call her house so early in the morning? She reached over him and grabbed the cordless on the bedside table. She muttered a sleepy hello.
“Sorry to call so early, Leslie. This is Brie. Is there any chance Conner is there?”
“Right here,” she said, passing the phone to him. “It’s Brie.”
“Brie?” he said into the phone. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing wrong, Conner. Max called just a few minutes ago and got us all out of bed. They’re going to want you in Sacramento soon to prep you before the trial. You should be there in a week at the outside. Get there by next Monday morning.”
He sat up and rubbed a hand over his goatee. “How long is that going to take?”
“A couple of days to prep, tops. You’ll be put up in a hotel and you will have protection, so don’t worry about that. I don’t know when they’ll put you on the stand—whenever it’s most strategic, I imagine. What I’m saying is, I don’t know how long you’ll be stuck in Sacramento. But you should be there in a week at the outside. Which gives you a little less than a week to see your sister and get to Sacramento.”
“I should go directly from my sister’s to Sacramento?” he asked.
“That’s the best idea, I think. Then you won’t raise any eyebrows in Virgin River. And another piece of information you’ve probably been wondering about—your biker is safe. All good. He works in a Harley dealership and there are a lot of group rides out of that shop. He’s clean as a whistle.”
“Not a hit man, huh?”
“Doesn’t appear to be, no. Now, can I suggest you pack and tell your boss you have a family emergency back in Colorado?”
“And what am I going to say it is?”
“Just tell him you’re not real comfortable talking about it right now as you don’t have all the details, but you’ll stay in touch and be back as soon as possible. If it seems safe and appropriate, I could have a word with Paul.”
“Please, if you can,” he said. “I want the job, if I can still have it after the trial. And do this for me, Brie. Check on Leslie.”
“Certainly. Tell her if she needs anything at all, call me.”
“I already have.”
“Then say your goodbyes and get going. It’ll soon be over, Conner.”
Of course Conner had known that he’d be headed to Katie’s home soon, but not quite this soon. He’d already purchased a ticket for a departure a week from now, but he’d wisely chosen a refundable one that, for a fee, could be changed to a different flight, just in the event something like this came up.
Thank God it was only five in the morning. That gave him a little time.
He put the phone back on the bedside table and rolled over, pressing Leslie down into the bed. “In a couple of hours I’m going to drive to the job site to tell Dan I have to leave town. Then I’m going to drive out to the office to tell Paul. Then I’m going back to the cabin to check flights and pack up. I’ll call you when I get to Katie’s.”
“And now?”
“Now, I want to love you one more time before I go.”
“Please, don’t act like it could be the last time. I don’t want to be afraid.”
His eyes bored into hers. “It’s not, Les. It’s not—don’t even think that way. It’s just an inconvenient piece of business that has to be handled. That’s all it is.”
She ran her fingers through the short hair at his temples. “Serious business,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Just kiss me.” And with that, he devoured her with one of his possessive kisses.
An hour and a half later, his hair still damp from his shower, he was standing at her front door, with Leslie pressed tightly against him. “I’ll talk to you later. Tonight, if I don’t have any problems getting flights changed and make it to the East Coast. But if you don’t hear from me tonight, don’t worry—I’ll call first thing in the morning.”
“I hope you find out your sister is in a good place,” she said.
“I’m sure you’re perfectly safe, Les, but don’t take anything for granted. Lock your doors and pay attention to what’s going on around you.” He put a kiss on her nose. “I love you.”
“I love you more,” she said, letting him go very reluctantly. “Come back to me soon.”
There were things Conner had not thought to ask Brie,