Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Series

  “But Ben, he’s ill! He needs medical treatment.”

  Ben’s eyes narrowed on his son. “It’s a lie.”

  “But…”

  “David, for once in your life own up to what you’ve done. Tell her the truth.”

  Eyes wide, Charlotte stared at Ben’s son. After an awkward moment, David shrugged. “You can’t blame me for trying.”

  Her face burned. Like they said, there was no fool like an old fool. “Oh, Ben,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, so very sorry.”

  “Sweetheart,” he said, slowly shaking his head. “It isn’t your fault. My son is a master manipulator. He fed you a lie, the same way he’s been feeding me lies through the years. David is willing to say or do whatever it takes to get money. I’m ashamed to call him my son and even more ashamed that he’s involved you in this.”

  “I feel so…so foolish.”

  “Don’t.” Ben ignored his son as David walked quickly away from them. “You’re a warm, compassionate person, and he took advantage of that. Now, didn’t you say something about Christmas shopping?”

  When Charlotte sniffled forlornly, he arranged her scarf around her neck, then took her hand in his.

  Twenty-One

  Justine Gunderson’s composure still hadn’t recovered from the unpleasant episode involving her grandmother when Warren Saget walked into the restaurant. The afternoon was going from bad to worse. The fact that she managed to greet him with a smile was a credit to her skills as hostess.

  “Hello, Warren,” she said, reaching for a menu to escort him to a table. She’d dated Warren, a building contractor, for several years before marrying Seth. Warren, who was almost twenty years older than she, had pressured her to marry him. At the time, Justine was convinced she never wanted a husband or children. It had taken Seth and the love they shared to change her mind. Their three-year-old son was the joy of her life. And working with Seth to build this restaurant had been—and continued to be—immensely satisfying.

  “You’re as beautiful as ever,” Warren murmured as he slid into the chair by the window. She’d given him one of the best tables in the house.

  “Thank you.” She set the menu on the table.

  Warren’s hand covered hers. “Stay a few minutes,” he urged.

  “I can’t.”

  “Sure you can,” he said. “You’re not busy now. It’s almost two-thirty—the lunch crowd is gone. We haven’t talked in months.” He lowered his voice. “You loved me once, Justine.”

  She’d thought she did, but Seth had shown her the real meaning of the word. What she’d felt for Warren, she realized in retrospect, was a strange mixture of affection and pity. His ego required him to have a pretty woman on his arm at social functions, but it was all for show. Unable to perform sexually, he was tender and indulgent with her. She’d needed his kindness and for a time, the relationship had suited her perfectly. Not only that, her willingness to keep his little secret had endeared her to him. Only when Seth came into the picture and Warren felt threatened had he wanted to marry her. For a while, when admitting the depth of her feelings for Seth had proved painful and difficult, Justine had actually considered marrying Warren.

  That way Seth would leave her alone, she’d believed—and he had, but she wasn’t free of him. Seth Gunderson was in her thoughts every minute of every day. There’d been no escaping Seth or the love she felt for him. When she’d finally agreed to marry him, she knew without a doubt that she’d made the right decision.

  “Please join me,” Warren asked, his eyes pleading with her. “For just a few minutes.”

  Reluctantly Justine sat down. After the afternoon she’d had, a few minutes’ respite would do her good. It wasn’t often that she encountered a man like David Rhodes. She felt a little guilty about calling Ben, but she couldn’t tolerate the sight of David manipulating her grandmother like that. “All right.”

  “Thank you.” Warren stood and pulled out the chair opposite him. His business dealings might be shady, but his manners could never be questioned.

  When the waitress came for the drink order, Warren asked for two glasses of wine.

  “I can’t,” she protested, but he refused to listen.

  “You look like you need to unwind.”

  This was something else about Warren. He seemed, at times—like now—to discern her feelings with astounding accuracy. Granted, at other times he could be incredibly insensitive. She decided just to enjoy the moment.

