“I love you,” she whispered, yawning again.
“Sleep,” Seth urged and she did, falling into the soundest, deepest rest since before the fire had laid claim to her security.
Justine woke about five in the morning, feeling energetic and alert. She tossed aside the covers, got out of bed and quickly donned her robe. Then she hurried to the kitchen and, even before starting a pot of coffee, grabbed a pen and paper. She’d never been good at drawing, but her vision of a tearoom wouldn’t leave her alone. She had tried to push it out of her mind, afraid that discussing it would only upset Seth. Now she was determined to make him listen, to demand that he give her idea a fair hearing.
Seth found her standing over the table, sipping coffee. He slipped his arms around her middle and hugged her from behind, pressing his cheek against her back.
“You’re awake early.” Working his hands inside her robe, he cupped her breasts.
It was difficult not to get caught up in the sheer sensual nature of his caress. “Seth,” she breathed, even as her nipples hardened in the palms of his hands. “I don’t want to list the property until after you listen to me.”
He seemed to stop breathing. “You’re still thinking about a tearoom for women?” He removed his hands and stepped away from her. “Justine, we can’t keep doing this. We have to make a clear decision and go on with our lives. Isn’t that what you’ve been saying?”
“Yes, but do you honestly want to see a fast-food joint on the waterfront overlooking the cove?” In her view that would be a terrible misuse of the land.
“All right. Convince me a tearoom would be a success.”
“Here,” she said, shoving the tablet toward him. Her artistic talents were limited, but she’d done a fairly good job of drawing a Victorian structure with one turret and two gables.
Seth glanced down at her sketch and then at her. “It looks like a Victorian house. You want to build a house that serves tea where we once had the restaurant? I don’t mean to discourage you, Justine, but I don’t think the city would grant a permit for us to put a residence in a commercial zone.”
“It only looks like a house, Seth. It’s a Victorian Tea Room.”
“A Victorian Tea Room,” he repeated. “That’s different from a regular tearoom?”
“Well, maybe not, but that isn’t the point. First, we’d only be open for breakfast and lunch, and I’d be home in the evenings. I thought we could add a gift store, too. We’d serve high tea once a month, more often if there’s a demand.”
“In Cedar Cove?”
“It would be a special place for women to meet. We could have small receptions there and an outside patio for special occasions and—” She stopped because she was getting ahead of herself. “It occurred to me that we were wasting all the valuable lessons we learned from The Lighthouse.”
“How so?” he asked, studying her drawing. “For the record, I agree. But I’d like to hear what you think.”
Those words made her smile. “When we were open for lunch and dinner, our working hours were much too long. I wouldn’t want a liquor license, either.” Because they’d served evening meals, it was a necessity and where they’d garnered their highest profits.
“I can understand that,” Seth murmured. “I have to admit you’ve come up with an interesting compromise….”
“With just the two meals, I’d be home in time for dinner with you and Leif.”
“All right,” he said, and seemed to be slowly absorbing her thoughts. “Here’s my next question—would I be part of this?”
“Only if you wanted to be. And only to the extent that you wanted to be. The thing is, Seth, you’re good at sales. You’re happy, and the money so far is great. We wouldn’t need to rely solely on the earnings from the tearoom.”
He frowned. “In other words, you want to do this…alone?”
“Absolutely not! I’d need you. Not to work in the restaurant necessarily—unless you felt like it—but I’ll need your counsel and suggestions and input and encouragement. And your love.”
“I can give you all that,” he said. “Gladly.”
“We can do this, Seth, I know we can.”
He set aside his coffee and drew her into his arms. Justine accepted his kiss. This was the perfect solution—for both of them.
Thirty-Three
Linnette didn’t know where else to turn. It’d been a week since she’d heard from Cal. In the beginning, he’d contacted her every few days, and then less often. Now, not at all.
