by Carol Henry
The church and cemetery parking lot were empty when Hunter pulled his car up next to hers. He put the car in park—she jumped out.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, then shut the door.
Hunter had the windows down before she could take a single step. “I’ll pick you up at ten tomorrow. I promised you a day of house hunting.”
“Not necessary, thanks.”
“Not a problem. A promise is a promise. I’ll see you then.”
Hunter backed up, pulled out onto the main drive, and looked back at her from his rear-view mirror. He was such a thoughtless ass. He had no business kissing her, let alone on the same day she buried her husband. Sebastian might have been a cheating bastard, but she didn’t need anything more to add to her humiliation. He had wanted to kiss her cares away but they had turned into something more, if her reaction was any indication, she was right there with him. And oh boy, what it had done to his insides was much more than he expected. And damn it, he liked it.
Coming to Lobster Cove might have been a bigger mistake than he’d anticipated. Two more days until the reading of his father’s will, and he would get out of everyone’s life and go back home where he belonged.
In the meantime, he planned to make it up to Juelle and take her house hunting tomorrow, as promised. He’d be a perfect gentleman—no matter how hard it was going to be—and it was going to be one of the most difficult things he’d ever done—he wouldn’t touch her.
He swung his car around the cove and headed to Mariner’s for one of their lobster rolls and a piece of Mrs. Sullivan’s excellent prize-winning blueberry pies.
Chapter Seven
By the time Hunter drove out of the parking lot, she had unlocked her car and gotten into the front seat. She rested her head in her hands on top of the steering wheel. How could she be so attracted to Hunter McClintock? Her husband’s half-brother? And so soon after meeting him and burying her husband. She searched for the guilt she had been consumed with on top of the mountain, but it was nowhere to be found. What did that say about her?
She looked at her wedding rings, twisted them between shaking fingers, and bit her lip. Just how long should she continue to wear them without appearing cold and callous? What was the rule in such a situation? Was there a waiting period? She left them on, not wanting to incite her mother-in-law’s anger.
And to keep her own emotions in check.
Juelle got out of the car and walked across the lawn to St. Joseph’s church. She sent up a prayer of thanks that everyone who had stayed for the luncheon had left. Opening the large oak doors, she slipped inside, dipped her fingers in the white ivory bowl of holy water, made the sign of the cross, and sat in the first pew on the right. With a deep sigh, she sank down on bended knees, bowed her head, and prayed. She prayed for Sebastian’s salvation, for peace of mind for Eugenia, and for the strength she would need to carry on alone—with her fatherless child. Like Hunter’s mother, Lani. She sat a moment longer, soaking up the spiritual peace and quiet, letting it surround her like a cloak. Finding a peace within, confident she could face Eugenia later, she quietly walked out of the church to go pick up Makenzie.
Juelle wasn’t surprised when she knocked on the front door and Katelyn’s fiancée, Sven Olson, opened the door. Sven was tall, with a full head of sand-white hair and blue eyes. Scandinavian by birth, his parents, Inge and Jance, owned the Flower in Bloom flower shop on the corner of Maple and Main Street, where he worked.
“I heard about the riff with Nora Spears at the funeral. Not cool. You doing okay?” He leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Already the word has spread. And already it’s old news. Believe it or not, I sort of feel sorry for her.”
“That’s my Juelle—kind heart prevails no matter how bad you’re hurting.”
“Come on in,” Katelyn called behind Sven’s back when she joined them in the foyer. “Don’t mind him, he doesn’t have a sensitive bone in his body at times.”
“Do too.”
“If you did, you wouldn’t have mentioned Nora in the first place.”
Katelyn pulled Juelle into a hug. “How’d it go with Hunter? Are you feeling better?”
Juelle gave Sven a pointed stare. It was apparent he understood her silent meaning.
“I was about to leave anyway. The two of you can have all the privacy you need. I have errands to run for the parents.” He planted a quick kiss on Katelyn’s lips, and then headed for the door. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Bye.”
