noah burst out laughing. this was what he loved about george and always had-he was so unafraid to live life. he held nothing back. "they used to call men like you rogues," noah said.

"not men like me," he protested. "i care very much for these ladies. they are, each one, wonderful women. i treat them with genuine affection and respect."

noah suspected george was sleeping with at least one of them, but he'd never ask. in noah's younger years, he'd been frivolous where women were concerned and had been intimate with quite a few. when he was about to be ordained, he'd struggled with the chastity issue. he wasn't big on chastity. he didn't think it was so much a sin as a recommendation, and in most cases there was a strong argument for the recommendation. youth, for example. and there was no argument to support sex with partners you weren't committed to; he could admit he'd been impetuous there. and he couldn't find anything to support adultery-you didn't need a commandment to see how bad that could turn.

for that matter, the bible was riddled with suggestions that by modern standards were ridiculous. isolation for menstruating women. no eating of fish without scales or fins; no wearing of linen and wool in the same garment. and there was a lot of stoning. some were ageless rules that made perfect moral sense even today, others were cultural manifestos of the period.

still, he had wanted george's take on it, especially if he was about to encourage members of a congregation to stand firm on something that bothered him hardly at all.

george was blase. "no one knows the bible better than you, noah. and you have an impressive knowledge of related studies. there are obvious reasons why things like chastity are enforced even today. to keep women safe, for one thing. to keep men from acting like rutting beasts. to discourage promiscuity, to honor the sanctity of marriage. to keep the act of love holy and virtuous. and to keep children from coming into unblessed unions before the man and woman were prepared to parent them, to feed and protect them."

noah knew this too well. the reasons for most of the bible's rules were practical as opposed to arbitrary proof of one's discipline.

"but i suggest making use of the eleventh commandment. moses ran out of stone, but its wisdom has survived the ages. take responsibility for your actions."

noah had grinned largely and said, "now, that, i get."

twelve

on monday, george and noah took a hint when they realized they were simply a bother to the workers who were trying to get some real work done in the church. they decided to drive over to arcata to look at the bird sanctuaries, then they had a nice dinner in old town.

by the time they got back to virgin river it was getting late so george took a book to bed while noah sat up. he was on the couch with his laptop, trading late-night e-mails with a university friend who had moved to los angeles. it was after ten when there was a knock at the rv door. a soft knock. noah typed, gotta go. company.

noah answered the door and standing there, below him, was ellie. she was upset; all color was drained from her face.

"i'm sorry, i'm sorry, it's late and you were probably asleep and i'm sorry, but i'm so scared and i don't know what to do."

"i wasn't asleep. come in," he said, putting out a hand. "what in the world happened?"

"someone visited arnie from child welfare today, talked to him, interviewed the kids, and he's furious! he says he knows i'm behind it and he's gonna make me pay. oh, god, noah! what if he does something terrible to the kids?"

"come here," noah said calmly. he led her to the couch and closed the laptop, pushing it aside. "just sit down and tell me about it."

"i told him i didn't ask for that, which is the truth, but he was snarling at me, threatening me, telling me that two can play that game. if i bring trouble on him, he'll bring trouble on me."

"did you call brie?" noah asked.

"i did. i have her business number and it went to voice mail, so i left a message. then i called again and said i was coming here to talk to you, in case she tried to call me back. i feel like i should drive over to arnie's or something. i'm afraid."

a tear suddenly emerged and he wiped it off her cheek with a thumb. and just at that moment, the door to the bedroom opened and george stood there in his bathrobe. "i'm sorry to intrude. is there anything i can do?"

"you heard?" noah asked.

"no, i just heard voices, but it's obvious there's a problem," george said.

"come in if you like. this is not a secret," noah said. "ellie has a problem with her ex and we're going to talk it through."

george just smiled and said, "i think i'll leave you two to work it out."

noah barely heard him as he was concentrating on ellie. "i have brie's home number, if you'd like me to call her."

"should we?" she asked. "i don't want to be a problem, but i don't know what to do."

"i think this is what arnie wants, ellie. he made you blink. he delivered his vengeance, he scared you. he doesn't know where that child welfare worker came from. for all he knows, the judge ordered it. those social workers are very slick, they know what they're doing. they don't let things slip that might hurt the children."

"he said he doesn't believe the judge did this. what if he calls the judge?"

"if this works the usual way, no one can have an ex parte conversation with the judge-you would have to be present, as well. we'll talk to brie before the judge is in chambers," noah said. "it's going to be okay. the problem is proving he threatened you. that's more he-said-she-said."

