Christmas in Cedar Cove Read online

  “Don’t worry. If there’s a vacancy a few miles out of town I’ll take you there my self and I can drop you off at Charlotte’s tomorrow evening.”

  Mary Jo glanced up at her, brown eyes wide with astonishment. “You’d do that?”

  “Of course. It wouldn’t be any problem. I’m going that way my self.”

  “Thank you.”

  Grace shrugged lightly. “I’m happy to do it,” she said. The offer was a small thing and yet Mary Jo seemed so grateful. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to make another phone call.”

  “Of course.” Mary Jo had taken out her cell phone, clearly ready to start her search for a room. Normally, cell phone use in the library was discouraged but in this case Grace couldn’t object.

  Grace re turned to her office. She’d promised to call Olivia back as soon as she could. Al though they spoke al most every day, their conversations over the past week had been brief. With so much to do before Christmas, there hadn’t been time to chat.

  Sit ting at her desk, Grace picked up the receiver and punched in Olivia’s number. Her dearest friend was at home today, but unfortunately not be cause it was Christmas Eve. Judge Olivia Griffin had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had under gone surgery; she’d begin chemo therapy and radiation treatments early in the new year. She’d taken a leave of absence from the bench. The last month had been frightening, especially when Olivia developed a life-threatening infection. Grace got chills just thinking about how close they’d all come to losing her.

  Olivia answered on the first ring. “It took you forever to call back,” she said. “Is the girl still at the library?”

  “Yes. She’s staying the night and then meeting with Ben and Charlotte tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Oh, no…”

  “Should I tell her it might be better to wait?” Grace asked. Like Olivia, she hated the thought of hit ting Ben with this news the minute he and Charlotte got home.

  “I don’t know,” Olivia said. “I mean, they’re going to be tired…” Her voice faded away.

  “The thing is,” Grace went on to say, “I re ally don’t think it should wait. Mary Jo’s obviously due very soon.” She hesitated, un sure how much to tell Olivia. She didn’t want to bur den her friend. Because of her illness, Olivia was uncharacteristically fragile these days.

  “I heard that hesitation in your voice, Grace Harding,” Olivia scolded. “There’s more to this and you’re wondering if you should tell me.”

  There were times Grace swore Olivia could read her mind. She took a breath. “It seems David told Mary Jo he’d be spending the holidays with Ben and Charlotte.”

  “I knew it! That’s a lie. This cruise has been planned for months and David was well aware of it. Why would he do something like this?”

  Grace didn’t have an answer—al though she had her own opinion on David and his motives.

  “He probably used the lie as another tactic to put the poor girl off,” Olivia said. “The way David manipulates people and then discards them like so much garbage infuriates me.” Out rage echoed in every word.

  “It appears that’s exactly what he did,” Grace murmured. She remembered how David had tried to swindle Charlotte out of several thou sand dollars a few years ago. The man was with out con science.

  “This poor girl! All alone at Christmas. It’s appalling. If I could, I’d wring David’s neck my self.”

  “I have the feeling we’d need to stand in line for that,” Grace said wryly.

  “No kid ding,” Olivia agreed. “Okay, now that I know what this Mary Jo business is all about, tell me what happened to your arm.”

  Instinctively Grace’s hand moved to her upper right arm. “You’re gonna laugh,” she said, smiling her self, though at the time it’d been no laughing matter.

  “Grace, from what I heard, you were in a lot of pain.”

  “And who told you that?”

  “Jus tine. She ran into Cliff at the pharmacy when he was picking up your prescription.”

  “Oh, right.” Small towns were like this. Everything was news and nothing was private. That could be beneficial—and it could be embarrassing. Olivia’s daughter, Justine, knew, so Olivia’s husband—the local newspaper editor—did, too. It wouldn’t surprise her if Jack wrote a humorous piece on her misadventure.

  “So, what happened?” Olivia repeated.

  Grace saw no reason to hide the truth. “I got bit ten by the camel.”

  “What? The camel? What camel?”