“Where’s Makenzie?”
“Highchair in the kitchen—occupied with a couple of animal crackers. How about a glass of wine?”
Her daughter clapped her hands and extended her hands out to Juelle as she entered the small, but efficient kitchen. “Ma-ma.” Juelle picked her up, hugged her, wiped the cookie crumbs off both of their lips, and then placed Makenzie on her lap as she sat down next to the table. Katelyn poured a good portion of white zinfandel into two wine glasses, handed her one, and then placed a platter of cheese and crackers in the center of the oak table, as if she’d been anticipating a friendly chat. Her friend was patient enough to wait until she took a sip of wine before giving her the third degree.
“I’ve been waiting for the last two hours to find out how you made out with Hunter McClintock. Oops. Wrong wording.” Her friend chuckled. “Okay, so what’s he like? Other than handsome as sin, I mean? Is he Hunt’s son?”
“Whoa. Slow down. He’s very caring and kind.”
“I saw the way he looked at you. I’d say it’s more like smitten.”
“Smitten? Give me a break. Now you sound like Eugenia. We’ve just met. The man feels sorry for me. I just lost my husband only to learn of his infidelity. I was upset. He comforted me.”
“Upset? Are you kidding me? The woman ruined your marriage, and you didn’t find out until his funeral? How can you be so calm? I’ve got to tell you, if he wasn’t already dead…”
“Well, he is. And to be honest, Katelyn, I don’t know how to feel about it, other than to say that a sense of relief and freedom washed over me—freedom from guilt. In fact, Nora must really be in love with him to have reacted the way she did. What does that say about me? I haven’t broken down like she did, as if my heart was being ripped wide out and pulled out of my chest. I’m devastated, of course, but there is a part of me that is relieved. How uncaring of me.”
“You’ve had time to adjust. Months of wondering what went wrong, and then to sit by his bedside day after day, worrying, wondering what went wrong—if he was going to live. You were prepared for the worse. And living through a rocky marriage since Makenzie was born, your heart wasn’t deeply involved any longer. You’ve been falling out of love with Sebastian the last few months. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”
“That’s the sad part. I grieve for Sebastian, and Eugenia’s loss, but guilty…? It’s turning on and off inside of me like a water faucet. I don’t know how to feel.”
“I’d be careful where Hunter McClintock is concerned if I were you. Make sure he’s the real deal before you get involved. Sven is right—you’re too kind-hearted. With all you’ve been through at the hands of the McClintocks, you’re still compassionate where they are concerned. They don’t deserve to have you in the family. Especially, Eugenia.”
“I won’t have to deal with her on a daily basis much longer. She asked me to leave. Can you believe it? After all this time of wanting to walk out, she finally admits she doesn’t want me there?”
“Asked you? Or told you?”
“It doesn’t matter. Hunter is taking me house hunting tomorrow.”
“Hunter? Whoa. Back to my original question. What transpired on that ride up to Cadillac Mountain and are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
Juelle’s face flamed. She lowered her head, took another sip of wine, and munched a cracker.
“Juelle? Just how comforting was Hunter?”
“He’s a kind man,” she mumbled with her
mouth full.
“Kind, my foot. I don’t care if you buried Sebastian today. He was a lying, cheating jerk, and you deserve so much better. Kindness from another man is nothing to be embarrassed about, but make sure you know what you’re up against. Take your time. Don’t rush things.”
“I keep telling myself that. But you don’t understand…”
“He kissed you, didn’t he?”
Her throat closed up, her face so hot just thinking about Hunter’s sensual, erotic kisses, she was sure an ice cube would melt in seconds if it came in contact with her body.
“Aha! He did. Good for you. He’s one hunk of a man. And his body is very fit looking, if you ask me. Wonder what he does for a living? You said he lives in Hawaii? With his tan, I bet he’s a surfer.”
“He is. But he and his mother own a travel company.”
“Ahhh, Hawaii. Always dreamed of going there for a vacation someday. Sven not so much, he loves the fishing life here—must be the Scandinavian in him. I’ve got to admit, I love living here in Lobster Cove, too.”
