Seaside Avenue (Cedar Cove #7)(30)

“Mom told me that Will claims he has no intention of pestering you.”

Grace hoped that was true. Even after she’d broken off their relationship, Will had attempted to get in touch with her, to explain away his lies and tell her fresh ones. She’d nearly lost Cliff once because of Will; she couldn’t risk that happening a second time.

“Does Cliff know?” Olivia asked as if reading her thoughts.

“I’ve been meaning to tell him, but I haven’t done it yet.”

“Grace!”

“It’s just that we’re so happy and I don’t want anything to upset that.”

“Knowing Cliff, he’d be far more upset if he learned Will’s living in Cedar Cove and you didn’t tell him.”

“I will tell him, I promise.” She’d do it as soon as she got home. This was too important to leave to chance. She wouldn’t jeopardize her marriage over someone as deceitful and dishonorable as Will Jefferson.

They finished their coffee and stood up to go, leaving a bigger than usual tip for Goldie. As they started walking to the door, Olivia gave her a hug. “Congratulations, Grandma.”

“Thank you, my friend.”

Olivia yawned. “Now let’s go home and get to bed. I have to be at work in the morning.”

“Me, too.” Grace wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep. First, there was the birth of Emma Grace and now this distressing news about Will Jefferson. Olivia had warned her weeks ago, but Grace hadn’t believed Will would actually do it. Hadn’t believed he’d dare. Yet here he was.

The light in the barn was off when she pulled into the yard and parked in her usual spot. Grace figured Cliff must be in the house. She hoped he hadn’t gone to bed.

“Is that you, Grace?” he said, coming to meet her in the entryway, accompanied by the dog.

“It’s me.” She stooped to pet Buttercup, then walked into her husband’s arms. After a lengthy hug, she asked, “How’s Sunshine?”

“Fabulous. She has a handsome son and she’s doing well. How’s Kelly?”

“She has a beautiful daughter and she’s doing well, too.”

He chuckled and hugged her again. “Little Emma Grace—she couldn’t have a nicer name.”

Grace smiled. “Olivia and I celebrated with pie and coffee at the PancakePalace.”

“That’s what your message said.”

“Olivia insisted we set a date for our wedding reception so I suggested mid-October. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure—as long as this is something you want to do.”

She nodded. “I want the world to know I’ve got the best husband in the world.”

Cliff kissed the top of her head. “I’m the lucky one.”

“You think so, do you?” Try as she might, Grace was unable to stifle a yawn.

Slipping his arm around her waist, Cliff led her down the hallway to their bedroom. “You must be exhausted.”

“I thought I’d be too keyed up to sleep, but…”

Cliff yawned, too. “I thought the same thing. Come on, honey, let’s go to bed.”

She should tell him now, Grace realized. But because they had so much to celebrate, she decided she couldn’t. Not then. Perhaps in the morning. Right now they were both too tired. They were happy. To destroy the evening with news of Will Jefferson just seemed wrong.

All she could do was pray that Cliff didn’t learn it from anyone else.

Twelve

“Can Rachel take me shopping?” Jolene asked for the sixth time.

“I said that would be fine,” Bruce muttered, leafing through the Cedar Cove Chronicle. He worked hard at his computer support business and needed this quiet time in the evenings. Just half an hour to regroup; that was all. Since Stephanie’s death he’d developed a routine with their daughter. He got home from work, watched the news and read the paper while Jolene entertained herself with a book or a jigsaw puzzle. Afterward they prepared dinner together. Their meals weren’t always the meat-and-potatoes variety, either. Some nights it was bacon, eggs and waffles. More than once they’d had cookies and milk with popcorn for dessert, but he didn’t make a habit of that.

“You didn’t phone her,” Jolene whined.

“Why don’t you?” he said. She’d called Rachel Pendergast often enough in the past. Rachel had stepped in as a surrogate mother after Stephanie’s death and spent many evenings and Saturdays with them both.

At age five, Jolene had decided she needed a mother and she’d chosen Rachel. Bruce smiled as he recalled the day they’d met Rachel at the beauty salon—and how embarrassed he’d been by his daughter’s pronouncement. But Bruce gratefully accepted Rachel’s involvement in their lives, as long as nothing was required of him. He wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship, he told himself again. He was a one-woman man, and Stephanie was that woman. Now that she was gone he had no intention of marrying again. Rachel understood that, although most women didn’t. Since he was what people considered prime marriage material, various friends had taken it upon themselves to find him a wife. Bruce had been in more than his share of uncomfortable social situations with women whose objectives were explicit—if not explicitly stated. Sooner or later, they all learned that he wasn’t interested.