Redwood Bend

Seven



Conner had taken the boys to the river to try a little fishing on Sunday, leaving Katie to sit on the front porch with Leslie and a couple of glasses of iced tea. “You can talk about it if you want to,” Leslie said.

“Oh, it was just a little crush,” she said. “I’ll get over it.”

“You’re so quiet,” Leslie said. “It must have been more than a little crush. At least a medium-size crush.”

Katie shrugged. “I first laid eyes on him just over two weeks ago, so no more than medium. For sure,” she said. But she didn’t sound convincing even to herself. “It’s all a fantasy, Leslie. There wasn’t anything real about it. But you want to know what bothers me? It’s so silly—I asked him to say goodbye before leaving the area. He said he would, but I guess he didn’t.”

“Damn, I wish I’d been paying attention when we were all in the bar! I can’t figure out which one he was.”

One corner of Katie’s mouth lifted. “He was the cute, dark-haired one with the outstanding butt.”

“I’m having an even harder time now,” Leslie said. “Since Conner came into my life, I haven’t noticed any other outstanding butts. Tell me the first thing that happened to make you think you had a little crush…”

“The second I saw him I couldn’t breathe for a minute, like a full minute. Then when I saw him at Jack’s it made me feel all tickly inside, but it was just one of those things. Seeing a cute, sexy guy and thinking, wow. I didn’t expect to ever see him again, but his friends all left, he stayed behind, he found the cabin and we talked. We went on a few bike rides. More talking. He kissed me. But boy…”

“He stayed? He found you? He kissed you?”

“Uh-huh. It kind of started when he happened to be in town one day when I picked up the boys from summer program and he took us to McDonald’s for dinner. Nothing much happened, except the boys were a little wilder than usual. And…well…” Her voice trailed off.

“And? Well? That’s when he kissed you?”

“No, not in front of the boys. One day when I dropped the boys off at summer program, he took me out on his bike—all day. He bought breakfast and lunch, drove us all over the place on some of the craziest roads—God, was that fun! I hadn’t been on a motorcycle in a long time. We did that again and again. I hadn’t held on to a cute, dangerous guy for several hours in such a long time. Charlie might’ve been my last cute, dangerous guy.”

“No kidding?” Leslie asked. “In over five years?”

“Pathetic, huh? I’ve been out on some dates, but no bells.”

“We don’t know that it’s all over already. He might find your little cabin again.”

“That’s probably not a great idea,” Katie said. “See, he’s thirty-five, has never married, likes to play the field, has no intention of ever settling down, likes kids fine but doesn’t want any, and— Okay, the bottom line here is—he’s ready Freddy and I am not a one-night stand. So I hope he’s gone. I do. Because I don’t know if I can say no to him again.”

Leslie sat up straighter. “Again? Did you leave out some parts here? Because a few bike rides, hamburgers and chitchat is all real nice, but…”

“We made out like a couple of teenagers on prom night. I nearly got nailed in broad daylight on a hilltop. It was awesome. And I’m not sure if I’m glad I held off or if I totally regret it.”

“Wow!” Leslie said. She fanned her face. “That’s what you left out. And that was it? He said goodbye and went back to wherever he came from and you’ll never see him again?”

“Sort of. But you know what? I had some fun, I have to remember that. He’s fun. Why are the bad boys always the fun ones, huh? I made him laugh even when he was trying to be serious, so he had fun, too. I have to remember that it was a good experience, didn’t get out of hand and it was about time there was a little something going on with a guy. But the hard part is that there was no goodbye. No closure. The one thing I didn’t want to be was completely forgettable.”

Leslie thought about this a second. “Maybe he’s still around?”

“Hmm. With some other girl, a little more willing than me, up on that hilltop? He said he’d be in touch. It’s been four days.”

“Does he seem like that kind of guy? A guy who would strike out with you and just find himself an easier target?”

“I don’t know, Les,” she said. “I can’t say I really know him. I got a strong sense of him, but that doesn’t mean I know him. The only thing he was really firm about is that he’ll never marry and have kids.” She gave a little shrug. “Anyone I get involved with has to take us all on.”

“Whoops. I guess you eliminated him first.”

“I told him he hadn’t done anything for me that qualified as a date yet.”

