Seaside Avenue (Cedar Cove #7)(51)

James drove them back to the salon. As soon as he pulled up in front of Cedar Cove’s mall, Rachel hugged her.

“Call me after you see Nate,” Teri said.

“I will.” James opened the door and Rachel ran lightly out.

This weekend could change her friend’s life, Teri mused. She’d either agree to marry Nate—or not. She wasn’t convinced Bruce would let himself be counted out.

On the drive home, Teri nearly fell asleep in the car. When they arrived, James helped her out, his manner even more attentive than usual.

“Thank you, James. And listen, what happened back there…”

“Yes, miss.”

“Please keep it to yourself.”

“Yes, Miss Teri.”

“I mean it.” She didn’t want Bobby hearing about this episode from his driver. James had probably guessed she was pregnant, and she’d rather Bobby didn’t figure it out quite yet. That would just multiply his worries—and hers.

James nodded, his hand supporting her elbow. He didn’t meet her eyes.

Entering the house, she went straight to the den. As she’d expected, Bobby was there, sitting in front of his chessboard.

“Hi, Bobby.”

He didn’t respond. His thoughts were on some chess move only he could see. She kissed his cheek and without another word wandered down to their bedroom. She quickly removed her clothes, then slipped beneath the covers. The sheets felt cool against her skin and she sank her head into the pillow and closed her eyes. Almost immediately Teri fell into the welcome oblivion of sleep.

The next thing she knew, her husband was sitting on the bed, his arm around her waist. She smiled and pressed her hand over his.

“The phone rang,” he said quietly.

“I didn’t hear. Was it for me?”

“It was your sister. She got your message and said she can come to dinner next week.”

Teri rolled onto her back. “Did you mention that to James?”

Her husband nodded.

“Did he look happy?”

Bobby frowned, then shook his head. “No, he looked sad.”

Teri sighed. She could see that James and her sister were going to need some guidance to get this romance off the ground.

Twenty

Rachel was so excited she could barely hold still. It’d been almost three months since she’d seen Nate and now they had a whole weekend together. A whole weekend! She paced outside the security area at Sea-TacAirport, counting the minutes until he appeared.

According to the arrivals monitor, his Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego had landed. People were streaming through, so many at a time that Rachel was afraid she’d miss him.

Then he was there, standing in front of her. She let out a squeal of delight and launched herself into his arms. Her sailor man wrapped her in his embrace, swinging her around so people near them stepped out of the way, smiling. Then his hungry mouth claimed hers again and again.

“Oh, Nate, I’ve missed you so much.”

He held her tight, drawing in several deep breaths as though desperate to take in her scent.

“I’ve never been on a longer flight in my life,” he whispered. “I kept reminding myself that every minute brought me closer to you.” Slowly he released her until her shoes touched the floor again.

“I’ve got a wonderful weekend planned,” she told him, laughing. He slipped one arm around her waist, carrying his overnight bag in the other. Walking side by side, they started toward the parking garage.

“What kind of plans?” He kissed her cheek as if he couldn’t stop touching her now that they were finally together.

“The Puyallup Fair’s on. You’ll love it.” It was a classic country fair, with rides, entertainment, animals and all kinds of exhibits. Rachel had often attended the fair when she was growing up; it had been one of the joys of her childhood. But she hadn’t been to the Puyallup Fair in years and she thought seeing it with Nate was an inspired idea.

“Sounds like fun. Anything else?”

“Yes.” It was supposed to be a surprise but she couldn’t keep it to herself. “Two front-row Seahawks tickets,” she informed him, feeling downright smug. One of her clients, who had season tickets, was going to be out of town when the Seahawks played the Raiders and had given the tickets to Rachel. The timing of this generous gift couldn’t have been more perfect. Rachel wasn’t much of a sports fan, but she knew Nate loved football.

“You’re joking!”

“Nope.” To prove she was telling the truth, Rachel pulled the tickets from her purse. “We might have to leave the game a few minutes early so you can catch your flight Sunday evening, but that’s a small thing, right?”

“Right,” he echoed. Nate hugged her again. “I knew there was a reason I loved you.”

Rachel laughed. “Well, if that’s all it takes…”

They had dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Kent that Nate had heard about from a friend. The enchiladas were the best Rachel had ever tasted. They lingered over margaritas and talked for nearly two hours; in fact, the restaurant was closing before Rachel noticed the time and suggested they leave.

On the drive over the TacomaNarrowsBridge and home to Cedar Cove, she decided to introduce the subject of Jolene. Nate couldn’t ignore the girl, as much as he might like to. Their relationship was too important to Rachel.