Redwood Bend

in Virgin River.
“Awesome,” someone said.
“Very cool,” said another.
“You’re going to get a lot of mileage out of that.”
The sun began to sink over the mountains in the west and suddenly, without warning, the party was over. Everyone packed up, wiped countertops, swept off the patio, closed up the grill, put outdoor chairs back where they belonged. They said quick, unfussy goodbyes. Like a parade, trucks and SUVs drove away from the property.
Two hours later, Katie had her boys showered and settled in the mother-in-law room. Dylan had lit a fire in the pit on the patio and he was waiting for her, his long legs stretched out in front of him, taking in the big sky. When she joined him, he pulled her chair close to his.
“Tomorrow I’ll take you to the airport first and give the boys a ride. Then to town. Not much of a town, but we like it. There’s a couple of good schools—elementary and high school. We have some excellent parks—soccer and football and softball. This town really gets into their sports, especially those the kids play. I’ll take you guys into the mountains and some of the national parks, just to see. If we had more time, we’d check out the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole. I’ll show you where Ham took me to camp the first time. I thought it was the end of the world but now I realize it’s ten minutes up the road. By the time we’ve done that, we’ll have to get back to Virgin River.”
She looked up at the sky. “What if we didn’t?” she asked.
He sat up straighter. “You want to stay a little longer?”
She turned toward him. “What if we just called Conner, Leslie and Adele and asked them when they’ll have time to come up here? What if we just stayed?”
“Stayed?”
“Stayed.”
“Katie, you have a car, I have a Harley, and there’s all that stuff in the cabin. All the clothes, TV, toys…stuff. Enough to fill up a U-Haul, at least.”
“What if I asked Conner to gather up that stuff and bring me my car and your Harley. We can afford to fly Conner and Leslie home, right?”
“I think I can swing that. Are you saying…?” he asked softly.
“We should settle in. I should start nesting before it snows, which I’m told happens kind of early here. They were kidding when they told me August, right?”
He laughed. “I hope so.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get the boys away from the dogs and horses.”
He smiled. “I knew those animals would come in handy eventually. I love you, Katie Malone. But you have all that precious stuff—Charlie’s medals, wedding pictures…”
“What if we made some new wedding pictures? Something simple, sweet and as soon as possible.”
He smiled at her and pulled her a little closer. “Sounds like a plan.”
“And it’s Katie Malone Childress,” she said. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure,” he said. “This is the life I’ve always dreamed about. The life I didn’t think I could have.”
“Oh, you can have it, Big D. Just try to get away.”
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