Passion in James County XII: The Widow
Chapter Twelve
John and Gail lay in bed for a little longer. Finally, Gail got out of bed. "If I'm going to the mountains with you, I have to take a shower and get packed," she said. She headed for the bathroom, turned the shower on and got in.
Gail finished her shower, then John took a one while she got dressed and packed some things to take along to the mountains. She still was feeling overwhelmed by how fast things were moving. It seemed like so much had happened since John walked into the restaurant the night before, but she was thrilled that she'd be spending the next week with him.
When they were both ready, John carried her things out to his rented car and soon they were headed toward the mountains.
"What am I doing?" Gail thought as they rolled down the highway. "What...what is Greg going to think when I show up with his uncle? He...he and his aunt were very close. He'll probably hate me for being with John. Why did I do this? What was I thinking when I said I'd go to Greg's place with John, anyhow?"
John noticed that Gail had been quiet for some time. He reached out and took her hand. "What's the matter, Gail, are you nervous?" he asked. "You're so quiet."
Gail nodded. "Scared is a better word," she replied. "Are you sure Greg won't be upset when he finds out you brought me along? I mean, he probably doesn't even remember me, and he sure doesn't know about us. What's he going to say when I show up with you unannounced and uninvited?"
John squeezed her hand. "You were invited," he said, "By me. And don't worry, Greg and Abby are wonderful. Greg's been bugging me for a long time to find someone. He ought to be happy I'm taking his advice. Things will work out wonderfully. You'll see. We'll have a great time."
They just had to work out, Gail thought, they just had to. Holding John's hand, she laid her head back on the car seat and was soon lulled to sleep by the sounds of the car and the gentle motions it made as it rolled along.
"Hey, sleepyhead, you want some lunch?" John asked.
Gail awakened and looked over at his smiling face. "Ah, OK," she said.
He pulled off the highway and stopped in front of a diner. They walked in, found an empty booth, and sat down. A waitress came and took their order.
"What do you think Greg's going to say when he sees me?" Gail asked.
"Probably something like, 'Hi, Gail, I haven't seen you in a while,' or something like that," John teased.
Gail frowned. "John, I'm serious!" she said. "I mean, we did just renew our acquaintance last night and all..."
"Getting reacquainted sure was wonderful, wasn't it?" John said.
Gail felt herself blushing. "John, why can't you be serious?" she asked.
"Honey, you're getting yourself all worked up for no reason," he said. "What's the point in getting upset before you're sure there's anything to be upset about?" Believe me, once we get to the lake, I'm sure you'll find your worrying has all been for nothing."
"I sure hope you're right," Gail said.
They finished their lunch, and were soon back on the highway. Gail was again quiet, thinking. "So Greg's a police officer, just like you were, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah, I couldn't talk him out of it," John said. "He's got a pretty good deal, though. He's the only deputy working up in that area of the county, so he has a lot of freedom. I hear the new sheriff thinks pretty highly of him, too."
Despite his comment about trying to talk his nephew out of a law enforcement career, John's voice showed obvious pride in the fact that his nephew had adopted the same career he had chosen. Gail wasn't surprised. She knew Greg and John were close, and that Greg had been close to his Aunt Marion, too. What would he really think when his beloved uncle showed up with her? She continued to worry about what it was going to be like when they got to Greg's home. John seemed so sure things would be OK. Maybe her confusion was because she never, in her wildest dreams, imagined her life would take such a strange and exciting turn.
"We're almost there," John told her.
Gail looked up and saw that they were heading down a narrow blacktop road. After about a mile, John turned right, onto a dirt road. The road wended through some woods, then they came into an open area where a huge white building sat.
"That's the main lodge," John said. "Maybe, if Greg throws us out, we can stay there." He chuckled. "I'm just kidding."
They continued on the dirt road a little longer, passing a number of cabins, then John turned into the driveway of a large white two-story house. He pulled up in front of the house, stopped, and shut off the motor.
"Well," he said, "we're here."
"We are, aren't we?" Gail said. She swallowed hard. Now what?
They got out of the car, John got their bags out of the trunk, then he led Gail into the house.
Greg seemed surprised to see Gail with his uncle, but his look of surprise was quickly replaced by one of delight. He hugged his uncle, then he turned to Gail. "Hi, Gail," he said. "It's been a long time, nice to see you again." He turned back to his uncle. "You didn't tell me about this, Uncle John," he said.
"Is it a problem?" John asked.
"You know better than that, Uncle John," Greg said. "I think it's about time, don't you?" He turned back to Gail. "Welcome to our home, Gail. I can't think of anyone I'd rather see Uncle John with than you."
