1022 Evergreen Place

by Debbie Macomber

  She located his car in the staff parking lot and steered into a space two rows over, where she could keep his car in view. Ten minutes later she saw him.

  Except he wasn’t alone. An attractive blonde woman walked with him. They were deeply involved in conversation, his head leaning close to hers. Chad laughed frequently as they talked; clearly they enjoyed each other’s company.

  Gloria watched him escort the blonde to her car. Her heart plummeted when he bent to kiss her passionately. Then he stepped back and waited as she pulled out of her parking space and drove off.

  When Chad started toward his car, Gloria sat, unmoving, in her own. He opened his door, then looked up and paused. He’d caught sight of her.

  With no choice now, she climbed out of her car.

  Chad walked over, and judging by the frown that darkened his face, he wasn’t happy to see her. “What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly.

  The answer should be obvious. “I came to see you.”

  “Why?”

  This was her opportunity to explain the reason for her visit. And yet…she couldn’t.

  “I thought I made myself clear in our last conversation,” he said stiffly. He thrust his hands in his pockets. “I’m through with our hot-and-cold relationship, Gloria. I hung around Cedar Cove far longer than I should have, wanting to give us a chance. I honestly hoped we could make a go of it, but you let me know you weren’t interested.”

  She had no defense. That was exactly what she’d done.

  “When I left, I told you I was finished and I meant it. You aren’t good for me.”

  “No, I don’t suppose I am,” she agreed sadly.

  “I’m starting over here in Tacoma and you know what? I like my life.”

  “I see you have a…friend.”

  “I do.” He didn’t embellish but simply confirmed the fact.

  “I can’t argue with anything you said. I wish you well, Chad, I really do. I apologize for—”

  “No need,” he said, cutting her off. “You taught me some valuable lessons.”

  She merely nodded, unable to speak. With the pregnancy, her emotions had become volatile; she didn’t want to risk embarrassing herself or him, so she offered him a smile. What she wanted was to tell him about the baby, but she couldn’t do it. He’d begun a new life, a new relationship. Some might argue that it wasn’t ethical to keep the baby a secret, but that was what she intended to do. Wasn’t it fairer to him that way? She could see to it that one night of his previous life, one night in an ill-fated relationship, wouldn’t return to damage his future hopes and dreams. With the decision made, she turned away, got back in her car and sped out of the parking lot.

  The tears came as she headed home to Cedar Cove. By the time she exited the freeway she was a mess. Her eyes were puffy and red and the seat next to her was piled with crumpled tissues.

  Hardly aware of what she was doing, Gloria was mildly surprised to find herself in front of the McAfee home on Harbor Street.

  She needed her mother. At one point in her own life, Corrie had been in the same situation as Gloria. She’d know what to do, how to guide her.

  She wiped her face and walked up the steps to the door. If Roy answered, Gloria had no idea what she’d say.

  He did. Taking one look at Gloria, he whirled around and called out, “Corrie!”

  There was an urgency in his voice, and Corrie appeared almost immediately. Roy stepped aside and Corrie took Gloria by the hand and led her into the house, straight to the kitchen. Pulling a chair out from the table, she sat Gloria down and then sat beside her, still holding her hand.

  Gloria discovered she couldn’t say a word. Not a solitary word. Every time she opened her mouth, nothing came out. After several futile attempts, she stopped trying. Instead, she held a clump of tissues to her eyes and wept loudly.

  Corrie moved away from the table long enough to make two mugs of decaffeinated tea.

  Roy briefly entered the kitchen and promptly left. “I’ll be in the other room if you need me,” he said on his way out the door. He seemed grateful that nothing was expected of him.

  “Here,” Corrie said soothingly. “Drink this.”

  Gloria did. The hot liquid eased the ache in her throat. The mug held in both hands spread warmth through her chilled body.

  When her vision cleared, Gloria saw that Corrie’s eyes were brimming with tears.

  “I’m pregnant,” Gloria whispered.

