Second Chance Pass

“Are you sure?” Cameron asked.

“Absolutely. Let me draw you a map—the door is never locked.”

“Hey, that’s fantastic of you. Since it’s already kind of late, I really appreciate it.”

“I’ll write my number at home and at the bar on this map,” he said, drawing on the back of a napkin. “Give me a call anytime. If my family isn’t visiting and using the cabin, you’re welcome to it.”

“What can I pay you for it?” Cameron asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s there for friends and family.” He finished with the map and turned it around to Cameron. “Any friend of Vanni’s is a friend of ours.”

The night was still young when Mike and Brie said good night. Not long after Jack fetched his son out of the high chair and swept his family away. Doc Mullins said goodbye.

Cameron had enjoyed his dinner while holding Mattie against his chest; he had loved looking across the table at the beautiful and sexy Vanessa. Julia Roberts, that was what she was. Leggy, full-breasted, her hair a reddish hue shot through with blond, her smile wild and spontaneous, her laugh loud and free. He didn’t think he’d ever run into a woman like this in his life.

“What do you think? Time for you and the baby to go home?”

“Yeah,” she said, and she smiled as though she’d had a good time.

“Let’s get going. If you’re not too busy tomorrow, maybe you could introduce me to the horses before I head back to Grants Pass.”

“Sure,” she said. “We should go for a ride. The bear are just coming out of hibernation with their cubs, and the deer have fawns now.”

“I would love that. But is it dangerous? Any worry about the bear?”

“Not for you,” she said with a big laugh. “I carry a rifle. I’ll take care of you.” Then she laughed some more.

As they stepped out onto the porch of the bar, Cameron stopped and listened. He looked up at the sky—the magnificent clear, black sky studded with a billion stars—and heard in the background the gentle strumming and picking of a Spanish guitar. He held the baby against him with one arm, put the other around Vanessa. “Do you hear that?”

“Hmm. That’s Mike. Miguel, actually. Isn’t it beautiful?”

He leaned closer to her. “I love this place.”

When Jack had settled Mel and Davie into bed, he crept into the kitchen and placed a long-distance call. Paul Haggerty answered and Jack said, “Hey, it’s me.”

“Hey, Jack. What’s up?”

“What’s up is that doctor. Cameron what’s his name. Down here putting the moves on Vanessa. Paul, I’m not going to tell you twice. You better not let this happen.”

“Jack, listen. She’s not ready.”

“You sure it’s not you who’s not ready?”

“I was there when she met him—at Matt’s parents’ house. She told me—she’s not ready.”

“But the problem is, he’s ready. Buddy, don’t be stupid.”

“Yeah,” Paul said. “Okay. Thanks.”

When they hung up and Jack went back to Mel, crawling into bed and slipping his hands under the T-shirt to feel her belly, she said, “You’re doing it again, aren’t you?”

He sighed. “I thought you were asleep.”

“You’re getting in the middle of stuff.”

“Mel, I wasn’t going to tell you anything. But I’ll tell you, because you’re so goddamn nosy. Paul loves her.”

“I know.”

“Well then why are you all over me?” he asked.

“Because this is for them to work out. Not you.”

“But Paul loves her. And this Cameron—he’s nice, he’s a good guy, he’s slick.”

“It’s for them to work out.”

“Well, what the hell do you expect me to do?”

“Stay out of it.”

“But what if…”

“Stay out of it. You are such a mother hen.”

“We owe Paul…”

“Jack, if Paul isn’t smart enough or aggressive enough or in love enough to handle this, maybe Vanni is better off with the pediatrician.”

“How can you say that?!”

“Because I’m the wise one in this marriage,” she said. “And you’re too emotional.”

“Aww.”

“Why did you give Cameron the cabin if you don’t like seeing him with Vanni?” she asked.

“Because. He wouldn’t be under the general’s roof tonight.”

She laughed. “Jack Sheridan, you are such a sneak. I never give you enough credit.”

The next morning Cameron was invited to breakfast with Vanni and the general, then out for a ride. It was a weekday and Tommy had school so the general was needed to baby-sit. Vanni took him out alone, just the two of them. Vanni rode Tommy’s horse, a gelding named Chico who was pretty frisky, while she put Cameron on their gentlest mare, Plenty, short for Plenty of Trouble. There were four horses in the stable, all of them good riding mounts with the general’s stallion, Liberty, being the most difficult to manage. As promised, she had a rifle strapped to her saddle.

“You ride, shoot, have babies at home—I thought you grew up in the city?”

“When you grow up with the general, you learn lots of interesting things. And my mom was a farm girl.”

“When did you lose your mom?” he asked.