Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Series, Volume 3

by Debbie Macomber

  “What do you mean? Has something happened?” Grace asked, feeling anxious about Beth’s obvious distress.

  “Yes. Two totally unrelated and unexpected things. I’m trying to figure out how to handle them. I’m sorry to inflict this on you. It’s just that…it’s all too much.”

  “Tell us what’s going on,” Grace said gently. She’d never seen her friend so disconcerted.

  “Well, first, it seems my ex-husband is coming here for Christmas. The girls will be home from college and he asked them if it’s okay to visit and they really want him to.” She sighed. “I could turn him down but not them. Anyway, I talked to the Beldons, and they told me Kent has a reservation at their bed-and-breakfast.”

  Grace was aware that Beth was divorced but knew nothing of the circumstances.

  Cliff sipped his eggnog, leaving the questions to her.

  “Is that a problem?” Grace asked.

  “Yes,” Beth said bluntly. “Kent and I haven’t spoken in three years—well, except when it has to do with the girls. Bailey and Sophie are both away at school, so there hasn’t been much need for us to communicate.”

  This was the most personal Beth had ever been, the most she’d revealed about her divorce. Although Grace regarded her as a friend, Beth had never divulged many details about her life prior to Cedar Cove. Grace knew she spent her time with the dogs and running her farm. Her place was one of several in the area that sold live trees. In fact, the address—1225 Christmas Tree Lane—couldn’t have been more appropriate.

  Cliff finally spoke up. “Why did your daughters arrange this?” he asked her.

  “I’m not sure…. Kent and I have always been civil. It wasn’t a bitter divorce or anything. We just…grew apart. And like I said, we’ve had very little to do with each other since.”

  “I wonder if the girls have some hope of a reconciliation,” Grace mused, and didn’t realize she’d spoken out loud until she noticed both Cliff and Beth looking at her.

  “I think it’s a good idea for Kent to stay at the Thyme and Tide,” Beth said, not responding to Grace’s comment. “Really, I couldn’t have him at the house. It…it would be too uncomfortable.”

  “Yes, I imagine it would.”

  “When does he arrive?” Grace asked.

  “The twenty-third… This is all so unexpected—and then there’s Ted.”

  The only Ted she knew was the local vet. Considering how often Beth visited him, it made sense that they might have struck up a friendship. She gathered that Ted donated some of his services, since Beth was essentially running a charity.

  “The vet,” she said, confirming Grace’s assumption. Beth nervously rubbed her hands together. “We’ve sort of been…seeing each other. Nothing serious, though.”

  Grace couldn’t keep from smiling. She’d hoped for something like this. Ted Reynolds was about Beth’s age, attractive and unfailingly good-humored. Grace and Olivia had half-jokingly commented that Ted’s single status was a waste. There weren’t that many eligible, good-looking men around.

  “Then this morning…” Beth stared down at the floor. “Remember how I said people have been bringing me dogs?” She drew in a deep breath. “Well, this morning I got a big surprise on my front porch.” She let out her breath. “A basket full of puppies. A large basket.”

  Grace could feel her pulse accelerate. If Beth had to find homes for a whole litter of puppies, then she wouldn’t be keen to take Beau.

  “How many puppies?” Cliff asked. “And what breed?”

  “Ten. And they seem to be black Labs. Or part Lab, anyway.”

  “Ten puppies?”

  Beth nodded. “They’re adorable, but ten? How am I ever going to find homes for ten puppies?”

  “Actually, make that eleven,” Grace murmured.

  “Eleven?”

  “Don’t forget, Beau needs a home, too.”

  “Beau?” Beth’s eyes flew to Cliff.

  Cliff responded with a shrug.

  “Beau,” Grace repeated. For some time she’d suspected that Beth and Cliff had joined forces against her, and this proved it. Well, they could scheme all they wanted, but they wouldn’t change her mind. The puppy had to go.

  “But…but didn’t you say something about asking Maryellen and Jon to take Beau?” Beth looked at her with desperate eyes.

  “I decided against it,” Grace said stiffly.

