Rainier Drive (Cedar Cove #6)(97)

Their time together was brief, too brief to suit Teri. They had three nights and two full days. Every evening she cooked for him. He enjoyed her macaroni and cheese, and her chili pie, another dish she’d invented, and her broccoli quiche, which she’d made using a recipe she’d cut out from the Chronicle. They listened to music and she taught him how to play Yahtzee and strip poker. He preferred the poker.

He liked the fact that he didn’t yet know anyone in Cedar Cove. She’d taken Saturday off, so they had the whole weekend, during which they saw only each other—no friends or neighbors. Teri didn’t even answer her phone.

Except for the five days they’d spent on their honeymoon, they’d had almost no time together. Those days in Vegas weren’t a true indication of what life with Bobby would be like. Now that he was home, she’d been surprised by how little he actually slept. He’d told her once that he spent a lot of time thinking, and that had been no exaggeration. He required four hours or less of sleep a night. Often she found him sitting in the living room in front of the chessboard, studying it intently, working out moves in his mind.

Sometimes he seemed to forget she was with him. Terri didn’t take offense at his lack of attention. Because when he did remember, he made her feel more cherished and loved than she’d ever felt in her life.

When he said he loved her, he meant it. Loving someone seemed to be a new experience for Bobby, and it was important to him that she know how strong his feelings were. Every day they were together he bought her gifts, ordering them by phone or Internet, and no doubt paying a premium for quick delivery. These weren’t minor gifts, either. The first day it was a diamond tennis bracelet and a tennis racket to go with it. Teri had never played tennis in her life. Bobby, however, believed the two were supposed to go together and she wasn’t about to disillusion him. The following day it was a wall-mounted plasma-screen television with satellite hookup.

When James arrived, Teri had to swallow the words to ask her husband to stay a few extra days.

Bobby held her and then kissed her. She kissed him back. “When will I see you again?” she asked, thinking any more than a few hours would be too long.

He explained his travel schedule, the upcoming matches. His answer was lengthy, technical and confusing. She looked to James for a translation.

“A week.”

“I can last a week,” she whispered.

Bobby smiled and hugged her a final time.

“Take care of him,” she told James, her hand lingering on her husband’s arm.

“I will.” He opened the car door for Bobby, who reluctantly climbed in the backseat.

Folding her arms, Teri stepped away from the curb.

“You did a great job,” the chauffeur said under his breath as he walked around the limo. “I’ve only known Bobby to lose one other match in all the years I’ve worked for him. Afterward, he sank into a depression that lasted for months.”

“He’ll be all right now,” she assured the driver.

James touched the rim of his cap. “You’re good for him, Miss Teri.”

What she didn’t tell James was that Bobby was good for her, too.

Forty-Two

Linnette had waited for this moment ever since she’d heard Cal was back from Wyoming. After a week, he’d phoned and asked if they could meet.

She had restrained herself from calling him, and the fact that he’d taken so long to get in touch only compounded the pain. Hoping to put them both at ease, she’d suggested the waterfront park. It was neutral territory, and in the early afternoon, there were few occupants besides the seagulls. On Thursday evenings during the summer, the park held Concerts on the Cove, with free entertainment ranging from rock-and-roll groups to folk singers and swing bands. Linnette hadn’t yet attended a single one, although she knew her parents enjoyed the outings. It didn’t strike her as something that would appeal to her father, but he went, primarily to please her mother. It was their once-a-week summer date. If it wasn’t so ironic, it would be laughable. Her married parents dated more often than she did.

As Linnette sat in the bleachers waiting for Cal, she wondered how she’d react when he told her face-to-face that he no longer wanted to be part of her life. For reasons she couldn’t really explain, she needed him to tell her in person. Ending their relationship with a phone call was just wrong.

She saw Cal drive into the lot next to the park and climb out of his pickup. Her heart went on alert, and her pulse accelerated at the sight of him. The memory of all the good times they’d had together brought hot, stinging tears to her eyes. That embarrassed her, and she quickly blinked them away. As Cal approached, she stood up.

He looked tanned and handsome, even more attractive than he’d looked before. He wore jeans and a Western-style shirt, and his Stetson was pulled forward to shade his face.

“Hi,” she said evenly. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks,” was his reply. He stood awkwardly in front of her, his thumbs hooked in his jeans pockets. “It’s good to be home.” No hint of a stutter, she noticed.

She sat down again and he joined her on the bottom bleacher. For a few seconds, neither said a word. To Linnette’s way of thinking, Cal should be the first to speak.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Linnette.”

Well, it was too late for that. She was deeply hurt, and fighting not to show it. She tried to tell him to save his breath, but the words didn’t make it past the constriction in her throat.