Seth was busy working on his boat, stripping paint. He seemed oblivious to her. Her footsteps were heavy with shame and dread as she walked down the dock toward him. She stood in front of his slot. Not sure what to do with her hands, she tucked them in the hip pockets of her jeans.
“Hello, Seth.”
He stopped his work and slowly turned to face her. His mouth was set and tight. “Hello, Justine.”
He didn’t seem receptive to her presence. But then, he didn’t have any reason to be. “I imagine you’re wondering what I’m doing here,” she mumbled.
“Not particularly.”
She ignored his lack of welcome. “I wanted to apologize for the other night.”
“No problem, it’s forgotten.” He returned to his task, as if everything had already been said. He certainly wasn’t eager to talk with her, which made this even more difficult than it already was.
“Do I…disgust you?” she asked.
He paused, glancing in her direction. “What I think of you or Warren shouldn’t concern you.”
“It does because…because, dammit, Seth—oh, never mind.” She bolted and got maybe half a dozen steps down the dock when she stopped abruptly. She had the horrible feeling that if she walked away from Seth now, she’d regret it for the rest of her life.
When she turned back, she was surprised to find he’d leapt onto the dock and was only a step or two behind her.
“You care what I think?” he demanded, his brow furrowed.
Her voice deserted her; she simply nodded.
“Fine, then hear me out.” Everything about him told her he was angry. His stance was confrontational, his fists clenched, his eyes narrow and hard. “You’re a fool if you marry Warren Saget, and I don’t suffer fools gladly.”
“I know.”
“You’re still going to marry him?”
“No,” she cried. “I broke it off with him that night.”
Seth’s head reared up. “You’re not seeing Warren anymore?”
“No.” She didn’t mention any of the things Warren had said and done to win her back, but there weren’t enough gifts in the world to accomplish that.
“I doubt he took the news sitting down.”
“He’s had trouble believing me, but he’ll accept my decision in time.” He wouldn’t have any choice.
“So what’s next?” Seth asked.
The answer was completely up to him, but Justine couldn’t tell him that, so she shrugged. A heartfelt shrug, conveying uncertainty…and hope.
“What did that mean?”
“What?” she asked innocently.
“That shrug.”
“I don’t know,” she said desperately. “I guess I’m just letting you know I’m here.”
He frowned. “Here?”
“You told me once that I should come to you when I broke it off with Warren—and well, I’m here.”
“I said that?”
“Close enough.”
“If you think I’m just going to—”
“Yes,” she interrupted.
“Then I’ve got news for—” He stopped. “What did you say?”
She squared her shoulders. “When? Just now? I said yes.”
“What was the question?”
“Well,” she said, exhaling slowly, “I didn’t quite give you time to ask, but what I said was yes. Meaning I’ll marry you.”
Her answer appeared to confuse him further. He stared at her for the longest moment and, still unsure of his reaction, Justine said nothing. He started toward her, then halted, then walked directly past her. He’d gone four or five feet before he turned back. “Are you coming or not?” he asked impatiently.
“Where are we going?”
“To get a marriage license.”
“Now?”
He smiled then, the most wonderful smile she’d ever seen. “I don’t believe in long engagements.”
Justine threw back her head and laughed. “As it happens, neither do I.”
The front door of 16 Lighthouse Road was open. Olivia sat out on the porch with her needlepoint in her lap, the portable phone at her side. The wicker rocking chair had been her mother’s and she loved spending summer evenings right here, enjoying the view and watching the sun set over the Olympics.
The phone rang, disturbing her solitude, and Olivia answered without giving it a chance to ring again.
“Mom, it’s me—Justine,” her daughter said. “Okay, listen. I have some news and I don’t want you to be angry with me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Well, because—”
Olivia heard someone arguing with her in the background. “Justine?”
“Mom,” her daughter cut in, “I’m married.”
The needlepoint project fell off Olivia’s lap as she bolted upright. “Married?” So Warren had finally worn her down. “Congratulations,” she said, doing her best to sound enthusiastic. She’d always said that if her daughter chose to marry Warren Saget, she’d smile and welcome him to the family.
“Here, talk to Seth.”
“Seth?”
“Oh, did I forget to mention that I married Seth Gunderson?”
For a moment, Olivia was too shocked to respond.
“Mrs. Lockhart, it’s Seth. I know you’re probably upset—”
“On the contrary, I couldn’t be more pleased. Where are you?”
“Reno.”
“Why Reno, for heaven’s sake?”
“I’ll let Justine explain.”
Her daughter got back on the phone. “Are you upset with us, Mom?”
“I’m surprised…but delighted.”
“Seth doesn’t believe in long engagements.”
“Nor in a long courtship, it appears.”
