I heard Oliver’s footsteps pounding down the stairs. A few seconds later, he appeared in the dining room.
“Good morning,” he greeted cheerfully.
“Morning,” Kent said, as he reached for three pieces of bacon.
I held my breath, half expecting Julie to remind him of his cholesterol levels. She surprised me and didn’t say a word.
As if expecting to be chastised, Kent glanced at his wife, grinned, and replaced two of the bacon strips.
“I’ll take those,” Oliver said, raising his plate, and then, looking over at Julie, added, “It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?”
I glanced out the window and noticed that the weather was overcast and muggy, with gray skies. But in his present mood, which surprisingly matched Annie’s, this was a beautiful day.
“You still up to driving to Seattle?” Oliver asked Kent.
“You’re driving?” Julie asked, looking surprised. She directed the question to her husband.
“I’ll do fine, don’t you worry,” Kent said, and patted Julie’s knee. “Oliver and I have this all sorted out.”
“You’ll be taking Oliver’s car?” Annie asked.
“Yup.”
Annie’s head swiveled to look at her grandfather, then at Oliver, and then back again.
“When did you decide this?”
“Earlier.” Oliver reached for a muffin, four pieces of bacon, and two huge wedges of the quiche.
Apparently, he was famished.
“But how will you get to my parents’ house?” Annie asked, looking at Oliver.
“Can’t I ride with you?” He glanced up, his eyes full of question.
“Sure, but … this is all kind of sudden, isn’t it?”
“I should say,” Julie added. “Not that I don’t think it’s a good idea. Oh, my, that was a double negative, wasn’t it?”
“I thought it was a fine idea myself,” Kent agreed. “Annie and Oliver need to spend more time alone—right, kids?”
“And whose idea was this?” Annie asked.
To her credit, she didn’t sound the least bit distressed by the sudden switch in plans.
“Mine,” Oliver said.
“Mine,” Kent echoed, and then chuckled. “Both of us thought of it at the same time.”
“That way, I can help Annie in case there are any last-minute details she needs to handle here.”
“I took care of everything yesterday.”
“That way,” Oliver corrected, “you can show me your apartment in Seattle.”
“I am not taking you to my apartment,” Annie insisted, and laughed. “You’re impossible.”
“Kent was like that,” Julie said.
“But you tamed him, Grandma.”
“Yes, but it took me nearly fifty years.”
While the couples bantered back and forth, I returned to the kitchen to serve the rest of the anniversary party guests. The only person who wasn’t down for breakfast was Mary.
Mary had been up in her room since yesterday afternoon, and frankly, I was worried about her. Every other morning of her stay, she’d been downstairs before now. A while passed, and soon I’d fed all the guests except Mary. I knew she hadn’t been well, and so I risked going up the stairs and timidly knocking against her door.
“Who is it?” Her voice was weak, shaky.
“It’s Jo Marie. I was just checking to be sure you’re doing okay.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“Are you up and about?” Before she could answer, I qualified the question. “Breakfast is being served.”
“Oh … that’s okay. I’m not hungry this morning.”
“Would you like me to bring you a tray?”
“No, thank you.”
I hesitated, because I’d heard the tremble in her voice, and while she might claim she was perfectly fine, I had my fears. At the same time, I didn’t want her to think I was prying into her private life. “Will you be down soon?” I asked.
“In a bit,” she said through the door.
That was as comfortable as I got in questioning one of my guests. Never having run into a situation like this before, I turned back toward the stairwell. I would be patient.
By the time I returned to the kitchen, the only two people in the dining room were Annie and Oliver. They sat on opposite sides of the long table and were deeply involved in conversation. When Annie saw me, she blushed slightly and sat up straighter.
Seeing Annie’s reaction, Oliver looked over his shoulder and smiled when he saw it was me.
I didn’t know what they were discussing, but it appeared to be intimate. I didn’t want to interrupt. But I didn’t dare fall behind on my schedule. Not today, of all days.
Making myself scarce, I returned to the kitchen and made up a plate for Mary, whether she wanted it or not. Then I packed up the leftovers as best I could to store in the large refrigerator. I peeked out once to find Annie and Oliver in some kind of debate. I didn’t want either of them to think I was eavesdropping, so once again I retreated to the kitchen.
Rover continued to nap contentedly in his bed, barely aware of my uneasiness. I wanted to grumble at him, but it wasn’t his fault that I was having such a horrific morning.
When I heard the chairs scrape against the floor, I knew the two had finished their conversation. I practically leapt into the dining room to remove the last of the dirty dishes. The dishwasher was already open and ready for the plates, which I rinsed and set inside.
I was moving as quickly as I could when I heard a voice from behind me.
“Jo Marie, has something happened?”
Whirling around, I found Mary standing in the doorway, closely watching my erratic moves about the room. I’d been working in a frenzy, thinking, I suppose, that if I kept up this frantic pace, my mind would rest and I would have the answers I needed.
I froze at the sound of her voice. “Nothing’s wrong,” I assured her as calmly as I could. “Really.” Because I was more than eager to change the subject, I had a question of my own. “Are you ready for your breakfast?”
