Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Series, Volume 3 (51 page)

“Another time, then,” Larry said smoothly.

“Another time,” Will echoed. He clasped Shirley's elbow as he led her toward the exit.

Once outside, he half expected Shirley to argue, but she accepted his unwillingness to share her company. Her attitude soothed his ruffled ego. It was bad enough that Shirley had hung on every word Larry Knight uttered.

Will had made reservations at the best steak house in Seattle and preordered a bottle of expensive wine. He was surprised to learn that Shirley wasn't fond of red meat. Maybe he didn't know her as well as he'd thought….

She was subdued on the ride back to Bremerton. When the ferry docked he insisted on walking her to the parking garage, where she'd left her car.

“Thank you,” she said as they reached her vehicle. “I had such a nice time.”

“I enjoyed myself, too,” he said, hoping to emphasize that the evening wouldn't have been half as pleasurable without her.

“Meeting Larry was definitely a highlight.”

“I'm glad I could make that happen for you.” Will hated to be so blatant; still, he wanted Shirley to acknowledge his role in presenting her with that “highlight.”

“He lost his wife, you know.”

“Yes, I know.” So Larry had told her he was a widower. Too bad, since Will had made a point of not mentioning it….

“Five years ago. She had a heart ailment. Apparently she'd been born with it but they didn't find out until it was too late.”

“Tragic,” he said. Those were details he hadn't known. Obviously the two of them hadn't been discussing artistic techniques in the few minutes it had taken him to get the wine. Shirley had probably revealed that she was a widow, too.

“Yes,” she murmured, searching inside her purse for her car keys.

“How about a nightcap?”

Shirley smiled and shook her head. “No, thanks.”

Will hadn't thought she'd agree, but he'd felt he should ask.

She'd started to open her car door when Will gently placed his hand on her shoulder. After everything he'd invested in making this evening a success, he'd appreciate a kiss.

But Shirley turned her face and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Thank you again for a lovely, lovely evening.”

He stepped aside as she climbed into her car, backed out of the space and drove away.

Will felt an odd mixture of emotions as he walked toward the lot where he'd left his own car. For the past year he'd lived a restrained and modest life. Practically like a saint, if he said so himself. Or a monk. It hadn't been easy, either. There'd been more than one opportunity
to connect with a beautiful woman, to spend a night or a week with her, no questions asked.

But the whole point of moving to Cedar Cove was to make positive changes in his life, to break old patterns. He wanted a lasting relationship and he wanted it with Shirley Bliss. Not only was she talented, intelligent, classy, but he found her extremely attractive.

What he hadn't considered was the fact that she might not find
him
attractive. That thought did more than sting; it was a hard blow to his ego. He recognized that Shirley was strongly attracted to Larry Knight, although he doubted a romance between them would go anywhere. Larry's travel and engagement schedule would make maintaining a relationship next to impossible.

That left room for Will….

As he drove back to Cedar Cove, his mind was whirring with ideas on how to pursue the reluctant Shirley Bliss. So far, he'd failed; that was because he'd been too eager, he decided. A bit of circumspection would go a long way. Playing hard to get was a classic strategy, as every high school kid knew.

He'd wait at least a week before contacting Shirley again. If another one of her pieces happened to sell, great, but he'd mail her a check at the end of the month, like he did for everyone else. No more personal phone calls or special deliveries.

That would work. He should probably date someone else, too. He considered the options—and then in a flash it came to him. Grinning broadly he slapped his hand on the steering wheel. If anyone would get Shirley's attention, it would be her best friend.

Oh, yeah, Will liked a challenge and this was a two-for-one. Miranda Sullivan
and
Shirley Bliss. Tomorrow he'd call Miranda and ask her out.

Ten

W
aiting for Peggy Beldon the morning after Memorial Day weekend, Corrie McAfee glanced out her living room window. Peggy, who was picking her up for their shopping expedition, had taken a break from the renovations she and her husband, Bob, were doing at their Thyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast on Cranberry Point. The place was deservedly popular; Peggy possessed the gift of making guests feel welcome in their home. She was a multitalented cook, as well. Her breakfasts—
all
her meals—were feasts to behold. And to enjoy.