Linnette understood his reasons for leaving Cedar Cove. Or, at least, she tried to. Everyone said saving wild mustangs was a worthy cause, and she knew it was. She also understood that cell phone reception in rural Wyoming was poor to nonexistent. But whenever they did manage to speak, it seemed that he ended the call as quickly as possible.
Linnette didn’t need anyone to tell her something was wrong. Because she didn’t know what else to do or whom to trust, she went to see Grace Harding, Cliff’s wife. Grace might be as completely in the dark as Linnette, but she hoped the librarian might be able to give her some information. Linnette couldn’t go on like this, not when she loved Cal so much.
She visited the library on Thursday during her lunch break. This was the first time she’d actually set foot inside. The truth was, she hadn’t read very much since moving to Cedar Cove—mostly medical journals in order to keep current. What novels she did enjoy had been passed along by her mother. Sad as it was to admit, she’d lived in Cedar Cove for more than a year and hadn’t even bothered to get a library card.
The library was an inviting place to be. The floor was carpeted to absorb sound and the reading area with its overstuffed chairs and displays of books welcomed anyone stepping inside.
Linnette saw Grace right away. She stood behind the counter, chatting with a woman who was checking out a stack of books. Glancing up, she waved at Linnette.
Linnette moved toward the counter and waited until Grace had finished checking out the other woman’s books.
“Hello, Linnette,” Grace said with a friendly smile. “Good to see you.”
“You, too.” Her throat started to close up and for half a second she was afraid she might cry, which would have mortified her. This just proved how despondent she was over Cal.
“What can I do for you?” Grace asked.
Linnette had always liked Cliff’s wife. Her mother spoke highly of Grace, too. From a brief remark her father had once dropped, Linnette was fairly sure Grace had been a client at one time.
“I don’t have a library card yet,” she murmured, feeling more than a little ill at ease.
“Then it’s past time you did,” Grace said cheerfully. She handed Linnette a clipboard. “If you’ll fill out the application, I’ll take care of this personally.”
“Thank you.” Her hand trembled as she took it, but if Grace noticed, she didn’t comment.
“Actually,” Linnette said, clearing her throat. She held the clipboard against her, as if it offered some form of protection. “Coming in for a library card is an excuse so I could talk to you.”
“To me?” Grace asked, obviously surprised. “You’re welcome to talk to me anytime you want, Linnette, library card or not.”
“About Cal?” she asked in uneven tones.
“Oh.” Grace’s face betrayed her. Apparently Cal was a subject she’d rather avoid.
Linnette was afraid of exactly this.
“Perhaps we should talk somewhere a little more private,” Grace suggested. She excused herself and conferred briefly with one of the other employees. Then she retrieved her purse. “I’ll take an early lunch this afternoon,” she told Linnette, leading the way out of the library.
“Thank you,” Linnette whispered as she followed obediently. She left the clipboard on the counter.
The waterfront area was decorated by flowering baskets that hung from the light posts. Linnette had always loved strolling by the marina. She’d done this with Cal many times, walkin
g side by side, holding hands and talking. Okay, she did most of the talking, but that was what Cal preferred. Even when his speech therapy was completed, she suspected he’d never be much of a conversationalist.
As if deep in thought, Grace didn’t say anything as they walked. Her pace was slow.
“Have you heard from Cal recently?” Linnette asked when she couldn’t bear the silence anymore. She matched her steps to Grace’s, although she normally walked much faster.
“He phoned Cliff the other day.”
He hadn’t called Linnette, though. “Everything’s all right, isn’t it?”
Grace nodded. She began to say something else, then apparently thought better of it.
Linnette could tell there was much more to Cal’s conversation with Cliff, but whatever it was, Grace seemed reluctant to tell her.
“Cal hasn’t been hurt, has he?” she asked anxiously.
“No, no, it’s nothing like that.” She walked over to the espresso stand and ordered a latte with sugar-free vanilla flavoring. After she’d ordered, she turned to Linnette. “Would you like anything?”
