Hidden Summit (10 page)

“Not yet. Let me tell you a couple of things. You’re not the only one with a few revelations. Moving here a little over a month ago was the first time in my adult life I didn’t live in the same town with my parents and husband or my ex-husband and his perfect new little wife. And you know what happened? I immediately started learning a few things about myself. For years I had wondered if I deserved Greg, the fabulous future governor he thought he was, and now that I’ve had some distance from all that, it’s pretty clear I deserved much better. I give you a lot of credit for that, by the way, for really
seeing
me, and not just seeing me as a reflection of you. With my husband, I was always fading into the background, like an overexposed photo. Even though I was the one who did most of the work in our marriage, from the scut work around the house and yard to paying the bills to constantly supporting my wonderful spouse, I had a hard time thinking of myself as valuable. As competent. I didn’t even feel competent between the sheets!”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Les, you’re way past competent. Trust me.”

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve been liking myself a lot more. I like my little rented house, all the new flowers, my yoga classes, my job in the construction trailer. The crews respect me and do things my way, my boss already needs me. I have a kind-of boyfriend,” she said, pausing to grin at him, “who lets me call the shots. I’m getting to know myself, Conner. It’s okay that you don’t feel like marrying me because I don’t feel like marrying
anyone.
I feel so good being on my own. Take care of your issues, I’ll take care of mine and if we meet along the way and have a good time, more the better.

“Oh, and one more thing. I trust this isn’t going to be a problem, but while we’re having fun together, there will be only one man’s shoes under my bed and I expect to be the only pair of high heels—”

He held up his hand. “It goes without saying.”

“I assumed so. Now, are we squared away on the expectations? Because I’ll miss you if you go, but you shouldn’t worry you’re going to let me down.”

He took in her bright eyes, her confident smile, the flush of happiness which included him but wasn’t only about him. She was remarkable. “I’m not going to let you down,” he said. And he wasn’t sure how he’d manage that, but it had suddenly become the most important thing in the world.

“Of course, there is one little issue that’s getting in the way of my striking out with complete independence....”

“Oh?” he asked.

“I don’t want to mention it if it’s going to make you all clingy....”

“Throw it on out there, Les,” he said.

“I’m having trouble with the garbage disposal....”

He smiled broadly. “It will be my pleasure to have a look at your garbage disposal. Don’t get any ideas, though.”

“Part of learning real independence is knowing who to ask,” she informed him.

“Then, if you’ve had just about enough shrimp curry, why don’t you ask me back to bed.”

Leslie had always been close to her parents, both of them, and talked to one or both of them at least every couple of days. But they had been married for ten years before she’d come along and to say they were tight as a couple was the understatement of the century; they made good role models for a successful marriage. In fact, it would occasionally occur to her to worry what would happen if one of them passed. Surely they would fit into that classic model of the spouse who followed his or her partner to the other side rather quickly.

When Leslie married Greg she had wanted that kind of relationship. She’d always known she didn’t have it, but until it was over she hadn’t realized how far from that ideal they’d been. “In fact,” she had said to her mother during a recent phone conversation, “it’s only since I came here that I’ve really begun to see how much was missing from our marriage. Greg had the kind of marriage he needed and I helped him achieve it by going along with everything he said he needed. Isn’t that what a good wife tries to do? No wonder his defection was so hard on me. I couldn’t figure out what more I could’ve done for him!”

“Oh, Les, it sounds like you’re finally getting ready to really let go of him,” Candace Petruso said.

“Not just getting ready—I have!” She told her mother about Greg’s surprise visit and her fire-extinguisher attack on him, which sent Candace into a fit of laughter. “And,” Leslie confided, “I’m kind of seeing someone.”

“And who might that be?”

“Oh, one of the carpenters who works for Paul. Very nice man, very handsome. He’s helped me with a few things around the house—helped me with some landscaping and fixed my garbage disposal. We sometimes grab a movie or go to a restaurant or just hang out together. I’ve cooked for him a few times and recently he surprised me with a small backyard grill so he can cook for me. You’d like him.”

“I can’t wait to meet him,” her mother said.

Leslie’s conversations with her parents were usually dominated by all that sixtysomething Candace and Robert were doing to stay busy, which had saved Leslie from revealing too much about Conner or her deep fondness for him. Her parents were so busy that sometimes they joked they had to take a vacation to get a rest from retirement. The latest thing they’d taken up was learning Italian in preparation for a Mediterranean cruise in a few months. Some of their friends would also be going, and Leslie’s parents were in a fever of excitement.

Now, as Leslie mentioned Conner to her parents, she tried to cover the subject quickly. She couldn’t help sharing news, but wanted to keep him to herself for now. Her connection with Conner seemed strangely wrong yet miraculously right. Wrong because she shouldn’t have that kind of rapport with someone she’d barely met when she couldn’t find it with a spouse of eight years. And right because it just
was.

