“That’ll do,” he said. Then, peering over his glasses, added, “Not bad. For a city girl.”
The sun was just peeking over the mountains, bathing the little town in pinkish beige rays. The April air was cold. She pulled her wool jacket around herself and sat on Doc’s front porch, feeling exhilarated, and perhaps a little too wound up for sleep right away.
Polly had done well, for a mere girl. No Lamaze training for those two, and no drugs. There had been some powerful grunting, groaning and straining; Darryl had grunted along with his wife with such sincerity, it was lucky he didn’t mess his pants. Nice, big, eight-pound country baby. There was nothing in this world like pulling a squalling infant from its mother’s womb; no panacea for a breaking heart could do more. This didn’t throw Mel into a stupor of longing or depression because this was her life’s work—what she loved. And she loved it so much more when the couple was happy and excited, the baby robust and healthy. Holding the baby she had just delivered, handing it to its mother and watching it suckle hungrily—it was like seeing God before you.
She heard a loud thwack. And another. She had no idea what time Jack’s usually opened. It was only six-thirty. Another loud thwack, coming from his place.
She went down the porch stairs and across the street. Behind the bar there was a big brick barbecue. Wearing boots, jeans and a flannel shirt, and hefting a heavy ax, Jack was splitting logs on a tree stump. She just stood there watching him for a moment. Thwack, thwack, thwack.
He looked up from his chore to see her leaning against the side of the building, pulling her jacket tight over turquoise scrubs. She had no idea that what made him grin at her was the huge toothy smile she wore. “Well?” he said, leaning the ax against the tree stump.
“Baby boy. Big baby boy.”
“Congratulations,” he said. “Everyone is okay?”
She walked toward him. “They’re better than okay. Polly did great, the baby is strong, healthy, and Darryl is expected to recover.” And then she laughed, throwing her head back. Nothing, nothing was more satisfying than coming out of a delivery with one-hundred-percent success. “My first country birth. Harder on Mom than on me. In the city, it’s always an option to just roll over, bare your spine, and labor in comfort from an epidural. Women out here are made of steel.”
“I’ve heard that,” he said with a laugh.
“Know what Doc said? ‘Not bad for a city girl.’” She reached for his hand. “Did you stay open all night?”
He shrugged. “I nodded off by the fire a couple of times. But you never know when someone might need something. Boiling water. Ice. A stiff drink. You want some coffee?”
“God, I think it would make me barf. I’ve had enough coffee to jangle even the nerves of a caffeine junkie.” Uncharacteristically, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. This man had become her closest friend. “Jack, it was wonderful. I had forgotten how wonderful. I haven’t delivered a baby in, gee, almost a year, I think.” She looked up into his eyes. “Damn, we did a good piece of work. Me, Mom and Dad. Damn.”
He smoothed a little hair off her forehead. “I’m proud of you.”
“It was so awesome.”
“See? I knew you’d find something here to sink your teeth into.” He reached down, crossed his arms under her bottom and lifted her straight up so that her face was even with his.
“Nowwww, what did we decide?” she asked, but her tone was teasing. Her smile was playful.
“We decided that I would not kiss you.”
“That’s right.”
“I haven’t,” he said.
“Maybe we should have talked about this,” she added, but she certainly didn’t struggle. In fact, this seemed oddly right. Celebratory. Like being picked up and swung around after the win of a big game. And that was how she felt—as though she’d just scored a touchdown. Arms resting on his shoulders, she clasped her hands behind his head.
“We further decided that if you kissed me, I would let you,” he said.
“You’re fishing.”
“Does this look like fishing to you?”
“Begging?”
“Doing exactly as I’ve been told. Waiting.”
What the hell, she thought. Absolutely nothing could feel better after the night she’d just spent than to plant a big wet one on this guy—a guy who’d keep his business open all night just in case they needed something. So she laid one on him. She slid her lips over his, opening them, moving over his with wicked and delicious intent, getting her tongue involved. And he did nothing but hold her there, allowing this.
“Did you not like that?” she asked.
“Oh,” he said. “Am I allowed to respond?”
She whacked him softly in the head, making him laugh. She tried it again, and this time it was much more interesting. It made her heart beat faster, made her breathe hard. Yes, she thought. It is okay to feel something that doesn’t hurt sometimes. This wasn’t because she was grief-stricken or needy, this was because she was victorious. And all she could think about at the moment was his delicious mouth.
When their mouths came apart, she said, “I feel like a total champ.”
“You are,” he said, enjoying her mood more than she would ever guess. “God, you taste good.”
“You don’t taste that bad,” she said, laughing. “Put me down now,” she instructed.
“No. Do it again.”
“Okay, but only one more, then you have to behave.”
She planted another one on him, thoroughly enjoying his lips and tongue, the strength of the arms that held her. She refused to worry about whether this was a mistake. She was here, she was happy for once, and his mouth felt as natural to hers as if she’d been kissing him for years. She let the kiss be a little longer and deeper than she thought prudent, and even that made her smile.
When it was over, he put her on her feet. “Whew,” she said.
“We don’t have nearly enough births in this town.”
“We have another one in about six weeks. And if you’re very, very good…”
Ah, he thought. That gives me six weeks. He touched the end of her nose. “Nothing wrong with a little kissing, Mel.”
“And you won’t get ideas?”
He bellowed. “You can make me behave, it turns out. But you can’t keep me from getting ideas.”
April waned and May brought out the early spring flowers; foxgloves and Queen Anne’s lace grew wild along the roads. Australian Fern blanketed the earth beneath the big trees. Every week or ten days, Mel borrowed Doc’s truck, took a little lip from him, and delivered a box of food to the Paulis camp that would otherwise go to waste. Doc would have no part of it and scolded her. She ignored him indignantly and that alone made her feel good. It made her heart pound wildly as she went, and beat with satisfaction as she returned to Virgin River.
The cabin was turning out to be a haven for Mel. She purchased a small TV on which she got terrible reception. If she were staying, she’d get a satellite dish, but she was only committed to a few more weeks. And one day she came home from the clinic to find she had a telephone in her kitchen and bedroom. Jack spoke to Harv, telephone lineman for the county, and had stressed Mel’s occupation as midwife to get her phone installed ahead of schedule. He got another kiss for that—behind the bar where no one could see. Okay, two or three kisses. Deep and long. Strong and delicious.