she swallowed. "do you promise not to leave my side the entire weekend?"

"i promise to protect you from our mothers. my mother's very nice, in an extremely nosey, interfering sort of way."

she smiled. "and mine's very nice, in an extremely bossy, conniving sort of way."

"but both our fathers play golf," he said, smiling. "that will keep them busy all weekend, going over every course and every hole they've ever played."

"and our mothers? what do you suppose they'll be going over?"

he gave her a little kiss. "i promise not to leave your side all weekend," he said.

brie called abby on the thursday before the shower. "i have an early baby gift for you. i was hoping this would come together in time. i received a very courteous phone call from none other than ross crawford himself. we spoke briefly. he wondered why you wouldn't be accepting any alimony, he wanted to know if you were married."

"and what did you tell him?" abby asked.

"simply, you needed the alimony to pay off his credit-card debt, as ordered by the court, and once that debt was cleared, you preferred to support yourself, as you always had. and that you weren't married. i did do one thing-i just couldn't help it. i said that, of course, you had no knowledge of the credit cards, never held them, hadn't signed for them, had never made a charge of any kind, were never issued copies of the statements, and that it was my opinion you shouldn't have been responsible in the first place. but what's done is done and you'd like to move on now-no hard feelings. and like the genius he is, he asked, what credit-card debt? i told him he'd have to check with his lawyer-it was part of the divorce settlement he signed. he said he'd do that and as far as he was concerned, everything was resolved and he sends his best."

"his best?" she laughed. "how nice of him."

"i asked him to follow up my letter and our phone conversation with a letter stating that he wouldn't seek any further compensation from you, signed by him and not his legal staff, saying the matter is successfully closed. he did so, abby. he couriered it to me. i didn't want to call you until i had the document in hand. it's resolved. the prenup is in your past. i'll make a copy for your file and give you the original. you can safely assume he's not after you for any reason. how does that feel?" brie asked.

"i wish i could say i felt ten pounds lighter," she answered, rubbing a hand over her round middle. "but i'm very relieved. thank you so much."

"it must be wonderful to have it behind you."

"i feel a little foolish. i wish i'd talked to you about this situation the second i came to virgin river. i had no idea it could just go away like that."

"well, it didn't go away just like that. according to your settlement agreement, that bill had to be taken care of. but never panic, abby. just as cameron said, things like this can usually be worked out. the only important thing now is that you and cam can get on with your lives. are you feeling well?"

"i feel enormous. i haven't seen my feet in so long, i'm not sure i still have feet. my back is killing me and i have a new mystery pain every day. and i don't know if word's gotten out, but our parents are coming down for the party this weekend. they'll meet each other. ugh."

"are you worried about that?"

"i'm worried about the questions-none of which i feel like answering. you know the ones-how did this happen and when are you getting married?"

brie laughed. "tell them your attorney advised you not to answer any questions right now. you have other things on your mind. like making it through the shower without going into labor. what does mel say about your progress?"

"you mean mel and john and cam, the delivery team? i see them every week. we just found out cameron's dream has come true and baby number two is a girl-one of each. just what he hoped for. it's a good thing, too-i doubt anyone's ever going to talk me into doing this again."

"well, if you don't mind me saying so, it sounds like things are going very well for you and cameron. you make a nice team."

she laughed. "i don't mind you saying so. i don't think we're fooling anyone. we're nuts for each other. love at first sight. instant family."

"abby, that's just wonderful. i haven't known cameron all that long, but i can't help thinking he's a great guy. and with this legal business behind you, your way is clear for a very happy family life."

"i have more immediate concerns. brie, when you were this pregnant, did you have contractions all the time?"

"abby," she said, "i've never been that pregnant. i just had one on the way, and when i got down to the last two months, i thought i was going into labor every day, but the contractions never got regular or obvious till d-day. and there was no mistaking it."

"i have a little dilemma. i have too many cooks in the kitchen. john and cam both want to induce at thirty-seven weeks, if i make it that long. mel wants to wing it-she likes pitocin as a delivery tool when indicated, but she prefers her women to go into labor on their own. everyone agrees, the babies are in position and ready to go. i think the docs want to control the environment while mel wants to keep it as natural as possible. and i don't know which way to go."

"where are you having the babies?"

"i'm going to the hospital. given the facts of lower birth weight, we're erring on the side of caution. mel's good with that-she delivered babies in a big-city hospital for years before coming out to the mountains. but the doctors want to monitor everything, and she wants me to have as pure an experience as possible...."

brie laughed. "you'll figure it out. in fact, the decision could be taken away from you-you might beat them to the punch. you're not thirty-seven weeks yet."