And Leslie spewed her tea as she burst out laughing. Katie couldn’t help but join her. “Well, at least he’ll have something to think about on his way out of town.”

“Totally,” Katie agreed.

And then there was the slow rumble of a motorcycle. They exchanged looks and they both went completely still. It seemed to growl through the town without ever accelerating or stopping. Neither of them could move. And then it came down Leslie’s street, stopping behind Katie’s SUV.

He casually braked, stabilized and dismounted, walking slowly toward the porch with his helmet in the crook of his arm, grinning pleasantly. “I thought that might be your car,” he said. “I checked at your place, but you weren’t there. Because you’re here, I guess.” He approached the porch and put one booted foot on the step. Katie loved those pointy-toed cowboy boots.

“Lost?” she asked.

“I was looking for you,” he said. He glanced at Leslie, whose mouth was hanging open. “Hi. I’m Dylan.”

“Hi,” she said in a whisper. Then she cleared her throat and said, “Hi.”

“This is Leslie,” Katie said. “My future sister-in-law. Les, this is Dylan.”

“Hi,” she said again.

Dylan chuckled. “I don’t see the twins. What are the chances they’re in jail?”

“They’re fishing with Uncle Conner.” She glanced at her watch. “I guess they’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“I was hoping you’d have a little more than an hour. I wanted to take you somewhere. And it’s a grown-up thing.”

“Where?” she wanted to know.

“It’s a surprise, but I’m convinced you’ll like it.”

“She’s covered,” Leslie shot in. “The boys are…um…they’re staying overnight. They want to…camp out in the backyard with Uncle Conner. Or something.”

Dylan lifted one curious brow. Suspicious.

“Can I talk to you for one second before you go?” Leslie asked Katie. “Inside?”

“Sure,” she said. “Be right back.” And she followed Leslie into the house.

They were barely inside when Leslie grabbed Katie and shoved her up against the wall. Her eyes were a little wild, which came close to frightening Katie. “Do you know who that is?” she whispered.

“That’s Dylan.”

“Dylan Childress,” Leslie informed her, letting go.

Katie chuckled. “I forgot, we’re the same age. The guys around here would never notice.”

“But you knew, right?”

She gave a short nod. “But I haven’t mentioned it and neither has he. And even though I was in love with him for a good five years when I was a kid, that has nothing to do with the guy I know now. I swear to heaven.”

“He thinks you don’t know?” Leslie asked.

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m not squealing, screaming and throwing my underwear at him. I’m making him work for attention, like a regular guy.” Then she grabbed Leslie’s arms. “I’m not playing hard to get, Les. I’m just not laying down because twenty years ago he was a twelve-year-old’s heartthrob.”

“But…you’re glowing,” Leslie said. “Oh, my God, you’re glowing!”

“Pah,” she said. “I can’t imagine why—of all the Hollywood boys during our adolescence, didn’t he have almost the worst reputation? He acts like a regular guy, but I honestly have no way of knowing if he’s overcome all that naughtiness.”

“Oh, I hope not…I mean so, I hope so,” Leslie said. “You look pretty happy.”

“I might be pleased that he came looking for me, but I am not going to be fooled by a little showmanship. I’m a little warm, however.” She fanned her face. “Besides, he’s just going to say goodbye. Which is admirable, when you think about it. He could’ve just left and it’s not like I could chase him down and reprimand him.” Then she swallowed and said, “I should have a drink of water.”

“I’ll keep the boys overnight. We’ll grill hot dogs. Watch a movie. I’ll bring them home on my way to work in the morning. You can get them into fresh clothes for summer program. And after work? I’ll be wanting every detail! Every single detail!”

“I don’t do that to you, do I?”

“Totally different!” Leslie said. “Conner is your brother. And Dylan was my secret boyfriend for years.”

Katie laughed at her; half the female population in this age group probably felt the same way. “Can we go out there now? Find out what he has in mind?”

Leslie ran her hands over her hips to dry her palms. “By all means. Try to look calm.”

“I think you’re the one who should take a few deep breaths.”

Dylan was waiting, his foot still on the porch step.

“So,” Katie said. She lifted one brow.

“I want to show you something very cool.”

“Want me to follow you?”