  “I suspected it.” Corrie patted her hand gently. “I saw the pregnancy kit when I ran into you at the grocery store.”

  “I wasn’t sure. You…you didn’t say anything.”

  “No, I didn’t,” she said. “I wanted you to trust me enough to come to me. I’m so glad you did.” Leaning over, she wrapped Gloria in her loving embrace.

  A number of times in the past Corrie had hugged her and Gloria had responded, although it had all seemed rather forced. Not this time. They clung to each other in mutual understanding.

  “When I first learned I was pregnant with you, it felt as if the world had come to an end,” Corrie said in a low voice as they moved apart.

  Gloria made a sound that was half tearful, half amused. “I felt like that, too.”

  “Roy and I weren’t seeing each other anymore and he was dating some cheerleader.”

  Gloria lowered her head. “Did you tell him when you found out?”

  “No. What good would it’ve done for him to know? We were so young…I was still in my teens. He was out of my life, and I was too stubborn and too hurt to go to him. Right or wrong, I believed this was my problem and I’d deal with it myself.”

  “You went home?”

  “Yes, I dropped out of college for the rest of the school year and returned to Oregon to live with my parents. They were wonderful, helping me decide what was best for you—and for me.” Tears slipped down Corrie’s face. “I loved you so much…. You’ll never know how hard it was to give you up for adoption.”

  Now it was Gloria who comforted her mother; she drew her close and murmured words of love and reassurance. They held each other for several minutes.

  When they reached for tissues at the same time, they both laughed, soft, embarrassed laughter.

  Gloria sipped her tea and took a moment to compose her thoughts.

  “When…when did you tell…Dad?” These were all questions Gloria had wanted to ask; she’d never found the courage. Facing her own pregnancy without the baby’s father gave her an entirely different perspective on her mother’s situation. The rejection she’d felt, the feelings of resentment she’d experienced at being denied the joy of growing up with her brother and sister, evaporated. Her mother had loved her and had done the best she could under the circumstances.

  “Roy didn’t know about you until you were over a year old.”

  He hadn’t known about her until she’d already taken her first steps. “What made you decide to tell him?”

  Corrie hung her head. “I went back to school and we met on campus at the library. It was all rather awkward, as you can imagine. I didn’t want to see him, and at the same time I did, if that makes any sense?”

  “It does.”

  “We started dating again. I’d never stopped loving him, but I wasn’t willing to let him break my heart a second time. When he asked me to marry him, I felt he needed to know about you.” She exhaled shakily and reached for her tea with a trembling hand. “He was upset with me, Gloria, terribly, terribly upset. I’ve never seen Roy like that, before or since. He was so…angry.”

  Gloria peered into the other room and saw that Roy was working on the computer, his back to her.

  “We agreed that we wouldn’t discuss it again and we both accepted that we had a daughter we’d never know, but would always love.” She paused to get control of her emotions before she continued. “Then you came back into our lives and I can’t tell you how happy that’s made us.”

  “Thank you, Mom,” Gloria whispered. It was the first time
she’d ever addressed Corrie as her mother. It had always been Corrie and Roy, but from this point forward they’d be Mom and Dad.

  “Okay,” Corrie said, slowly releasing her breath. “How can I help you?”

  “I…I don’t know yet. It’s still pretty new.”

  “Does…does the father know?”

  Gloria shook her head. “No. And I’m not going to tell him.” She’d already made that decision and it was one she meant to keep.

  Corrie studied her for several seconds before she spoke. “I just told you how upset your father was that I withheld the information from him.”

  “I know. But in my case I feel this is the right thing to do.”

  “At the time I did, too,” her mother said.

  “Mom, please support me in this.”

  Again, Corrie hesitated and then nodded. “If you’re sure that’s what you want, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  “I want to raise my baby—at least, that’s my thought for now. I might have a change of heart later, but for right now that’s my plan.”

  “Your father and I will support whatever decision you make,” Corrie said solemnly.

  “Thank you.” She’d been certain her mother would say that but was grateful to hear it.