"close. i'm dilated a little bit."

"well, cross your legs-i'm helping vanessa cook for the shower!"

by dinnertime the friday night before the party, the mccalls and michaelses were in virgin river. cameron made arrangements for both couples to have cabins at the riordans' little resort along the river. abby and cameron met them there, introduced everyone, and as cameron predicted, they were completely polite to each other.

susan mccall was a small, roundish woman with short blond hair who had raised an only child and worked in community service her entire married life, everything from pta to library to charity work for the poor. her volunteerism in seattle was every bit a full-time job. beth michaels had raised three children, cameron being the oldest, while working as a dental hygienist. she was susan's physical opposite, tall and thin with dark hair that framed her face. they were both strong, willful, energetic women in their late fifties. primed to be grandparents.

during their getting-acquainted dinner at jack's, beth michaels said, "i was just wondering if you're ready to tell us how you met and-"

"we met by chance in grants pass," cameron said. "abby was attending a wedding and i was having dinner in the same place with my partners."

"and then?" beth pushed.

"and then i fell right in love, and after a little coercing, abby fell in love right back."

"cameron," his mother admonished, "there were very few details in that account."

"hmm," he said, sipping from a water glass. "how about that."

"and your plans for marriage?" susan mccall asked.

"you'll be the first to know, mom," abby answered.

the mothers exchanged glances while abby and cameron clasped hands and smiled at each other. as a united front, they were holding their own very well.

abby and cam took them on a tour of the clinic and showed them the cabin where they were living. before they could fuss about the size or rustic quality of the place, cameron assured them they'd be looking for something larger after the babies were born and life had adjusted somewhat.

vanessa, brie and paige planned a beautiful saturday-afternoon party to take place at the general's house-vanni's deck and yard were not yet as she wanted them to be for a party. outside on the general's deck the men could enjoy their cigars while inside, the women would have good food, beverages, gifts and lots of space to get acquainted. vanni invited the sheridans, june and john from grace valley and their spouses, nikki and joe from grants pass, shelby and luke and art.

nikki and joe arrived early to help with the food and decorating-the women hung pink and blue streamers around the dining-room table, along with balloons.

unlike most of the other couples present, cameron stayed close to abby. he fetched her food from the buffet, refilled her water glass, cooed over the gifts as she opened them. there were wonderful little outfits, practical supplies, the special extras every young mother present had found to be essential.

preacher and jack had closed the bar for a few hours in the afternoon, but left their wives and little ones at the shower to get back in time for the dinner hour. everyone had such a good time and the food and drink was so plentiful, the sun was setting before people started to drift off. cameron loaded the gifts in his suv to take back to the cabin and the crowd had thinned before abby said, "cam, where are our mothers?"

"i don't know," he said, looking around. "ask your dad if he knows."

ed michaels had no idea. chuck mccall couldn't say. it appeared the ladies had disappeared.

"you and i should talk without our kids or husbands," beth michaels had said to susan mccall.

"oh yes," susan had replied. "but there's a party going on. think we can slip down to the stable or something?"

"forget it. come with me."

"should we tell someone we're leaving?" susan asked.

"no, let's just drift away." she smiled. "they can search the whole town in five minutes. no worries. we're going to the bar."

susan smiled back. "i like the way you think."

"hmm. there's a reason our kids get along so well."

ten minutes later they pulled up to jack's and went in. jack was behind the bar and the look of shock on his face caused beth to laugh lightly and whisper, "we'd better be quick. look at him. he's going to give us up."

"in a heartbeat," susan agreed.

"this way." beth found an isolated corner of the bar out of the range of dining patrons and they hopped up on stools. jack was there immediately, slapping down a couple of napkins.

"ladies?" he asked.

"martinis, i think." then she looked at susan, who nodded in agreement. "dry."

"okay then," jack said, turning away to fetch drinks.

"all right," beth said. "i know nothing. cameron said he fell hard for a woman, but she had divorce complications. i had no idea he had a woman in his life. but it's absolutely clear he adores her. he loves her completely. do you know anything?"

"i didn't know how closely cameron figured in this until a couple of days ago. abby told me that this wonderful pediatrician she met in virgin river was, in fact, the babies' father. first i heard of it. but you're right-they're dead in love. and more pregnant than i've ever been."

"ditto," said cameron's mother.

"i can tell you about the divorce, however. nasty little piece of work. i was shocked abby married him so quickly in the first place, and i think she was, too. we met him briefly-he seemed okay. but..."