“I’m Laura’s husband,” he said icily.
“Come on in, man!” he said. Then he ended his call and called out for Laura, who looked pretty flustered by the surprise visit. And Landry knew then that things were over. Laura had two lives and the one she had with him didn’t rate as high.
Laura had explained the man in the towel was just one of the roommates. They had a miserable time together because there seemed to be a lot of people around all the time. The house Laura lived in was a gathering place. She liked being surrounded by people while Landry was a loner. He liked being by himself, creating his art. Plus, he never quite bought the roommate story.
She’d been wherever there was work for the last ten years. He’d been in Virgin River for the last eight and they kept in touch from time to time.
He listened to the message on his phone. “Landry, darling, call me back soon! I have some good news.”
He thought he knew what that meant. She probably had a new film and would be telling him where she’d be spending the next several months. He wasn’t sure why she bothered. But then, they did have a good, compatible relationship for people who had effectively separated ten years ago.
“Landry!” she said as she answered the phone. “How are you! I’ve missed you!”
“I’m great and Otis says hello. How are you and what’s your news?”
“I’m going to be in San Francisco for at least a few days. I’m auditioning for a play. I thought I’d tack a few days on to the audition and visit you. Then if I get the part I’ll be living in San Francisco for several months and we can see more of each other.”
Damn, he thought. “When is your audition?”
“It’s in a couple of weeks. This is a huge sacrifice, Landry. The work is hard and the director and writer are walking nightmares. But it would be so good to see you.”
“Likewise, but you picked an awful time. I have several community art shows in a row. The fall festivals. The fall months are tough. During September and October I’ll be out of town four times, four days each time. If you’re still in San Francisco in November, there will be more room to breathe.”
“Can’t you cancel a couple of your fair things? They can’t be that important.”
There were a million angry replies that jumped to his lips, but he wouldn’t let them out. Those “fair things” were important and very good moneymakers. Over the years there were people who followed him from fair to fair just to see what was new. He reserved space a year in advance, was listed in the catalog, and taking and setting up his wares was not quick and easy. Each event was exhausting. But he loved it and he knew many of the people who participated and shopped. They were big events. “I pay for the booth a year in advance and there’s no refund at this late date, Laura. It’s a huge commitment. I usually use the whole week before an art fair to finish my work and have it ready and three days to take everything to the show and to do the setup. It’s a lot of work.”
“Well, try to fit me into your schedule,” she said. “I haven’t seen you in a long time.”
“Text me the dates you’ll be in San Francisco and I’ll see what I can do.”
“That would be wonderful!”
They chatted for a while about her play. He knew he’d be calling her back in two days to tell her that he just didn’t have any extra time. It was true, the time surrounding these fall town fairs was short and busy. But he also wasn’t interested in cutting his time with Kaylee short.
The morning after her dinner with Landry and Otis, Kaylee went out for her usual walk. The air was cooling down quite a bit and the leaves were already starting to turn. She saw that Landry’s truck was in his drive and Otis was on the porch, but Landry was probably in his shop, madly creating.
When she passed Landry’s house, Otis came down the walk, moving slowly and lazily, and just took up the place at the end of Landry’s walk. She said, “Heel, heel,” to Otis and he trotted to her side and stayed with her. She stopped and told him to sit and he did. She told him to stay and walked ahead of him and he did. There was something about the small amount of power she had over him that made her giddy with enthusiasm.
When she came back from her walk Landry was on his porch. “I thought my dog might be walking you.”
“He was very polite,” she said.
“Have you had breakfast?”
“A yogurt,” she said.
“I’m going to scramble eggs. Interested?”
“You’re investing way more in me than I deserve,” she said.
Kaylee had developed a very nice routine. She’d walk in the mornings and sometimes also in the afternoons, often with Otis as an escort, and it amazed her how much she talked with Landry. Some days she’d go to the bar for breakfast or lunch; some days she’d show up there in the afternoons when it was quiet. Quiet afternoons were a good time to run into Mel as she took a break.
Kaylee loved Jilly’s farm! She tried not to be a pest but she found herself driving out there a few more times after her initial tour. And she always came away with whatever Jilly was pulling out of the ground. In order to balance the scales, she ordered books on the internet to give to Jilly and Kelly as thanks for their generosity.
The first weekend that Landry was away, she heard the Cavanaugh orchard was having a big
