Love Letters: A Rose Harbor Novel Read online

  “No,” I clarified. “I’m thinking you might be part of the Witness Protection Program.”

  Mark had taken a drink of his coffee and started to laugh, spitting a mouthful of liquid back into the mug.

  “I’m serious,” I told him.

  “Then you’ve got a creative imagination.”

  “Fine, you’re not under the government’s protection. You didn’t answer my question.”

  He sighed as if bored with the subject. “Which question?” He reached for another cookie and stood.

  “Have you ever been married?” I asked a bit louder this time. I wanted him to know I was serious and determined to unearth his secrets.

  “Can’t imagine why you’d want to know something like that. Doesn’t really seem like any of your business.”

  I guess that was meant to put me in my place. “Just curious,” I said.

  He set the mug in the sink. “Don’t be. I’m not that interesting. See you later.”

  And with that, he walked out the front door.

  “Well, well, isn’t he the prickly one,” I said to Rover, who cocked his head to one side as if he agreed. Unwilling to let the matter rest, I reached for the phone. Fine, if he wanted to be that way, I would go to plan B. I punched in the number for my friend Peggy Beldon.

  Peggy and her husband, Bob, owned the Thyme and Tide, another local bed-and-breakfast. It was Peggy who’d recommended Mark as a handyman. She’d become a friend and was always helpful and informative. Never once had I gotten the impression that she viewed me as competition. In fact, she’d often sent her overflow customers in my direction. I was grateful to Peggy for the advice and guidance she’d so generously shared with me.

  “Jo Marie,” she greeted, and sounded pleased to hear from me. “What can I do for you?”

  “I have a question,” I said, a little embarrassed to be so openly curious about Mark.

  “Sure, anything.”

  “I was wondering what you know about Mark Taylor.”

  “O-k-a-y.” She dragged out the word as if my asking had taken her by surprise.

  I wanted to make something clear first, though. “It’s not because I have any romantic interest in him.”

  “I didn’t think so,” Peggy said. “The reason I hesitated is because there isn’t much I can tell you. I don’t know that much about him.”

  “Does anyone?” I pried. Mark was the most secretive man I’d ever met. I was certain there was a story there, possibly a dark and sinister one.

  “I can ask Bob if you like. He’s gone at the moment but is due back anytime now. I was heading to the bakery in an hour or so. We could meet there and I’ll fill you in on what Bob tells me.”

  “Perfect. I’ll meet you in an hour.” One way or another, I was going to unearth Mark Taylor’s deep, dark secrets.

  Chapter 2

  Ellie Reynolds’s stomach was in knots, twisting and churning as she rode the shuttle bus from Sea-Tac Airport into Cedar Cove. She prayed she was doing the right thing by meeting Tom Lynch. Her mother’s warnings rang in her ears like cacophonous church bells drowning out her thoughts, until Ellie felt she was about to go deaf.

  She clenched her hands together as she looked out the bus window. The middle-aged woman sitting in the seat across the aisle from her held her knitting in her hands. As if guessing at Ellie’s unrest, the other woman offered her a reassuring smile. Ellie smiled back and turned her head away to study the landscape. In many ways, the terrain resembled Bend, her home in Oregon.

  Over the years, Ellie had visited the Seattle area twice before. Once as a Girl Scout in fifth grade, and then again in high school when she was part of a choral group that performed at a Christmas function in the city. Both Ellie and her mother had stuck pretty close to home for the majority of her life. Seattle was the “big city.” Visiting it had been a grand adventure when she was sixteen. Now, at age twenty-three, she felt like a disobedient child who’d defied her mother’s wishes.

  Ellie decided she couldn’t think about her mother. Instead, she would think about Tom. Right away a warm, happy feeling stole over her. They’d been communicating for months via Facebook, text messages, phone calls, and emails. She’d never felt this strongly about any man, especially someone she hadn’t met in person. They had a great deal in common and had really connected. They both liked fish tacos and stargazing, long walks, and classic novels. In fact, they met through an online book club.

