Cal was waiting for her when Linnette pulled onto Cliff Harding’s horse ranch in Olalla, about twenty minutes south of Cedar Cove. His welcoming smile made her smile, too. Linnette was thrilled by their feelings for each other, but she was also a little intimidated because of the physical attraction between them. In her early twenties she’d been so intent on her medical studies, she’d never really had a serious relationship. Cal was the first.
“Hi,” she said, as she climbed out of her car. He was tall and lean, with deep blue eyes. Their color was so intense she was convinced she’d never seen any bluer.
“H-hi. Hello.” He didn’t need to say any more for her to know he was glad to see her. He didn’t need to speak for her to know how he felt. Almost before she was ready, he slid his arms around her waist and, after checking to be sure no one was watching, he pulled her close and kissed her with a hunger that sent her mind whirling into space.
When their kiss ended, she leaned her forehead against his chest and dragged in a deep breath. “You missed me, didn’t you?”
“I—I d-did.”
“Cal,” she said. Because his kisses had such a powerful impact on her, she had to clear her throat. “Cal,” she said again. “I got your message and packed us a picnic lunch. What did you have in mind?”
“Y-you’ll s-s-see.” He took her by the hand and led her into the barn, where he had two horses saddled and ready to ride.
Linnette hesitated. “Ah…Have I mentioned that I’ve never been on a horse?”
“Yes. D-d-don’t worry.”
“I am worried,” she protested. “Okay, I have ridden before. I remember it now. When I was five years old, my dad let me ride a pony at the Puyallup Fair. I was terrified and he had to walk around the circle with me.”
Cal chuckled. “You’ll be ok-kay. Sheba—” he pointed toward the brown horse “—is an older m-mare. V-very gentle.”
“Promise?” The horses Cal had chosen were a whole lot bigger than that pony had been. Although she might be projecting her own fears, the mare seemed to give her the once-over and then snorted as if to say Linnette would regret it the minute she climbed onto her back.
“Promise,” Cal assured her.
She figured Cal had a romantic interlude planned, and her nervousness was about to ruin everything. In an effort to buy time, she returned slowly to her car and retrieved two sack lunches from the passenger seat.
Cal walked with her and kept his hand on the base of her neck. “D-don’t-t-t be afraid.”
“Afraid? I’m not afraid,” she lied. She thought she did a good job of it.
Cal seemed to believe her—or else he was equally good at pretending.
“So Sheba’s mine?” she asked as he took the sack lunches out of her hands and stored them in saddlebags on the larger of the two horses.
“Yup.” He gestured with his head toward the mare. “L-like I said, Sh-Sh-Sheba’s gentle.”
“Gentle is good,” Linnette murmured as she walked around and stood in front of Sheba, allowing the mare to get a good look at her. Sheba nodded her head a couple of times, apparently acknowledging Linnette’s presence. Maybe in Sheba’s view, Cal had vouched for her, Linnette thought whimsically. Tentatively, Linnette raised her hand and petted the mare’s dark muzzle.
With Cal’s help she mounted. As soon as Linnette was in the saddle, Cal adjusted the stirrups and handed her the reins. She felt very high off the ground—and correspondingly vulnerable. A fall off this horse could cause her serious injury. And yet she didn’t dare let Cal know how frightened she actually was.
After asking if she was comfortable, to which she nodded in response, Cal mounted the other horse, a chestnut gelding. He led the way out of the huge barn. Without needing any direction from Linnette, Sheba obediently followed Webster, Cal’s horse.
Although it was barely noon, the sun was out and the day promised to be glorious. Cal had given her some basic instructions, but riding was awkward at first. Linnette bounced and her teeth chattered until she learned to relax. Cal kept their gait slow and easy. When she felt confident enough to raise her head, she stared avidly at him, so handsome in the saddle, so natural. She remembered what she’d heard Cliff say once—he was a born horseman.
“Gloria?” Cal asked in that shorthand way of his.
