Seaside Avenue (Cedar Cove #7)(49)

“I don’t think it’s quite that simple.” Feeling queasy, Teri sat on a bench that overlooked the Cove. Baskets of blooming annuals in an array of pinks and reds hung from the lightposts along the walkway. “Bobby is so intense and, well…” She hated to say it, but she needed a break from her husband every now and then. A few hours apart from each other did them both good. Working at the salon was the perfect arrangement.

Rachel sat down beside her, and instantly a flock of seagulls gathered at their feet. She tossed the last of the bread onto the lawn, then shooed the birds away.

“This whole thing’s giving me an upset stomach,” Teri murmured. In fact, she felt like throwing up.

“You’re pale,” Rachel said, eyeing her closely.

“Darn him.” She closed her eyes as a wave of nausea swept over her. “Since the hair show, Bobby’s been worse than ever.”

“Worse?”

“He hardly lets me out of his sight.” Teri knew without looking that James was somewhere in the vicinity. He’d been assigned to watch over her whenever she was away from home. To his credit, James tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. But Teri couldn’t help knowing he was there, especially when he hung around the mall, peering into the salon every ten or fifteen minutes. The other girls were used to it now and tended to ignore him.

“Get Nailed is more than my job,” Teri continued. “It’s a big part of my social life, too. You’re there and I’d miss seeing you every day.”

“Yes, but…” Rachel paused. “I’m actually thinking maybe Nate and I…” She let the rest fade.

“You really think you might marry Nate?” Teri liked the other man well enough and she knew Rachel was completely enthralled with him. But as she’d told Bobby, she was unsure this was right for her friend. Apparently she wasn’t the only one with doubts; Rachel seemed to have reservations herself, otherwise she would’ve moved to San Diego when Nate was transferred.

“I’m still trying to decide,” Rachel said miserably. “Nate and I talk about it every time we’re on the phone. He’s coming to see me and I know he’ll want an answer.”

“So the pressure will really be on.”

“Exactly.”

“If you love him, why the doubt?”

Rachel sat back against the park bench and crossed her legs, one foot swinging. “You’re going to think I’m being silly.”

“Rachel, you’re my best friend! I’d never be that judgmental.”

“It has to do with Jolene,” she said with a deep sigh. “I know what it’s like to lose a mother. That was hard enough on the kid, but then her grandmother died, too. Bruce’s family lives somewhere out east and they don’t seem to have much contact. I’m afraid Jolene will feel abandoned if I leave now.”

“How old is she again?” Teri asked.

“Twelve. She’s almost ready for junior high. This is such a vulnerable age. Bruce is worried, too, and, well, I just don’t feel I can do that to Jolene.”

Teri understood Rachel’s quandary. “But you can’t base your life on Jolene.”

Rachel leaned forward and uncrossed her legs. “Now you sound like Nate. Jolene’s gotten to be a real sore point between us. I’m afraid to even mention her name because whenever I do, he gets upset with me.”

“What about Bruce?” Teri wondered if Jolene was the only complication.

“What about him?”

“You know.” Teri gestured vaguely, but Rachel understood what she meant.

“Bruce’s been acting a little weird lately.” Rachel shook her head, as if to dispel thoughts of Jolene’s father. “Remember I told you he phoned me in the middle of the night?”

“Yeah, I remember.” Teri really wasn’t feeling well. In fact, her stomach seemed to be pitching like a rowboat in a squall. She did her best to ignore it.

“He did it again.”

“When?”

“Last week. Not as late as that first night but well past the time for non-emergency calls.”

“What did he want?”

“That’s just it. He didn’t want anything. We talked for a few minutes, he told me Jolene’s decided to run for class secretary, which I already knew because she’d told me herself, and then he hung up.” Rachel raised her hands in a questioning way. “I don’t know what to make of it.”

“He might be afraid you’re going to marry Nate and move to San Diego.”

“He didn’t say that.”

“He wouldn’t, would he?” Teri said. Judging by her own experience, men rarely said what they meant. Neither did women, but at least they were more likely to recognize their feelings and desires; they just expressed them indirectly. Most men, on the other hand, didn’t actually know what was bothering them. She figured this was the case with Bruce Peyton.

“He asked if he could come over this weekend with Jolene.”

“I thought Nate was flying in.”

“He is.”

“Oh, boy.”

“See what I mean?” Rachel said.

Teri nodded. She wanted to ask what Rachel had told Bruce but suddenly felt light-headed. No longer did she think she might vomit, she knew it.