Remember This (Virgin River)

Being Serious

"Since we've been in bed all day, I think I can finally say I've worked up an appetite." I snuggled into the pillow, wondering how I had gotten so lucky to find him at a time of need. "I make a mean ham sandwich."

"What can't you do?"

"Oh, lots of things." He settled against the pillow with a satisfied grin. After the day we had, I was surprised he was still going. I was about to fall asleep, my thoughts drifting, almost silencing as I got to know him better. "I can't sew to save my life."

"Mmm. I don't know if I can believe that." I could no longer keep my eyes open just at the moment I realized he was being serious. "You seem to be very precise with those hands."

"Okay, tell me something you can't do."

"I was always told I don't listen. In other words, I'm stubborn."

"I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"Sounds about right then." He was stifling a laugh, but it took me a minute before I popped my head up and slapped his chest with my hand. "I only meant I knew because I worked with Jack."

"Okay. I'm not good at fishing." Although I was feeling more awake than a few minutes ago, I was starting to feel the exhaustion coursing through every part of my body. "Before Jack left for the marines he tried to teach me. It was the last thing we really did together."

"You two were close?"

"We were."

"I can't speak for why your brother lost contact with you. We saw some pretty hard things I'm still not ready to talk about. I can imagine it's probably the same for him." We sat in silence for several minutes before he threw his legs over the bed. "I'm going to grab that sandwich." When I was sure he was downstairs, I dug into my purse I grabbed about an hour ago, pulling out a pill and downing it with a quick swig of water sitting on the nightstand next to me. I laid my head back on the pillow, closing my eyes and letting my thoughts drift back to us standing by the river.

"What?" We were both standing with water up to our knees, both of our fishing hooks bobbing in the water.

"Nothing. You're doing great."

"You have never been a great liar." I shook my head, our attention on the tug on his line. There was a lot of back and forth before he pulled the huge wriggling bass out of the water.

"This sure beats working, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, about that." I drew my line in, giving up on catching anything, and walked to the side where the water lapped over the dirt. "You know Dad isn't happy you're leaving again."

"By the sound of it, you're not either."

"Of course I'm not okay with you leaving. You're my only brother, my best friend. How do you think I would feel if I lost you?"

"Hey, did I wake you?" My eyes fluttered open to see the empty plate scattered with crumbs sitting on his lap.

"No. What time is it?"

"A little past five."

"I should get going." I blinked back sleep, realizing I had been out for almost two hours. Still wasn't enough to satisfy the amount I had been getting lately. "Mel and I are having drinks. She's going to pick me up from Jack's, and the last thing I need is her wondering where I am and telling my brother she can't find me."

"Fair point." Bringing my hand to his lips, he kissed along my thumb. "I can give you a ride. Give me a minute." He pulled on his boxers, not taking his eyes off me as he closed the door behind him. I got up, getting dressed along the way. I was just pulling on my sweater when he came back into the room.

"I'm just about ready. I need to put on my shoes and then we can go."

"Still down in the living room. I wish you could stay the night."

"Mel and I have been planning this for about a week, or I would." Flipping my hair out from underneath my sweater, I started making my way around the corner of the bed.

"I know." I could see him hesitating as he touched his fingers just about my elbow. "Hey, you're not upset about earlier?"

"What makes you think I'm upset?"

"I don't know. A part of me wants to believe you were tired because you were asleep before I got back, but the other part worries I said something wrong."

"You did nothing wrong," I assured him, padding down the hall. I really wasn't upset, at least not about that. I wanted to know the secret that kept Jack away from our family. Despite visiting almost a year and a half ago, my brother seemed more and more distant. It saddened me how we went from telling each other everything to the secrets we both held on to. I wasn't sure what happened in that time frame, but I was dying to have it all back.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Holding the door, he went ahead to hand me my helmet, then put on his own as he started up the engine of his motorcycle. We rode in silence, the wind catching me in another memory as I saw Jack off the next day.

"Promise me you'll write when you can."

"I promise." He assured me, although I wondered if he was only saying that to make me feel better about him going halfway around the world to fight, no assurance he was going to come back in one piece. Who knew if this was going to be the last time I would be able to wrap my hands around him. "Be safe. Come back home."

"You know I will. I love you."

"I love you too." Letting go of me, he stepped back, leaned forward to grab the green army bag he had dropped by his feet before walking away. Jack had never been one for goodbyes, while I mourned the fact I couldn't convince him not to go and watched him step onto that bus one more time.