  Grace had to smile again. Olivia’s reaction was the same as that of Dr. Timmons. According to the young physician, this was the first time he’d ever treated any one for a camel bite.

  “Cliff and I are housing the animals for the live Nativity scene,” she said. “Remember?” The local Methodist church had brought in animals for the display. Grace wasn’t sure where the camel had come from but as far as she was concerned it could go back there any time. And it would. Yesterday had been the final day of the animals’ appearances; they’d be returning to their individual homes just after Christmas. True, she’d miss the don key, since she’d grown fond of him. But the camel? Good bye, Sleeping Beauty! Grace al most snorted at the animal’s un likely name.

  “Of course,” Olivia said, “the live Nativity scene. I didn’t get a chance to see it. So that’s how you en countered the camel.”

  “Yes, I went out to feed the dastardly beast. Cliff warned me that camels can be cantankerous and I thought I was being careful.”

  “Apparently not careful enough.” Olivia sputtered with laughter.

  “Hey, it isn’t that funny,” Grace said, slightly miffed that her friend hadn’t offered her the re qui site amount of sympathy. “I’ll have you know it hurt.”

  “Did he break the skin?”

  “He’s a she, and yes, she did.” Grace’s arm ached at the memory. “Sleeping Beauty—” she said the name sarcastically “—bit me through two layers of clothing.”

  “Did you need stitches?” The amusement had left Olivia’s voice.

  “No, but Dr. Timmons gave me a prescription for antibiotics and then bandaged my arm. From the bandage, you’d think it had nearly been amputated. This morning I had trouble finding a sweater that would go over the dressing.”

  “Poor Grace.”

  “That’s more like it,” she said in a satisfied tone.

  “Let Cliff feed the camel from now on.”

  “You bet I will.”

  “Good.”

  “That’s not all.” Grace figured she might as well go for broke on the sympathy factor.

  “What—the don key bit you, too?”

  “No, but the sheep stepped on my foot.”

  “Poor Grace.”

  “Thank you.”

  “A sheep can’t weigh that much.”

  “This one did. I’ve got an unsightly bruise on the top of my foot.” She thrust out her leg and gazed down on it. Her panty hose didn’t hide the spectacularly colored bruise at all.

  “Oh, poor, poor Gracie.”

  “You don’t sound like you mean that.”

  “Oh, I do, I do.”

  “Hmph. We haven’t had much of a chance to talk in the last few days, so tell me what you’re doing for Christmas,” Grace said.

  “We’re keeping it pretty low-key,” Olivia told her. “Jus tine, Seth and Leif are coming over tonight for dinner and gifts, then we’re going to church at eight. What about you and Cliff?”

  “Same. Maryellen, Kelly and all the grand kids are coming for dinner and then we’re heading to the Christmas Eve service. Cliff’s daughter, Lisa, and her family are here as well. Tomorrow we’re all going over to Maryellen and Jon’s for dinner.”

  “Jack and I are having Christmas dinner alone. He’s let on to everyone that he’s cooking but between you and me, D.D.’s on the Cove is catering.” Olivia laughed, clearly amused by her husband’s resourcefulness. “Jus tine invited us,” she added, “but we declined. Next year,” Olivia said, a
nd it sounded like a promise.

  Everything would be back to nor mal by this time next year. Olivia would be finished with her treatments this spring. Seeing what her friend had already endured, and her quiet bravery in the face of what was still to come, had given Grace a deeper under standing of Olivia. Her strength and courage impressed Grace and hum bled her. Like all women their age, they’d suffered—and survived—their share of tragedy and grief. And now Olivia was coping with cancer.

  Grace stood and looked out the small window that offered a view of the interior of the library. Mary Jo sat with her shoulders hunched for ward, cell phone dangling from one hand.

  “I have to go.”

  “Problems?”

  “I should get back to Mary Jo.”

  “You’ll keep me up dated, won’t you?” Olivia said.

  “As much as I can.”

  “Okay, thanks. And listen, Grace, stay away from that camel!” She laughed, and then the line was disconnected.

  The next time they met at the Pan cake Pa lace, Grace in tended to make Olivia pay for her coconut cream pie.

