Seaside Avenue (Cedar Cove #7)(31)

“I want you to phone Rachel,” Jolene said.

Bruce lowered the newspaper. “Why?”

“Because then she’ll know you approve.”

Bruce could see that the peacefulness of the evening was already shattered. Jolene talked to Rachel on a regular basis; the two of them seemed to get together at least once a week for one reason or another. More often now that Lover Boy had departed for San Diego. Nate Olsen was no loss as far as Bruce was concerned, although he hadn’t said that to Rachel. She could date whomever she wanted.

“Here.” Jolene handed him the portable phone.

“Okay, okay,” he muttered. If he was truthful, he’d admit he wasn’t opposed to contacting Rachel. He considered her a friend—a good enough friend to be on speed dial.

“Hi,” he said when she picked up. “Are you doing anything special this Saturday?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Jolene needs to go school shopping and she’d like you to take her.”

“Count me in.”

Bruce grinned at her enthusiasm. He didn’t understand this thing about women and shopping. He didn’t know a single one who wouldn’t leap at the opportunity to dash to a mall. A sale on bedsheets, some kind of giveaway, a makeup demonstration—any excuse would do.

“What’s so funny?”

“You women and your shopping.”

“Listen, Bruce, you don’t want to go there. Men have their own preferences. I’ll bet you’re sitting in front of the television right now with the remote control on the arm rest. I’ll bet you’re reading the paper at the same time as you’re watching the TV news.”

How did she know this much about his evening routine? He supposed it shouldn’t surprise him. Rachel had often been to his house over the past few years and he’d been to hers. She was the only woman who’d breached his defenses. Suddenly he wondered if she was right about other men’s routines being the same as his. And if she was, how had she found out?

“What do you hear from Lover Boy?” he asked.

“I wish you’d stop calling Nate that,” she said, the humor leaving her voice.

“Okay, your Sailor Man,” he revised. The truth was, Bruce had never much cared for Rachel’s navy boyfriend. For one thing, he couldn’t imagine them as a couple. For another, Nate seemed to resent the time Rachel spent with Jolene. In fact he’d tried on more than one occasion to come between them. So far, that hadn’t worked; Rachel wouldn’t allow it.

“We talk almost every day. He misses me.”

“Do you miss him?” Bruce asked, although he already knew what she’d say.

“Like crazy. I’m going to fly down to California to visit him soon. Or he’ll fly up here for a weekend. We’re miserable without each other.”

Bruce had to bite his tongue to keep from making a sarcastic remark. He wasn’t sure why he’d bothered to ask. Thinking about Nate Olsen and Rachel invariably put him in a bad mood, although he refused to delve any further into the reasons for that.

“What’s new in town?” Rachel asked, abruptly changing the subject. “You’re reading the paper, aren’t you? Give me an update.”

“All right,” he said, looking at the front page. “The school board’s bringing a new bond issue to the ballot in September. You’ll vote for it, won’t you?”

“Of course. Anything else?”

“There’s an article here by Jack Griffin about the HarborStreetArtGallery. Apparently the owners are closing it, at least for the winter months, and maybe for good.”

“Oh, no,” Rachel murmured. “Maryellen Bowman’s going to feel awful about that. She’s the one who built it up. A lot of local artists depend on that extra income.”

“There’s also a short piece about a farewell party for Linnette McAfee,” Bruce went on. “Apparently her last day at the Medical Clinic is next week.”

“I’m sorry she’s moving away,” Rachel said. “If anyone should move, it’s Cal,” she added indignantly.

“Who’s Cal?”

She launched into a rather involved explanation of Linnette and Cal Washburn and their relationship, ending with, “He broke her heart and now she’s leaving town?”

“Why?” That didn’t make sense to Bruce, either, but then he was the last person who’d understand the whys and wherefores of a relationship. Rachel explained why she thought Linnette had decided to move. It still didn’t make sense to him. So Linnette and this Cal broke up. So what? This wasn’t junior high. Everyone should be able to coexist and behave like the adults they were.

“Martha Evans’s funeral was this week,” Rachel said next. “Anything in the paper about that?”

“Who’s she?”

“She was an elderly woman. Around ninety. I did her hair for the funeral.”

He didn’t like thinking about it. “That’s something you do?” he asked hesitantly.

“Of course. She was a lovely woman. I’ll miss her.”

“But why—”

“The funeral home occasionally hires me. And I was very fond of Martha so I wanted to do it.”

They chatted for another while, joking back and forth, filling each other in on what was happening at work. When he replaced the phone, Bruce was shocked to realize they’d talked for more than an hour.