He was asking about her sister, the one she’d only recently met. Her parents had fallen in love when they were both in college. Her mother was still a teenager when Gloria had been conceived—and then the romance had fallen apart. Disgraced and afraid, Corrie had moved back home with her family. Several months later, she’d had a baby girl and given her up for adoption. After the birth she’d returned to college. Without knowing about their child, Roy had sought out Corrie and they’d reunited. Only after they were engaged did Corrie tell him she’d had his baby. They’d agreed never to speak of the matter again, and they hadn’t, until Gloria tracked them down.
Needless to say, it was a shock to discover she had a sister. Linnette had been astounded, overwhelmed, bewildered. At the same time, she was excited. She’d always wanted a sister and, unbeknownst to her, the woman who lived in the same apartment complex and had already become her friend was also her sister. The bond between them had grown steadily stronger.
“Gloria’s fabulous,” Linnette told Cal. “We went out to dinner on Monday after work. The whole family’s getting together for Easter, and Gloria will be joining us.” This would be a real test for their family, Linnette realized. She knew her parents loved Gloria and welcomed her into the family.
It wasn’t the same, though, and Linnette recognized that, as did Gloria. Her adoptive parents had died in a plane crash and she had virtually no family left. She’d gone in search of her birth family for that very reason. Linnette’s parents, Corrie and Roy, were trying to make up for lost time, trying to fill in the gaps, exchanging information with Gloria about her history and theirs.
Cal was watching her intently as she spoke.
“It isn’t that we don’t want her or don’t love her,” Linnette went on to explain. “You know we do. What we don’t have is a shared past. She had another mother and father who raised, loved and nurtured her, and they’re her true family, her true parents.” Everyone, however—including Gloria—was determined to make an effort. This Easter would be their first holiday as a family.
The horses trotted in single file now as they entered the woods. Linnette followed Cal on a narrow path, which made conversation difficult. The scent of fir and ocean mist pervaded the morning air.
It was just as well that they couldn’t continue their conversation, Linnette decided. She had something important to discuss with Cal and had to figure out how best to approach it. She’d been doing a lot of thinking about his stuttering and wanted to tell him about the research she’d done on speech therapy. Yet she also wanted to make sure he understood that she loved him for the man he was.
After ten minutes or so, they emerged from the forest and onto a shore. Wavelets lapped against a pebble beach; the tide was in and sparkled in the sunlight.
“Oh, my goodness,” Linnette cried, astonished at how secluded this beach was. Mount Rainier, capped with snow, rose off in the distance. Puget Sound spread out before her like an emerald blanket, with Vashon Island so close it seemed she could easily swim over.
“Y-you like it?” Cal asked, his blue eyes clear and alive.
“I like it very much.”
Cal slid off his horse and then helped her down. He left both horses to roam while he set a blanket down on the beach and brought out their lunches. Leaning against a large driftwood log, they sat side by side to eat.
It was perhaps their most romantic date. When they finished their lunch, they stayed where they were, absorbing the beauty of the view. Cal slipped his arm around her and every now and then they’d kiss. His kisses were soft, sweet, his mouth lingering on hers.
Linnette thought about what she wanted to say and almost lost her nerve. She was reluctant
to mention anything that might destroy the tranquility of the moment.
“Can I ask you something?” she said after several minutes. “Something I’ve never asked before.”
“O-k-kay.”
“Have you had the stutter all your life?”
As she’d feared, Cal tensed.
“Cal,” she said, scrambling around. She knelt in front of him and cradled his face in her hands. “I have a reason for asking. Please don’t take offense.”
His eyes delved into hers, as if to gauge how much he could trust her. She didn’t flinch, didn’t back down and held his look with her own, letting her love shine through her eyes.
“Always,” he said. “All m-my l-life.”
She rewarded him with a series of slow kisses. “Did you know that when we’re kissing and touching, you don’t stutter?”
He frowned briefly. “I don’t?”