Corrie moved away from the window and grabbed her purse when Peggy pulled up.

“She's here,” Corrie called out to her husband. Roy would be leaving for his office in half an hour or so, while Corrie, who worked as his assistant, had taken the day off. That was definitely one of the benefits of keeping employment in the family.

“Have fun,” Roy said without lowering the paper.

“Aren't you going to warn me about spending too much money?” she teased.

Roy laid the newspaper on his knee. “Would it do any good?”

“Probably not,” she said.

“Just one small reminder,” Roy said. “You don't save money by spending money.”

“Yes, dear.”

He scowled in her direction but his eyes shone with barely disguised amusement. “That's what I thought you'd say.”

Hiding her own smile, she blew him a kiss and was out the door.

Peggy was on her cell phone when Corrie slid onto the passenger seat. Finishing the call, Peggy closed her cell and smiled over at her friend.

“I was talking to Bob. He's painting the bedrooms this week and I wanted to confirm that I had the right color for each room.” The goal for this excursion was to purchase bedspreads and sheets for the guest rooms at the B and B.

“I thought we'd go to the outlet mall in Chehalis.”

“Great. I haven't been there since last Christmas.”

The drive would take more than an hour but that gave them a chance to catch up. Corrie wasn't looking for anything in particular at the stores. True, a bargain was a bargain, but even though Roy had implied otherwise, she was sensible.

“How's Mack?” Peggy asked.

“Very well,” Corrie replied. She was happy to have her son living so close. His relationship with his father was better than it'd been since he was a child. They'd been at odds for years, which had made family gatherings uncomfortable. For her sake, Roy had tried not to goad Mack but his resolve never seemed to last long. She wasn't sure how or why things had improved. Nothing had really changed other than the fact that Gloria had come into their lives.

Sadness settled over Corrie as she thought about her oldest daughter. She'd given birth to Gloria as a college
student and surrendered her for adoption. She and Roy had broken up; he was involved with another girl by the time Corrie discovered she was pregnant. Without telling him about the baby, she'd returned home to her family and quietly waited out the pregnancy. Not until they'd reunited a couple of years later did Roy learn they'd had a child.

Then, as an adult, Gloria had tracked them down. Corrie was overjoyed at this opportunity to know the infant she'd relinquished to another family. After Gloria's adoptive parents were killed in a private plane crash, she'd gone in search of her birth family. Gloria had been shocked to learn that her birth parents had married each other and that she had two full siblings—a younger sister and brother.

All in all, their reunion had gone well. Everyone had made an effort, although a certain hesitation remained. Linnette and Mack didn't share a family history with Gloria, who'd been raised as an only child. They had no memories or experiences in common.

Everyone had worked hard, and continued to work hard, to make Gloria feel loved and wanted. And yet, at times, Corrie sensed a dissatisfaction in her oldest daughter, a feeling that she didn't belong. In some ways they were still strangers.

“How's it working out with Mack and Mary Jo living next door to each other?” Peggy asked next.

“So far so good.” Corrie held up one hand, fingers crossed.

“She's a lovely girl.”

“Did I tell you Mary Jo found a box full of letters from World War II? Mack mentioned that they've been doing research on the war,” Corrie said.

“Do you remember who wrote the letters? Or who received them?”

“They were written to a Joan Manry, and they're from her soldier boyfriend. She worked in the shipyard during the war years, but Mack doesn't seem to think her family was originally from Cedar Cove.”

“I don't recognize the name,” Peggy said. She'd been born and raised in Cedar Cove and had married Bob Beldon, her high school sweetheart. They'd lived in the Spokane area for a number of years and then returned to Cedar Cove to retire, buying the bed-and-breakfast.

“Mack said there was an influx of families during the war years.”

“Yes.” Peggy nodded. “They came to work in the shipyard.”

“The young soldier who wrote the letters is called Jacob Dennison. Does that name sound familiar?” Corrie asked hopefully.