“I want to take the bike. You like the bike and it’s a lot easier. But you have to change into jeans. You know—bike rules.” He looked her over with a smile. She was wearing a pretty, lightweight summer dress. “That’s sexy as hell, but it could end up over your head on the freeway and you could cause accidents. We need jeans. Want to go change? And I’ll follow you?”

“Okay,” she said with a laugh. Then she turned to Leslie and asked, “Are you absolutely sure?”

“Of course. Conner will be thrilled.”

I’m not so sure about that, Katie thought.



When they arrived at the cabin, Katie parked and gave him a wave as she went inside. To her surprise, he was tailing her and the second she was in the door, he grabbed her hand, whirled her around and planted a deep, wet kiss on her. His voice was hoarse when he broke from the kiss and spoke. “I wish I’d thought this through better,” he said. “A dress. I never thought you’d be in a dress. I bet I could get under that dress without as much fight out of you.”

She laughed at him. She couldn’t help it—she was so happy to see him, she stroked his face. “Do you get a big kick out of being a bad boy?”

“I was planning to be very good,” he said, diving for her throat. Then he groaned and said, “Go on. Change. I have a reservation.”

“A reservation? Are we going out for dinner?”

“Just change.”

“Because I want to dress right…”

He looked down at himself. Boots, jeans torn in strategic places, long-sleeved, faded shirt. “You’re bound to look better than this no matter what you do. And grab a jacket.”

“You sure you don’t want to take the car?” she asked.

“Oh, hell no,” he said with a laugh. “The bike turns you on.” He touched her nose. “I know it does.”

“I think that bike is just one big, expensive sex toy, vibrating all our secret parts and making us vulnerable. We should probably drive.”

“Jeans,” he said. “Jacket.”

She sighed. “If you insist.” When she got to her bedroom, she smiled, very glad he insisted on the bike. And although she was a little afraid he might notice that she went to some trouble, she dabbed on a little makeup—some gloss, some blush, some mascara. And while it was completely futile, she ran a brush through her hair. Then remembering the havoc a bike can wreak on hair, she filled a purse with brush, comb, gloss and hair clips.

“Ready,” she said.

“Let’s do it,” he said, holding the door.

Katie hopped on behind him and they took off down the mountain toward the freeway north to Arcata. Every time they passed a road that led to the beach or up into the mountains, she wondered if that was where he was taking her. Yet it all made sense when he finally pulled into a small, isolated, private airport. Her eyes grew large.

“We’re here,” he said while she just sat there. “Come on, Katie.”

“Is your plane here?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I rented a little Cherokee. Two seater. I’m going to take you up. Ever been in a small plane?”

She shook her head. “Never,” she said in a whisper.

“You said you’d love to learn to fly. I thought you should start with a ride.”

“Oh. Dylan.” She sighed. Tears sparked in her eyes. “You were listening,” she said softly. Oh, God, her heart was going to be broken. “I can’t believe it.”

He was frowning. “Can’t believe what?”

“Tell the truth, Dylan. Are you just trying to get laid? Or did you really do this for me?”

He ran a finger along her jaw. “I thought it was pretty clear, I’m into you. But I did this because I want to show off and I thought it would be fun for you. Wanna go up?”

“I so wanna go up. Can I take my purse?”

He laughed at her. “Yeah, of course. And your jacket. Come on, I have a little paperwork to finish.”

While Dylan shot the breeze with the guy behind the counter and signed off on some paperwork, she sat taking it all in. “She’s all ready for you,” the man said. “Little bumpy out there over the ocean, Dylan.”

He grinned. “That’s the fun part.” Then he turned, and said, “Come on, Katie.”

The Cherokee was lemon-yellow and just adorable. He put her inside while he looked over the airplane on the outside, giving it a preflight inspection. Then he jumped in, checked some of the instruments, cranked it up and taxied out. She let go an excited squeal as they lifted off the ground and he laughed.

Katie certainly wasn’t the first girl he’d taken up for a ride in a small plane, but this ride felt like the first time. Her eyes shone and her grin was infectious. When he turned up the coastline, she was all but hanging out the window, looking at the shoreline, the fishing boats, the rocky coast. He took her inland over the trees and told her to look for marijuana patches or deer.