“Nope. When you’re talking to the animals, you don’t, either.” She’d observed this earlier and been struck by it.
Again he seemed unsure he should believe her.
“Have you ever been to a speech therapist?” she asked.
Resistance narrowed his gaze and he glanced away. “N-n-no.”
She turned his face back to her so he couldn’t avoid meeting her eyes. “That’s what I thought.” She took a deep breath. “There’s an excellent therapist here in Kitsap County.” She’d investigated therapists in the region and checked out their credentials.
“Y-y-you w-w-w-want me to g-go?”
“That’s entirely up to you,” she told him, ignoring the fact that his stutter had instantly become more pronounced, which seemed to happen as a reaction to stress. The gravel on the beach was cutting into her knees; still, she stayed where she was. “I’m just letting you know there’s help if you want it.” She placed the emphasis on him. This was up to Cal, and whatever he decided was fine with her.
When he didn’t respond right away, Linnette sat down beside him once again. Cal draped his arm around her shoulder and brought her against his side. She felt peaceful and calm in his embrace.
“W-would y-you go with m-me?”
“For the first visit, anyway—if that’s what you want.”
Leaning over, Cal kissed the top of her head. “Y-you g-got on Sheba.”
He was telling her that although she was apprehensive about riding, Linnette had climbed into the saddle—and that he was willing to take a risk, too. He would see a therapist about his speech impediment, despite his intense need to protect his own privacy.
“I owe my mother a big debt of thanks,” Linnette whispered more to herself than to Cal.
“Oh?”
“She paid a lot of money at that auction so I could meet you, and now that I have, I think she got the bargain of the century.” She grinned. “What I really mean is that I did.”
Seven
As Rachel Pendergast was putting a load of clean clothes in her dryer, the phone rang. She reached it just before the fifth ring, which was when her answering machine always came on.
She’d been waiting to hear from Nate all day and dove breathlessly for the receiver. “Hello.”
“Rachel?”
It was a young girl’s voice, instantly recognizable as that of nine-year-old Jolene Peyton. They’d been good friends for the last four years. Soon after widower Bruce Peyton had brought his young daughter into the salon for a haircut, Jolene had decided she wanted Rachel to be her new mother. At the time, it had created an embarrassing situation.
Bruce still grieved for his wife, who’d died in a car accident on her way to pick up Jolene from kindergarten. He’d been adamant about having no interest in any kind of romance—with anyone, Rachel included. She accepted him at his word and over the next few years, as Jolene and Rachel continued to meet, Bruce and Rachel had become friends. They occasionally went out to dinner, mostly to discuss Jolene, since Bruce often sought her advice. Because she’d lost her own mother when she was relatively young, Rachel identified with the child.
In other words, there was nothing romantic between her and Bruce. Rachel was seeing Nate Olsen, although the time they actually spent together was limited, since the navy’s demands came first.
“I need someone to take me shopping,” Jolene said in a small, uncertain voice. “Dad said I could buy an Easter dress.”
“I’d be happy to go with you,” Rachel assured the youngster.
“My dad wants to talk to you, all right?” The little girl’s voice was more cheerful now.
“Rachel,” Bruce said. “Would it be a bother?”
“Not at all.” The truth was, she could do with something new herself. “I’d love it.”
“When can you go?”
Since Easter was the following weekend, Rachel figured it would need to be soon. “How about this afternoon?” she suggested. She had a rare Saturday free, which she’d arranged on the off-chance that Nate would be available. But it was already midafternoon and she hadn’t heard from him, so she assumed he wouldn’t be calling.
“This afternoon is perfect,” Bruce said.
Rachel heard Jolene shout with glee in the background.
“I’ll bring her by in an hour if that works for you,” Bruce said.
“That would be great.”