  “Linnette’s pregnant, too, so Roy and I are going to become grandparents twice within a twelve-month period.” Corrie’s face beamed with joy and anticipation.

  “I should tell…Dad.” Gloria drank the rest of her tea, then went into the other room.

  Roy’s computer was set up in a small alcove there, and Gloria saw that he was checking stock prices. When he sensed her presence, he turned to look up at her. “Did you and your mother have a good talk?”

  Gloria nodded, swallowing hard. Telling her father about the baby was even more difficult than she’d expected. “I’m going to make you a grandfather.”

  “So I understand,” Roy said. He cleared his throat. “Is there anything you need me to do?”

  At first, his meaning wasn’t clear, and then Gloria understood that he was asking if she wanted him to confront the baby’s father. “Everything’s fine.”

  He frowned. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Very sure.”

  He returned to the computer screen. “It’s been a lot of years since we’ve had babies in this family,” she heard him say. “High time we did again.”

  Twenty-Eight

  “I think taking your parents to dinner is a lovely idea,” Mary Jo said as she slid into the booth across from Mack at D.D.’s on the Cove. They’d arrived first and been seated.

  Linc and Lori had agreed to watch Noelle for the evening. The baby, familiar with her aunt and uncle, had gone to them without a fuss.

  “Aren’t you the one who said we should tell them about the engagement over dinner?” Mack smiled. He picked up the wine list and began to study it while Mary Jo read over the menu.

  “When I suggested dinner, I assumed I’d cook.”

  “This is a celebration,” Mack said. He reached for her left hand, and she flexed her fingers, showing off her diamond ring. “I didn’t want you to have to do all that extra work.”

  This man who would soon be her husband was considerate, thoughtful, loving. As it stood now, Mary Jo wasn’t sure what they were going to do regarding David. His presence in their lives hung over them like a storm cloud. Either it would eventually blow past or it would rain down upon them in torrents. Mary Jo was braced for whatever happened, whatever the future held. One thing was certain; she wouldn’t allow David to take Noelle away from her. Mack wouldn’t, either. They’d stand side by side and face any threat from David together.

  “Here’s Mom now,” Mack said. He stood to greet his mother as the hostess escorted her to their booth.

  Corrie kissed her son’s cheek and smiled down at Mary Jo, who held her left hand under the table, in her lap. “Roy’s parking the car. We got caught in traffic.”

  “Traffic?” Mack repeated with a laugh. “You could walk to the restaurant.” The McAfee family home was up the hill, only five or six blocks from the waterfront.

  “True,” Corrie admitted, “however, we did drive and we had to wait at the stoplight.”

  Mack shook his head. “You’ve been away from Seattle too long.”

  Mack’s mother smiled as she pulled a menu toward her.

  Mary Jo had already chosen her meal. The fresh Alaskan halibut, steamed and then topped with shrimp, cheese and a dollop of sour cream sounded delicious. Her brothers had always been meat-and-potatoes people and she rarely cooked fish. Now that she was living on her own, she took every opportunity to sample the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.

  Roy joined them, sitting in the booth next to Mack. “Sorry we’re late,” he said.

  They weren’t, not really. Well, maybe a minute or two. Mack got his promptness from his family, Mary Jo thought. This was another admirable trait he shared with his parents.

  “Roy,” Corrie said, glancing up from her menu, “on your way in, did you notice that the special of the day is oysters?”

  “Fresh from Hood Canal,” Mack added. “That’s what I’m having.”

  Roy didn’t bother to pick up his menu. “Sounds good to me, too.”

  Corrie continued to study the offerings. “Everything looks so wonderful, it’s hard to decide.”

  “While you’re thinking,” Roy said, “I’d like to say this dinner invitation is a pleasant surprise. It isn’t every day one of our children treats us to a meal out.”

  “There’s a very good reason,” Mack said, smiling tenderly at Mary Jo.

  “I suspected as much.” Roy leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. “You want my help, right?”

  “Help?” Mary Jo asked in confusion.

  “With Jacob Dennison’s letters. I talked to Mack about it the other day and he said the two of you have hit a dead end.”