“How would I know a marijuana patch?”

“Bright, bright green, greener than any green you’ve ever seen. Deer? Self-explanatory. Wanna have some fun?”

“What kind of fun?” she asked suspiciously.

“Want to see the map float?”

Oh, that grin! “Yes!” she said. It was just like the bike—she really liked the sharp turns, the speed.

He took it to a higher altitude, then dropped the plane into a rapid descent and the map floated for a moment, making her giggle. So he made a sharp turn and pulled back on the yoke, loading some G’s on them and she laughed as if he was holding her down and tickling her.

An epiphany was coming into focus. Everyone he dated, briefly dated, was so easy to please. They thought he was the catch of the century—he picked the best restaurants, was the best date ever, sharpest dresser (even covered with motor oil from some airplane engine), and they’d sure been willing to give it up right away. He just realized it hadn’t felt real. They always knew him as the owner of a small aircraft operation or an actor. Celebrity.

Katie was tougher and yet, completely authentic. She had fun on the bike; the flying thrilled her. But she didn’t give in to him. She had rules and held to them.

“Can I try?” she asked.

“Gently,” he said. “Pull back, the plane goes up. Push forward, down. Let’s not turn.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said, and she gave it a try. At first she was careful, gently moving the yoke. But then she got a little more aggressive, laughing as she pulled back, pushed forward.

“Okay, okay, you don’t want to put us into a stall.”

“A stall?”

“As in no engine.”

She let go at once. “You fly. I’ll ride.”

“Good idea,” he said with a laugh. “Let’s look at some boats, look for some dolphins.” And he turned out to sea. They saw birds flying under the airplane, a bunch of dolphins jumping, a few fishing boats and a big yacht. And then the plane started to bounce.

“What’s that?”

“Just a little choppy out here, that’s all,” he said.

She was unusually quiet for a moment and Dylan didn’t really notice anything; he was used to turbulence. It was usually especially bad over the Montana mountains. But then he heard that telltale sound from his passenger. “Whoa,” she said. Then, “Ew.”

He glanced over at Katie. She was white as a sheet. He didn’t waste a second. “Katie! Bag!” He pointed to the side pocket. “Bag, bag, bag!”

She turned to look at him, glassy-eyed, confused. He reached across her and pointed closer to the side pocket. “There’s a bag in there if you don’t feel right!”

Weakly, she slipped her hand into the side pocket and pulled out a sick sack. She just held it, like that was the last thing she wanted to think about. And Dylan turned back toward the airport.

He didn’t make it far before she was holding the bag up to her face, retching.

“That a girl,” he said approvingly. “You’ll be fine when we’re on the ground. Ten minutes, tops.”

And she retched again.

Poor kid, he thought. She liked speed and tight turns, but apparently her inner ear wasn’t crazy about turbulence. Now that he considered it, that probably was a little more than she’d have been used to. Certainly not the first candidate for Dramamine....

“Ew,” she said again. “Oh, God.” Then she reached into her purse with a trembling hand for a tissue. While she wiped her mouth, he was on final approach.

He landed smoothly, taxied in and checked his passenger frequently, noting that her color was slowly coming back. He parked the little plane, jumped out and went around to her side to help her.

She held on to that sack protectively, embarrassed. Her head was down, her hair falling in a canopy, hiding her face.

“It’ll be okay, babe,” he said gently. “Happens sometimes. Even to big tough guys.”

Finally she looked up at him, her eyes watering, her face pale. “Now that,” she said, “was a date.”



After a little time in the restroom, splashing her face, braiding her hair and generally putting herself back together, Katie made a miraculous recovery. When she walked outside, she found Dylan leaning against his bike.

“You look a lot better,” he said with a smile.

“It seems to have left me as fast as it arrived. Whew, that was perfectly awful. I’m so sorry. Probably not what you were expecting, huh?”

“It happens,” he said. “Jump on.”

And away they went. He took a side trip through Arcata and stopped first at a drugstore. He left her on the bike and promised to return quickly. When he came back he handed her a small bag. Inside was a toothbrush, paste, mouthwash, disposable wipes and antiseptic hand wash. “I couldn’t think of another thing you might need,” he said. “I’m taking you to a restaurant—we’ll get you some tea and something mild, like mac and cheese.”