“No, thanks. Is that all you’re having for lunch?” Linnette asked. She hadn’t eaten herself and doubted she would. Getting anything past the lump in her throat would’ve been impossible.
“I generally have a sandwich with a latte or soup for lunch,” Grace explained as she paid for her drink. “I should probably be watching my weight more than I do,” she grumbled. “I seem to have a small problem with it, unlike others I could name, including your mother and Olivia,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll eat something later.”
As soon as the latte was ready, Grace and Linnette walked to the gazebo near the waterfront park. Grace took a seat on a bench that faced the water and Linnette sat down beside her.
“I’d appreciate it if you just told me what’s wrong,” Linnette said.
Grace sipped her latte, then sighed. “You know that Cal’s in Wyoming with Vicki Newman, right?”
“She joined him there later, didn’t she?”
Grace nodded. “Vicki’s a very good vet.”
“I’m sure she is.”
“The problem is that a lot of these mustangs have medical problems.”
“I’m sure that’s true,” Linnette whispered. She already knew what Grace was trying to tell her. Cal had fallen for Vicki. It didn’t seem possible, but she felt intuitively that must be it.
Again Grace grew quiet, as if considering her words.
“Cal’s involved with Vicki, isn’t he?” Linnette said bluntly.
“I…didn’t speak to him personally, you understand,” Grace murmured. “But from what Cliff said, Cal does seem to…have feelings for her.”
“I see.” A cold sensation came over Linnette. Cal supposedly had feelings for her, too. Apparently she was an out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of girl.
Grace shook her head. “I know Vicki, and I don’t want you to think she’d go after someone else’s man. Because she just wouldn’t.”
This wasn’t exactly reassuring, in light of the fact that Cal was obviously interested in her.
Grace shrugged. “She doesn’t even seem to pay much attention to male-female stuff.” She sipped her latte. “I’m not putting this well and I’m not even sure how to explain Vicki.”
“Go on,” Linnette said from between clenched teeth. “Try.”
“Well, first, you and I both know that Vicki’s rather…unfeminine in appearance. I don’t mean to be unkind, but that’s just a fact. She wears her hair skinned back and doesn’t style it. I’ve never seen her wear makeup or attractive clothes. We’ve never heard of her having any boyfriends or even a social life. To tell you the truth, all of this comes as a shock to Cliff and me.”
All of this. “Go on,” Linnette urged, needing to know, regardless of how much it hurt. Not knowing was worse.
“The two of them have been working closely together, day in and day out….”
But Cal had said he loved her. If he felt anything for this other woman, it was a brief attraction and nothing more. As soon as he returned to Cedar Cove, everything would be all right again. Cal would come to his senses and his feelings for Linnette would reassert themselves.
“That’s about all I can tell you, Linnette.”
Linnette could think of a thousand things she’d rather hear. “This is just a temporary infatuation,” she said, making an effort to sound confident. Trying to rationalize what she’d been told.
The librarian didn’t answer.
“I need to talk to him,” Linnette insisted, urgency building inside her. “It won’t be long before Cal’s back, so we should get this resolved.” Linnette could understand how such an infatuation, presumably mutual, might come about. Working closely together in an isolated location. Sharing a cause. Yes, she saw how all of this could happen. But once Cal was home again, he’d forget his feelings for this other woman.
Cal wasn’t himself. He wasn’t thinking clearly.
“I’m certain you’ll have the opportunity to talk this out with him soon,” Grace murmured.
“Of course I will,” Linnette said.
The opportunity came much sooner than she’d expected. When Linnette got back to her car, she found a voice message from Cal on her cell phone. Sitting in the library parking lot, she returned his call.
Cal didn’t answer, so she left a message for him. Since she was afraid they’d keep missing each other, she phoned again and told him she’d be home that evening and would wait for his call there.
She didn’t hear from him until nearly eight.
