Redwood Bend

woman.
“Dylan?” Lang said. “How’s the sick and twisted family?”
“They’re everywhere you look in Hollywood, all angling for a break, an endorsement, a part in a movie. I exchanged a few unpleasant words with my mother and a couple of sibs, but otherwise I haven’t talked to the rest of them. I’m sure that makes me the bad guy.”
“Nah,” Lang said. “You’re the all done guy. Very reasonable behavior. It is perfectly all right to stay away from vampires.”
“Silly demons?” Dylan heard himself ask.
“I’ve known you for over fifteen years,” Lang said. “Those characteristics you’ve complained about your family having—that narcissism, envy, cruelty, lack of accountability. If you showed those traits, we wouldn’t be friends.” Then he laughed and added, “Sue Ann wouldn’t let me.”
Dylan laughed with him. “One question,” he said. “What makes you think I’m obsessed with my demons? Why don’t you assume I avoid attachments to save women the bad luck of getting hooked up with me and my demons?”
“You ever ask anyone if they’re willing to take a chance on you? Because I asked Sue Ann. I told her I wasn’t good enough for her, that I probably wouldn’t amount to much, but I had a good temperament and was trainable. She thought about it and decided I was worth the risk.”
“Would you have gone away quietly if she’d said she thought it in her best interests to keep looking?” Dylan asked.
“Nah, I probably would’ve asked at least three times. I let her domesticate me. Now she’s stuck with me.”
Again Dylan laughed. And air hung in the line—dead air.
“Dylan,” Lang finally said, suspicion dripping from the name. “Where are you?”
He didn’t answer at once. “Virgin River.”
“Ah.”
“I wanted to apologize for being such an ass, for leaving suddenly, for making her feel dumped, for hurting her feelings like that.”
“Ah. How’s that working out for you?”
“About like you’d expect,” he said. “Katie’s real pissed and her brother beat me up. But I rented a truck. Think you can manage Childress Aviation without me for a while longer?”
Katie was never one to follow orders. She didn’t stay at home, locked in the cabin, as Dylan commanded. She thought she’d drive into town, visit with Mel Sheridan and ask if they could delay that ultrasound appointment for a few more days. Surely Dylan would be gone again soon. When she drove into town she noticed a truck parked at Jack’s with a logo on the side—Cavanaugh Apples. Perfect, she thought. So she parked there and went to the bar. There he was, Tom Cavanaugh, having a cup of coffee with Jack and Preacher.
“I saw your truck, Tom,” she said. “I’m so glad I ran into you!”
“Katie,” he said, smiling so handsomely.
“I wondered, have you called the game warden about that bear?”
“I’m sorry, Katie. I’ll do it today, I promise.”
“She was back this morning, and she’s very pissy. I mean, come on, I have kids, too, and I can hold it together better than she can.” She looked at Jack. “I wonder if maybe we need to get rid of the blackberries.”
“They’ve been there for years and there’s never been a problem before. Besides, they’re still pretty green… I wonder if it’s the play set.”
“Where is this place?” Tom asked.
“It’s my place,” Jack said. “Mel lived in it when she first got here and we bought it. It’s ended up a rental cabin, not far out of town but kind of hard to see, off the grid.”
“Show me?” Tom asked Katie. “Maybe I can figure out what’s drawing her, even though I’m not sure what’s attracting her to my place. Probably green apples and a broken fence. Between the green apples and berries, it might be a bellyache that’s making her so cranky.”
“Sure, I’ll show you,” she said. “But finish your coffee by all means.”
“I’m done. I’ll follow you.” He stuck out his hand to Jack, then Preacher. “Later,” he said.
When they arrived at the cabin, Tom parked behind Katie. He got out, pushed his hat back on his head and whistled. “I can see why you’d hate to give this up. What an awesome little cabin.”
“It is,” she agreed. “But I just can’t let the boys play with bear cubs.”
He laughed. “No doubt. Where do you see her most often?”
“Around those bushes,” Katie said, pointing. “And she was crossing the clearing, headed that way.” She indicated. “And when I ran her off this