The phone rang, disturbing her solitude, and Olivia answered without giving it a chance to ring again.
“Mom, it’s me—Justine,” her daughter said. “Okay, listen. I have some news and I don’t want you to be angry with me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Well, because—”
Olivia heard someone arguing with her in the background. “Justine?”
“Mom,” her daughter cut in, “I’m married.”
The needlepoint project fell off Olivia’s lap as she bolted upright. “Married?” So Warren had finally worn her down. “Congratulations,” she said, doing her best to sound enthusiastic. She’d always said that if her daughter chose to marry Warren Saget, she’d smile and welcome him to the family.
“Here, talk to Seth.”
“Seth?”
“Oh, did I forget to mention that I married Seth Gunderson?”
For a moment, Olivia was too shocked to respond.
“Mrs. Lockhart, it’s Seth. I know you’re probably upset—”
“On the contrary, I couldn’t be more pleased. Where are you?”
“Reno.”
“Why Reno, for heaven’s sake?”
“I’ll let Justine explain.”
Her daughter got back on the phone. “Are you upset with us, Mom?”
“I’m surprised…but delighted.”
“Seth doesn’t believe in long engagements.”
“Nor in a long courtship, it appears.”
“No…what happened is this—We decided to get married and it just made sense that we get the license at the courthouse and have you or even Pastor Flemming marry us, but that would’ve taken three days.”
“That’s Washington State law,” Olivia reminded her.
“I know. It’s just that we didn’t have three days.”
This was getting more interesting by the minute. “And why not?”
“Seth has to be back in Alaska by Sunday night and he won’t be available for almost five weeks, and it was either now or wait.”
“And you didn’t want to do that?”
“I couldn’t, Mom! I just couldn’t. He didn’t want to wait, either. I know this is probably the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done, but I know marrying Seth is the right thing. I’m sure of it. Oh, Mom, I love him so much and please don’t be upset with us. We can have a second ceremony with you and Grandma and Dad later on, can’t we?”
“Of course. Oh, Justine, I’m so happy for you and Seth.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“You know I think the world of Seth.”
“Me, too. I have to go now. We’re phoning Seth’s father next. And then Dad. After that, we’ve only got about twenty hours before we have to drive back. I’m happy, Mom, happier than I’ve been in my entire life.” She paused. “Oh, would you call Grandma for me?”
Olivia swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “I’m happy for you, too,” she said again. “And of course I’ll call your grandmother.”
They ended the conversation, and Olivia walked inside in a daze. She went into the bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. She needed a few minutes to absorb what she’d just learned. Her daughter was married. To Seth Gunderson. Oh, this was wonderful, wonderful news!
Her first instinct was to phone Stan, but she decided against it. Justine would tell her father, and he’d call once he’d heard. So, both of their children had chosen to marry without either parent there. She wondered if that meant anything.
She phoned Charlotte, who wasn’t home; she left a message, saying simply, “Call me when you get in.”
Then she returned to her needlepoint project. Feet propped up on the porch railing, she continued her stitching, grinning every now and then. Who would’ve believed Justine would do something so spontaneous?
When a battered blue Taurus parked in front of the house, she strained to see if it was who she thought. It was.
Jack climbed out of his vehicle and stood on the sidewalk, watching her nervously. Did he expect her to walk inside and bolt the door? Or to offer him an invitation? She did neither.
He walked to the bottom of the steps. “Hello, Olivia.”
“Beautiful afternoon, isn’t it?” She was cordial, but not excessively so.
“Very.”
“What can I do for you?” She didn’t think this was a social call.
“Do you mind if I sit down?”
“Go ahead.”
Since there was only the one chair, which she occupied, he climbed the stairs and sat on the top step. “Are you still angry with me about that dinner date?”
Men! He seemed incapable of understanding a concept like mutual trust and respect. “No.” A one-word reply should satisfy him, without leading into a dead-end conversation.
“But you’re still unwilling to go out with me?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. She hated to admit how much she missed his company. Maybe she’d been expecting too much, but she couldn’t tolerate the fact that he’d created secrets between them.
“That’s what I thought.” He looked out over the Cove, its sparkling, distant water tinged by the pink of a slowly setting sun.
“I moved to Cedar Cove to start a new life,” Jack told her. “But the past has a way of catching up with people, doesn’t it?”
Olivia nodded; she saw the evidence of that every day.
“Bob’s advice is that I simply tell you—that I should have months ago. But I was afraid if you knew, you wouldn’t want anything more to do with me.”
“More secrets, Jack?”
“No, just the reason I couldn’t go to dinner with you.”
“It isn’t necessary, Jack.” He’d made his decision and so had she, although she had to confess to being curious.
“I think it is,” he countered. “If you and I are to continue, at any rate, and I want that very much.”
“I have this thing about secrets. I detest them.” She realized that a lot of her feelings were tied to her long-dead marriage. Stan had been unfaithful before the divorce, if not physically then emotionally. After the crisis of Jordan’s death, it’d been another woman who’d helped Stan deal with the loss. Another woman he’d confided in.
“I’m a recovering alcoholic, Olivia.”
“But…” She paused, certain she’d recently seen him with a drink in his hand. No, she thought. That was at Willcox House, and he’d had sparkling water while she’d had wine. He’d said it was because he had to drive….
“The reason I couldn’t go to dinner with you was because I had an AA meeting to attend. I have ten years of sobriety. It’s been ten long years but not a day goes by that I don’t think about booze. I’m one beer away from destroying everything.”
It took a lot of courage to tell the truth. Olivia rose from her rocking chair and sat on the porch step beside Jack and reached for his hand.
He wrapped his fingers around hers. “I’ve stood before a lot of judges in my time, but I’ve never dated one,” he said. “The truth is, I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about seeing me once you knew.”
“Actually, it explains a great deal.”
“How so?” he asked.
“Well…I figured there had to be a logical explanation for why you don’t like Barry Manilow.”
Jack chuckled. “Are you saying only a drunk wouldn’t appreciate him?”
Olivia threw back her head and laughed.
“My mind was pickled for twenty years, but thankfully I’ve managed to keep my sense of humor.”
“Good thing. You’re going to need it living here in Cedar Cove.”
Jack raised her hand to his lips. “Friends?”
“The very best kind.”
“Lovers?”
“Don’t press your luck.”
He sighed. “I’m free tonight for that dinner, if you’re so inclined.”
“As it happens, I do have a reason to celebrate. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“What’s wrong with now?”
“I don’t want to disturb the sunset. Oh, Jack, isn’t it beautiful?”
“It is,” he whispered, slipping his arm around her, bringing her close to his side.
As the sun set over Cedar Cove, Olivia rested her head on Jack’s shoulder. This had been a good summer. Both her children were married now, and James was a father. Justine sounded genuinely happy. Her mother’s health continued to be good. Her dearest friend had suffered a blow, but Grace had accepted what she couldn’t change; she was refashioning her life, and Olivia was proud of her.
And Olivia herself…Olivia was with Jack, and their relationship was secure. She didn’t know what the future held for them, but she couldn’t help feeling it was positive.
The sun sank below the Olympic Mountains. Its deep-pink glow fell across the water and spilled onto 16 Lighthouse Road. It crept through the town of Cedar Cove and gently touched the house at 204 Rosewood Lane. Grace Sherman looked out her window and smiled.