  Grace called her husband quickly, then stepped out of her office and slipped into the chair next to Mary Jo. “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Not so well, I’m afraid. I tried to call David. I have his cell phone number and I thought he’d answer. It’s Christmas Eve and he has to know I’m waiting to hear from him.”

  Grace took Mary Jo’s hand in hers. “He didn’t answer?”

  “Oh, it’s more than that. He…he had his number changed. Last week—” she struggled to speak “—I tried to reach him at his office in California and learned that he’s quit his job. We both work—worked—for the same insurance company, which is how we met.”

  “Oh, dear.”

  “I don’t dare let my brothers know.”

  Mary Jo had mentioned them earlier.

  “How many brothers?”

  “Three, all of them older.” She sighed. “I’d hoped David would be here with his parents, but I knew the odds that he’d told me the truth weren’t good.”

  Grace nodded, encouraging her to continue.

  “I think I told you my brothers want to make David marry me—or at least pay for all the lies he’s told. They decided they were going to come and con front him, and if not David, then his family.”

  Grace could only imagine how distressing it would be for Ben and Charlotte to re turn from the vacation of a life time to find Mary Jo’s three angry brothers waiting for them. On Christmas Day, yet.

  “That’s why it’s important for me to talk to Ben and Charlotte first,” Mary Jo concluded.

  “I think you should,” Grace said.

  “Except…”

  “Yes?” she prompted.

  “Except it looks like I’ll have to go back to Seattle this afternoon.”

  “Why?”

  “I called all the places on the sheet you gave me and there aren’t any vacancies.”

  “No where? Not in the en tire town? What about the Com fort Inn?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “You mean everything’s al ready re served?”

  “Yes. There’s no room at the Inn.”

  Four

  “Linc,” Mel shouted from the kitchen. Three Wyse Men Automotive had closed early due to the holiday.

  “In a minute,” Linc shouted back. “Where’s Mary Jo?” He’d searched half the house and hadn’t found her. He knew she’d taken the day off. Had she gone to the store, per haps? Or to visit her friend Chloe?

  “If you come to the kitchen you’ll find out!”

  Linc followed his brother’s voice and with Ned at his heels, entered the kitchen. As soon as Mel saw him, his brother thrust a sheet of paper into his hands. “Here. This was be hind the coffee maker. Must’ve fallen off.”

  Be fore he’d read two words, Linc’s face started to heat up. His stub born, strong-willed, hard headed, obstinate little sister had gone to Cedar Cove. With out her family, be cause she felt she knew best. Tossing the note to the ground, Linc clenched both his fists. “Of all the stupid, idiotic things to do.”

  “What?” Ned asked.

  “Mary Jo’s decided to go to Cedar Cove on her own,” Mel said.

  “By her self?”

  “Isn’t that what I said?” Mel snapped.

  “It’s true,” Linc in formed his youngest brother. “I can’t believe she’d do any thing this crazy.”

  “We drove her to it.” Ned sank into a kitchen chair and splayed his fingers through his thick dark hair.

  “What do you mean?” Mel challenged.

  “Ex plain your self,” Linc ordered.

  “Don’t you see?” Ned gazed up at them. “All that talk about confronting David and forcing him to do the honor able thing. The man hasn’t got an honorable bone in his body. What were we thinking?”

  “What we were thinking,” Linc said irritably, “is that David Rhodes is going to pay for what he did to our little sister.” He looked his brothers in the eye and made sure they under stood.

  When their parents were killed, Mary Jo had only been seventeen. Linc, as the oldest, had been made her legal guardian, since there was no other family in the area. At the time, the responsibility had weighed heavily on his shoulders. He’d gone to his two brothers and asked for their help in raising their sister. Or at least finishing the job their parents had begun.

  Both brothers had been equally committed to taking care of Mary Jo. Everything had gone smoothly, too. Mary Jo had graduated from high school the following May, and all three brothers had at tended the ceremony. They’d even thrown her a party.