  The chardonnay arrived, and despite herself, Justine relaxed and took a sip. This was one of those days when a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon was exactly what she needed.

  “How are you?” Warren asked, leaning back in his chair.

  “Good.”

  He sighed and looked away. “I’ve missed you, Justine.”

  She didn’t respond. That period of her life was over.

  “Are you happy?” he asked.

  “Very much so.”

  He nodded and looked around. “You and Seth have done a wonderful job with this restaurant.”

  “Thank you.” No one really knew how much effort went into their business. Seth often worked fifteen-hour days and she served as a hostess and managed the books. The Lighthouse demanded attention to detail—every kind of detail. Early that morning, Seth had been in the parking lot picking up litter and cigarette butts, and later he’d had to clean out the grease trap in the kitchen. Both unpleasant tasks. People tended to see the glamour but not the work that went into running a successful business. Most nights when Justine got Leif from his daycare, she was exhausted. She worried that her son was being raised by strangers. She wanted a second child. Seth did, too, but the timing, he felt, was wrong. Justine worried that the timing might never be right. Much as she loved the restaurant, it had taken over their lives.

  “You’re frowning,” Warren said, breaking into her thoughts.

  “I am?” She laughed, making light of it.

  He leaned toward her and reached for her hand. “There’s no use pretending. I want you back.”

  He seemed sincere and that touched her. “Warren, I’m married,” she said gently.

  “You’re not happy.”

  “I am,” she insisted. “It’s just that Seth is working so hard.” She was, too, but she didn’t mention that. “I have a good marriage, and I love my husband and son.”

  Warren looked down at the open menu, but she doubted he was reading over the daily specials. “You can’t imagine how difficult it is to live in the same town and see you practically every day. It’s tearing me apart. We had something special and I haven’t found it with anyone else.”

  She hadn’t kept tabs on his relationships, but it seemed to her that Warren had gone through a number of women in the last few years. The young ones didn’t last long, she noticed.

  “It’s too late.”

  “Is it?” he pressed. “I refuse to believe that, Justine.”

  “Warren…”

  He looked up and over her shoulder. His eyes narrowed as Seth approached the table.

  “Seth,” Justine said, flustered that he’d found her with an old boyfriend. “Warren invited me to sit down for a few minutes.”

  Her husband glanced at the two glasses of wine. He offered Warren a casual smile. “How are you, Warren?”

  “Lonely,” he said, his gaze locking with Justine’s. She swallowed uncomfortably.

  Seth placed a possessive hand on Justine’s shoulder. “Has Susan taken your order yet?”

  “No.”

  “I recommend the oyster stew. It’s the special of the day.”

  “Warren doesn’t like oysters,” Justine said and immediately knew she should’ve kept her mouth shut. Judging by Seth’s expression, he didn’t want to be reminded of her once-close relationship with Warren.

  “Can you come and see me once you’re finished visiting with Warren?” When she nodded, Seth went to his small office behind the hostess desk.

  Justine stood. “I ne
ed to get back to work.”

  “Seth doesn’t deserve you,” Warren muttered. “I’d treat you like a queen if you came back to me.”

  She didn’t even bother to reply. Justine was happy, if tired and overworked. Seth, too. They were both committed to this restaurant; Seth was determined to make good on their investment and pay back the money his father had lent him.

  “Circumstances change, Justine. I’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready. You won’t be sorry,” he promised her.

  Justine sincerely doubted that.

  “You needed to see me?” she asked when she stepped into her husband’s office.

  Seth sat behind his desk. “What did Warren want?” he asked her with a frown.

  “Not much.” She gave him a quick shrug. “Just to say hello.” It was on the tip of her tongue to plead with him not to be angry. Having a glass of wine with an old friend meant little. Warren was nothing to her anymore and certainly no threat to Seth.

  Her husband regarded her a moment, then sighed. “I guess I was rude to him—and to you.”

  She didn’t contradict him. Instead, she walked around the desk and sat on his lap. Slipping her arms around his neck, she rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re the one I love.”