They discussed a price range for the new outfit and after a few words of farewell, ended the call. Rachel always enjoyed her “girl-time” with Jolene. When she’d started fourth grade, Jolene had asked her to attend the school’s open house, and with Bruce’s blessing, Rachel had gone. Afterward Jolene had written her a lovely thank-you note, which Rachel treasured. She had a stack of artwork that Jolene had colored or drawn or constructed for her. These were things a little girl would normally give her mother, and Rachel felt honored to play that role—part-time surrogate mom—in Jolene’s life.
As Rachel finished brushing her hair, her phone rang again. Even before she answered, she had the sinking feeling it would be Nate.
It was.
“Are you free?” he asked.
“I will be later,” she told him. Nate was working on some major project aboard the aircraft carrier. Because of it, they hadn’t been together in more than a week.
“I thought you took the day off,” he complained.
“I did.” She didn’t mention how many favors she’d had to call in to arrange a free Saturday. “When I didn’t hear from you, I figured you were still hung up on this project.”
Nate groaned. “Can you cancel whatever you’ve got planned?”
Rachel refused to do that to Jolene. “No. It’s Jolene. I’m taking her shopping for an Easter dress.”
The line went silent. “All right,” he said reluctantly, his disappointment obvious. “I would’ve phoned sooner if I’d had the chance.”
“I know.” Rachel was disappointed, too. “What about later?”
“What time?”
“I’m not sure.” She wouldn’t know that until she got to the shopping mall. “Say six?”
“That’s too late,” he muttered. “I have a commitment this evening—a stag I have to go to. Dinner and, uh, entertainment. The whole deal.”
“Well…we’ll get together soon,” she assured him. It was the best she could offer.
“Soon,” Nate agreed with a sigh.
They spoke until the doorbell rang. Assuming it was Bruce and Jolene, Rachel ended the conversation with Nate and opened the door to discover Teri Miller waiting there. “Turn on your television,” Teri insisted, storming into the small rental house.
“My television?” Rachel said. “What for?”
“Remember when we were over at Maryellen’s last week?” Teri moved toward the television and reached for the remote. Not giving Rachel a chance to respond, she turned on the set and flipped though channels until she found the one she wanted.
Rachel stared at the screen, unable to figure out the program, which seemed to be some sort of…sporting event? She quickly surmised that it had no
thing to do with sports. A group of mostly men were gathered around game boards, and everyone seemed intent and deadly serious.
“They’re playing chess,” Rachel said. She couldn’t imagine why this was important to her friend.
“It’s one of the biggest chess tournaments in the world, and they’re in Seattle.”
“Seattle,” Rachel repeated. “Right. I remember. We heard the announcement at Maryellen’s.”
“Bobby Polgar is playing,” Teri said excitedly, standing transfixed in front of the television. She pointed at a man bent over the board just as the camera closed in on the slouching figure.
“Who?” The name was vaguely familiar but Rachel didn’t care about chess. She knew the basics of the game, or had at one time, but that was it.
“Bobby Polgar is the top-ranked player in the United States,” Teri explained. Again Rachel wondered why this mattered to her friend. “He’s in a match with some guy whose name I can’t pronounce. From Ukraine.”
“And this interests you?” Rachel asked.
“Yes. At least, Bobby does. I think he’s kind of cute.” She shrugged dramatically. “I know why Bobby’s losing this match.”
“You do?” She sent Teri a puzzled frown. “I don’t get this, so give me a hand here,” Rachel said. “As I recall, you know next to nothing about chess.” She remembered that Teri thought chess was a lot like checkers, which of course, it wasn’t.
“I have no idea how to play,” Teri said. She glanced at her watch and immediately became agitated. “But that’s beside the point. Listen, I’ve got a ferry to catch. I’m going to Seattle to help Bobby.”
Rachel stared at her. Life-of-the-party Teri was going to “help” a chess grand master? Someone she’d only seen on television? Someone who was expert at a game she didn’t know the first thing about? “Teri, are you all right?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course I’m all right. This is a mission of mercy. By the way, can I borrow twenty bucks?”
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