Mel came outside and he dropped an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled close. “What is it?” she asked.

“Fire. Could be a controlled burn, could be wildfire. It’s been awful dry.”

“Has Virgin River ever been threatened by fire?”

“Not the town, no. There was a big one just north of here a few years ago. Right after Preacher showed up. Everyone pitched in. We dug a lot of ditches, hauled drinking water, drove trucks. Then we got certified in training so we could be ready.”

“What would happen?” she asked. “If a fire got too close?”

“Well,” he said, his arm tightening around her. “We’re sitting in the middle of a forest, Mel. This place could end up looking like the face of the moon.” He lifted his eyes to the horizon. “We need a good, solid rain. And there isn’t any forecasted. This forest is pure kindling.”

Tom graduated with honors and the general and Vanessa hosted a party at their home, open to all their friends and all of Tom’s friends. The young people were on the move—they’d spend the entire weekend going from one open house to another. Tom and Brenda and some of their friends spent about an hour at the Booth home before taking off for other graduation parties, but the adults didn’t mind a bit that they were left to themselves.

Everyone dropped by to pass along their congratulations, including Muriel St. Claire.

“Can we count on you to come to the wedding next Saturday?” Vanessa asked her.

“Oh, sweetheart, thank you for including me. Actually, I’m driving to Sebastapol to pick up a dog. A little guy named Buff. Another Lab—this one is yellow. I’ve got a good hunter already—Luce, my little girl and best friend, a year and a half and brilliant. But no dog should grow up alone.” And then she grinned. “But I hope to see you soon after the wedding. It would be lovely to have dinner with you and Paul. I’ll speak to Walt about that, since I can’t cook.”

“At all?” Vanessa asked.

Muriel shrugged. “At all. I’d like you to know, though, I have other talents. I can paint, hang paper, sand and varnish, grow vegetables, hunt duck and tell jokes. Besides, I heard there’s great takeout at Jack’s.”

“There is.” Vanni smiled. “And you ride, too.”

“I do. I have two horses with me. We should go out for a ride sometime. We can meet midway between our houses along the river.”

“I would like that so much,” Vanni said. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“Yes, we do,” Muriel agreed, then gave Vanessa a conspiratorial wink.

As he was leaving the party Tom took Paul aside for a minute. Just outside the closed front door, Tom asked, “So. You ready to take on Vanessa?”

“More than ready, pal.”

“Great, man. I couldn’t have planned this better myself.”

“Good. I hoped you’d say that.”

Tom took a matchbook out of his pocket and flipped it around in his hand. “There’s an all-night graduation party tonight that Brenda and I are going to,” he said. He put the matchbook in Paul’s hand. “Except we’re not going to it. Someone should know where we are, in case there’s any kind of emergency. Someone who can keep his big mouth shut.”

Paul looked at the matchbook. The Brookstone Inn. He met eyes with Tom.

“Someone who isn’t going to ask me one more time if I have a condom in my pocket.”

“Why would I ask that?” Paul said. “You’re way outta my league, brother.”

“Just in case someone has a heart attack or something.”

“Thanks,” Paul said, slipping the matchbook in his pocket. “I appreciate that you think smart. Have a good time.”

“See you tomorrow.” And he was gone.

When Paul went back in the house, Vanni was waiting for him. “What was that about?”

Paul leaned close to her ear. “Just asking your brother’s permission to be his brother-in-law,” Paul said. “It’s official. I’m welcomed to the family.”

Tom checked into the Brookstone in Ferndale while Brenda waited in the car. The way it had gone lately, they’d make wild love, and then there would be some tears about him leaving, and then they’d make wild love again, then they’d have a few more tears. There hadn’t been any long nights together since that first time at his house, but there had been some remarkable sessions, here and there, especially evenings at the Booth house when Vanni was in Grants Pass and Walt was down at Bodega Bay with Shelby.

“Before you start crying again, I have something for you,” he said.

“You do?”

“I do.” He leaned over the bed and dug around on the floor for his pants, pulling a box out of the pocket. He passed it to her. “It’s how I feel about you.”

She opened the box and there, curled around a velvet circle, was a sparkling diamond bracelet. She was speechless. “My God,” she finally said. “My God.”

“Here’s how I feel. If we somehow manage to keep it together, through separations and school and all that stuff, I want to be with you forever. I didn’t want to get you a ring—that would be too crazy. I mean, a senior in high school wearing an engagement ring? A senior like you who practically aced the SATs and is going all the way—you can’t be wearing an engagement ring. I want you to be thinking about yourself now—you’re just a girl.” He took the bracelet out of the box and put it on her wrist. “But you can wear this. To remind you that I love you. And I’m not leaving you to be away from you, but to start building what we’re going to have.”

“Oh God,” she said again. “Is it real?”

He laughed. “It actually is.”

“How could you afford this?”

