Just Over The Mountain (23 page)

“Not that I ever noticed.”

“Are you comfortable walking up to him?”

Clinton shrugged. “I lived with him for sixteen years. I reckon I can walk up to him.”

“If you can do that, I’ll come around the back. Clinton, I’m going to have to cuff him. I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t expect he’ll come along on request.”

Clinton hung his head for a moment, then lifted it again. “I understand.”

Tom didn’t really think Clarence would open fire on the crowd, but then, who knew what fragile hold he had on reality. One thing was certain—he had to get Clarence out of there, get his gun, get him taken care of.

“Maybe this is a good thing, Chief,” Clinton said. “If
he gets in enough trouble, gets himself locked up, they’ll put him back on his drugs. It might set him to rights again.”

Tom clamped a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Clinton was a big kid. If not for the fact that he wore a prosthetic leg, he could do some real damage for the football team. He was brave. He’d been through a lot. “I’ll hope for that, Clinton. Let’s go.”

Clinton walked straight down the street toward the house behind which his father crouched. Tom went through the backyards, sticking to the shadows, skirting close to houses and garages. Clinton walked up the driveway of the house while Tom, staying low, crept around the back.

“Daddy?” Clinton called. “What you doing back there, Daddy?”

“Clinton! Get down! They’ll see you!”

“Who’s gonna see me, Daddy?”

“The whole village has been invaded! Are you blind? I’ll get you and your mama out of there in—”

He was cut off as Tom hit him from behind, knocking the rifle from his hands. They rolled onto the ground. They were much the same size and Clarence was unexpectedly strong. Tom got him facedown on the ground, a knee in his back, and managed to cuff his wrists together behind him. “Easy, Clarence, easy. You’re going to be okay now.”

“What the hell you doing, Injun? We got us an invasion here!”

Tom sat back on his heels, winded. “Yeah, I know.
We’ll take it from here. Clinton, go find Deputy Stafford. He’s waiting. Tell him to bring around the car.”

“Sure. Can I go with my dad?”

“’Course you can, son. We’ll get in touch with the VA, have somebody come out for him right away.”

Clinton crouched down and rubbed a hand along his father’s greasy forehead. “It’s going to be okay now, Daddy. You’ll see.”

June sat on the top of a picnic table and watched her friends and neighbors dance to some of the best crooning around. The band was from Westport and specialized in love songs to dance to. Apparently Nat King Cole was a personal favorite. John and Susan were back in each other’s arms. The Dicksons, too, had mended their fences and danced not far away.

But there were some other fun couples worth watching. Aunt Myrna waltzed with her young attorney and they looked to be having a real time of it. Birdie and Judge cut a mean rug with something that resembled the rumba. Then there was Elmer rocking along with Jessie. And there were the two who weren’t present but had been mentioned many times over the weekend—Chris and Nancy. They were at the hospital, but at least they were together.

Some couples in town had presented images that were not true, she realized. Blythe and Daniel, thought to be married for over thirty years, were not married at all. And her old beau, thought to be divorced, was
barely on hiatus from his marriage. And then, she thought with a sly smile, there was herself, the spinster town doctor… Oh, there were going to be some raised eyebrows.

She pulled her sweater tighter around her, chilled even though she sat near the fire. She looked down at her dusty boots and when she looked up, he was standing there in front of her. She had to blink to clear her vision, because he had shaved. His cheek, scarred from his fall last summer, was ruddy and rough-looking. But it was the best-looking cheek she’d ever seen.

“You!” she said in a breath. “How did you…?”

“It’s not important how. What’s important is, I’m here to stay.”

“With me?”

He reached for her hand. “Try to get rid of me.” He pulled her off the picnic table and into his arms, leading her to the asphalt where everyone danced.

“I didn’t expect you so soon. Do you know what this means?”

“What?”

“That I don’t have to try to hold my stomach in anymore!”

Anyone who saw the way he laughed, like the jest had been the most intimate, and the way he pulled her closer, would have known everything that very moment. And they watched. The town watched. Though Jim tried to be discreet, his lips found her neck and his large hand slid over the slightly round spot on her abdomen.
As if on cue, there was the slightest flutter within. He jumped back in surprise, looking down at June.

“She’s been a little feisty. I might’ve given her too much cotton candy.”

“She?”

June nodded. “What do you think of that?”

“That’s perfect,” he said.

It was all John and Susan could do to keep their feet moving. Elmer led Jessie to the side, stopped dancing and stared. Tom Toopeek wasn’t dancing anyway, but he was leaning a hip against a picnic table on which Ursula sat. His wife had been talking when Tom suddenly quit listening, crossed his arms over his broad chest and smiled a secret smile.

“Who is that, Tom? Who is that dancing with June?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I think he’s going to be a new neighbor,” Tom said.

“But who—”

June and Jim danced, whispered, held each other close. They were oblivious to the stares because they had each other. But the whole town watched, because she belonged to them. And they knew, though they hadn’t been told.

Their doctor was deep in love.

Dear Reader,

It was such an honor to be asked to create a Christmas story that would take place in Virgin River, especially because, in my mind, the miracle of Christmas is synonymous with that special town. Virgin River seems to be a place of kindness, friendship, love and miracles.

In this story you’ll meet Ian and Marcie, two courageous people who have weathered too many storms in their young lives. Both need two things to help them get to a place of peace and happiness: namely, faith and love. Between them they have a lot of history, but at the same time they’re just getting to know one another. And what they find in their renewed relationship could bring them closer to the peace and serenity they need so much.

The Virgin River novels are part of an ongoing series, and
A Virgin River Christmas
is a special addition to that series. While many of the well-known Virgin River characters are present in this book, you don’t have to read the first three in the series to feel at home here. But for those of you who have started at the beginning, and have waited patiently for this next book, let me put you in the time frame.
A Virgin River Christmas
takes place just a
few weeks before Christmas—right in the middle of
Whispering Rock
—the third book in the series.

Christmas can mean many different things to each of us. For Marcie and Ian, I’ve tried to create a special time for two people who couldn’t be more deserving.

It was a privilege to create this story. I hope you’ll treasure it.

My best wishes to you and yours,