“Mom set off the smoke alarm!” Andy shouted.
Carol’s eyes widened. “What did you do?”
“What could I do?” Cathy joked. “I shoved the bird inside and closed the door, hoping the alarm would stop—which eventually it did.”
Cecilia laughed. “That’s exactly what I would have done.”
“No,” Cathy objected. “You would’ve had a spotless oven, so this sort of disaster would never have happened. I, on the other hand, only cook when necessary and on holidays.”
What Cathy had said about her was true, but Cecilia wasn’t going to admit it. She did like a clean house and took pride in her homemaking skills.
“Rachel Pendergast is joining us for sure,” Cecilia said, delighted that her new friend had agreed to come. Both Carol and Cathy had met Rachel at different times, and Cecilia had gotten to know her fairly well. Cathy and Carol were perfectly willing to invite her to their Christmas party, even if she wasn’t officially a Navy wife. Nate Olsen was a friend of their husbands.
“Great,” Cathy said, “the more the merrier.”
The doorbell chimed just as Cathy finished speaking. Carol answered, and Rachel walked in, her nose red from the cold, bearing a sweet potato casserole and a canvas bag with a few wrapped presents peaking out. “Merry Christmas,” she said. “I’m not late, am I?”
“No, no, not at all,” Cathy assured her. She took the casserole dish and set it on the kitchen counter.
“Welcome,” Cecilia said and they hugged. Rachel shrugged off her coat and hung it on the rack by the front door, then arranged her gifts by the tree.
“I got delayed at Bruce’s,” she explained, glancing at her watch.
At first Cecilia assumed that Bruce was Rachel’s brother or some other relation, until she remembered he was her widower friend.
“Jolene didn’t want me to leave,” Rachel was saying.
Cathy brought out eggnog and they all sat down in the living room to open gifts. Cecilia had bought each of the other women a tube of luxurious hand cream, and puzzles for the kids; in return she received nail polish from Rachel, in a color called “Santa’s New Suit,” a paperback from Carol, and, from Cathy, a pewter picture frame engraved with booties and other baby images. She suspected Cathy had gone over their price limit and felt tears well up as she caught her friend’s eye and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Soon after that, the two kids moved into the bedroom, where Amanda had convinced Andy to play house with her.
“I’ll make you dinner,” the four-year-old said smartly.
Andy looked skeptical. “Will the smoke alarm go off again?”
“Who are Bruce and Jolene?” Carol asked Rachel. “I think I missed something here.”
“Well, Bruce is a…friend. A widower. His daughter, Jolene, is nine now. Her mother died when she was five. A while ago, she said she wants me to marry her dad.”
“How did Bruce react to that?” Carol asked.
“Forget her father, how did you handle it?” Cathy wanted to know.
Rachel grimaced slightly. “It was awkward for both of us. Bruce and I see each other on occasion. Mostly for companionship. For example, Bruce asked me to go Christmas shopping with him and I did.”
Cathy exchanged a glance with Cecilia. “Does Nate know about this other guy?”
Rachel nodded. “Bruce is just a friend. Nate knows that. Technically I—I’ve only gone out with Nate twice, and we’ve stayed in touch.”
Cecilia knew they’d been in daily contact ever since she’d shown Rachel how to log onto the Internet and send e-mail messages. Ian had recently mentioned how much happier Nate seemed to be now that he was able to communicate with Rachel on-line.
“Nate gave me a computer for Christmas,” Rachel said shyly. “I told him it was too much, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Wow,” Cathy murmured.
“He’s got the bucks,” Carol said matter-of-factly. “Or rather, his family does.”
Cecilia, Cathy and Rachel all stared at her.
“What do you mean?” Cecilia asked when no one else did.
“Nate Olsen, right?” Carol said, turning to Rachel, who nodded. “That’s the guy I thought you were talking about. His daddy’s Nathaniel Olsen.”
The name wasn’t familiar to Cecilia, and she noticed the others looked just as blank.
“Who?” Cathy asked.