“I have a couple of bucks and college is paid for by the Army. It’s not the best diamond bracelet ever made and the rocks are real little, but for your first one, it’s okay. Later, I’ll get you better diamonds, I promise. Brenda, I love you, honey. And I need you to stop crying. Leaving is hard enough. I’ll be back in August for a little while, before I start West Point. You can make it till then, can’t you?”

“I can make it as long as you need me to,” she said.

“It’s not going to be easy, you know. Even if you go to school in New York. We’re going to be mostly separated for four years, maybe five while you finish—”

“No,” she said. “Four. I’m going to finish college in three.” She stared at her bracelet, then when she lifted her eyes to his, she raised one light brown brow and smiled. “Do you have any doubt I can do that?”

He grinned at her. “None whatsoever.”

“Then I’m going wherever you go, Tom.”

“The Army is going to keep me from getting married while I’m at West Point. This next four years, this is when we’re going to find out what we’re made of, because Army life isn’t easy. It’s good, and it’s strong, but it’s not easy. My dad always said that sometimes the Army spouses have to be tougher than the soldiers—my mom was left to raise us alone so many times. I know she was lonely, sometimes scared, and she was probably pissed some of the time, but she was so proud of my dad’s work. You’d never know it was hard for her. You have to know that going in, it’s just not easy. If you change your mind, if someone else comes along that can offer you—”

She put a hand against his cheek. “What if someone comes along for you?” she asked.

“Brenda—I think all I’m going to get in the Army are sore muscles and a completely worn-out brain.”

“You never know—there could be some really sexy drill sergeant,” she said with a laugh.

“Right,” he said. “Listen to me now. My mind is made up, but I want you to promise me—keep your options open. Have fun, be a single girl and enjoy yourself. Take a good hard look around you, a long look at the world. When this four years is up, you have to be sure. You have to think I’m your best choice—not your only choice. I don’t want you to ever think you made a mistake, betting on me and this life. Because if you’re still my girl, I’m going to marry you the first day I can, and then I’m not letting you go without a fight.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open, Tommy,” she said. “But I bet my heart will only be able to see you. And I’ll miss you so much, but I’m proud of you. I know we’re pretty young—but I’m not too young to know I have to marry a man I can be that proud of.”

It made him smile. “I’ll work on making sure you always feel that way.”

“Yeah, I know you will.”

“I used to hate my dad for coming up with Virgin River,” he said with a laugh. “Now I’m thinking of putting him in my will.”

Jack drove to Garberville to pick up Ricky from the bus early the next Wednesday morning. He was thinking about the phone call he’d had from Ricky a few weeks ago. It changed his world, but it was something he could have predicted.

The boy stepped off the bus not in uniform, but in his jeans and boots. Even so, that jarhead haircut branded him as a marine on leave. Jack’s chest swelled with pride. Boy? This was no boy. Here was a man, a fighting marine, who had matured and grown even stronger in the months he’d been away. His grin, however, was the same young, infectious, optimistic smile as when he first rode his bike up to Jack’s years ago.

It took willpower not to run to him and fetch him up in his arms, but Jack stood stock-still, letting the boy—the young man—come to him. They grasped hands and brought themselves shoulder to shoulder. Rick had grown yet taller. He was every bit the six-two Jack was. “Hey, man,” Ricky said.

“Damn, boy. Look at you. You’re almost as old as me.”

“Hardly.” Ricky laughed. “Look at you. You’re getting gray, what’s this?”

“Melinda, naturally. She’s working me over. You should be careful, Rick. Strong, sexy women? They’ll kill you slow.”

“What a way to go, huh?”

“Yeah, I can’t complain. It’s turning out to be a big weekend here, man.”

“Yeah?”

“Paul’s getting married. I’ll catch you up on all that—but the two events, your leave and Paul’s wedding—it’s bringing the boys to town. We’re going to have us a time. They’ll start arriving in a couple of days.”

“Good. How’s Mel?”

“Getting around a little slow, but don’t worry—she’s bossing me around like crazy, which tells me she’s fine. She can’t wait to see you.”

“And Preach?” Ricky asked.

“About to be a father, in a month or so.”

“Damn,” Ricky said. “When I first laid eyes on him, I would never have put money on that.”

“Tell me about it. By the way, your grandma is doing well. And from what I hear from her aunt Connie, your girl is excited about your leave.”

“Yeah, I called Lizzie. She’s a little freaked about Iraq, but it’ll give her time to finish school. It’s been a real headache, getting her through school…”

“She still trying to marry you?” Jack asked.

“I’m sticking to my guns, man. Four years, that’s the deal. Down to three now. But holy Jesus, I love her like crazy. I can’t wait to see her.”

“You going to have time for the rest of us?”

“I can cut you a few minutes,” he said with a grin that was all boy. “Try not to jam me up too bad, huh? I’ve been totally faithful to this girl for nine whole months and I am in bad shape. Bad.”