  “The thing is,” Cliff explained, “Grace wants Beau to be adopted into a good family. But she doesn’t want him going to one of our children for fear she’ll see him on a regular basis. Because, unwilling though she is to admit it, she loves that dog.”

  “That is not true,” Grace insisted, but her argument fell on deaf ears. It was all too obvious that neither one believed her.

  Even Beau’s soft snore sounded more like a snort of disbelief. Seeing him curled up so contentedly on her lap made her realize how far she’d lowered her guard when it came to this puppy.

  “Fine. I’ll call Maryellen and ask if she’ll take Beau for the kids,” she said, hoping to dispel their skepticism. “Maybe she’ll want him as a Christmas gift.”

  “Thank you,” Beth said gratefully. She finished her eggnog and brought the empty glass to the sink. “And thanks for the drink. I’ll wait to hear from you about Beau. I apologize if I vented. It’s just that everything seems to be coming down on me at once.”

  “We completely understand,” Cliff assured her.

  Beth left a few minutes later and, the second the door closed, Cliff presented Grace with the phone.

  “What’s that for?”

  “Aren’t you going to call Maryellen and Jon?” he asked, arching his brows. “The kids are old enough for a puppy. And Jon’s certainly expressed an interest in getting a dog.”

  “I’ll do it later,” she told him, not ready to make the call. She couldn’t understand why it had to be done right away. “In fact, I think it might be better if we waited until just before Christmas.”

  “I thought you wanted him to go to his new home as soon as possible.”

  “Maryellen’s busy,” she said, knowing her daughter’s hectic schedule. “I’ll call her next week.”

  “Why wait?” Cliff continued to hold out the phone, which only irritated her.

  “Okay, fine, since it’s so important to you.” She grabbed the receiver and hit speed dial for her oldest daughter.

  Maryellen answered on the first ring. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi.” She swallowed hard.

  “What’s up?”

  Grace’s hand rested on Beau’s head. “Cliff and I have a question for you about the kids’ Christmas gift.”

  “They’re each making a detailed list of toys they want Grandma and Grandpa Claus to buy them.”

  “I’m sure they are.” Grace liked nothing better than spoiling her grandchildren. While they were baking cookies yesterday, Katie and Drake had made a point of telling her which toys they were interested in for Christmas.

  “What would you think if Cliff and I got them a dog?” There, it was out. Cliff didn’t believe she’d do it, but she had and it wasn’t nearly as difficult as she’d expected. Beau would love the children and they’d love him just as much. Watching them play with him on Saturday had told her that.

  “A dog, Mom, or a puppy?”

  “A puppy,” she clarified. “I was thinking of letting them have Beau.”

  “Beau?” Maryellen sounded shocked. “You’d give up Beau?”

  “Of course. I never intended to keep him. You knew that.” Grace had certainly made her intentions clear to any and all who’d listen.

  “Well, yes, but, Mom, he’s your dog. He follows you everywhere. He’s obviously decided you’re his owner.”

  “He’ll adjust,” Grace said, refusing to let her resolve waver.

  “I suppose he will, but I’m not so sure about you.”

  “You’re being ridiculous.” Grace didn’t want to argue but found it annoying in the extreme that everyone
insisted she wouldn’t be able to give up Beau when the time came. They were wrong. Each and every one of them. “Now, do you want him or not? Because if you don’t, then…then Cliff and I will take him back to Beth Morehouse.”

  “In that case, sure, we’ll take Beau.”

  The lump in Grace’s throat thickened. “Good. We’ll deliver him on Christmas Eve.”

  Cliff raised his hand, indicating that he wanted to say something.

  “Hold on a minute,” Grace said, covering the mouthpiece.

  “Why wait until Christmas Eve?” he asked. “Tell Maryellen we’ll bring him over this afternoon. We’re headed that way later, and it would be convenient to drop him off.”

  “No need to rush, is there?” Grace muttered. “He’s a Christmas gift.”

  “Mom?”

  Grace returned the phone to her ear. “Yes?”