  “I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m a jealous fool.”

  “We both need a vacation.”

  Seth snorted a laugh. “That’s not going to happen anytime soon.”

  Justine knew that, but she could’ve done without the reminder.

  “Hey,” he said, as if he’d suddenly remembered something. “What happened earlier? I saw your grandmother and Ben leave, and then right afterward a younger man shot out of the restaurant in quite a huff.”

  “That was Ben’s son, and you wouldn’t believe the afternoon I’ve had.” She described how she’d snatched the check out of the other man’s hand. When she’d finished, Justine was surprised to find her husband smiling. “You think swindling my grandmother out of five thousand dollars is a laughing matter?”

  “Not at all,” Seth assured her. “What I find amusing is that David Rhodes took off out of the parking lot, tires squealing. He hadn’t gone more than a block when I saw one of Cedar Cove’s finest racing after him, siren blaring.”

  It seemed a fitting end to David’s visit.

  Twenty-Two

  Ever since Thanksgiving, when the floral arrangement had arrived, Corrie had been feeling uneasy. For the first time since the postcards had begun to show up, she felt she knew who was responsible. The postcards had so far been addressed to Roy. However, she suspected they should’ve been addressed to her, too.

  The person in question had nothing to do with Roy’s police background, but everything to do with the two of them. Knowing this killed her Christmas spirit, but for Roy’s sake and Linnette’s, she’d made the effort. The tree was up and the house decorated. She’d even baked Roy’s favorite cookies and given batches of fudge to Linnette and Mack.

  On Saturday afternoon, Roy sat reading the paper and watching television at the same time, an ability Corrie didn’t share.

  “Would you like to go to a movie?” she asked. Today was unusual in that they didn’t have weekend plans. Even more unusual, Roy wasn’t working.

  “Not really.”

  “Would you like to invite the Beldons to dinner?” Corrie didn’t feel like cooking, but she needed something to occupy her mind, otherwise she’d sink into an abyss of memories.

  Roy lowered the newspaper. “Isn’t that a bit last-minute?”

  “I guess.”

  Her husband laid the paper on the floor. “Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, hesitant even now to mention her suspicions.

  Roy stood, holding out his arms. Corrie didn’t need a second invitation. He hugged her hard, and she sighed contentedly as they sat together on the sofa. She couldn’t recall when they’d last cuddled like this. Their lives were so busy and, with Linnette living in Cedar Cove, Corrie should be happy. But most of the time she wasn’t.

  “Are you thinking about those postcards again?” Roy asked.

  “A little…I’ve been wondering about something. I realize we promised never to discuss it, but do you think—could it possibly be—”

  “No.” The word was clipped, abrupt, shutting her out.

  “But—”

  “Just like you said, Corrie, we promised never to talk about that again and we haven’t. It isn’t the person you think, so you can drop that idea.”

  “You know this for a fact?”

  “No. Come on, Corrie, that was a lot of years ago.”

  “I know.” Like dusk, sadness settled over her and she leaned closer to her husband. Roy might not want to talk about it, but that didn’t stop her from remembering. All these years she’d struggled to forget and, for a while, she’d succeeded. Now…now it seemed the memories wouldn’t leave her alone.

  “Let’s go to that movie,” he suggested, pulling Corrie to her feet.

  “Okay.” She went to collect her coat and when she got back, she saw that Roy was ready, too. They drove to the sixplex cinema on the hill; because they hadn’t bothered to check times, they chose the next available movie, which started in half an hour.

  The theater was crammed; the foyer and concession stands had long lines. Everyone in Cedar Cove seemed to be out and about.

  “Look!” she whispered as they stood in line for popcorn, “Grace Sherman and Cliff Harding are here. Behind us.”

  Roy shrugged as if unconcerned.

  “This is big news,” she explained, linking her arm with his and bending toward him so as not to be overheard. “The last I heard they’d split up.”

  “Were they married?” He sounded puzzled.