“It does grow on you, doesn’t it? I feel as if this town has always been my home. I hope I can find a place to live close by. And raise Makenzie here. It’s a great community and I’ve made so many wonderful friends.”
“After living at the McClintock Estate, it’s going to be hard to climb down a notch.”
“Nope. It’s always been too much for me—I don’t fit in there. I want something small, cozy, like this place. A nice yard for Makenzie.”
“I noticed there are a few places holding open houses this week. Let me grab the Lobster Cove Anchor newspaper and we can see what’s available.”
Juelle hugged her daughter, tickled her tummy, and the two of them laughed. Makenzie wrapped her tiny arms around Juelle’s neck and the two of them snuggled.
“Soon, sweetie. We will have our own home, soon.”
“Here it is. Let’s see what’s available.”
Juelle placed Makenzie back in the highchair, gave her another cookie, a cup of milk with a sippy lid, and then joined her friend as they put their heads together over the newspaper, happier than she’d been in a long time. Was this going to happen? She sighed. A house? A home of her own? At last?
“Look here. Jessica Martin Real Estate Agency has several homes listed as having open houses this week.”
“I know Jessica. She’s a member of the Chamber of Commerce. I’ll give her a call and see if she’s available tomorrow.”
They scanned through the various entries, jotting down several locations.
“There’s two on Birch Avenue at the end of town, and one on Aspen Avenue, close to the school and Grant’s Lake. That might be a good location.”
“Here’s one on Second Street. More residential. Still, it’s not a bad location—off the main drag. Worth checking out. Oh, Katelyn, I can’t believe I’m doing this. It’s rather exciting.”
“Have you considered how you’re going to afford a home of your own? I know the McClintock’s have money, but what about you?”
“I have to check with the bank to see what funds are available. I’ve been able to set some aside, and I applied for a teaching position at the school for this fall.”
“What? You didn’t mention that—when did you put in your application?”
“A few months ago when I considered filing for a divorce. I knew I’d need to find a job at some point.”
“You’re more on top of things than I thought.” Katelyn gave her a lopsided smile and tapped the newspaper with her fingers. “If you need me to go back with you for a second look at any of these homes, let me know. I’d offer to babysit tomorrow, but Sven and I have plans.”
“Not to worry. I’m taking Makenzie with me. After all, it’s going to be her home too. If she gets antsy inside any of them, then it isn’t the house for us.”
“Really? Bad vibes from the kid?”
“Laugh, but the house has to fit both of us.”
****
Later that night, after she and Katelyn identified three places to check out the next day, Juelle prepared Makenzie for bed. After a warm tub bath with her daughter’s favorite yellow ducks, red plastic lobster squeaky bath toy, and her princess washcloth, Juelle found herself just as wet as her daughter. And both laughing, snuggling and happy.
“Come on, Sweet Pea, let’s get you dried, powdered, and ready for bed.”
She loved this time of night with her daughter. Rocking her to sleep each night always made her heart burst with love. She hummed softly while Makenzie finished her bottle and closed her eyes. After settling her in the crib and making sure the baby monitor was on, she placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
It was time to face Eugenia.
She found her mother-in-law sitting in her favorite chair facing the glassed-in patio overlooking the harbor and Frenchman Bay beyond. The tide had drifted out for the evening, leaving behind narrow channels, and tufts of American beach grasses sticking out of the sand and mud along the coast line. Lights from across the harbor sparkled in the clear, star-studded night. The Martin Lighthouse’s beam blinked as its high-powered signal rotated. She would miss these sights when she left the estate. She had spent many hours in this room, holding Makenzie when she first came home from the hospital, then on summer evenings where they would relax together while Eugenia attended various meetings without her, and Sebastian was supposedly at work. And the sun shining through the floor-to-ceiling picture window early in the mornings always brightened her day. The houses she’d identified to look at tomorrow weren’t close to the shoreline, but whatever she decided on, it would be hers. She could live with that and without this view.