Leslie thought the best of both worlds suited her magnificently—an independent life and a man who was free to spend two or three nights a week with her. Sometimes she’d sit on the back porch with Conner and just admire the setting sun and the flowers and the fragrant spring weather, talking. It was rather amazing how much beyond a couple of crappy marriages and divorces they had to talk about. In fact, once the facts of those had been shared, they found many more interesting things to discuss, from global warming (on which they did not agree) to
American Idol
(upon which they did).

Many of their conversations, whether over dinner, breakfast, on the back porch or cuddled up in bed, touched on values like honesty, loyalty, just plain knowing what was the right thing to do.

“How about being unfaithful in a marriage?” she asked him.

He grunted before he spoke. “Look, it’s too easy to say just plain never do that, even though that’s what I want to say. I know all marriages aren’t made in heaven. Sometimes there are circumstances that are hard to understand.”

“Like Greg falling in love for the first time after eight years of marriage?” she asked.

“I was thinking of my own shortcomings, to tell the truth. Giving your word on something usually requires a sacrifice, and it’s the measure of a man by how much he can live up to his word. I gave my word, Les, but I wasn’t able to keep it when it came to my ex-wife. A stronger man would’ve tried to understand and give her a chance to at least make amends, but I couldn’t. Wouldn’t. And Greg stepping out on you like he did? Not only do I think he was wrong, I think he was a fool. But damn, did I end up getting the good end of that deal or what? Because now that I know you, I know you wouldn’t have looked at me twice if you were married.”

After a moment of thought, she said, “I think the best happened for me, too. You, naturally. But a lot of other useful lessons, as well.”

There was a lot going on around Virgin River as April neared May and the Virgin River School neared completion. The town had big plans for a grand opening. People around town were furiously scouting secondhand stores, closing schools with content to sell, eBay and other resources for items to stock the school with. Dan and Cheryl’s house was finished, thanks to the help of many friends, including Conner, and they were planning a party, immediately after which they were headed north for that fishing trip Dan had mentioned.

“I spent a lot of time in charity work,” Leslie told him while they were lazing around in her bed late on a Saturday morning. “It’s good but not quite as fulfilling as actually helping out a friend, you know? It’s fun helping Dan and Cheryl plan their party or helping Becca look for furnishings and supplies for the actual school in which she’ll teach.”

Her doorbell rang, followed by a rapid knocking.

“I’ll get it,” she told him. “I think the kid down the street has been selling candy for school. Stay where you are. I’ll be right back.” She got out of bed and grabbed her terry robe.

“We should probably get up,” he said.

“Just give me a minute.” She tied her robe and blew him a kiss.

The doorbell rang again; the knocking followed.

“Hold your horses,” she said, throwing open the door.

And there stood the sixty-eight-year-old fun couple she knew so well. Her father had that oddly colored, thinning hair and her mother’s short blond was all teased up and spiky, Ms. Modern. They were dressed…in evening clothes? Cocktail party attire.

“Coffee on?” her father asked, beaming.

“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?”

Eight

“W
e missed you,” Candace Petruso said. “And we have a surprise.”

“Why are you dressed like that?” Leslie asked.

“Part of the surprise. Leslie, I thought for sure you’d be up. It’s…” She looked at her watch. “My gosh, it’s ten!”

“It’s Saturday morning!” Leslie protested, a little flustered.

“You’re usually an early riser,” Robert said, pushing his way into the house. “Where’s the kitchen? I’ll put on the coffee. Candace, you get the music ready and we’ll push a little furniture back, make space.” And he was off in the direction of the kitchen.

“Music? What is going on?” Leslie demanded. “Did you get up at five to make this drive from Grants Pass?”

Candace came in and looked around. “Oh, Les, this is just as adorable as the pictures you sent. I think it’s really
you.
You know your father—he can’t sleep past four-thirty even though he has nothing in the world to get up for. And he can’t seem to be quiet, either. We had something we wanted to show you so we decided on the spur of the moment. It’s a nice drive.”

“Must have been kind of uncomfortable in your fancy clothes,” she observed.

“Don’t be silly, we stopped at a service station and changed,” Candace said. She put her iPod with speakers on Leslie’s coffee table.

Robert was back, brushing his hands together. “There! Coffee’s on. Let’s make a little room here.” He pushed the chair back against the wall, the coffee table against the sofa, the dining table back, chairs pushed in. “You’re going to get the biggest kick out of this, Leslie,” he said.

“I’d better.” Leslie crossed her arms over her chest.

“It’s spectacular,” Robert promised. “Now stay right there. Candace, press Play.”

