Harbor Street (Cedar Cove #5)(47)

To Grace’s astonishment, Olivia’s eyes filled with tears. “We had an argument that night. Jack didn’t get home until midnight—okay, ten o’clock, but it might as well have been midnight. He was at the office all day. You’d think the sun rises and falls on The Chronicle. It’s all he lives for, and frankly I hate it.” Angrily she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to get emotional. It’s just that we seem to be at an impasse.”

“You’re not thinking…” Grace couldn’t bring herself to say the word divorce.

“No, but things have got to change. Jack works too hard, he eats mostly fast food and doesn’t get any exercise. He’s going to kill himself if he continues at this pace.” She lowered her eyes. “He thinks this is all one big joke. He said the other day that if he keeled over, what I’d miss most was regular sex.”

Grace rolled her eyes. “Leave it to a man to reduce everything to that.”

“He’s promised his schedule will change after the first of the year, but I’ve heard those promises before. I just don’t want him to kill himself over a stupid newspaper.”

“He loves you, Olivia.”

“I know and I love him, too. I bought him a treadmill for Christmas.”

“Good. Maybe Jack will take the hint.”

“He’s so stubborn, though.”

Grace couldn’t help smiling. “What man isn’t?”

Now Olivia smiled, too. She reached for her fork and cut into her lemon meringue. “All right, enough about me and Jack. What’s going on with you and Cliff?”

Grace sighed heavily. “Cliff fell asleep during the movie. I woke him up when he started snoring—loudly.”

Olivia burst into laughter.

“Olivia Lockhart Griffin, this is not funny.”

Her friend made an effort to restrain her amusement.

“Ten minutes later, he was snoring again. I’d had it, and we left the theater.” In truth, Olivia should be grateful she’d missed out on their evening. Cliff had been exhausted. He’d been working with his horses all day and ended up feeling tired and cranky. Dinner after the movie had been dismal.

“I’m so disappointed I could’ve cried.”

“What is it with our men?” Olivia asked.

“I don’t know. But I’m sick of this,” Grace said. “It’s like I’m married with none of the benefits.”

“No regular sex?” Olivia teased.

“You might be my best friend, but there are some things I will not divulge, even to you, and my love life is one of them.”

“In other words, you don’t have one.”

“In other words, you’re right.”

They both laughed and it felt good. Christmas was four days away and she was supposed to spend Christmas Eve with her girls and then go to Cliff’s late Christmas morning. But Grace found she was having second thoughts about seeing Cliff at all.

“What are we going to do?” Olivia asked. “Jack will think it’s very clever of me to buy him a treadmill, but I can’t make him exercise. Nor can I keep him away from double bacon cheeseburgers.”

“I can’t make Cliff love me.”

That comment obviously shook Olivia. “Cliff does love you,” she insisted.

Grace used to believe that, too, but these days she wasn’t so sure. “We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, but now we’re in a rut. Being with me seems more of a burden than a joy. Our date last Saturday was an obligation he felt he had to fulfill. I certainly didn’t enjoy myself and I doubt he did, either.”

“So what’s next?”

That was a question worth contemplating. “I wish I knew.”

“Just promise me you won’t do anything until after Christmas.”

Grace made a wry face. “Here’s how Christmas will go. I’ll arrive at Cliff’s around noon, make dinner and then knit while he falls asleep in front of the television.” She’d wash the dinner dishes, kiss him goodbye and let herself out. She might as well stay home with her dog and cat; Buttercup and Sherlock were frequently better company. “Some time the next morning,” Grace concluded her scenario, “Cliff will phone and apologize and then we’ll start all over again.”

“Cliff needs his cage rattled,” Olivia suggested, tapping her finger against her lips.

“That sounds ominous.”

“You feel like you’re married but don’t have any of the benefits? Then tell him you want to marry him.”

“You think I should propose?”

“Yes,” Olivia said. “That should wake him up.”

“I want to get Cliff’s attention, not give him a heart attack.”

“Force him to make a decision—a commitment.”

Grace could just imagine the look on his face, but maybe Olivia was right. It was time to either make that commitment or walk away. However, Grace didn’t know if she had the courage to follow through on any kind of ultimatum.

“Well?” Olivia pressed.

“I don’t know.”

“You’ve got to do something,” Olivia said firmly, scraping up the last of her pie.

That was true enough, but suggesting marriage seemed rather drastic. “I’m afraid,” she admitted after a thoughtful moment.