“Nathaniel Olsen, as in Congressman Nathaniel Olsen from Pennsylvania.” She glanced from one woman to the next. “You mean you didn’t know?”
Rachel looked shocked, then confused. “N-no, Nate never mentioned anything about his family being in politics.”
“We’re talking money. Big money,” Carol continued, clearly enjoying the role of expert. “I’m not sure where it all came from in the beginning—probably coal—but there’s lots of it now and Daddy doesn’t mind letting everyone know.”
“Nate’s an enlisted man,” Cecilia said. It stood to reason that because of his father’s name, he could’ve gone into the Navy as an officer.
“True,” Carol agreed, sipping her eggnog. “But Nate and his father had a falling out a few years back. Then I heard that Nate dropped out of college and joined the Navy.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I’m from Pennsylvania,” she told them. “It was big news back home, and of course his daddy put a positive spin on it. He played up his family’s patriotism for all it was worth at election time.”
“I’ll bet Nate hated that,” Rachel said quietly.
“I’ll bet he did, too,” Carol concurred. “I don’t think he has much to do with his father these days.”
“Oh.” Rachel had gone pale. “I can just imagine what Nate’s father would say if he found out his son was dating a hairdresser.”
That was met with a moment’s silence. “It seems to me Nate’s his own person,” Cecilia felt obliged to comment. “He’s the one who sought you out, isn’t he?”
“Actually, I bid on him at the Dog and Bachelor Auction, remember?”
“Yes, but you two hit it off,” Carol said.
“Nate doesn’t have a problem with you working in a salon,” Cathy added. “What’s wrong with that, anyway? As soon as Carol and I found out you did hair, we were overjoyed. We’ve been looking for a good hairdresser ever since we moved to Cedar Cove. The fact that you do nails too is a bonus.”
Rachel relaxed a bit. “I just wish Nate had said something—about his background, I mean.”
“Maybe he was waiting for the right time,” Cecilia offered, wishing Carol hadn’t said anything now. Rachel seemed so uncomfortable.
Carol must have regretted it herself, judging by her next words. “Come to think of it, I’m sure Nate wouldn’t use family money to purchase your gift,” she said. “You obviously mean a lot to him.”
Rachel smiled and the color rose in her cheeks. “He means a lot to me.” Her smile grew wider. “I don’t know anything about his family, but I will tell you that Nate’s one fine kisser.”
Cathy shook her head. “Well, I don’t know about Nate, but I’ll bet you hands down that Andrew can out-kiss him any day of the week.”
“If we’re going to get into comparisons,” Cecilia began.
“Girls, girls,” Carol broke in, waving her arms. “This is a discussion we don’t want to have.”
“Why not?” Cecilia asked.
Carol looked at each one and then lowered her voice. “Exactly how long has it been since any of us had sex?”
Cecilia and Cathy both giggled.
“Too long,” Cecilia said. “Way too long.”
Twenty-Six
Corrie loved shopping at all the after-Christmas sales. Next to the Thanksgiving sales, this was her favorite shopping experience. She was delighted that Peggy Beldon had agreed to join her. They’d gotten to know each other in the last year, while Roy worked on solving the murder that had taken place at Thyme and Tide, the Bed-and-Breakfast owned by Bob
and Peggy.
“I love it when I can buy Christmas wrap at seventy-five percent off,” Peggy said as she loaded up her cart with half a dozen colorful rolls. “Of course, Bob complains. He says I can’t save money by spending money.”
Corrie nodded. “Roy says the same thing.” This was a ritual lament—the same conversation they’d had on previous shopping expeditions.
“Men are so unreasonable.” Peggy added several strands of outdoor Christmas lights. “Look at these,” she said, holding up a box for Corrie to view. “Next year when Bob goes to put up the outdoor display, he’ll discover that a whole bunch of lights have burned out. Outdoor lights just aren’t made to last more than a year. I’m saving him the bother of racing down to the store for last-minute replacements. But will he thank me?”
“You’re joking,” Corrie murmured. “Of course not.”
“We’re underappreciated.”