Just as Candace pushed the button, before the music even started, Conner stepped into the room looking like pure sex. His short hair was mussed, and he had a scruffy growth of beard surrounding that tight, trim little goatee. He’d pulled on his faded jeans that hung low on his delicious hips, his feet bare. He wore his white T-shirt and had carelessly stuffed a handful of it into the low waist of the jeans right at the center, over the zipper. The hair on his chest was visible in the V-neck, and she wanted to run her fingers through it. His eyes were sleepy and his smile small and one-sided. He came to stand next to Leslie.

“Oh!” Candace said, startled. A tango began to play, and Candace looked at her husband. “Robert, we should have called! We’re intruding.”

“No problem,” Conner said.

Candace smiled. “You must be Conner,” she said.

“Luckily,” he said, causing Leslie to laugh.

Candace grabbed Robert’s hand and said, “We’ll be along now and call you in a couple of hours. Maybe we can get together for lunch or something....”

“Don’t be silly,” Leslie said. “You’re here now. Let’s see your surprise. Then we’ll plan lunch.”

“Are you sure?” Candace asked.

“The tango, I presume?” Leslie asked, lifting a brow.

“I guess we got a little excited. We’ve been taking some dance lessons.”

“Getting ready to knock ’em dead on the cruise! You’re the only one we’re showing,” Robert said. “This sort of thing was a lot easier when you lived in Grants Pass.”

“Well, let’s see, then,” Leslie said.

“Are you absolutely sure, honey?” Candace wanted to know.

“Go for it, Mother. Believe me, you have my complete attention.”

Candace started the music again, Robert swept her up in the traditional embrace, and they glided back and forth across the living room floor. Nicely, as a matter of fact. They were very agile and coordinated, and their moves were well matched. They looked into each other’s eyes like practiced partners ready for
Dancing with the Stars.
Her mother’s short, spiky blond hair even looked professionally done. Leslie tilted her head and glanced up at Conner. He lifted his brows in amusement.

After watching them dance for a couple of minutes, Conner turned and pulled Leslie into his arms. He put her arm around his shoulder and tucked her hand into his chest. Then with his cheek against hers, he simply rocked back and forth, dancing his own slower dance, keeping time with the music. Sort of.

“Your parents are very interesting,” he whispered in her ear.

She laughed. “Aren’t they?”

“Your mother is gorgeous for almost seventy.”

“I know. I hope I got her genes.”

“I do, too. Otherwise you might find yourself dying your hair with some reddish-black concoction.” She giggled. “Your dad has the worst dye job I’ve ever seen.”

“I know. Mom fusses about his thinning hair all the time, but apparently to him it looks good.”

“He got a lot of it on his bean,” Conner said. “I think he stained it good.”

“I know,” she said as she chuckled.

“They’re fun, aren’t they?” Conner asked.

“Sometimes a bit too much fun,” she answered.

“Look at them,” he said. “They’re having the time of their lives, doing the tango in their daughter’s living room. How long have they been married?”

“Forty-three years.”

“When the dance contest is over, here’s what we should do,” Conner said. “I should go home to shower, shave and change, you should have coffee with your folks and get dressed, and then we should meet at Jack’s for lunch so they can interrogate me a little bit.”

They turned and looked as Robert dragged Candace across the floor in a wicked tango move. They turned back.

“Okay,” Leslie said. “But you don’t have to be interrogated.”

“I don’t mind a little bit,” he said. “Basic information, you know. Name, rank, serial number. Let’s not tell them I was married to a sex addict, okay?”

“I still haven’t told them I was married to a guy who had trouble getting it up.”

Conner’s eyes flew open wide. “He did?”

“Shit. I was going to be classy and keep that to myself. Naturally I thought that was mostly my fault.”

He ran a knuckle down the curve of her jaw; his blue eyes got all dark and smoky. “No way.”

“Thank you,” she mouthed.

Candace and Robert ended the tango with an elaborate flourish that left Candace draped along the floor at Robert’s feet, one arm extended into the air.

Leslie and Conner parted and applauded while Robert helped his wife to her feet. He bowed and Candace dipped into a curtsy. “What do you think, honey?” Robert asked.

“I think you’re awesome, provided one of you doesn’t break a hip.” She stared pointedly at her mother. “You might want to go easy on the collapsing to the floor part, Mom.”

“I’m very careful and my bone density is excellent,” Candace said. “All right, we’ll get out of your hair. If you really do have time for lunch, just tell us—”

“I have a better idea,” Conner said. “I’m going home to shower and change. I’ll meet you at noon, if that works for you three.”

“Perfect,” Leslie said. “See you at Jack’s.”

As Conner drove to his cabin to change, he saw it as very strange indeed that he should consider the tango debut of Leslie’s eccentric parents absolutely normal, but he did. Sure they were a little out there, but they were clearly enjoying life and each other. And they loved Leslie.