  “I heard what Cliff just said. It’d be great if you brought him today. He’ll distract the kids from all the Christmas madness and keep them occupied.”

  “Today,” Grace repeated slowly. “All right… Why not? We’ll stop by this afternoon with Beau and all his paraphernalia.” She was astonished by how much stuff they’d managed to accumulate for one small puppy.

  “Wonderful. Come anytime.”

  “Okay. See you later.” Grace clicked off the phone and handed it back to Cliff. “I hope you’re happy,” she lashed out.

  He smiled, ignoring her waspish tone.

  “Wipe that grin off your face. You think I won’t be able to give up Beau? Well, you’re in for a surprise, Cliff Harding. Let’s go right this minute. The sooner this dog is out of my life, the better.” She carefully set Beau on the floor, then hurried from room to room, shoving his chew toys and stuffed animals into a big plastic bag.

  Cliff didn’t help, which infuriated her. This was his brilliant idea, so the least he could do was gather up Beau’s food.

  “You ready?” she snapped when she’d finished. She had his toys and his bed, plus the new bag of dry puppy food she’d picked up the day before. “Oh, I don’t want to forget his vaccination records,” she said, retrieving them at the last minute.

  Beau climbed obediently into his carrying case. She’d taken him to the library with her a number of times now. The moment he saw the carrier, he knew it meant a trip, and he loved being with Grace no matter where she was going.

  Grace zipped up the carrier, and Beau lay down, resting his chin on his paws, perfectly content and trusting.

  “We’re taking you to a new home,” she told him. “A home with children who’ll run and play with you. Remember Katie and Drake? They already love you and you can play with them and…and—”

  “Okay, let’s go.” Cliff said, coat on and car keys in hand.

  Grace stood there, immobilized.

  He waited at the door. “You coming?”

  “Yes.” She forced herself to take one step and then another. Each step required effort and determination. The carrier was still on the floor. She’d have to reach down and pick it up….

  “Are you coming or not?” Cliff asked.

  “I said I was.” Bending down, looking at Beau, with his dark eyes focused directly on her, she tried to reassure him and herself that this was for the best. “Katie and Drake are going to love you so much.”

  Unblinking, Beau stared up at her.

  “Grace.” Cliff’s voice was gentle. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

  She started to assure him it was and then realized she couldn’t. “No,” she whispered. “This isn’t what I want at all.” Just saying the words seemed to free her. “I do love Beau.”

  “I know. You couldn’t help yourself any more than I could.” Cliff came over and put his arms around her, hugging her. “Does that mean we can keep him?”

  “He isn’t Buttercup.”

  “No, he’s not. He’s Beau. Our Beau.”

  “Our Beau,” she agreed. She knelt down, opening the zipper to his carrier.

  Beau leaped right into her arms.

  Thirty-Five

  “I don’t know about this,” Lori told Linc as she set a tray of decorated sugar cookies on the coffee table. She rubbed her hands nervously together.

  Linc had his own reservations, but was unwilling to say so. “It’ll be fine,” he said confidently. “Don’t worry.”

  Lori looked unconvinced. “If this is a disaster, then…”

  “I’ll accept full responsibility.”

  “No, you won’t,” she said, coming to stand at his side. “I went along with this idea of yours. So if everything goes down in flames, I’m going down with you.”

  His wife didn’t seem to hold out much hope. Linc, on the other hand, believed there was at least a chance this would all work out.

  “Dad might not even come,” Lori said, which was one objection she’d raised when Linc had first suggested setting up a meeting between her parents. Kate didn’t know her husband would be there, otherwise she’d never have agreed to visit.

  “He’ll be here.”

  “But you only talked to him that once. You said it hadn’t gone well.”

  “Your father and I still have some ground to cover, but one thing came through loud and clear. He loves your mother.”

  “But Mom’s already filed for divorce.”

  “I’m fairly sure your father’s heard about that.” Linc’s biggest concern was that Kate would be upset with Lori. Still, they’d deal with that if they had to.

  “Is the coffee ready?” Lori asked, glancing into the kitchen.