  That autumn he’d gone with Mary Jo to the community college and signed her up for classes. She hadn’t taken kindly to his accompanying her, but Linc wasn’t about to let her walk around cam pus on her own. Not at first, any way. Cute little girl like her? With all those lecherous college guys who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves? Oh, yeah, he knew what eighteen-year-old boys were like. And he’d insisted she choose solid, practical courses, not that fluffy fun stuff they taught now.

  All the brothers were proud of how well Mary Jo had done in her studies. They’d all disapproved when she’d dropped out of school and gone to work at that insurance company. More than once Linc had to bite his tongue. He’d told her no good would come of this job.

  The problem with Mary Jo was that she was too eager to move out. She no longer wanted to live in the family home. For the past year, she’d talked incessantly about get ting her own place.

  Linc didn’t under stand that either. This was their home. Linc saw to it that Mary Jo wasn’t stuck with all the cleaning, cooking and laundry. They all did their part of the up keep—maybe not quite to her standards but well enough. That wasn’t the reason she was so determined to live some where else.

  No, Mary Jo had an in tense de sire for independence. From them.

  Okay, maybe they’d gone over board when it came to dating. Frankly, Linc didn’t think there was a man this side of Mars who was good enough for his little sister. Mary Jo was special.

  Then she’d met David Rhodes. Linc had never found out precisely when that had happened. Not once in the six months she’d been dating him had she mentioned this guy. What Linc had noticed was how happy Mary Jo seemed all of a sudden—and then, just as suddenly, she’d been depressed. That was when her mood swings started. She’d be happy and then sad and then happy again. It made no sense until he learned there was a man involved.

  Even now that Mary Jo was pregnant with this man’s baby, Linc still hadn’t met him. In retrospect, that was probably for the best be cause Linc would take real pleasure in rip ping his face off.

  “What are we going to do?” Mel asked.

  His younger brothers were clearly worried.

  Linc’s hand was al ready in his pants pocket, fingering his truck keys. “What can we do other than follow her to Cedar Cove?”

  “Let’s talk this t
hrough,” Ned suggested, coming to his feet.

  “What’s there to talk about?” Mel asked. “Mary Jo’s going to have a baby. She’s alone and pregnant and we all know Rhodes isn’t in Cedar Cove. He’s lied to her from the beginning. There’s no way he’s telling the truth now.”

  “Yes, but…”

  Linc looked squarely into his youngest brother’s eyes. “What do you think Mom and Dad would have us do?” he asked, allowing time between each word to make sure the message sank in.

  Ned sighed. “They’d want us to find her.”

  “Exactly my point.” Linc headed for the back door.

  “Wait a minute.” Ned raised his hand.

  “Now what?” Mel said impatiently.

  “Mary Jo left be cause she’s mad.”

  “Well, let her be mad. By the time we arrive, she’ll be singing a different tune. My guess is she’ll be mighty glad to see us.”

  “Maybe,” Ned agreed. “But say she isn’t. Then what?”

  Linc frowned. “We’ll bring her home any way.”

  “She might not want to come.”

  “She’ll come.” Linc wasn’t about to leave his little sister with strangers over Christmas.

  “If we make demands, she’ll only be more determined to stay,” Ned told them.

  “Do you have any other bright ideas?” Mel asked.

  Ned ignored the sarcasm. “Bring her gifts,” he said.

  “Why?” Linc didn’t understand. They all had gifts for her and the baby that she could open Christmas morning, the way she was sup posed to.

  “She needs to know we love her and welcome the baby.”

  “Of course we welcome the baby,” Linc said. “He’s our flesh and blood, our nephew.”

  “Hang on a minute.” Mel looked pensive. “Ned has a point.”

  It wasn’t often that Mel agreed with Ned. “What do you mean?”

  “Mary Jo’s pregnant, right?”

  That question didn’t re quire a response.

  “And everyone knows how un reasonable women can get when they’re in, uh, a delicate condition.”

  Linc scratched his head. “Mary Jo was like that long before she got pregnant.”

  “True, but she’s been even more un reasonable lately, don’t you think?”