"oh. well. i should tell you, i got one of those thingamajigs. i taped him. when he started giving me trouble about talking to the kids or picking them up, i went to the electronics store and, even though it pretty much wiped me out, i bought a phone answering machine that could record calls even while i was talking. all i have to do is push a button before i pick up. so i have a tape. but that won't help, will it?"

noah's face split in a huge grin and he put his palms against her cheeks, gave a laugh and kissed her, quick and hard. "ha!" he said. he kissed her again. "ellie, you got him!"

"but i've always heard that if you tape someone when they don't know it, it won't hold up in court..."

"bull. when attorneys and judges, not to mention law enforcement, are aware that there's a real threat, the tables turn. it makes him the bad guy and you the victim! any chance he knew what you were doing?"

she shook her head. "arnie doesn't think i'm smart enough to do anything."

"ha!" he laughed, grinning. "what are you doing tomorrow?"

"back to vanni's, i guess..."

"but first, you go to brie's office, play her the tape and ask for her help. now we're done screwing around here-i don't care what she might charge you, we'll work that out. i have a couple of bucks saved. whatever she can do, hang the cost, get it done. please?"

"do you think anything can be done?"

"oh, honey, you're so used to having the deck stacked against you, you stopped believing things can be worked out a long time ago, didn't you? yes, we can get ahead of this." he pulled her back on the couch, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder. "we'll get everything straightened out. this has gone on long enough-we have to bring it to a close."

she was quiet for a long moment before she said, "we?"

he gave her shoulders a squeeze. "come on, don't you feel like we're in this together? i want to help, ellie. you got screwed, by arnie, by the court, all around. you don't deserve this."

she sighed heavily and rested against his shoulder. "i don't understand people like arnie, noah. what's the matter with him? why does he want to hurt me so much?"

"he's a borderline personality," noah said. "not exactly insane, he appears to be functional. but he's manipulative, angry, jealous, thinks he's omnipotent, and he's narcissistic."

"wow. lotta ten-dollar words there."

"and you know what every one of them means, don't you?" he asked with a smile. "he probably didn't have a happy childhood."

"and so, making sure my kids don't have one, that'll make him feel better?"

"ironically, no. in fact, he'll probably feel worse and act worse. but he's a bucket of trouble, and he's not going to repent. they're the hardest ones to cure with therapy and counseling. everything is justified in his mind. his perception is that he acts and feels the way he does because he has to, because other people drive him to it. it's a convoluted way of thinking to people like us who aren't that way."

"you can say that again. and he's missing out on everything good. it doesn't cost you anything to be nice."

noah chuckled. "gramma baldwin."

"as a matter of fact."

"what i'd like to understand is you, not him. him, i get. but you, ellie. you've had one bad break after another and it doesn't seem to sour you on life. i'm not sure i know how you do that."

she shrugged. "i think about what i have, and what has gone right. my kids top the list. coming here is another perfect example. i hate the circumstances, losing my kids and all, but the town has worked out for me. and if i can just get the kids back, this will have been one of the best times." she tipped her head and looked up at him. she smiled. "i could use more money, however. you're a real cheapskate."

"how much more?" he asked.

"another two hundred a month would make a difference," she said.

"fine."

"fine?" she asked, lifting her arched brows.

"you've earned it. you were right-i didn't believe you could get so much done. i'm impressed. you should be compensated for that. and i realize it's still not enough, but when you work for a church, it's not easy. wait till we have a congregation and a board of elders running the show. they'll come up with a budget and both our salaries will be hammered out based on what they can afford. in the beginning, it's going to be bleak."

"i won't be here then," she said.

"you might be," he answered. "you're doing a great job. there's no reason to run off till you've thought it through and looked at all the options. at least if you're here, among friends, arnie will not be able to harass you. he can't get anywhere. and you do have friends here now."

"noah, i have one room and two kids."

"that's now. you said you'd be comfortable in one room with them. and jo fitch likes having you around. plus, you've somehow tamed nick. and i'll be honest with you, ellie-i never thought i'd have such a versatile, energetic, efficient assistant in my life. you should keep the job awhile before you cut and run. virgin river is a good place to raise your kids. it's a safe place."

"there are problems with this idea."

"like what?" he asked.

"don't i have to be a presbyterian, to work full-time at the church?"

"no," he said. "not necessary. i'm the one with the calling, you're working for a living. is that what's worrying you?"

"i can't work for someone who wants to kiss me."

"oh, that. well, i think we're doing okay with that. don't you?"