“No…what happened is this—We decided to get married and it just made sense that we get the license at the courthouse and have you or even Pastor Flemming marry us, but that would’ve taken three days.”
“That’s Washington State law,” Olivia reminded her.
“I know. It’s just that we didn’t have three days.”
This was getting more interesting by the minute. “And why not?”
“Seth has to be back in Alaska by Sunday night and he won’t be available for almost five weeks, and it was either now or wait.”
“And you didn’t want to do that?”
“I couldn’t, Mom! I just couldn’t. He didn’t want to wait, either. I know this is probably the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done, but I know marrying Seth is the right thing. I’m sure of it. Oh, Mom, I love him so much and please don’t be upset with us. We can have a second ceremony with you and Grandma and Dad later on, can’t we?”
“Of course. Oh, Justine, I’m so happy for you and Seth.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“You know I think the world of Seth.”
“Me, too. I have to go now. We’re phoning Seth’s father next. And then Dad. After that, we’ve only got about twenty hours before we have to drive back. I’m happy, Mom, happier than I’ve been in my entire life.” She paused. “Oh, would you call Grandma for me?”
Olivia swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “I’m happy for you, too,” she said again. “And of course I’ll call your grandmother.”
They ended the conversation, and Olivia walked inside in a daze. She went into the bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. She needed a few minutes to absorb what she’d just learned. Her daughter was married. To Seth Gunderson. Oh, this was wonderful, wonderful news!
Her first instinct was to phone Stan, but she decided against it. Justine would tell her father, and he’d call once he’d heard. So, both of their children had chosen to marry without either parent there. She wondered if that meant anything.
She phoned Charlotte, who wasn’t home; she left a message, saying simply, “Call me when you get in.”
Then she returned to her needlepoint project. Feet propped up on the porch railing, she cont
inued her stitching, grinning every now and then. Who would’ve believed Justine would do something so spontaneous?
When a battered blue Taurus parked in front of the house, she strained to see if it was who she thought. It was.
Jack climbed out of his vehicle and stood on the sidewalk, watching her nervously. Did he expect her to walk inside and bolt the door? Or to offer him an invitation? She did neither.
He walked to the bottom of the steps. “Hello, Olivia.”
“Beautiful afternoon, isn’t it?” She was cordial, but not excessively so.
“Very.”
“What can I do for you?” She didn’t think this was a social call.
“Do you mind if I sit down?”
“Go ahead.”
Since there was only the one chair, which she occupied, he climbed the stairs and sat on the top step. “Are you still angry with me about that dinner date?”
Men! He seemed incapable of understanding a concept like mutual trust and respect. “No.” A one-word reply should satisfy him, without leading into a dead-end conversation.
“But you’re still unwilling to go out with me?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. She hated to admit how much she missed his company. Maybe she’d been expecting too much, but she couldn’t tolerate the fact that he’d created secrets between them.
“That’s what I thought.” He looked out over the Cove, its sparkling, distant water tinged by the pink of a slowly setting sun.
“I moved to Cedar Cove to start a new life,” Jack told her. “But the past has a way of catching up with people, doesn’t it?”
Olivia nodded; she saw the evidence of that every day.
“Bob’s advice is that I simply tell you—that I should have months ago. But I was afraid if you knew, you wouldn’t want anything more to do with me.”
“More secrets, Jack?”
“No, just the reason I couldn’t go to dinner with you.”
“It isn’t necessary, Jack.” He’d made his decision and so had she, although she had to confess to being curious.
“I think it is,” he countered. “If you and I are to continue, at any rate, and I want that very much.”
“I have this thing about secrets. I detest them.” She realized that a lot of her feelings were tied to her long-dead marriage. Stan had been unfaithful before the divorce, if not physically then emotionally. After the crisis of Jordan’s death, it’d been another woman who’d helped Stan deal with the loss. Another woman he’d confided in.
“I’m a recovering alcoholic, Olivia.”
“But…” She paused, certain she’d recently seen him with a drink in his hand. No, she thought. That was at Willcox House, and he’d had sparkling water while she’d had wine. He’d said it was because he had to drive….
“The reason I couldn’t go to dinner with you was because I had an AA meeting to attend. I have ten years of sobriety. It’s been ten long years but not a day goes by that I don’t think about booze. I’m one beer away from destroying everything.”
It took a lot of courage to tell the truth. Olivia rose from her rocking chair and sat on the porch step beside Jack and reached for his hand.
He wrapped his fingers around hers. “I’ve stood before a lot of judges in my time, but I’ve never dated one,” he said. “The truth is, I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about seeing me once you knew.”
“Actually, it explains a great deal.”
“How so?” he asked.
“Well…I figured there had to be a logical explanation for why you don’t like Barry Manilow.”
Jack chuckled. “Are you saying only a drunk wouldn’t appreciate him?”
