Paradise Valley (33 page)

Rick maneuvered himself onto the stool and put the keys down next to Dan’s coffee cup. “Sorry. Took me a while.”

Dan turned and peered at him.

“You didn’t have to wait. I’d have gotten the truck back to you somehow.”

“I didn’t wait,” Dan said. “I had dinner and I can walk home from here.”

“You have this whole business down pretty good now, huh?” Rick said.

“It’s like missing a couple of teeth. You learn to chew on the other side.”

Rick laughed in spite of himself. “Teeth?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Dan said. “I took the hard way. You don’t have to. Lotta help around here.”

“Um, speaking of help…” Jack was on his way down the bar. “Uh-oh.”

Jack grabbed a towel and a glass. Then he was in front of him, glaring down at him, wiping the spots out of the glass to keep from choking him. “Liz all right?”

“Yeah. I found her out at the river and we had a talk. Nice and calm. I told her I was sorry for that whole business. For everything.”

“I ever see anything like that again, I don’t know if I can keep from beating the shit outta you. I know I taught you better than that.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. That was horrible and I know it.”

“It was all I could do to keep from dragging you behind the shed.”

A smile came to Rick’s lips. Jack was in everything, meddling, and it often got him in trouble. “I’ll bet,” Rick said.

“I think we step up the counseling appointments. If you can’t adjust, maybe you can learn restraint.” He lifted a brow. “That’s never been your long suit, as I recall.”

“As it turns out, that’s going to happen. Liz won’t get back with me unless we go to the counselor together.”

Dan’s head swiveled sharply toward Rick. “You sure she’s just eighteen?”

“She had to grow up fast,” Rick said. “Jack, I know I owe you a ton of apologies. I’ll walk down after breakfast tomorrow. We can talk about it. How’s that?”

“You saying you turned a corner here?” Jack couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“Sort of. It was kind of like a bomb went off in my head.” Then he winced. “I wish I hadn’t said it like that.”

With the towel in one hand and the glass in the other, Jack leaned his big, meaty hands on the bar. “You telling me that this lunatic taking off his leg was all you needed?”

Again Rick laughed. “Yes and no. It was probably more about seeing how I’d treated Liz. I love that girl—but I’ve been treating her like crap for months. I hurt her so bad, just because I have shit to deal with. And her saying she’d give up both her legs if I could have mine? Give up her life if I lost mine? God.” He shook his head. “I think I’ve been getting to this. That nutcase you send me to twice a week said sometimes people have to hit bottom before they start to build up their strength again. The way I treated the girl I love, after the way I was brought up, first by my gram and then by you—shit, man. We don’t treat our women that way and I know it. I saw the bottom, saw what kind of man I could turn into if I don’t get a handle on this. He also said I was more mad at myself than anyone else. I think I was getting close to sanity anyway. Then this crazy loon took off his leg. I’ve never seen anyone stay upright on one leg like that.” Rick grinned and elbowed Dan. “That is truly awesome. I don’t know how you did that. It’s like you studied under a karate master or something. I’m
so
going to learn that. But first I’m installing a bar in the shower.”

“You do that, kid,” Dan said, sipping his coffee.

“Can I have a Coke, Jack?”

Jack was speechless. Stunned. “I…ah…need some glasses. ’Right back….”

Jack escaped into the kitchen. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that all Rick’s adjustments had suddenly fallen into place, but in four months this was the first glimpse he’d had of his boy, the boy he loved like a son, the boy he’d gone all the way to Germany for, even though there’d been a chance he’d have to bring him home in a box.

He leaned on Preacher’s worktable for a second, staring down, his breath coming hard and shallow. He felt the tears in his eyes and his heart pounded. For a while he didn’t think it would ever happen. He’d been afraid Rick was going to be mean and angry for the rest of his life when there was no young man Jack had ever known who used to be more filled with light and joy. Not in all his years. Rick was the finest example of a young man Jack could name.

“Jack?” Preacher asked. Jack looked up. “Aw, did you do it again? Did you wash the bar sink with that disinfectant and then touch your eyes? Christ, you are the slowest learner I know. Come on, come on over here and we’ll rinse ’em. Flush ’em out.”

“They’re rinsed,” Jack said quietly. “It’ll be fine.”

“You gotta watch that, man! You’re gonna go blind, for God’s sake.”

“I got it. I need a rack of glasses,” Jack said, sniffing.

“I just put a rack out there not five minutes ago,” Preacher said.

Jack ground his teeth. Inside he felt as if he’d just been born. But he said, “Gimme a rack of goddamn glasses, all right?”

“Sure,” Preacher said. “If you drink a little of that disinfectant, might kill the bug up your ass.”

“You sure this is enough for you, Liz?” Rick asked her. “A guy with one leg?”

“Rick, we have a lot of years ahead. There are going to be times I’ll come up short, I just know it. I expect you to love me the same even in those times. Is that too much to expect out of you?”

“Nah. You’re more than I can deserve in a million years.”

“To answer your question, I never even notice that the leg is gone. Really. The only time I notice is when you complain about the stump hurting. The truth is, I find you stronger. Braver. Smarter. I’d say I love you even more, but that’s just impossible.”

After Liz and Rick had their Friday-afternoon appointment with Jerry, Rick would follow her back to Virgin River. They’d go to the bar together where Liz would get her large cola to go on her way to work at her aunt’s store and Rick would stay on for a while, visit with the neighbors, have dinner and meet Liz on his gram’s front porch after the corner store closed.

So much had changed for both of them in just a few weeks. Rick was no longer the quiet and morose young man who kept his friends and neighbors at bay with unfriendliness. He looked forward to having that one beer a week with the guys, and even turned up at the bar more often, just to visit. And far from being embarrassed by his amputee status, he wore long shorts and laced boots, his prosthesis visible. And while his gait might be a little slow and at times unsteady, he no longer used a cane.

