Sandpiper Way (Cedar Cove #8)(29)

“I…” Christie leaned away from the table, apparently studying something on the floor. She’d taken Teri’s napkin and begun to shred it, too. “I don’t know how to relate to a man who doesn’t abuse me in one way or another,” she said bluntly.

“Listen, Christie…”

“Men have used me my entire life. You’d think I’d hate them all by now.” For a moment she looked as if she might dissolve into tears. “I meet one of these losers and I immediately want to fix his life and make everything right. I always figure that once I do, he’ll love me and cherish me forever.” She gave Teri a watery smile. “How come I can see the pattern but I can’t break it?”

“Guess what, Christie, we share more than the same genes.”

“But you have Bobby and he loves you and—”

“Talk about déjà vu.” Sighing, Teri placed both hands on her stomach. “I tried to send Bobby away. I felt the same things you do. I didn’t want him to love me, and I did everything I could to keep him out of my life.”

Christie shook her head. “You’re just saying that because you think it’ll make me feel better. You’ve always made good decisions. You have a career and friends and…now you have Bobby and a real family.” Her gaze fell to Teri’s stomach and her eyes softened with longing.

“And you’re afraid you’ll be stuck with losers for the rest of your life.”

Her sister didn’t respond.

“So you reject any decent guy who comes around.” Teri didn’t mean to sound sarcastic. “Listen, Christie, you say you want to break the pattern. James is your chance to do it.”

Christie still didn’t speak.

“He’s attracted to you.”

Her sister shook her head again. “No, he isn’t. Otherwise—”

“Otherwise he wouldn’t have driven down to The Pink Poodle and waited outside for you,” Teri said, cutting her off. “Why else would James do that?”

Christie gave an unenthusiastic shrug.

“He wants to talk to you,” Teri explained as if speaking to a third-grader. “That’s why he did it.”

Gathering up the pieces of her second shredded napkin, Christie swallowed several times. “It’s too late.”

“I doubt that.”

Her sister’s eyes were suddenly hopeful.

“I can try to help,” Teri said. “If you want, I’ll arrange an opportunity for the two of you to meet.”

“How?”

“Dinner,” she suggested. “Bobby and I can invite you both to dinner.”

Christie instantly dismissed the idea. “That would be awkward for everyone.”

True, Teri thought, but that way she’d have a close-up view of the proceedings. However, discretion won out over curiosity. “Okay, then, see James on your own,” she said mildly.

Christie seemed to be considering that. “You really think I should?” she finally asked.

“I do.” Teri offered her a smile of encouragement. She wanted Christie to experience the same happiness she’d found with Bobby. “Will you do it?” she prodded.

Christie nodded, tentatively at first, then more vigorously. Teri was relieved to see the light of anticipation back in her sister’s eyes.

Eleven

Olivia sipped her tea and enjoyed the sheer luxury of being home in the middle of a workweek. She’d taken a medical leave of absence from the courthouse, and this was the longest she’d been at home since the children were born. Under normal circumstances, she’d be presiding over her courtroom right now, hearing cases, making judgments that would affect the lives of people in her community. Olivia took her job as a family court judge seriously, which was probably the reason some of her decisions had been controversial.

Once she’d denied a divorce on a technicality when it was obvious to her, but seemingly to no one else, that the young couple standing before her was still in love. She’d followed her heart and her instincts. Same with a joint custody situation in which she’d ruled that the kids would stay in the house, with the parents moving back and forth.

Olivia returned her teacup to the saucer and stretched out her legs so they rested on the footstool. She admired her fuzzy new slippers, a gift from Grace. Her dressing gown was from Grace, as well. The sun shone warmly into the room and, childish as it sounded, she felt as if it were shining just for her.

“You need anything else?” Jack called from the kitchen. He was home on his lunch break in order to coax her to eat. Her appetite was practically nonexistent.

Olivia sipped a little more of her tea. “I’m good, thanks.”

“How about some Christmas cookies?” The day before, Justine had brought over a batch of Charlotte’s special Russian Tea Cookies. Her Christmas baking was a family tradition.

“No, thanks.” The tea had been soothing, but the thought of food held no appeal. She knew this was only going to get worse once she started chemo in early January. Jack was worried about her lack of appetite and seemed determined to keep her from losing any more weight than she already had.

“I picked up those iced raisin cookies you like at the grocery store,” he called back, obviously trying to tempt her.

“Not interested, but thanks.” She wasn’t unappreciative, but she didn’t know how she’d manage a lunch of soup, let alone adding cookies.