Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(91)

"No, thanks." He shrugged carelessly. "I'm heading back to the ranch." His gaze briefly held Grace's before he started toward the parking lot.

"Will I see you later?" Grace called after him.

Cliff turned and shook his head. "Another time perhaps."

Will smiled despite his torn lip. Grace could tell exactly what he was thinking—he might not have her for himself, but he'd done what he could to keep her from Cliff.

Forty-Six

The phone call came when Bob was least prepared to deal with it. He was still shaky; the need for a drink lingered, as intense now as it had been in his first week of sobriety. All that held him together was his love for Peggy, his determination and his AA meetings.

The call let him know Colonel Stewart Samuels was on his way to Cedar Cove and would arrive within the hour. He'd made hotel reservations at the local Holiday Inn Express near the waterfront.

"Are you all right?" Peggy asked when Bob replaced the receiver.

He didn't answer because he couldn't. At first Bob felt numb, but once his blood started flowing again, he felt a deep sense of dread. He wanted this entire mess to vanish, to go away once and for all. This was what he'd feared since leaving Vietnam. Everything he'd struggled to forget, everything he'd hoped would remain forever buried, was about to be exposed. Never had he experienced such vulnerability. The sins of his past were about to tear his life apart. But not only his—Peggy's too.

Two of his fellow soldiers were dead and that left him and Colonel Samuels. It was a distinct possibility that his life was at risk and that the other man could also be a target. He felt almost fatalistic about it; in a way he'd been expecting retribution for those killings in the jungle since the day it all happened.

By the time Bob returned to the States following his stint in Vietnam, he was already drinking heavily. When he married Peggy, he'd managed to keep away from alcohol for a while. But that control was short-lived and within months he'd found solace in having a few beers with his buddies after work. It hadn't taken him long to progress to the hard stuff.

After Vietnam he'd vowed never to speak of that terrible day again. With one exception, he'd kept his word until recent events had made that impossible. He hadn't found it easy dredging up those memories, voicing them. God help him, he'd like to forget Vietnam ever happened.

"Bob." Peggy placed her hand on his arm, breaking into his thoughts.

"I'll be fine," he said hoarsely.

She continued to stare at him doubtfully. He'd never told her how close he'd come to having a drink that night or how her phone call had saved him. Bob didn't consider himself an especially articulate man and certainly not a poetic one, but he thought of Peggy as his harbor, his place of safety.

"Stewart Samuels is on his way," he said as casually as he could. "He'll be here within the hour."

Peggy stiffened.

Bob nodded and realized his wife was as ill-at-ease as he was himself. "When he arrives, I think it'd be best if the two of us talked privately."

Peggy bit her lip. "I'll put on a pot of coffee and make an excuse to leave."

"I'd appreciate it." He brought his arms around her and hugged her close. "I appreciate you." Closing his eyes, Bob breathed in the scent of her hair and the light fragrance of her cologne. Peggy was his life; without her he was nothing. He only hoped she knew how deeply he loved her.

When the white rental car pulled off Cranberry Point and into their driveway, Bob's stomach was twisted into knots. The man who stepped out from behind the wheel bore little resemblance to the officer Bob remembered. Samuels was tall and lean with salt-and-pepper hair cut in a close-cropped military style. Although he wasn't in uniform, he moved in a manner that suggested a soldier's discipline.

Bob walked out the front door to greet him. His heart felt like a sledgehammer pounding against his chest as he moved slowly toward the man he'd once known. The man who'd been his squad leader.

They met halfway and for a long moment stared at each other as if unsure of what to say. Finally Stewart Samuels extended his hand. "Hello, Beldon."

Bob nodded and thrust out his own hand, replying formally. "Colonel Samuels. Welcome to Cedar Cove."

"Thank you."

Neither moved. Samuels broke eye contact first, glancing around at the large two-story house with its brilliant green lawn and flower beds vibrant with color. Peggy's garden was still in bloom, her herbs scenting the air.

"I'm glad you came," Bob said, although that was a patent lie. Samuels was the last person he wanted to see, but it was either face the truth now or regret it for the rest of his life.

Samuels laughed as if he recognized Bob's words for the falsehood they were. "It's time we figured out what's going on here."

Bob agreed as he led the other man into the house. "Past time." He held open the screen door and let Samuels precede him. "Peggy's got coffee on. I thought the two of us should talk privately."

Samuels made no comment. As soon as they reached the kitchen, Bob introduced him to Peggy, who smiled graciously and welcomed him to their home. She poured their coffee and left.

Bob carried their coffee to the oak table in the breakfast nook. He stretched out his arms and cradled his mug with both hands. "The years have been good to you."