They both laughed. Corrie was grateful she had a friend to share this kind of humor with, these small, amusing insights from daily life. She’d missed that when she’d first moved to Cedar Cove. She didn’t make friends easily. Linnette was like that, too, and Corrie was glad her daughter had met Gloria. Linnette had made the transition from Seattle to small-town life much more smoothly, thanks to her neighbor.
When her cart was full, Corrie steered toward the checkout stands in the front of the store, with Peggy following directly behind.
After they’d delivered their bounty to the car, Peggy suggested lunch. “We should spend some of the money we just saved,” she said.
“By all means,” Corrie agreed happily. “I haven’t been to D.D.’s on the Cove in months. How about you?”
“Fine with me.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting in a booth overlooking the marina. The Christmas decorations were still up but would be coming down after the first of January. When that happened, the town would look dull and drab, Corrie mused. Winter, the rainy season of the Pacific Northwest, was her least favorite time of year.
They both ordered hot tea and crab-melt sandwiches.
Once they were settled with their tea and waiting for their lunch, Peggy surprised her by asking, “Did you get a Christmas postcard?”
The Beldons had been with Roy and Corrie the night the fruit basket arrived. Peggy also knew about the mysterious postcards. So did Linnette, but only because she’d accidentally found one. As far as Corrie knew, no one else in town was aware of the situation.
“An anonymous Christmas card came on the twenty-fourth,” Corrie said reluctantly. This was the last thing she wanted to discuss, and yet the need to confide in someone burned in her chest.
“Any idea who they’re coming from?” Peggy asked.
Corrie didn’t answer right away. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “I do have an idea,” she managed to whisper. It was all she’d thought about since discussing their unknown child with Roy. He was adamant; they’d vowed not to speak of it again and he was holding her to that.
Peggy, who was a sensitive woman, gave her a concerned look. “If you’d rather not say anything…”
“I…can’t. I talked to Roy about it, but he won’t listen. What I’m thinking of happened a long time ago, and he feels it’s best to leave it in the past.” Corrie realized she’d already said more than was advisable. “He’s probably right.”
“Let’s drop the subject then.”
Needing a diversion, Corrie reached for her tea. “Perhaps that would be best.”
“Can you answer one question?” Peggy sounded mildly embarrassed. “I shouldn’t ask, but curiosity is getting the better of me. Was there a message on the Christmas card?”
An involuntary smile came to Corrie. “Nothing cryptic, if that’s what you mean. All it said was Merry Christmas.”
“None of these messages have been threatening, have they?” She held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. We’re changing the subject.”
The waitress brought their lunch, a hot crab and cheese mixture spilling over both halves of the toasted English muffins. This was one of Corrie’s favorite meals, a specialty at D.D.’s. She wondered why she hadn’t been here in so long. Mostly, she decided, because of her daughter’s work schedule. They enjoyed meeting for lunch, but Linnette’s shift changed every week and—
Corrie’s thoughts came to a grinding halt as she saw Linnette’s neighbor in a booth across the restaurant. Gloria was sitting there with Chad Timmons.
“Oh, no,” she whispered, setting her fork down.
“What?” Peggy asked, looking around for whatever had alarmed Corrie.
“Over there,” she whispered, bending toward her friend. “See that couple on the other side of the room?”
Peggy’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t that Dr. Timmons? Bob and I met him the day the clinic opened.”
“The one and only,” Corrie muttered. “The woman with him is my daughter’s neighbor. Gloria something. I can’t recall her last name.” Corrie’s heart raced with anxiety. “Linnette really likes her, and I’m pleased about that. A friend is exactly what she needed to feel comfortable in Cedar Cove.”
“I agree.”
“The thing is, Linnette has a crush on this doctor. She’s turned a blind eye to anyone else.”
“By anyone else, you mean Cal Washburn.”
“Exactly,” Corrie said more loudly than she’d intended. Heads turned. Unfortunately, some of the attention came from the other side of the room. Flustered, she immediately focussed on her meal, lowering her head and not looking up.