“You act like a man who has had a lot of experience with this,” she said.

“You’re my first,” he said. “Not the first passenger or student to get sick, but the first time a girl I was trying to impress… Well, I wanted it to be memorable.”

“It was,” she said. “A lot like morning sickness. One minute you’re going to die, then it’s over and you feel like you could eat a side of beef.”

“Tea and noodles,” he said. “And if it was morning sickness, it had nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, stop complaining.”

He looked over his shoulder at her. “At least you pronounced it a date.”

Dylan took her to a quaint bar; they had to walk up a flight of stairs to the second floor and, given it was still afternoon, they were among just a few diners. The view was of the marshy headlands; the birds were flying low over the tall grasses, the Pacific shining beyond. It was beautiful and so serene. “It looks so harmless out there, doesn’t it?” Katie said. “Some of us know it can really pack a punch. What got you into flying?”

“My grandmother moved us to Montana, where I had no friends or connections and, long story short, out of boredom I was hanging out at the nearest small airport. I started driving my little truck out there and did my homework while watching planes take off and land. Pretty soon I got the courage to wander into the building and asked them how much a ride would cost and they said, ‘Ride in what?’ I wanted to go up in their Lear, but I could afford thirty minutes in a little Cherokee.” He gave a shrug. “I fell in love.”

“I guess you didn’t get sick…”

He shook his head. “Never. I love to do loops and spins and all kinds of crazy stuff. I think I could rock as a test pilot. I was about sixteen when I told my grandmother I wanted to take lessons, get my pilot license, and she said she’d be on board with that if I brought home straight A’s. And did my chores—a lot of which were really crappy chores, pun intended. She bought a place on a lot of land with a barn, a couple of horses, a chicken coop, a couple of cows. Most of my chores involved a shovel and a lot of shit. By the time I was seventeen, I had my license and was instrument qualified. And then I went to Embry-Riddle and majored in aviation.”

“And started a company?” she asked,

“Does that seem ambitious?” he asked her. “It wasn’t. We couldn’t get hired by the major airlines—not enough hours in the cockpit and no hours in a heavy jet. We couldn’t even get on at the smaller regionals. Lots of training in all things aviation, but without the hours…”

“We?”

“My friend Lang and I. He was with me when we rode through Virgin River. We went to college together and he came back to Montana with me. We started real small and grew, but now…” He shook his head.

“Now?”

“The economy is kicking our ass.”

“Oh, no,” she said. “What will you do?”

“We’ll make changes, probably drastic changes. One of the things I’m supposed to be doing while I’m taking this break in the action is having meetings with airport managers, picking their brains about survival skills. And if possible, picking up charter work. Meanwhile, Lang is running things, beginning to downsize the operation, scheduling and probably operating any charters that come our way. We have to think out of the box now—might be time to consider other work options.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure. I have other ways of earning money, but—”

“Other ways?” she asked.

“We have a snowplow,” he said with a grin. “To keep the runway clear. Maybe we can start plowing roads and driveways in Payne. There are flying jobs all over the place…not always convenient ones, but they’re out there. Contract labor—all over the world. That would be hard on Lang—he’s married and has five kids and usually international jobs take you away for a month or more at a time, at least. He’s pretty committed to Montana—sees it as a good place to bring up the kids. Last year one of our pilots left for Nigeria—it was a one-year contract and it was good money. But it was a long way from home. And we like that little airport. We built it.”

She leaned her chin on her hand. “This must be very tough for you.”

“It’s a challenge, that’s for sure. Pretty soon we’re going to have to let people go. I hate to do that. They’re all good, loyal people. In most cases, my neighbors.”

She smiled at him. “There’s a lot more to you than meets the eye,” she said.

He also leaned his chin on his hand. “And what meets the eye, Katie Malone?”

“Hoodlum,” she said. “Biker bum. Ne’er do well. Notorious flirt. Opportunist…”

“Hey! I’m only an opportunist in the best possible way—the kind who will start a company that puts a few people to work.”

Her expression softened and grew serious. “I do know how it is to have your own company and to have it mean the world. I had a hardware store with my brother, remember. It was doing well when some jackass burned it down and sent us into hiding. Conner talks about maybe rebuilding. Maybe around Virgin River. But…”

“But…?” he prompted.

