Rainier Drive (Cedar Cove #6)(31)

“Thank you, James,” she murmured, stifling a laugh.

The driver began to close the door.

“James,” Bobby said simply, “I’d like one, too.”

James did a double take, obviously wondering if he’d heard correctly. “You, sir?”

“Yes, me.”

“Right away, sir.”

The door closed. “You like yes-men, don’t you?”

Bobby studied her a moment and once more, came close to smiling. “When you’re as rich and celebrated as I am, most everyone is a yes-man.”

She flipped back the pull tab and took a long, thirsty swallow. “Not me.”

“So I noticed.”

The door opened again, and James gave his boss a second can of beer. Bobby took it and examined the top. He reached for the tab, but apparently couldn’t get his finger under it.

“Oh, for the love of heaven,” Teri muttered. She grabbed it, balancing her own can between her knees. “You’re helpless.”

Bobby met her gaze and then he did smile. “You’re the first person to really see that, Miss Teri Miller. I am rather helpless.”

Twelve

“Cal’s here,” Linnette said loudly, peering out the living room window on Easter afternoon. She’d been helping her mother in the kitchen, preparing dinner, and had begun to set the table. Dropping the curtain, Linnette hurried to the front door, but then felt she needed to give her family a reminder. “Mom, Dad, please don’t embarrass him,” she cautioned.

Her father glanced up from the Seattle newspaper, which he read from front to back every Sunday. “About what?”

“He’s been seeing a speech therapist in Silverdale and he’s kind of self-conscious. Sometimes he hesitates between words, but don’t pay any attention to that, okay?”

“No problem.” Her father went back to reading the paper.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” her mother said from the kitchen doorway.

The doorbell chimed and Linnette opened it to Cal, who couldn’t have looked handsomer had he tried. He wore a tan leather jacket, polished boots and pressed jeans. His beautiful blue eyes searched hers out, and Linnette reassured him with a grin. Reaching for his hand, she pulled him into the house.

“Hello, Cal,” her father said, briefly lowering the paper.

“Welcome, Cal,” her mother called from the kitchen.

“It smells good in here,” Cal said without stumbling over a single word.

Linnette’s heart swelled with pride at his fluent delivery. “That’s the ham. Mom coats it with brown sugar and maple syrup and tops it with cloves. I’ve never tasted any ham better than hers. It’s just wonderful, so be sure and compliment her.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll package up some of the leftovers for you. There’s always plenty.”

“Hey, don’t be giving away my ham,” her father chastised in a humorous tone.

Cal looked around the room and Linnette knew what he was thinking. She answered the question he’d wordlessly asked. “Mack’s on his way,” she said. “He phoned. Apparently the bridge traffic is a nightmare.”

“Gloria?”

“Will be here by four.”

“She’s working. Low man on the totem pole,” Roy explained. “In this case, low woman.”

Her newfound sister was a Bremerton police officer. Before moving to Cedar Cove, Roy had worked for the Seattle Police department. Linnette found it interesting—and very fitting—that Gloria had chosen the same profession.

She’d initially made contact with her birth parents by sending anonymous postcards, flower arrangements and other benign but puzzling messages. Eventually, Roy unearthed the mystery and Gloria was welcomed into the family. However, they were still finding their way with one another, treading carefully, creating a new dynamic. This afternoon would be a test.

“Gloria said we should start without her,” Linnette murmured, “but I told her we wouldn’t.”

“She’ll call if she gets held up,” Roy said confidently. He’d spent quite a bit of time with Gloria, and at first Linnette had been afraid that sharing her father would be difficult, since she and her dad had a close relationship. But it didn’t bother her at all—mainly, Linnette believed, because she had Cal. Since their working hours often conflicted, they weren’t able to see each other as often as they would’ve liked. If it was up to Linnette, that would be every day. But she had to be content with phone calls and seeing each other twice a week, if that.

Lately Cal had been in town more often because of his visits to the speech therapist. He usually stopped in to see her on the way to his appointment or afterward. The progress he’d made in such a short time was truly impressive.

“I was putting the finishing touches on the table,” Linnette said. “You want to help me?”

“Linnette.” Her father’s voice betrayed some impatience. “Cal’s our guest. I don’t think it’s good form to ask him to set the table.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she muttered, smiling at Cal.

Cal grinned back and sat down on the sofa. Her father handed him a section of newspaper, which Cal accepted.

Linnette returned to the kitchen. “The least Dad could do is talk to him,” she told her mother.