“I’ll just have juice.”
“Just juice?” I repeated. Thin as she was, Mary could stand to eat something more.
“As I’ve explained before, I don’t have much of an appetite these days.”
I thought to offer her a bit of an incentive. “I’ve gotten raves over this quiche.”
“I’m sure it’s delicious, but I’ve got a big event to attend this afternoon, and I don’t want an upset stomach.”
I didn’t argue with her. I reached for a glass and filled it with orange juice before handing it to her.
I, too, had a big event this afternoon.
Chapter 30
Annie had her suitcase all packed and ready to load into her car. She set it along with her garment bag in the hallway and went to check the room one last time to be sure she hadn’t left anything behind. Her grandparents had driven off a few minutes earlier.
As best she could see, her room was clear. When she turned around, she discovered her luggage and garment bag were missing. That was odd. She hadn’t heard anyone. Hurrying down the stairs, she saw her missing items were in the foyer next to Oliver’s overnight satchel. He must have carried hers down with his own.
She hardly knew what to think about the events of the night before. Frankly, her feelings for him set her off balance. What astonished her most was what a quick turnaround they had made. When he’d arrived on Friday she could barely tolerate the sight of him. And now … well, now just thinking about him caused her heart rate to accelerate to an alarming level. He was the same Oliver she’d known most of her life, and yet he was completely different. He hadn’t changed, but her view of him had. He’d gone from pest to prince in the blink of an eye. Amazing, really. And a bit overwhelming, too.
Oliver came out from the kitchen area folding a sheet of paper; apparently, it was the receipt for his stay at the inn. Annie had taken care of her bill earlier.
She nodded. Although she’d pretended otherwise, she welcomed this time with Oliver. Her brain swarmed with questions. He’d already set his plans to travel to the South Pacific in motion.
A year could be a very long time. Circumstances could change. They often did. Last Thanksgiving, she’d been set to marry Lenny. Thankfully, she’d come to her senses in time. Marriage to the handsome car salesman would have been a disaster, and apparently everyone had known that but her.
“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Oliver said. “Are you still mulling over what I suggested this morning?”
“No. I meant what I said. I refuse to let you back out of this trip, Oliver. It’s the adventure of a lifetime.” They’d sat at the breakfast table, arguing about his trip. He was willing to put it off, but Annie refused to let him.
“Come with me, then?”
“I can’t.” Annie wished she could, but it was impossible. “I’ve got commitments and responsibilities. Perhaps I could leave in a few months, but not now. Besides, I think we both need time.”
He contradicted her by rolling his eyes.
Annie playfully elbowed him in the ribs. “Okay, maybe you don’t need time, but I do. You seem to forget that I just broke off an engagement.”
His eyes grew dark and serious. “Any regrets?”
“None about us, but I’m not ready to leap into another committed relationship just yet.”
He frowned as though her words alarmed him.
“You don’t need to worry. Nothing is going to change between you and me.”
“Okay.” He accepted her word without question.
“Besides, you could meet some island girl and fall head over heels in love with her.”
“Yeah, right. You think I haven’t tried falling for someone else? It doesn’t work—I’m all yours.”
“Really?” He said the most romantic things.
He chuckled, reached for their suitcases, and together they walked out of the inn. Oliver carted their bags to the car.
Annie unlocked the driver’s-side door and then pushed the release that would open the trunk, which popped up automatically.
She set her purse on the floor and heard a car drive into the parking area. It seemed Jo Marie was about to get another guest. When she turned around, she saw a fancy red sports car that reminded her of something Lenny would drive.
Then it hit her. That was Lenny behind the wheel.
Annie froze; the oxygen in her lungs seemed to solidify on the spot. Instantaneously, her mouth went dry.
Oliver closed the trunk, glanced at her, and immediately realized something was wrong.
“Annie?”
For the life of her, she couldn’t speak.
Lenny climbed out of the car and slammed the door. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” His eyes narrowed accusingly on Annie and then Oliver. “It seems my sweet, innocent bride-to-be isn’t so innocent after all. It seems you like a bit of action on the side yourself.”
“If you’re who I think you are, then perhaps it would be best for you and I to talk this out man to man.” Oliver stepped next to Annie.
She had yet to recover her wits. “I’m not your bride-to-be,” she reminded him. “And, Oliver, stay out of this.”
Lenny ignored Oliver and directed his comments to Annie. “I have a couple of minor slips and you’re outraged; you’re so appalled that you break off our engagement. You broke my heart and my mother’s heart, and all the while you’re sleeping with some … some bean counter.”
Oliver laughed outright. “Bean counter?”
“All right. Some nerd.”
“Annie, let me put this jackass in his place,” Oliver said, clenching his fists.
“No,” she shouted. The last thing she wanted was for these two to slug it out. How ridiculous that would be. She didn’t need Oliver defending her honor.
“I’d like to see you try to put me in my place,” Lenny challenged.