  “No,” she said and elbowed him for being obtuse. “But close, I think. Everyone thought Cliff was going to give her an engagement ring. Then they broke up and no one knew why.”

  Roy seemed uninterested, but Corrie could tell he was listening. “I saw them together one time since, and that’s it.”

  “So they’ve had a change of heart. It happens.”

  “It happened with us,” she told him.

  From the way he looked at her, Corrie knew he didn’t appreciate being reminded.

  “Well, I hope they’re back together,” she murmured.

  After waiting in line, Roy and Corrie reached the concession counter and ordered drinks and popcorn. They exchanged greetings, then discovered they were attending the same movie.

  “Olivia and Jack were going to meet us here, but they canceled at the last minute,” Grace explained. “Jack had to go into the office for some reason.”

  “Yeah. Know what you mean,” Roy said as he paid for their popcorn. Corrie held the bucket and one drink. “See you two inside,” he said. He returned his wallet to his back pocket and picked up the second drink.

  “Save us a couple of seats if you can,” Cliff said, eyeing the crowd.

  “Sure thing.”

  The movie had apparently received good reviews because the theater was filling up fast. Corrie and Roy found a place to sit near the back but didn’t see four adjacent seats anywhere. Christmas was only a week away and amidst all the frantic preparations, people were obviously looking for a relaxed afternoon.

  Grace and Cliff entered the theater, and Corrie pointed to the two seats directly ahead of them.

  Cliff and Grace made their way past several other people and took the seats in front of Corrie and Roy.

  “This is the best we could do,” Roy said, leaning forward.

  “Hey, I feel fortunate to get a seat at all,” Cliff told him. “Thanks.”

  Roy set the bucket of popcorn between him and Corrie, and they shared that while the music and advertisements played. Corrie noticed the loving way Grace rested her head on Cliff’s shoulder. There was something so touching about this that Corrie couldn’t help being affected. It had been the same way with her and Roy when they??
?d first reunited.

  She’d been a college freshman when they met and they’d quickly fallen in love. After a while, they were constantly together. Roy was a star athlete, the football team’s quarterback. He was a campus hero, attractive to all the girls, admired by all the guys. There was even talk of his being drafted professionally. He had such promise, such ambitions.

  They’d broken up when she discovered he was seeing someone else. She’d been devastated. To this day, he swore he hadn’t slept with this other girl; he insisted one of their friends had lied to her. She believed him, but she also knew he’d been under tremendous pressure. In the middle of the football season, when she needed to see him, he’d made it clear he didn’t have time for her. Apparently, Corrie just wasn’t in his league anymore.

  What she’d wanted to tell him, what he hadn’t been interested in hearing, was that she was pregnant.

  Rejected and alone, Corrie didn’t know what to do. She turned to her parents, who gave her unconditional support. At the end of the first term, they drove up to Washington and packed her things.

  Corrie didn’t contact Roy again. As far as she was concerned, he was out of her life. Without telling any of her friends why she was dropping out of college, she went home to Oregon. Her parents at her side, she’d attended a series of counseling sessions. Together, as a family, they’d decided she should give up her baby for adoption. That was the most difficult decision of her life.

  Her mother had been in the labor room with her. At her own request, Corrie wasn’t told whether she’d had a boy or a girl. It was painful enough to sign the adoption papers, and she feared that if she knew the baby’s sex she’d envision him or her growing up. Not knowing was easier.

  In September of the following year, when she’d returned to college, Corrie was a different person. Her friends seemed childish and superficial. Nothing was the same. She studied hard and kept to herself. She knew that eventually she’d see Roy on campus and was mentally prepared for it.

  What she hadn’t expected was that he’d seek her out. In her junior year, Roy sat with her in the library one day and asked if they could talk. Even after all the time that had passed and everything that had happened, her feelings for him hadn’t died. She still loved him. They’d been foolish and immature, but they’d both changed. That afternoon they’d talked for hours. Roy noticed the difference in her and claimed he wasn’t the same boy she knew, either.