Olivia threw back her head and laughed.
“My mind was pickled for twenty years, but thankfully I’ve managed to keep my sense of humor.”
“Good thing. You’re going to need it living here in Cedar Cove.”
Jack raised her hand to his lips. “Friends?”
“The very best kind.”
“Lovers?”
“Don’t press your luck.”
He sighed. “I’m free tonight for that dinner, if you’re so inclined.”
“As it happens, I do have a reason to celebrate. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“What’s wrong with now?”
“I don’t want to disturb the sunset. Oh, Jack, isn’t it beautiful?”
“It is,” he whispered, slipping his arm around her, bringing her close to his side.
As the sun set over Cedar Cove, Olivia rested her head on Jack’s shoulder. This had been a good summer. Both her children were married now, and James was a father. Justine sounded genuinely happy. Her mother’s health continued to be good. Her dearest friend had suffered a blow, but Grace had accepted what she couldn’t change; she was refashioning her life, and Olivia was proud of her.
And Olivia herself…Olivia was with Jack, and their relationship was secure. She didn’t know what the future held for them, but she couldn’t help feeling it was positive.
The sun sank below the Olympic Mountains. Its deep-pink glow fell across the water and spilled onto 16 Lighthouse Road. It crept through the town of Cedar Cove and gently touched the house at 204 Rosewood Lane. Grace Sherman looked out her window and smiled.
DEBBIE MACOMBER
204 Rosewood Lane
To Nina Lyman
and
her incredible cats.
What a blessing
your friendship
has been.
September 2002
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
One
Grace Sherman stared down at the legal form that would start the divorce proceedings. She sat in the attorney’s office with Maryellen, her oldest daughter, who’d come with her to offer support. Grace reminded herself that this should be straightforward, that her decision was made. She was ready to end her marriage, ready to piece together her shattered life. To begin again…But her hand shook as she picked up the pen.
The inescapable fact was that she didn’t want this—but Dan hadn’t left her with any other option.
Five months ago, in April, her husband of almost thirty-six years had disappeared. Vanished without a trace. One day everything was perfectly normal, and the next he was gone. Apparently by choice and without a word of explanation. Even now, Grace had difficulty believing that the man she’d lived with, the man she’d loved and with whom she’d had two daughters, could do anything as cruel as this.
If Dan had fallen out of love with her, she could accept that. She would’ve found enough pride, enough generosity, to release him without bitterness. If he was that miserable in their marriage, she would’ve gladly set him free to find happiness with someone else. What she couldn’t forgive was the misery he’d heaped on their family’s shoulders, what he’d done to their daughters. Especially Kelly.
Dan had disappeared shortly after Kelly and Paul had announced that after years of trying, they were finally, excitedly, pregnant. Dan had been thrilled, and Grace too. This baby was going to be their first grandchild. They’d waited so long.
Kelly had always been close to her father and his disappearance at this critical time in her life had devastated her. She’d pleaded with Grace to postpone the divorce proceedings, convinced that her father would return before Tyler was born. When Dan did return, he’d have a logical reason and would explain everything to their satisfaction.
&
nbsp; He hadn’t come back, though, and there’d been no further information. Nothing but doubts, questions and a churning, deepening anger that intensified in the endless weeks that followed.
When Grace couldn’t stand not knowing any longer, she’d hired Roy McAfee, a private detective and former policeman she trusted. Roy had done an extensive search, certain that Dan had left a paper trail, and he’d been right. What Roy had uncovered was a complete shock to Grace. A year earlier, Dan had purchased a travel trailer, paying cash for it. Grace had no idea where he’d gotten that kind of money, nor did she know anything about the trailer. He’d never mentioned it, nor had she seen it. To this day she had no idea where he’d kept it all those months. Or where it was now.
Given the mounting evidence, she had her suspicions. Grace believed that Dan had used the travel trailer to sneak away with another woman. There’d been one sighting of him and it had come late in May. It almost felt as if her husband had orchestrated this brief reappearance, as if he was taunting her, challenging her to find him. That day had been a low point for Grace.
A co-worker of Dan’s had spotted him at the marina and hurried to the library to fetch her. But by the time Grace reached the marina, Dan was gone. A woman had pulled up to the curb and Dan had climbed into the vehicle and driven away, never to be seen or heard from again.
In retrospect, she’d come to believe that Dan was providing her with the answers she so desperately needed. She could think of no other reason he would mysteriously arrive at the busiest place in town, where he was most likely to be seen—and recognized. The library where she worked was less than two blocks away. Clearly, her husband lacked the courage to tell her there was someone else. Instead he’d chosen another, crueler way to inform her; he’d humiliated her in front of the entire community. Grace knew without being told that everyone in Cedar Cove pitied her.