On just such a typical Friday afternoon, Rick and Liz walked into Jack’s, holding hands. They jumped up on bar stools and met with his grin. “Hey, kids, what’s up?”

“Large cola to go,” Liz said.

“You got it, sweetheart. Rick?”

He laughed. “Oh, you know what I want. Cold draft, please.”

“Coming up.” Jack put it in front of him and asked Rick, “You starting to work out a little bit?”

Rick took a sip and draped his arm around Liz’s shoulders. “Some light weights. But I’ve gained about ten pounds since I’ve been home.” He gave Liz a squeeze.

“I’m going over to Connie’s,” she said, giving Rick a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

“Later, baby,” he said.

When she was gone, Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Looks like things are going better for you and Liz these days.”

“Better and better. I have some plans for the rest of the summer, starting with, I’m going to help Paul part-time. I talked it over with him—neither one of us knows how much help I’ll be, but I’m sure I can stay upright and hold a paintbrush. He said he might put Dan in charge of me.”

“Brady,” Jack laughed, shaking his head. “Who would have guessed he’d work out?”

“I’m still trying to figure out how he got up that hill so fast back when we were looking for Paige. I didn’t see him do it, but remember? Before we knew it, he was up the hill and bonked that guy on the head, knocked him cold.” Rick took a drink of his beer. “He said when I get a little more confident, he’ll show me some one-legged tricks.” Jack laughed.

“I signed up for Redwoods—I’m going to school in the fall. I’ll go with Liz.”

Jack took a breath. “Kid, you don’t know how good it makes me feel that you’re making plans.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be at Redwoods long,” Rick said. “I think I’m going to be forced to leave the area.”

“That so?”

“Not like I won’t be around,” Rick said. “You’re here. Gram’s here. And who knows, I might be getting ahead of myself here, but I’m interested in architecture. And there’s no bachelor’s program around here. Humboldt U doesn’t have one in that major.”

“Architecture? That’s the first time I’ve heard that,” Jack said.

“Yeah, I know. Me and Liz went over to Redwoods and Humboldt U, looking through all the catalogs. I met with a counselor, talked to some people. I’m good at math and I like drawing and building. I talked to Paul a little bit. My main interests and abilities seem to lean toward architecture or engineering. I’m thinking way ahead now, but it looks like I might aim for the University of Oregon in Eugene.”

Jack looked down and wiped the counter.

“You gonna get all funky about that?” Rick asked. “About me going away?”

Jack looked up. “Rick, if I can send you off to the Marines and stay standing, I guess I can handle sending you off to college. I put a little something aside for that, you know. We talked about it. I’d like to help.”

“Jack, you don’t have to do that….”

“It’s not a lot, Rick. When I said a little something,
little
was the operative word. You’ll have the GI Bill, but you also have living expenses.”

“I’m sticking around through summer,” Rick said. “To work, see what I can learn from Paul and gimpy Dan, to stick with Jerry the Spaceman for a while.” He laughed. “That nutcase has some ideas that just fit in the slots, you know? One look at him and you’d never guess it—he’s really such a dork. Toward the end of summer, before school starts, me and Liz are going to find a place of our own in Eureka. She’s got a really good job at that Albertson’s grocery. She thinks she can keep it while she goes to school. She might have to go to part-time if school is hard for her, but you know what? She’s finding out she’s way smarter than she thought she was.” He grinned proudly.

“Settling down?” Jack asked doubtfully.

“This will be it,” Rick said. “We’re moving ahead. We’ll live together now, that’s how it has to be. Living apart isn’t working for us anymore. You have to give us some credit—we waited. We’re not teenagers anymore.”

“Well,” Jack said cautiously, “she is.”

Rick grinned. “She has till the end of August to change her mind.”

“Ricky, buddy, did Liz talk you into this? I know she’s always wanted to—”

“This was my idea, Jack. It’s just better with her. But we’re trying not to move too fast. First we live together and do a year of Redwoods college and next summer we get married.”

“Whoa.”

“We need each other, Jack. I don’t think there’s anyone I counted on more than I did Liz. You, maybe, but you’re just not as soft and cuddly.” He grinned boyishly. Then more seriously, he added, “There’s no point in just finding things to keep me busy while we get older. Besides,” he said, lifting his beer and taking a sip, “when you think about it, we’re not all that young. Maybe in years, but not in experience. Me and Liz, we had to grow up kinda fast. And the only thing that hasn’t worked against us—we never lost interest. We’ve always loved each other. That’s been put to the test a bunch of times.”

Jack was quiet for a minute. Then very solemnly he said, “There’s just one thing that worries me, Rick. You two, you’ve gotten real good at holding each other up during the hard times. How about when there aren’t any hard times? How will you hold up then? Will you take each other for granted? Get bored?”

Rick cracked a big smile and let go a laugh. “Oh man! Please—throw me in that briar patch, huh?”

Jack turned away and pounded on the wall, bringing Preacher out of the kitchen with a pretty confused and interrupted look on his face. “What?” he scowled.

Jack was already drawing a couple of beers. “Rick’s got some plans, Preach. Go ahead, Rick. Lay it on him.”

Rick gave Preacher the condensed version. Unlike Jack, who was known to borrow trouble, especially where relationships were concerned, Preacher just stuck out a big hand. “Good for you, Rick. Congratulations. I think you kids are due a few good breaks.” Jack handed him a beer. “Here’s to you. You and Liz. I’m real happy for you.”

The three of them raised their glasses in a toast.

“Thanks, guys,” Rick said. “I’d never have made it through anything without you.”

“We wouldn’t have made it without you either, buddy,” Jack said. “I’m real happy for you. And I’m real damn proud of you, son.”