The waiting was agony, and she could feel one of her headaches coming on. Pressing her fingertips to her temples, she paced the carpet, oblivious to the view of the cove or the Bremerton shipyard with its massive aircraft carriers and retired submarines. Late-evening sunlight dappled her deck but she hardly noticed.
By the time Cal finally did phone, Linnette was almost convinced he hadn’t received her message.
“Linnette,” he began.
“You’d better tell me what’s going on between you and Vicki Newman,” she snapped, without giving him a chance to greet her. At this stage, Linnette was long past exchanging pleasantries.
“Y-you know?”
“About Vicki, you mean?” She didn’t let him respond. “I thought you’d… I hoped we could speak honestly with each other. I think we owe each other that, don’t you?”
“I’m s-sorry.”
“You should be!”
“Linnette, stop.” His voice took on a strength and conviction that startled her.
“Stop?”
“I apologize.”
She sighed. “All right then, you’re forgiven.” Perhaps she’d blown everything out of proportion. Grace hadn’t talked to him personally and it seemed that Cal had already regained his sanity. Relief settled over her, easing the tension between her shoulder blades. The throbbing headache that had started to pound began to subside.
“I love Vicki.”
Linnette gasped. She refused to believe it. Cal wasn’t making any sense. “You just said you were sorry. You—”
“I volunteered to travel to Wyoming to rescue the mustangs because it’s important to me, yes, b-but also because I needed to get away and think. I needed to get away from you.”
He was telling her he’d purposely left to escape her. “What?”
“I appreciate everything, I truly d-do.” He paused as if to control his tendency to rush the words. “I wanted to talk to you. I tried, but I c-couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t do well with words. I thought once I was here, I’d write to you. But when I arrived, a letter seemed so…callous.”
“And this isn’t?”
“I’d give anything not to hurt you,” he said in a low voice.
It was too late for that. Pain swirled through her, cutting off her breath, undermining even her ability to stand upright. Sinking into a chair, she clutched the
phone with one hand and held the other against her forehead.
“There’s nothing physical between Vicki and me,” he said. “I haven’t even kissed her.”
“And you believe you’re in love with her?”
“I know I am.”
“Okay, okay,” she said, thinking fast. “You need to examine everything, Cal. Your feelings and reactions. The two of you are out there alone, and it makes sense that you might be attracted to her, but that’ll all change when you’re back home.”
“No,” he stated flatly. “It won’t change.”
She noticed how controlled his voice was, as if he knew exactly what he planned to say and had rehearsed it any number of times.
“I’m coming back to Cedar Cove. I’m leaving in the morning.”
“Thank God,” she breathed. Once he got back, he’d realize what a mistake he was making.
“My feelings for Vicki aren’t going to change, Linnette,” he insisted. “I intend to ask her to be my wife.”
Thirty-Four
Grace arrived at the Pancake Palace three minutes ahead of Olivia for their weekly splurge of pie and coffee. They’d both earned it after an hour’s worth of aerobic exercise. If it was just up to Grace, she’d skip the workout and go straight for the pie. Olivia wouldn’t hear of that, however, and was determined that Grace join her for class. Although she complained, Grace actually looked forward to exercising with her best friend. The bonus was that Wednesday evenings were also their time to catch up on each other’s news.
Grace slid into the booth by the window and Goldie, the crusty, retirement-age waitress, immediately brought over a pot of decaffeinated coffee. Grace turned over the ceramic mug—a ritual at the Pancake Palace.
“Olivia’s right behind me,” she said. Reaching for Olivia’s cup, she righted it.
“You girls want the usual?” Goldie asked as she filled both mugs.
Grace nodded. She’d been friends with Olivia so long that she felt she could speak for her. They’d met in first grade and been best friends all through school. Although they were both in their fifties, and into their second marriages, they remained as close now as when they were girls. They’d come here, to this very same restaurant, for sodas after class. The Pancake Palace was a venerable Cedar Cove institution, and Goldie had been there since Grace and Olivia really were girls.
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