have been too overwrought from the bear scare to look closely.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Fire,” he said, whispering against her neck. “It was a firefight thing. A Marine thing. A few of us…you know… Shut up now…”

“Are there more?” she asked.

“Later,” he said, slipping to her breast, taking in a nipple and making her gasp.

While he worked that nipple, his hands found the snap on her jeans and slid them down only to find they were caught on her boots. “You should plan better,” she said.

“I can’t think with you, I want you so bad,” he said. Then he sat back again and took care of those boots and jeans, tossing them away. Which left him looking at her tiny, white bikini panties. And he growled. Then he dove for the panties, his mouth on them, his hands on her hips, causing her to gasp and her h*ps rose naturally. He laughed low in his throat and he pulled at those briefs, slipping them down until she was free and he went after her again, lifting her to his mouth.

And oh, God she came. The second his tongue tormented her, she was gone.

On her neck again, he whispered, “You’re wonderful. You were so ready for that and I got to be there. Nora, Nora, it’s like I imagined it might be with you… .”

“You have to eventually get rid of the pants,” she breathlessly told him.

“Pants,” he said. “Right.” And he sat up to divest himself of all of that, keeping behind the condom from his pocket. “And all this,” he said of the vest, blouse and bra that lay open revealing her. “Let’s get rid of this.”

She let him pull her up so he could slide the clothing off her shoulders and leave her as n**ed as he was. And he took a moment to just gaze at her.

Nora knew she didn’t have a perfect body; her midsection had been abused by a couple of pregnancies and she had a little potbelly and stretch marks. But Tom looked at her as though she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “Nora,” he said in a whisper. “You’re incredible.”

He was the stunning one—sculpted, beautiful and exciting tats, six-pack belly, wide, strong shoulders and huge biceps—growing apples is not for sissies. He was a work of art. There was the smallest tuft of hair right in the center of his chest—she wanted to lick it.

He had other plans. With his hands behind her knees, he spread her legs. He put one large finger on her favorite spot and massaged, watching as her eyes rolled back. Another finger checked her to see if she was ready; she’d never been more ready. “Condom,” she croaked.

She heard the package rip. He pulled her hand to him so she could feel him roll it down his length and then with his hand over hers, he rubbed it a little bit, working it. Not too much—he was as ready as she was.

When he found her, he lowered himself to her so that his mouth could be on hers as he slid into her. “I want you,” he whispered.

“I want you,” she whispered back.

“I want this to last.”

And she thought, How can I give him up? “I’m ready, you’re ready… .”

He began to move and she moaned, her hands finding his butt to hold him inside her. He shifted a couple of times until her moan turned into a helpless squeak and when that happened, he just rode her and it happened again. BAM! She was holding him captive with all her internal muscles. “Oh, my sweet baby,” he whispered against her mouth. “That is so good.”

She collapsed, limp as a noodle. It took a few minutes before she could summon any real strength. “You’re not done,” she finally whispered.

“I know,” he said. “I’m dying here.”

She chuckled and gently rubbed her hands over his shoulders. “No point in that. Take your turn.”

He rose up enough to look into her eyes. His were still on fire, they were so hot. “Come with me?” he asked.

“Don’t know if I can,” she said.

“I know where the secret spot is… I bet you can. I want to feel it again—together.”

“Well, don’t hold it against me if…” He started to move again. His lips brushed hers then dipped to her breast for a hearty suck. “Oh!” she cried softly. “God,” she said. And he pumped for a while, hitting that favorite spot until she lost her mind, her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, and she gave him exactly what he wanted.