  “It’s finished brewing.” So far they hadn’t done much entertaining, not counting Mary Jo, Mack and Noelle. They were family, though…. Well, so were Kate and Leonard, but that was different. They were estranged family, which made everything a lot more tense.

  Lori had cleaned the duplex until Linc thought she’d scrub the paint off the walls. The kitchen floor shone so brightly he could almost see his reflection, and the furniture had been polished until it gleamed. They’d put up their small Christmas tree the day before and Lori had spent hours decorating it. She’d done a lovely job, too. Linc had tried to help but Lori wanted to do it her way and he was just as glad to let her.

  At precisely two o’clock the doorbell chimed. Lori jumped as though it had caught her completely off guard. She grabbed Linc’s forearm. “You answer that, okay?”

  He kissed her cheek. “Relax,” he whispered.

  “Easy for you to say,” she muttered back.

  Linc went to the door. Leonard stood on the other side, a frown darkening his face. “What’s all this about?”

  Linc didn’t reply as he opened the screen door. “I see you’re right on time.”

  “I didn’t get where I am in the world by showing up late.”

  “Hi, Daddy.” Lori stood in the middle of the room, clenching her hands. “Welcome to our home.”

  Leonard looked around and whether he approved or disapproved he didn’t say.

  “Would you care to have a seat?” Linc asked.

  “No. You said Kate would be here.”

  “She will be…” Lori told him. “Unless she recognizes your car and decides to leave.”

  Bellamy’s gaze shot directly to Linc. “She doesn’t know I’m coming?”

  Linc shook his head. “We figured it would be best not to tell her.”

  Leonard walked over to the window and gazed out. “She had divorce papers served to me on Friday.”

  “I know,” Lori said.

  “She refuses to talk to me and then she has the gall to send a clerk from some Seattle law office to serve me with papers.”

  “Aren’t you grateful for the chance to talk to Mom?”

  “Damn straight I am. I’ll give her a piece of my mind. We’ve been married all these years and she can’t talk to me? Her own husband?”

  “Daddy,” Lori interjected sweetly. “I don’t think it’ll do much good to yell at Mom.”

  “I’m not yelling,
” he shouted.

  Lori winced and Linc moved to her side. He’d learned a valuable lesson about his father-in-law this past week. Bellamy barked loudly but rarely bit. However, when he did bite, he bit hard. Linc had the teeth marks to prove it.

  “Mom doesn’t like it when you yell.”

  “Apparently your mother finds more than the tone of my voice objectionable,” Leonard said, lowering his voice.

  “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” Linc asked.

  “You don’t have anything stronger?”

  “No, Daddy, we don’t, especially this early in the afternoon.”

  “Then I’ll take the coffee.” He sat down on the sofa and let his hands fall between his parted knees. “When should we expect your mother?” He glanced at his watch as he asked.

  “Any minute,” Linc said from the kitchen. Ever the optimist he poured four cups. No sooner had he finished than the doorbell rang again.

  Lori answered it this time. Linc remained in the kitchen and watched as Bellamy got to his feet.

  Kate stepped inside, stopping abruptly when she saw her husband. “I didn’t realize there’d be other guests,” she said coldly. She stiffened as if to prepare for a confrontation. “I wondered if that was your car out there, but I didn’t think it could be. I can’t believe my own daughter would set me up like this.”

  Lori looked anxious but Leonard ignored the comment. “Hello, Kate.”

  Linc sighed with relief. At least Leonard wasn’t yelling.

  She gave a curt nod. “Lenny.”

  Linc suspected Kate was the only woman in the world who could address Bellamy as “Lenny.” He carried the coffee into the living room and handed Leonard and Kate each a mug before returning for the other two. Both declined cream or sugar.

  Earlier he’d brought two kitchen chairs into the small living room so there’d be four places to sit. Linc and Lori sat down on the chairs, leaving Kate and Leonard no choice but to take the sofa. They sat as far away from each other as possible.

  “Would anyone like a cookie?” Lori asked, hopping to her feet a moment later and picking up the plate.