Seaside Avenue (Cedar Cove #7)(79)

“Those stupid kisses are an embarrassment to us both. He’s sorry it happened, and so am I. Now I’m afraid everything’s changed.” She sounded miserable. “That’s why I’m calling, Teri. I’m afraid it might never go back to the way it was between us and I don’t know if I can stand that.”

“Give it time,” Teri said gently. “Bruce needs to think this over and so do you. You’ve both had a shock. You’ll be seeing Nate soon, and then you’ll figure out how you feel.”

Rachel clearly wanted to believe it would be that easy. And for her friend’s sake, Teri hoped it would.

When she hung up the phone, Teri went searching for her sister. She wasn’t surprised to find Christie in the patio chair. James sat with her, and although the evening was cool, neither seemed to mind. The moon was full and the stars looked bright and cold in the cloudless sky. As soon as they saw Teri, James leaped to his feet.

“Is it okay if I join you?” she asked.

“Of course,” Christie told her.

James pulled out her chair and Teri sat beside her sister. “James was just telling me about the book he’s reading,” Christie said.

He seemed ill-at-ease with her there and stood once again. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies, I’ll retire to my quarters.”

“Yes, of course,” Teri said.

“Goodbye, James.”

He bowed his head. “Christie. Miss Teri.”

As soon as James was out of earshot, Teri blurted out, “Christie?”

“I told him to drop the Miss nonsense.”

Teri had asked him to do the same thing a dozen times, but he’d never paid any attention. He seemed willing to listen to her sister, though.

Thirty-One

Jack waited until Olivia had left the kitchen before he reached for the phone. Bob Beldon was his AA sponsor and if ever Jack had needed to talk, it was now. Good thing Bob was on speed dial, because the way his hand shook, Jack wasn’t sure he could’ve punched in the right numbers.

Peggy answered, announcing the name of their bed-and-breakfast, Thyme and Tide.

“It’s Jack.”

Peggy instantly knew something was wrong. “Bob’s in the other room,” she said without asking for details. “I’ll get him for you.”

“Thanks.”

Half a minute later, Bob was on the phone. “Hey, Jack. It’s Bob.”

Jack felt as if his tongue had swelled to twice its size.

“Jack, are you there?”

“Yeah,” he finally managed.

“You weren’t at the meeting tonight.”

Jack leaned against the kitchen door. “I should’ve been. I need a meeting.”

“Is there alcohol anywhere near you?”

Leave it to Bob to get straight to the point. “Not that I know of.” Olivia might have a bottle of cooking sherry somewhere in the kitchen, but if she did, he wasn’t aware of it.

“Good.”

“Can you meet me?” Jack asked.

“Tell me when and where.”

Jack closed his eyes. He was terrified to leave the house—it wasn’t safe to go where there might be booze. Where he might pass a bar or a liquor store or even a grocery. Although he’d been dry for over fifteen years, he felt weak. Desperate. He needed a drink. He didn’t think he could get through this ordeal with Olivia if he couldn’t have one. The craving was like a knife twisting in his gut. One drink. The aching need refused to go away. One drink would make everything better. Ignoring the voices in his head was becoming more difficult. Too difficult. The whispers urged him toward oblivion with a promise he knew was a lie. A drink wouldn’t make anything better.

Still, it was how he’d once smothered his pain, and he hungered for the oblivion, the escape. Fear of what might happen if he gave in was the only thing that held him back.

“Do you want me to come to you?” Bob must’ve read his thoughts.

“Please.” Even getting out that one word was an effort.

“I’m on my way.”

Jack knew then and there that he couldn’t have found a better sponsor—and friend. He’d linked up with Bob years earlier while living in Spokane and working for the big regional paper, The Review. When Bob and Peggy moved back to their hometown and opened Thyme and Tide, Jack had visited. He’d fallen in love with the town, the landscape and the slower pace.

Up to that point, Jack had pretty much screwed up his life with alcohol, a bad marriage and a mangled relationship with his only son. Eric had moved to Seattle, and it seemed that if Jack was ever going to reconcile with him, his chances would improve if he lived in the area. So he’d come to Cedar Cove, taken a job with the local paper and got himself a place to live.

“Jack?” Olivia’s voice drifted out from the bedroom.

“In here,” he said, trying to pull himself together. Olivia had enough to worry about without him. Dragging in a deep breath, he went down the hallway to the master bedroom, determined to hide his fears. “Do you need anything?” he asked.

She sat up in bed, looking pale and lovely. Jack resisted the urge to hold her in his arms, to protect her and love her. She was frightened. How could she not be? He was scared out of his wits, too. If he lost Olivia, he didn’t think he’d survive.