  Tom was a former submariner who worked in the Navy shipyard in Bremerton. The minute her mother heard that small bit of information, it’d thrown her into a tizzy. Sailors were notorious for having a girl in every port; they were men with loose morals, or so her mother claimed. But Ellie refused to believe it about Tom. He was like her, a bit shy and reserved, unless she was nervous. Silly as it seemed, when overly anxious, like now, she could blurt out the most nonsensical information to a stranger that she wouldn’t consider sharing with her closest friend.

  Despite her mother’s warnings, Ellie wasn’t worried that Tom was using her. Everything she knew about him told her he was kind and thoughtful, intelligent and studious, and not the stereotypical sailor who played on others’ emotions. She couldn’t make herself believe he would do anything to hurt her. She trusted him, and if his photo was anything to go by, he was as open and honest as she believed. She was willing to go by faith and trust her gut feelings. What counted was his heart.

  They would meet face-to-face for the first time this weekend. Tom was the one who’d suggested she stay at Rose Harbor Inn. Ellie prayed once more that she was doing the right thing. She made the reservation at the inn in May, almost three months ago, and twice since then she’d changed her mind. They’d set the date for August, and Tom had been pleased and excited that they would meet at last. She was, too.

  Her mistake, she realized, was telling her mother about Tom. The instant Virginia Reynolds heard that Ellie planned to meet this man she’d met through Facebook, she had become rattled and unglued, certain Ellie was about to make the worst mistake of her life. After constant badgering from her mother, Ellie had given in and canceled the trip. When she’d told Tom she’d changed her mind, he’d offered to contact her mother and reassure her that his intentions were honorable. Ellie was touched, but thought it ridiculous that at her age she had to justify to her mother what she did and who she met. Eager to prove she was capable of making her own decisions, Ellie rebooked the inn a short while later. Tom stood by his offer. He’d be happy to chat with her mother, answer her questions, and give character references if needed.

  Ellie’s cell phone dinged, indicating she had a text message. Hoping it was from Tom, she dug her phone out of her purse and sighed with frustration when she saw it was from her mother.

  Please let me know you’re OK, Virginia Reynolds had written.

  Landed. Am safe. Ellie quickly typed back.

  Thank God. You don’t know how worried I am.

  I’m fine, Mom. Ellie sighed and returned her cell to her purse, ignoring the next ping, certain it was her mother yet again.

  The root problem, Ellie realized, was her parents’ failed marriage. A thousand times through her childhood, Ellie had heard her mother claim that men weren’t to be trusted. Men would stomp on your heart and then walk away as if it meant nothing. That had been Virginia’s experience, and she was willing to do whatever was necessary to protect her only child from the same fate.

  Following her parents’ divorce, Ellie had become the entire focus of her mother’s world. Virginia had dedicated everything to Ellie: Her time, her resources, and her love were all directed toward Ellie. At times she felt her mother was suffocating her. Ellie craved to forge her own path and then instantly felt guilty, knowing she was everything to her mother.

  Her phone rang, and again, hoping it was Tom, Ellie grabbed it out of her purse.

  Her mother.

  Ellie let the call go to voice mail. The woman across the aisle sent her a curious glance, which Ellie ig
nored. The problem was, Ellie fully understood her mother’s concerns. Taking off to meet a man she knew only through phone calls and emails and text messages was risky on any number of levels. The bottom line was her mother was right. Ellie really didn’t know Tom Lynch. He could be a serial rapist or a criminal or even a mass murderer. And as her mother said, Ellie could be walking into a nightmare that would haunt her for the rest of her life. She’d begged Ellie to let her travel with her for this initial meeting. For a time, Ellie had actually considered the offer. It didn’t take long for her to decide otherwise. This was something she wanted—no, needed—to do on her own. She was cautious and would meet Tom in a public place.

  If, after they met, they decided there was something to this relationship, then they would continue getting to know each other. He would come to Oregon next, and introduce himself to her mother. It made sense to Ellie, and while she was somewhat introverted, she wasn’t stupid. She had her own apprehensions about this. Even she had to admit her relationship with Tom was unconventional. She’d be the first to concede this wasn’t the way a woman generally met a man for the first time. And while she didn’t have a lot of dating experience, she trusted her gut and her heart, and both told her that Tom Lynch could be trusted.