“But it took the store burning down for him to see that he needed a little more balance in his life, that he’d been working too hard and wanted more time to relax, more time with the boys and with his woman.” She shook her head. “I’ve never really seen Conner like this. He’s mellowed out a lot.”

“Couldn’t prove it by me,” Dylan said. “He pretty much snarls when he sees me, which fortunately isn’t too often.”

She giggled. “I told you—he’d like to pick my boyfriends.”

“Am I your boyfriend now? After the plane ride, even considering…?”

She ignored him and asked, “Tell me more about your company. Your airplanes, your barn, your best friend, your town, your grandmother…”

Dylan tried to remember how many times he’d been asked questions like these by lovely young women. The answer was never. Oh, he’d been asked about his famous grandmother, about his days in Hollywood, about how big his company was and how many planes he had and they stopped just short of asking what his bank balance was. But about his best friend? His barn? His town? Was it like this just because Katie Malone didn’t really know a thing about him?

He found himself talking and talking. He loved telling about how his grandmother took charge and found a place off the grid for them to live while he struggled to enter adulthood; about Lang and Sue Ann; about going to high school in Payne, college in the Prescott mountains. He told her about the girl he took to the senior prom, and had her laughing when he told the story of Lang falling for Mrs. Lang and how Sue Ann pinned his ears back and just wouldn’t take any of his big-city, playboy crap.

Then he asked her all about growing up in a hardware store, asked what kind of high school experience she had. “I’d like to teach while my kids are in school. It would be perfect for me. I’m sorry about the store, of course, but teaching and coaching girls’ athletics—that’s more me.” Then she grinned and said, “As long as I stay on the ground, I guess.”

Even though they lingered a long time over their dinner, it was still early evening when they headed for Virgin River. He took her off the road just long enough to view the sunset over the Pacific, then on to the little town, to her cabin.

He’d never felt closer to a woman in his adult life.

And then they were standing there, in front of that little cabin. All around them in the darkness were the noises of the forest, the crickets and squawks and occasional rustling sounds, but Katie just stood on the first step of the porch, looking into his burning blue eyes. He gently touched her cheek and the line of her jaw. He kissed the left corner of her mouth, then the right.

“This is going to be goodbye, I guess,” she said.

“That would probably be for the best,” he said. “You don’t want to get mixed up with me. You don’t want to put your boys through that…”

“Dylan, understand something—I will always take care of my kids first. Always. If I thought being around you was bad for them in any way… They’re first, that’s all. I could love you more than life itself and they would still be first. It’s a commitment a mother makes when she has children. And besides, I’m not so sure you’re bad for them. You’re a very nice guy.”

“But I should probably get out of here…” And he touched her lips again, more seriously. He covered her mouth in a hot, demanding kiss that robbed her of breath. “Unless…” And he kissed her some more.

“Unless…?” she asked weakly.

“Unless you want me to stay for a couple of hours…and make sure you never forget me.”

“Hmm,” she said, leaning toward him for more of his mouth. “Tempting. But unnecessary. I’ll never forget you, Dylan. I’ve had a very fun couple of weeks. Thank you.”

“Katie, Katie…I hate to leave you…”

“I understand, Dylan. You have things to take care of. And besides, I don’t want to have the best sex of my life with a guy who’s on his way out of town… Just kiss me some more and then tonight I’ll imagine it.”

“When you imagine it, multiply it times ten…” He went after her lips again. He pulled her hard against him and slid a hand up her side to briefly cover her breast. He feasted on her neck, jaw, ear, temple, mouth, then just held her still and close.

“Times a hundred,” she whispered.

They were locked on each other for another five minutes and she was the one to pull back. “I could do this forever, but I don’t want to make a fool of myself and cry. If you’re going, you should go while I still have some dignity.”

Dignity he understood. He backed off a bit and gave a nod. “I’ll think of you as the best part of my summer, Katie,” he said.

“I hope you can save the company,” she said. “And thank you for making me feel so special.”

He gave her waist a squeeze. “You are special. Don’t you ever forget that.”

And he turned from her, going to his bike.