“She saw you,” Peggy said.
“Oh, great.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Nothing,” Corrie muttered. “It isn’t like she’s trying to hide the fact that she’s having lunch with Dr. Timmons. Besides, Linnette has no hold on this man. In my opinion, she’s being utterly foolish.” What Corrie hated most was the possibility that Linnette’s friendship with Gloria might be threatened by this. Corrie certainly wasn’t planning to mention it to her daughter.
“So what happened with Linnette and the horse trainer?” Peggy inquired.
Pinching her lips together in irritation, Corrie shook her head. “She told him she was interested in someone else.”
“That’s too bad.” Even Peggy was disappointed.
“It’s her decision, of course. I just wish it had worked out. I like Cal.”
“I do, too.”
They were so involved in their conversation that Corrie didn’t notice Gloria walking across the room. Not until her daughter’s neighbor reached her table and spoke did Corrie glance up.
“Hello, Mrs. McAfee.”
“Hello, uh, Gloria,” she said, startled. She smiled brightly to compensate for her awkwardness. “Have you met Peggy Beldon?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
The three exchanged small talk for a few minutes. Corrie noticed that Dr. Timmons had already left.
“I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression,” Gloria said, after a brief silence. “Dr. Timmons and I aren’t seeing each other.”
“Why would it matter?” Corrie said blithely. This really wasn’t any of her business.
“He had a question for me, about a police matter, and wanted to take me to lunch. I wouldn’t have gone, but he insisted. I know how Linnette feels about him.”
Half the town probably knew of Linnette’s feelings toward the doctor, since she hadn’t made the slightest effort to hide her attraction. But Corrie figured that if Chad Timmons was interested in her daughter, he would’ve asked her out by now. He’d obviously set his sights on Gloria, not Linnette.
“Linnette is a good friend,” Gloria went on to explain, “and I don’t want to do anything to put our friendship at risk.”
“That’s very considerate, but I don’t think you should worry about it.”
“Perhaps not, but my friends are important to me, and I’ve come to treasure Linnette.”
Corrie just h
oped her daughter appreciated what a good friend she had in her neighbor.
After a few words of farewell, Gloria departed.
“She really is very nice, isn’t she?” Peggy said when Gloria was gone.
“She is.” Corrie nodded.
“Did you see how they were looking at each other?” Peggy asked. “I could feel the electricity all the way over here.”
Corrie frowned at her remark. This was even worse than she’d thought. All she could do was hope that Linnette came to her senses and realized she was on a path that led to heartache.
Twenty-Seven
Grace Sherman had seriously considered Olivia’s advice and decided to take a stand with Cliff. It was time to end this erratic relationship. She never seemed to know whether they were on or off, casual friends or practically engaged. It varied from one encounter to the next.
In her heart, she believed Cliff loved her. But he wasn’t sure he could trust her, despite everything she’d said and done since her Internet dalliance with Will Jefferson. Still, Grace was secure in her own feelings for Cliff. And she wanted to be with him, as his wife. She’d seen the difference in Olivia since she’d married Jack; she’d seen the changes in Jack, too. Grace decided that if Cliff loved her, he’d agree they should be married. If he didn’t feel he could move forward in their relationship, then she needed to know that now. Yes, proposing might be outrageous, maybe risky, but Grace wanted to discover his feelings—and his intentions—once and for all.
Never having asked a man to marry her before, she wasn’t sure how to go about it. Her first inclination was to invite him to a fancy restaurant, the way she’d seen it done in the movies. That would create the requisite romantic setting, with champagne and classical music, but it wouldn’t allow them much privacy. And if they went to The Lighthouse, elegant though it was, she’d be sharing one of the most intimate moments of her life with far too many of her friends and neighbors.
So, no restaurant, which left one other option. Fortunately Grace loved to cook. She enjoyed every aspect of it—choosing the recipes, the trip to the grocery store, the preparation itself. She didn’t even mind washing the dishes. She felt comfortable in her kitchen. So—in an effort to start the new year right—she invited Cliff to dinner on Sunday.