Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(75)

Hannah shrugged one shoulder.

Apparently the I-don't-know shrug was supposed to explain everything.

"I'm afraid!" she wailed. Seconds later, she broke into sobs.

Peggy immediately slipped an arm around Hannah and guided her into the kitchen. Hannah's suitcase sat in front of the patio door. Apparently she'd opened it and then decided to leave a note at the foot of the stairs.

Bob collapsed at the kitchen table, so badly shaken he couldn't stop trembling. He wanted to scream at Hannah, frighten her the way she'd frightened him, but he knew he dare not.

"Why are you afraid?" Peggy asked gently once she'd sat Hannah down. She filled the kettle and put it on the stove for tea.

"I don't know... I lost both my parents. I can't bear the thought of losing you, too."

"Why do you think you would?" Peggy asked quietly.

"Because..."

"Does this have to do with Colonel Samuels's visit?" Peggy asked next.

Hannah didn't answer, but Bob suspected Peggy was right. For her own reasons, their guest was as worried about the man's visit as he was himself.

Thirty-Seven

Olivia hung her robe in her chamber closet and collected her purse, preparing to leave the courthouse at the end of another long day. Couple after couple stood before her with their lives in shambles, eager to tear apart their homes, willing to destroy their children's security. Each partner seemed intent on proving that he or she was perfectly capable of surviving without the other. There was so much anger and bitterness, so much false pride. Some days she found her task of deciding the fate of these families overwhelming.

She glanced at her watch as she headed toward the parking lot. She was meeting Grace for dinner that evening. It was the first time since Olivia's marriage that Grace had asked to see her outside of their aerobics class on Wednesday night. They phoned each other fairly regularly and occasionally met at the Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings, but her marriage had changed their relationship. They were each discovering how to proceed under these new terms.

Olivia welcomed the opportunity to talk to her lifelong friend. There were things she wanted to discuss—things she couldn't really talk about with anyone else. And something in Grace's voice told her she had concerns of her own.

Once in her car, she drove the short distance between the courthouse and The Lighthouse Restaurant. Her daughter and son-in-law had done a marvelous job and she was proud of their success. Still, as a mother, Olivia worried. Justine was working too hard; she was a young wife and mother, in addition to managing the restaurant's books and occasionally filling in as hostess.

As luck would have it, Justine was working that night. Her face brightened when she saw Olivia. "Hey, Mom," she said with a quick hug. "It's good to see you."

There'd been a time in the not-so-distant past when their relationship had been strained. Justine had been seeing a much older man, and she'd felt defensive and angry at the world. Olivia had wanted so much more for her. She knew that, in some ways, Justine was still grieving over the death of her twin—Jordan had died in a tragic accident at the age of 13. But Justine had finally come to a more peaceful acceptance. Olivia felt that was because of Seth. In fact, everything had changed when Justine fell in love with Seth Gunderson.

"Where's Jack?" Justine asked, looking past Olivia.

"The office, where else?" Jack worked far too many hours, but nothing Olivia said convinced him to delegate some of his tasks. He was involved in every aspect of the newspaper and loved his job. Now that the Chronicle had gone to five editions a week, his hours were even worse than they'd been before their marriage. They'd argued about it repeatedly, but Olivia supposed she might as well get used to having a part-time husband. Jack had promised this wouldn't last much longer, but she suspected nothing was going to change until he retired. If then...

Justine seated her at a window table, then returned to the front of the restaurant and talked to one of the waitresses. It was still early in the evening and the restaurant was only about a third full. As soon as she had someone to cover for her, she walked back to Olivia's table.

"Got a moment?" she asked.

"Of course." Grace wouldn't arrive for at least ten minutes.

Her daughter pulled out the chair across from her. "How are things with Grandma?" she asked.

Olivia sighed and wondered how much of the story her daughter knew. Probably all of it. "We're talking again."

Justine smiled, obviously relieved. "Grandma's going to marry Ben, you know?"

Olivia was well aware of that. "She sent me a letter." It hurt that her own mother had written instead of telling her face-to-face. "I didn't mean to hurt her," she admitted. "Will and I had Ben investigated for her own protection, but our concern backfired."

"I know." At least Justine sounded sympathetic.

"Mom was upset about our lack of faith in her," Olivia said. She must have known instinctively how her mother would feel, because she'd found it necessary to hide their inquiries from Charlotte.

"What else did she say in her letter?"

"She said everyone deserves to be happy, regardless of age, and reminded me how pleased she was when I married Jack."

"She's right, you know," Justine murmured.