“Sorry, no.”

“I was afraid of that.” Corrie sighed. “It's such an intriguing mystery.”

“What are Mack and Mary Jo doing with the letters? I wonder if either party is still alive.” Peggy checked her rearview mirror as she merged with the freeway traffic heading toward Olympia, the state capital.

“Mary Jo wants to give them to the heirs if they can be located. Mack and Mary Jo have told us quite a lot about those letters. They really are a treasure.”

“I'd like to see them sometime.”

When Corrie murmured, “Oh, I would, too,” Peggy added, “I occasionally look at Bob's letters from Vietnam and…well, they really bring back that whole time.”

They were silent for a while after that.

“The baby's growing so fast,” Corrie eventually commented. “Mack asked if I'd watch Noelle for a couple of hours this past Sunday so he could take Mary Jo to the movies. I loved every minute of it.”

“Are you ready to be a grandma?” Peggy asked with a smile.

“More than ready.” Corrie looked forward to it, but she suspected it would take a few years. Unless, as she hoped, she inherited baby Noelle as her granddaughter. That would thrill her, and Mack, too. A marriage between Mack and Mary Jo seemed increasingly likely.

She was sure Linnette would eventually marry, as well, although Corrie had the feeling it wouldn't be for some time. Her daughter wasn't over losing Cal Washburn, who'd broken her heart. As a result, Linnette had quit her job, packed up her car and set out with no destination in mind. She'd ended up in a small town in North Dakota called Buffalo Valley.

As a physician assistant she had a lot to offer the community, which had welcomed her with open arms. Last Christmas, Buffalo Valley had remodeled an old house to use as a medical clinic and hired her to run it.

Linnette was dating a farmer but Corrie doubted the relationship was serious. At least, that was the impression she had, based on meeting the young man briefly and on what Linnette had to say. In their previous conversation, Corrie had asked about Pete Mason, and her daughter had quickly changed the subject. She surmised that the relationship hadn't developed and Linnette was easing her way out.

“Gloria's doing well…I think,” Corrie said.

“How does she like working with the sheriff's office here?”

“Fine, as far as I know.”

Gloria had made the transfer from the Bremerton police to Cedar Cove as soon as an opening became available. She had only praise for Sheriff Troy Davis and his department. Corrie was delighted that their oldest daughter had gone into police work. Roy's career had been with the
Seattle police until he was forced into early retirement because of a back injury.

They arrived at the outlet center just before ten, and stopped for coffee and a muffin before tackling any serious shopping. Peggy described the rehearsals for the community theater's new production. Bob had won the role of Jacob in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical,
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Peggy, as usual, had volunteered to work on costumes.

“I ran into Olivia the other day,” Peggy said between bites of her bran-and-cranberry muffin. “She's looking more like herself these days.”

“I'm glad to hear it.” Corrie had ordered the same muffin and felt it was nowhere near as good as the ones Peggy baked.

“Olivia said she plans to return to work in September.”

Corrie smiled on hearing that. The last time she'd talked to Olivia, the family-court judge was weighing her options and considering early retirement. Apparently Olivia had made her decision.

“Oh, and I had lunch with Faith Beckwith last week,” Peggy said. “She's busy making plans for the wedding. You'll never guess where Troy wants to go for a honeymoon.”

“Hawaii?”

“No—Alaska. Some lodge up near the Arctic Circle. To
fish.
”

Corrie wrinkled her nose and laughed.

Peggy dug the paint samples from the bottom of her purse and sorted them out. Then they went in search of bedspreads.

For some reason Corrie didn't really understand, she found herself wandering through the baby section while Peggy visited the bedding department. Maybe it was
because of Peggy's earlier question about being a grandmother, but Corrie couldn't make herself leave.

Holding up a tiny yellow sleeper, she felt a stirring deep inside. “I'm buying this,” she said to no one in particular. Then, almost immediately, she muttered, “That's ridiculous!” She put it down again. Roy would think she'd gone crazy, buying baby clothes when she didn't have the slightest idea when, or even if, she'd become a grandmother.