  With her phone still in her hand, Ellie checked her email and saw that Tom had sent her a message, asking her to let him know when she arrived. Her fingers fairly flew across the tiny keyboard as she responded. Although reluctant, she did have to admit that Tom had seemed a tad bit secretive, something her mother had taken delight in pointing out at every opportunity. Ellie hadn’t tried to argue; all she told her mother was that she trusted her instincts. Which, in retrospect, probably wasn’t the wisest of responses. That declaration had instantly sent her mother into a long tirade against Ellie’s father. At one time, Virginia, too, had trusted her heart, and look what it had gotten her. Ellie could almost mouth the words along with her mother.

  Going against her own parents’ wishes, Virginia had fallen in love with a young man she met while in college. They’d been crazy about each other. From the first, her mother’s parents had had questions about Scott Reynolds. They hadn’t liked or trusted him. After only one meeting, her father declared that Scott was too slick, too cocky, and, perhaps worst of all … superficial. Both her parents had warned Virginia against falling in love with a man who was overly confident of himself. They had someone else in mind for their only daughter, someone far more suitable. From the start, they were convinced Scott would break Virginia’s heart. And they were right.

  Because she was in love and ruled by hormones, Virginia hadn’t listened to her parents. Scott and Virginia had defied her family, and against their advice had continued to date. Love had blinded Virginia from the truth. To complicate matters, Virginia and Scott had eloped.

  For a short while, Virginia admitted, she’d been blissfully happy, especially when she learned she was pregnant with Ellie. Scott dropped out of school and took a job driving a taxi. He’d been thrilled with his baby girl, whom they named Eleanor after Virginia’s mother, in the hope that her parents would look past Virginia’s defiance and make Scott a part of the family. Right away Scott had called her Ellie, and the name had stuck. As first-time grandparents, Virginia’s family threw their loving arms around Virginia and Eleanor. They made an effort with Scott, Virginia claimed, but his dislike of her mother and father drove a wedge between them.

  It wasn’t long before Scott’s fascination with being a husband and father wore thin. They struggled financially, living on what Scott made driving a cab. Her parents offered them a loan, but Scott wouldn’t hear of it. That was when their problems started. Virginia couldn’t understand why he insisted they had to make it on their own. They argued often, especially when Virginia started spending a lot of time with her mother at the family home. Scott was often late coming home after work, and when Virginia questioned where he spent all his time, he claimed it shouldn’t matter, seeing that she was rarely at the apartment anyway. She seemed to prefer her parents’ company over his.

  Then one horrible day Virginia’s father swore he saw Scott with another woman. When she’d confronted him, Scott had insisted this so-called other woman was a coworker and a friend, in addition to being thirty years his senior. Virginia refused to believe it. As far as she was concerned, Scott could no longer be trusted. With suspicions running rampant, it wasn’t long before the marriage was over.

  Once Virginia filed for divorce, her parents took her back into the family home, willing to forgive their daughter for being a fool for love. Ellie came with her and had only fleeting memories of her father.

  And now it seemed history was repeating itself. Ellie had defied her mother over a man, too, a man she had yet to meet.

  The bus stopped and a middle-aged couple that was sitting in the back got out at a community known as Gig Harbor. While the driver unloaded their suitcases, Ellie studied the quaint buildings that butted up against the picturesque waterfront. She didn’t know a lot about Cedar Cove, but she hoped it was as charming as this small town.

  Once the driver was back on the bus, Ellie asked, “How much longer until we reach Cedar Cove?”

  “We aren’t far now,” he said, twisting around to get a good look at her. “I should have you there in less than forty minutes.”

  Ellie offered him a feeble smile. Her stomach knotted again, tighter this time. Even now she had a hard time believing she was actually defying her mother.

