Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(67)

At noon Mary Lou, the receptionist, came into her office.

"You have a visitor," she announced.

"I do?" This was unexpected. "Who is it?"

Mary Lou grinned. "Why don't you come and see?"

Cecilia walked to the front of the office and there stood Ian with a small bouquet of flowers. "Ian!" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought we'd go to lunch, if that's okay?"

"Of course it's okay. Don't you have to work this afternoon?"

"I do, but I've got time to take my wife to lunch."

She was so pleased to see him, it didn't matter one little bit that she'd brought her lunch.

They got sandwiches and drinks at the Pot Belly Deli and walked to the WaterfrontPark, where they chose a relatively secluded picnic table.

"I have something for you," he said as she unpacked their lunch.

Ian reached inside his pocket and brought out a plain gold cross on a chain. "I want you to wear this, all right?" Cecilia was stunned. "Ian, it's beautiful. Thank you." He walked over to where she was sitting and placed it around her neck and secured the clasp.

"I haven't forgotten our anniversary or anything, have I?" she teased.

"Nope."

"Any special reason you're giving me a gift?" He shrugged and tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile. He sat back on the picnic bench and unwrapped his veggie-and-cream-cheese croissant. "You're having my baby. Isn't that reason enough?"

Tears rose in Cecilia's eyes. Because of the pregnancy, all her hormones were out of control; the smallest thing set her off. Not that this was small. No, his gift, his acknowledgement of her pregnancy, was the most moving and important moment they'd shared in months. She waved her hand in front of her face, blinking rapidly.

"You're crying?" Ian sounded surprised. "I thought this would make you happy."

"I am happy."

"So why are you crying?"

Then she was laughing, almost hysterically—weeping and laughing at the same time. "Because I'm having a baby, silly."

"Oh." Ian took a bite of his sandwich.

"And I love my husband."

He grinned. "Who loves his wife and his baby."

Cecilia cried all the harder then.

"Honey, don't cry. Please."

"It's just that I was so afraid you didn't. Love us, I mean." She sobbed, hiccupped and curled her fingers around the small cross. "Everything's going to be just fine this time, Ian."

His smile slowly disappeared. "I'm trying to believe that."

"I know you are. I'll do everything I can—and I feel it will be fine, but there are no guarantees."

That was one thing Cecilia understood.

Thirty-Three

Bob Beldon glanced at the menu in the bowling alley's small restaurant, although it wasn't necessary. He knew what he wanted. Two eggs over easy, bacon, cooked crisp, and two pieces of sourdough toast with strawberry jam if they had it. For two-fifty it was the best buy in town.

The waitress strolled past and without asking, filled his coffee cup. "You waiting on someone, hon?"

Bob nodded. The instant he did, Roy McAfee stepped into the crowded restaurant.

"Right on time," Bob commented as Roy slid into the booth across from him.

"Have you ordered?"

"Not yet."

Pad in hand, the waitress returned, filled Roy's mug and stood waiting for their order. Bob went first. Roy asked for a short stack of pancakes. The woman sauntered off and barked the order to the cook.

"What's up?" Roy asked. Bob had called him last night to arrange this meeting.

"Peggy told me something interesting the other day. I've spoken to Troy Davis, but I wanted to get your opinion, too."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Seems Peggy and Hannah had a little heart-to-heart."

"Did you learn anything?"

"Yes." Bob added sugar and cream, then stirred his coffee. "Hannah let it slip that her father sometimes used false names. Peggy asked her about it, and I gather that through the years Max had amassed a whole slew of names and identifications."

Roy's eyebrows lifted. "It didn't occur to her to bring this up earlier?"

"Apparently not."

Bob reviewed what had led up to this confession. "She left the milk out all night and I got a little upset because it spoiled. After I went to play golf, Hannah came out of her bedroom and started talking to Peggy. From the way she described it, life with her father was no bed of roses, for her or her mother."

"She's never said anything negative about him before, has she?"

Bob needed to think about that. He shrugged. "Not that I can remember. It's like she's been living in a fantasy world. In the beginning she painted a picture of the three of them skipping through the years as happy as can be. Turns out life wasn't quite as blissful as she let us believe."

"Makes sense, I guess," Roy said, cupping his mug with both hands. "She lost both parents within a short period. In tragic circumstances people tend to recall the good times instead of the bad."

Bob supposed his friend was right. "Didn't Troy ask her if she knew anything about her dad using fictitious names?"