A hand-woven Egyptian rug sprawled between the two wing-backed chairs, a low glass-topped coffee table separating them. Juelle’s slippered footsteps padded across the polished hardwood floor. She sat across from Eugenia and looked out the window. Eugenia ignored her presence. Silence ensued for several minutes before Juelle broke the spell.
“I’m sorry about today, Eugenia. I had no idea Nora Spears and Sebastian were involved in an affair. Her outburst was a complete shock.”
“Nor did I. I’m also sorry you had to be inflicted with such abhorrent actions by that trollop.”
Juelle almost laughed at the antiquated term. She cleared her throat instead and let Eugenia continue.
“How utterly embarrassing. However, that doesn’t account for you not attending the luncheon the Ladies of the Rosary Society put on for us. I was left to face everyone by myself. Father Zack was looking for you and wanted to offer his condolences. I had to lie to a priest, for God’s sake, and tell him you were so distraught, you returned home to grieve in private.”
“Thank you. I’m sure you handled it well. And I’m sure you’ve been aware that things have been strained between me and Sebastian. I want you to know I tried my best to make things right between us, but nothing I did seemed to work. Now I understand why nothing I could say or do made any difference with Sebastian. Please know I never wished Sebastian any harm. I would never have asked the doctor’s to remove life support without your consent.”
Eugenia remained quiet as she gazed out the window. Juelle closed her eyes, sighed, and sat back in the cushioned chair. An uncomfortable silence echoed off the walls. Eugenia’s whispered words broke the silence.
“I never wanted him to go out to sea—to become a fisherman. He had such great potential. With his business major, I assumed he would join the company in the office, become the manager. But the adventure of the open sea called to him. He wanted to be like Hunt, experience the thrill of the outdoors—not be shut up indoors, day after day.”
“Then he died doing what he loved to do. We have to keep that in mind, and not look at the ‘what might have beens’.”
“You are being too kind after what he’s done to you. You are much more preferable than that…that…jezebel.”
If Eugenia’s back-handed compliment hadn’t ended with another one of her co
mical, antiquated terms, Juelle would have been hurt. As it was, in Eugenia’s eyes, no one would ever have been good enough for Sebastian. In Eugenia’s own way, she was being kind.
“I wanted to let you know I’ll be attending several open houses offered through Jessica Martin Realty tomorrow. Katelyn and I identified three places that appeared to be suitable, and I’ve already contacted Jessica. She’s arranged to meet me. I can’t promise I’ll be moving out as soon as you’d like. These things take time. But I am in the process.”
Mumbled huffing came from the other chair. Juelle wondered just what her mother-in-law’s problem was now. She didn’t have long to wait.
“Are you planning on taking my granddaughter away from me, as well?”
Shocked at the unexpected concern for her granddaughter—a granddaughter she hadn’t spent much time with to date, too busy with all her many clubs and organizations—Juelle took a moment to collect her sanity. Eugenia certainly kept her on her toes. She hadn’t had long to wait for her mother-in-law to play the trump card called guilt.
Wanting to roll her head to release the tension in her shoulders, she took a deep breath instead.
“I don’t plan to leave Lobster Cove. I’ll be close by, and you can have all the access to Makenzie you want. I would never keep your granddaughter from you, Eugenia.”
“Thank you.”
Eugenia’s mild tone caught her off-guard. Was there more to her mother-in-law than she realized? Had she been right to feel sorry for her all this time?
“On another note, I’m hearing rumors you’ve been hanging around with that man who claims to be my husband’s son. You should be careful, he’s not who he says he is. There is no proof he’s Hunt’s son. He can only be here to collect from the family’s estate. These scam artists are everywhere these days. I want you to stay away from him. We can’t have you tarnishing the McClintock name by being seen with this man.”
Tarnishing the family name? Was she kidding? As if Sebastian hadn’t already done that? Just when she thought Eugenia had turned amiable, she struck again.