  “Just a couple more stops first,” the driver added, and, turning around, started the bus once again. “A short stop in Purdy and Olalla, and then Cedar Cove.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you have someone meeting you at the bus stop?” the driver asked, looking at her in his rearview mirror. “A family member or a friend?”

  “Yes.” Well, sort of. As soon as she’d told Tom her plans, he’d offered to take time off work to pick her up. Ellie had declined. For their first meeting, she wanted to look her best, and she preferred not to do it following a flight and wearing traveling clothes. Surely there was a taxi in town that could deliver her to the inn. When she’d asked Jo Marie about catching a cab, the innkeeper had surprised her and offered to meet her at the stop just off the freeway where the bus would leave her.

  “Looks like we’re in for lovely weather,” the older woman sitting across the aisle casually mentioned. Ellie had noticed her a couple times earlier. Every time Ellie’s phone beeped, she caught the woman glancing in her direction.

  “This is the best time of year to visit. You are visiting, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” Ellie said.

  The other woman was busily knitting without so much as looking at her hands as she wove the yarn around the needles. “I come every year to visit my children and grandchildren. My daughter and son-in-law both work, and I didn’t want them to take time off to come collect me from the airport. My grandson is meeting me at Park and Ride in Olalla.”

  “I’m meeting someone for the first time. He works in the Navy shipyard,” Ellie said. She braced herself, anticipating some form of censure from the older woman. If this knitter was anything like her mother, a warning or comment would soon be forthcoming. When the other woman didn’t say anything, Ellie realized how ridiculous she was being. Her mother had brainwashed her into expecting negativity.

  “We met over the Internet in an online book club,” Ellie added, testing the waters yet again. “Well, actually, he asked to be my friend on Facebook. His online book club had a link with mine … it’s a long story.” She suspected the older woman didn’t know that much about social media.

  “I understand that’s the way a lot of young people meet these days.”

  “Like I said, this is our first face-to-face meeting,” Ellie continued. “I admit I’m nervous.” And talkative, which wasn’t a good combination, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “It’s rather romantic, isn’t it?”

  Ellie smiled. It was romantic
and risky and silly all in one. “I think I’m half in love with him already. Funny, isn’t it, when our entire relationship to this point has consisted of phone calls, emails, and text messages?”

  “It’s my opinion that love rarely makes sense,” the other woman commented. “I’m Martha, by the way.”

  “Ellie.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Ellie.”

  “My mother doesn’t approve of me doing this,” Ellie said, keeping her voice low and guarded.

  “It’s hard for us to let go of our children.” Martha’s look was thoughtful, as if she was remembering something from her own past. “When Marilyn married Jack, I hated the thought of her moving to Washington State. It’s all the way across the country from New Jersey. I was sure she’d made a mistake, but she loves living in the Pacific Northwest. The truth is, I enjoy coming out each summer for a visit. Marilyn owns a hair salon on Harbor Street; that’s the main street in Cedar Cove. Where are you staying, dear?”

  “Rose Harbor Inn.”

  “I know it; the inn is right up the hill from Marilyn’s shop. The view of the cove is magnificent from there.”

  Tom had mentioned the same thing. The view was one of the reasons he’d recommended Rose Harbor Inn. From the deck, not only was the lighthouse within sight, but she’d be able to see the Bremerton Shipyard as well.

  Ellie’s cell pinged, and a quick look told her it was her mother yet again. She didn’t know why she bothered to look.

  Another text. Another warning. Ellie sighed and saw Martha glance her way. “Mom again,” she said, replacing her phone. “She’s convinced I’m making a fool of myself.”

  “And if you are?”

  “Then I’ll never live it down.”

  “Are you being foolish?” Martha asked, in a friendly tone.

  “Perhaps I am,” Ellie admitted, stiffening her back, “but frankly I don’t care.”

  Martha’s smile was warm and gentle. “As a mother, I can understand her fears. For my own children I would have loved to pass on the treasure that cost me tears and struggles and prayers, but I can’t. My mother’s heart wanted to spare them disappointment and pain, but life doesn’t work that way. We each have to experience hurts in order to grow. We each must forge our own path. I’m sure your mother means well.”