Bring Me Home for Christmas

called upon to help. Brie’s husband brought their toddler daughter to her so he could help behind the bar; Denny shoveled his dinner in his mouth and then began helping Paige serve and bus while also fetching ice, bringing clean glasses from the kitchen and sometimes taking orders. Becca sat at an out-of-the-way corner table with Brie and the little girl. Denny occasionally brushed his lips against her cheek as he passed.
    Once he stopped and whispered, “Everything all right, honey?”
    “Sure, fine. Why?”
    “I don’t know, you seem a little down.”
    “Oh, I love those holiday movies, but they make me cry! Then it takes me a couple of hours to recover.”
    “Then why do you women watch them?” he asked, looking between Brie and Becca.
    “Because they’re so wonderful,” they both said at once.
    He just frowned for a second, then said, “Right.”
    There was so much he really didn’t understand about women, he thought. They were an eternal mystery. Did they actually like to cry?
    But there was one thing he understood perfectly—Becca needed to go home soon. She was moody. A little bummed out.
    When he saw Brie stand up and start helping her toddler into her jacket, Denny glanced at his watch. Seven-thirty. He went to their table. “Want me to get you home, honey?” he asked. “I can help out for another couple of hours and then I’ll be down.”
    “That would be good,” she said. “I’m ready.” She stood on one leg, put the knee of the vulnerable leg on her chair for balance and pulled on her jacket. She leaned on her crutches and made her way out the door with him.
    “There aren’t any stars tonight,” she said.
    “I think it’s going to snow,” Denny told her. “I don’t think I’ll be at Jack’s late—it’s Sunday night, people work tomorrow. And with snow forecast, those out-of-towners are going to head down the mountain early.”
    “Take your time. I’ll be fine.”
    “Are you still sad about the movies?”
    “No,” she said with a laugh. “I’m fine. I’m going to get a hot bath, put on my ugly pajamas and crawl into bed with my book.”
    He carried her up the stairs and into his little room. “I’ll see you in a little while. And if you forget the pajamas, I’m okay with that.”

    Denny’s prediction was right—it was only another hour before the crowd in the bar was down to just a few people. “Go ahead, Denny,” Jack said. “You wanna get back to your girl.”
    Denny walked around the bar and jumped up on a stool facing Jack. “But I wanted to talk to you first,” he said.
    Jack tilted his head. “Something wrong?”
    “Yes and no. Been a while since we had a shot together. Tonight might be a good night for it.”
    Jack pulled down a bottle and two glasses. He poured a couple of shots and raised his glass. “What are we drinking to?”
    “I got things all worked out with Becca.”
    Jack grinned. “Well, here’s to you!”
    They drank, then put their glasses down. “Thing is, it’s not going to work here, Jack. I’m leaving with her. She wants to be near her family and the only home she’s known. I asked her to give us a chance here because I love it. I’ve never had such great jobs and friends. But the bottom line is she’s real close to everyone down there, and she just can’t see making this big a change.”
    “Yeah,” Jack said slowly. “It’s not for everyone.”
    “I can’t let her get away again….”
    Jack’s hand came down on his shoulder. “I know, Denny. I understand. I’ve been there.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Oh, yeah. Mel talked about leaving Virgin River from the day she got here. One thing or another held her here for a while. Six months later, I had her knocked up—”
    Denny’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t know that.
    Jack cleared his throat. “Yeah, she was pregnant, and I wasn’t letting her leave me behind, so I told her I’d go anywhere she needed to go, but I had to be with her.”
    “How’d you get her to stay?”
    “There’s the thing—I didn’t. She made the decision by herself. I didn’t have anything to do with it. Seriously, I would have been disappointed to leave, but I would have gone anywhere I had to go. There was a lot at stake. Kid, much as I hate to see you go, you have to put your life together the way it works best for you. For you and Becca, if she’s what you want.”
    “No question about that, Jack. I love her,” he said. “But I kind of saw myself growing that farm with