When Conner had been twenty and Katie a mere seventeen a heart attack had dropped their mother like a stone. She’d only been fifty-three and hadn’t seemed the high-risk type at all—she had been trim and fit and very energetic, much like Candace. Three years later their father passed after a short, difficult battle with colon cancer—he’d been sixty-three.

Not only had they lost their parents too young, Conner and Katie had been left the house they’d grown up in and Conner’s Hardware. Twenty-three and the owner/operator of a substantial business. If he hadn’t had a few trusted employees who had worked for his father for a long time, he would surely have sunk out of sight. Now he found himself wondering what his parents would be like, had they lived. Nothing like Candace and Robert, that was for sure. His mom hadn’t ever been very fancy and his dad had been a real stick-in-the-mud. They wouldn’t be taking tango lessons or going on cruises. But his dad had had a dream of a retirement cabin on a lake that was full of fat fish. They both had looked forward to grandchildren…and had never met the boys.

Had Conner relocated to Virgin River for some reason other than this particular one, his parents would have enjoyed this kind of place. But he was living a whole new life in a whole new world, and he found himself hoping Leslie’s parents would like the new him.

Leslie jumped in the shower, then pulled on some jeans. With her hair still wet and wildly curly, she grabbed a cup of coffee and went in search of her parents. She found her mother sitting on the back porch enjoying a lovely late-April morning. Candace had changed into slacks, and Robert was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Dad?” Leslie asked, joining her mother.

“He wanted to walk around the town a little bit. Leslie, I apologize again. How naive of me—I knew you had a young man in your life....”

“Don’t give it a thought.”

“Well, we’re so foolish. We might’ve come all this way and found you weren’t even at home! I promise, I’ll think ahead in the future.”

“I was home and everything is fine.”

“Conner went home to shower,” Candace said. “Does that mean he doesn’t exactly live here with you?”

Leslie laughed. “He doesn’t at all! Conner has a very small cabin by the river and I’ve never even seen it. His stay in Virgin River could be even more temporary than mine.”

“And what brings him here?”

“He has an old friend who found him a job with Paul after the contractor he worked for in Colorado Springs filed bankruptcy and shut down. But Conner has a sister who’s still back in Colorado Springs. She’s a young widow with a couple of little boys. Conner has mentioned more than once that he misses them, that he wants to be closer. They’re his only family.”

“He’s close to his family.”

“He is. And from what I hear from Paul, he’s a very talented finisher and carpenter. Great with cabinetry, stone countertops and such. No matter where he goes, he’ll land on his feet with work.”

“And the two of you?” Candace asked. “Is it serious?”

“In a way,” Leslie said with a little lift of one shoulder. “As you can tell, we’re very close, but we’re realistic. I came here to rebuild my confidence, and Conner is here to work until he can either go back home or find a place that’s right for himself, his sister and the kids. Our paths might only converge for a while. But he is such a good man, Mom. And I am so happy I met him.”

“And your confidence?”

She chuckled softly. “This is the best totally accidental move I’ve ever made. Not even two full months and I have friends, a great job, a good man in my life and I have a much better feeling about myself. Mom, I didn’t realize how Greg’s expectations of me hammered my self-esteem until I broke away from Grants Pass entirely! We were supposed to both be playing on the Greg Adams team, getting him all the things he wanted in business, in the city. And then he expected me to be the perfect ex-wife and wanted me to continue to play on his team. In fact, if he had things his way, it would be a bigger, stronger team—one including his new wife and their baby!”

“Phhhttt,” Candace said in disgust. “He was always like that. He was such a pain in my ass while we planned the wedding, I wanted to knock his block off!”

“He was?” Leslie asked.

“Oh, Lord! As if it was all about showcasing
him!
”

Leslie wrinkled up her forehead as she tried to remember the details.

“You know,” Candace went on. “We had to run about five suggested venues by him before we found one that was good enough for him! Your father finally asked him if he was picking up the tab, because his family certainly wasn’t stepping up—they don’t have a pot to piss in!”

“Mother, I’ve never heard such language from you! I mean, I can swear like a truck driver but you’re usually—”

“Greg Adams doesn’t bring out my best behavior,” Candace said with a definite curl of the lip.

“But, Mom, you were one of many people who said I should let go, move on!”

“Yes, sweetheart. And do you know how hard it was not to say you caught a break when he walked out on you?”

Leslie choked. “I thought you loved Greg!”

“Leslie,” Candace said, leaning toward her daughter, “
you
loved Greg. Therefore I couldn’t say anything negative about him.”

“Not even when he cheated on me and left me for another woman?”

“You
still
loved him. You were in terrible pain. How could I say you were crazy to love that weasel in the first place? Saying something like that makes
you
look foolish, and you are not foolish. At least not about most things. I have to be honest, I always thought you saw more in Greg Adams than there was.”

Stunned, Leslie took a moment to absorb this. “You did?”

“He was never good enough for you.”