  “Well, yes,” Mary Jo began, “but that’s—”

  “Actually, Dad,” Mack said, gently cutting off Mary Jo’s response. “We could definitely use some help with that if you have the time.”

  “I like nothing better than solving a good mystery.” He sent his wife a smug glance as he spoke.

  Corrie sighed and directed her question to Mack. “That’s the reason you asked us to dinner?”

  “Well, no.” He was about to explain when the waiter came for their drink order.

  “I believe we’re all having fish,” Roy said. “So I suggest a white wine.”

  “We’ll take a bottle of your best champagne,” Mack told the waiter, ignoring his father’s advice. “It isn’t every day a man gets engaged.”

  At his announcement, Corrie nearly flew out of her seat. “I knew it! I just knew it.” Grinning, Mary Jo raised her left hand, and Corrie shrieked with delight. “Oh, Mack, I’m thrilled. And the ring’s beautiful.” She took Mary Jo by the shoulders and hugged her close. “This is absolutely perfect. One day we’re longing to be grandparents and then suddenly we discover we’re going to have three.”

  “Three?” Mack said, looking bewildered. “Is Linnette having twins?”

  Roy, as usual, got straight to the point. “It’s Gloria,” he said.

  “Gloria,” Mack repeated, frowning. “I didn’t even know she was seeing anyone.”

  “We didn’t, either,” Corrie told him. “We only just heard the news ourselves…. I probably should’ve let her tell you herself.”

  “I’m glad you said something,” Mack said, concern in his voice.

  “Let’s get back to you and Mary Jo,” Corrie said eagerly. “Have you set a date?”

  “Not yet,” Mary Jo said.

  “But soon,” Mack insisted.

  She nodded as they locked eyes.

  “I’m thinking August,” Mack said next.

  “August?” Mary Jo and Corrie chimed in simultaneously.

  “Mack,” Corrie said, pressing her hand over her heart. “That’s next month!”

  M
ack looked from his mother to Mary Jo. “Is that a problem?”

  Mary Jo didn’t know how to answer. “I… We haven’t discussed what kind of wedding we’re going to have.” Between Mack’s schedule and her own, they hadn’t had time to go over the details of their engagement. Nor had they given any thought at all to the wedding itself or a honeymoon or anything else.

  “Do you want a church wedding?” Roy asked.

  “I do,” Mary Jo answered.

  “I guess,” was Mack’s reply.

  “You guess?” Mary Jo muttered, and rolled her eyes.

  “Okay, okay,” Mack said, recovering quickly, “I definitely want a church wedding.”

  “What about a reception?”

  Mary Jo and Mack both nodded.

  “Would you two want a dinner with the reception?” Corrie asked.

  Mary Jo hadn’t considered that. It sounded more expensive than they’d be able to afford. “Would a cake, maybe some mixed nuts and those colorful mints be enough?”

  “That’s fine,” Corrie assured her.

  “If Mary Jo wants a dinner, that’s okay by me,” Mack said decisively.

  Corrie smiled at her son. “Serving a dinner might mean postponing the wedding by a month or two,” she explained. “These things take time and planning.”

  Mack shook his head. “Then we can do without the meal.”

  Mary Jo couldn’t hold back a laugh. Mack’s eagerness to marry her was endearing—and it also sent a chill of excitement through her. Excitement about the days and nights ahead….

  The champagne arrived and they ordered their meals. Once their flutes were filled, Roy offered a lovely toast. Mack’s normally succinct father was downright lyrical and his kind words brought tears to her eyes.

  For most of the meal they discussed wedding plans, to the point that Mary Jo’s head started to spin. She’d only drunk half a glass of champagne or she might’ve thought the alcohol was affecting her.

  Watching Mack with his parents, seeing how close he was to Linnette, she recognized once again that this was a man she could trust. Mack had been brought up with the same values she had. Knowing Ben, she realized David had been raised that way, too, but at some point, years before, he’d abandoned those values for his own selfish purposes.