“Stop it, both of you,” she cried. “This is ridiculous. Lenny, this is Oliver. Oliver, Lenny, my ex-fiancé. I realize it might look a bit suspicious, but rest assured, Oliver isn’t my lover.”
“At least not yet,” Oliver added.
Annie glared at him and continued: “Oliver was helping me with my grandparents’ anniversary party. He stayed at the inn after driving my grandparents up from Portland.”
One look told her Lenny didn’t believe a word of it.
He ignored her, his eyes glaring menacingly at Oliver. “If you want to fight, then let’s have at it. But before we do, by law I am required to tell you I’ve had judo lessons.”
“You have?” Annie didn’t know that. “You’re making this up, aren’t you? This is just another one of your lies!” This was the man she had been about to marry, and it seemed every minute she discovered something else she didn’t know about him.
“You’re required by law?” Oliver echoed disdainfully, shaking his head. “That’s a new one.”
“How’d you find me?” she asked, wanting to distract Lenny.
“How else? I called your boss.”
Annie groaned. This was getting worse every second.
“Well, what did you expect me to do? You wouldn’t answer my phone calls. You ignored my text messages, and then you blocked my number. I had something important I needed to say.”
Knowing Lenny, it was probably another plea, another meaningless apology.
“What could be so important that you contacted my boss?” Annie hated the thought of showing up for work Monday morning and having to explain this awkward situation.
“My mother wants to talk to you.”
“That’s your important message?” she cried. Oh, boy, had she hit the nail on the head with that one. “Did you tell your mother about your little slip with that cupcake?”
Lenny blinked, which was answer enough.
“You didn’t.” It was a statement instead of a question. “You placed the blame for the broken engagement on my shoulders.”
“What did you expect? Well, if you hadn’t broken off the engagement earlier, then it’s over for sure now.”
“Then there’s no problem,” she said, glad they could agree on the subject.
“You leave me no choice, especially in light of what I just witnessed between you and what’s-his-name.”
“Oliver,” he said, answering for her.
Annie stepped forward. “I’ve already explained who Oliver is.”
“Annie.” Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder in an effort to silence her.
“Let me talk to him myself,” she said, wanting this break with Lenny to be clean and final. It went without saying that it was difficult for Oliver to stand back and let her deal with her former fiancé. She placed a restraining hand on his forearm.
“All weekend I’ve been sick with worry because I haven’t been able to reach you,” Lenny continued, sounding sad and broken. “I was frantic. I didn’t sell a single car. You know what that does to my monthly average. I could lose the top salesman award this month, and it would be all your fault.”
“Really?” she asked, trying hard to hide her sarcasm. “And you didn’t have a clue where I might be?”
“No. And it wasn’t like I didn’t try to find you, either,” he argued. “I called all your friends.”
“Who?” Any friend of hers would know exactly where she was, seeing how she’d worked tirelessly for this anniversary party.
“Elle, for one.”
Elle, Annie’s onetime friend, who Lenny had flirted with endlessly. Annie hadn’t spoken to Elle in weeks—months, actually—now that she thought about it. “Anyone else?”
Lenny frowned and looked down. “There were others.”
“Who?”
“What does it matter? The point is I was beside myself, sick with worry.”
She didn’t believe that for a moment. “You should have been able to figure it out for yourself, Lenny,�
� she said, unwilling to listen to his excuses any longer.
“How was I supposed to know this was the weekend of your parents’ big shindig?”
“Grandparents’.”
“Whatever,” he muttered.
“You should have known because it was important to me.”
“Okay, I get it now. You’re pissed because all those months ago I told you I couldn’t come. I get it. This is what it’s all about. But like I told you way back then, weekends are when I get my sales. I can’t take off on a Saturday because a bunch of old people managed to stay married.”
“Lenny, oh, Lenny, I made such a terrible mistake.”
He looked up, and his eyes brightened. “I know, but I’m willing to put all this behind us. You’re the first girl my mother ever liked, and she was really upset when I told her the wedding was off.”
“Annie?” Oliver whispered.
“It’s all right,” she whispered back. Returning her attention to Lenny, she straightened her shoulders. “You’re a handsome, charismatic man, with huge potential.”
He smiled, and his eyes warmed as he shrugged.
“The thing is, I fell in love with being in love. I felt the need to have someone special in my life, and there you were—handsome and funny and successful.”
Again he shrugged. “Some people claim I’m the life of the party.”
“You are,” she agreed. “But you don’t know the meaning of being faithful or honorable …”
“Oh, come on, Annie, you aren’t going back to that again, are you? Okay, you’re right, I screwed up a second time, but I did end up selling her a car.”
“Fidelity is important,” she insisted.
Lenny glared at Oliver. “Well, isn’t that a little like the pot calling the kettle black? It seems you had a cozy weekend yourself with an old family friend.”
Right away, Oliver stepped forward and stood toe to toe with Lenny. They were so close their noses almost touched.
“You’ve got a pretty face, just the way Annie mentioned,” Oliver said between clenched teeth. “I’d hate to break it, but you’re making it extremely difficult to hold back.”
Rose Harbor in Bloom Page 25
