Rose Harbor in Bloom Read online

  “Where I am is really none of your concern.” Nor was she about to tell him.

  “You’re intent on avoiding me, aren’t you?”

  One thing she could say about Lenny: he missed nothing. She hadn’t contacted him in months, and she refused to answer his phone calls or the countless text messages he’d sent, pleading with her to reconsider. Talking to him now was probably a mistake, but she wanted this out of the way so she could concentrate on the family party.

  She waited until the air between them went still.

  “Annie?”

  “Lenny. Please. Listen to me.” She made every word distinct, with a short pause after each one.

  “Of course. I’ll do anything to make this up to you. Anything. Just name it and I’ll do it.”

  She could almost believe him, almost trust him, but at the same time she knew better. “What I want, what I need, is for you to listen, because what I’m about to say is serious.”

  “I’m serious, too, baby.”

  “I didn’t return the engagement ring because I was angry. I was—”

  “I know,” he said, cutting her off, rushing his words. “You could have clawed my eyes out, but you didn’t. You were so calm, so unemotional, which leads me to believe—”

  “Lenny, you’re talking. You’re not listening.”

  “Okay, okay, go ahead and say what you want and I promise to give you my full attention.”

  Annie inhaled deeply and held her breath while she sorted out the words in her mind. She needed to reach him and at the same time be abundantly clear. “I returned the engagement ring because you and I will not, under any circumstances, ever be married.” Once she’d finished she gave him a moment to absorb her words and then asked, “Do you understand what I’m saying, Lenny?”

  After a brief hesitation he murmured, “I think so.”

  “Good.”

  “But when can I see you again?” he asked.

  Annie resisted the urge to simply hang up. “You weren’t really listening, Lenny. We will never see each other again.”

  This appeared to shock him. “Never? You can’t be serious.”

  “As serious as a bounced check to the IRS.” This was a problem Lenny had encountered the year before when he learned it wasn’t a good idea to tangle with the Internal Revenue Service.

  “You mean to say you don’t want to even see me? Not ever?”

  Apparently, he hadn’t paid attention during the last six months. “Not ever,” she reconfirmed, keeping her voice cool and unemotional. He was right about one thing, though—she wasn’t angry. Instead, she was resolved. It seemed no matter how she said it Lenny couldn’t believe she was serious. Annie didn’t know what she could say or do to make this decision any more plain. Lenny couldn’t seem to grasp that this was her final decision. He’d gotten so good at persuading people when it came to selling cars that he seemed to think he could use the same techniques in his personal life with the same results.

  “What reason would I have to see you?” she asked.

  “Ah …” Lenny hesitated as if he wasn’t sure himself.

  Annie resisted the urge to laugh. In all this time since their split she noticed that he hadn’t once declared his love. His big concern, it seemed, was how he would explain the broken engagement to his mother.

  “Please don’t phone me again, Lenny.”

  “Never?” The word seemed to be stuck in his mind, which might not be so bad.

  “You got it. Never. Our engagement, our relationship, is over, and before you can claim I don’t mean it, let me assure you that I do. If you continue to pester me and my friends, then you leave me no option but to put a restraining order on you.”

  “You wouldn’t,” he said with a gasp.

  “Don’t try me, Lenny. I can, and I will.” Not waiting to hear any further arguments, she ended the call. She waited a few minutes to be sure Lenny wouldn’t try to connect with her again, and when he didn’t, she dropped her cell back into her purse, with the utmost hope that this would be the end of his harassment.

  As difficult and painful as this time apart had been, it was necessary. If Lenny had cheated on her, not once but twice, before the wedding, then she knew it was just a small taste of what awaited her if they were to get married. She knew he liked to flirt, but it was easy to dismiss that tendency because he was so outgoing and friendly. Perhaps it was a downfall of hers not to be the jealous type.

  Like Jo Marie’s first guest, Annie wasn’t interested in eating dinner, either. She read for a while and resisted the urge to call a friend and review the conversation with Lenny. It didn’t take her long to decide against it. If she talked to Elise or anyone else, she might admit how much she missed him and how difficult breaking off the engagement actually was. It was far more comfortable to focus her attention on her grandparents and forget she’d ever been in love.

  Despite the unpleasant conversation with Lenny, Annie slept the entire night through. It was as if the fresh air off the cove had lulled her into a deep, easy sleep. In the morning, she felt worlds better.

  As far as Lenny was concerned, Annie had shed her last tears. These few days away were exactly what she needed. Even if she’d be working the entire time, it was worth it to ensure this was the high point of her grandparents’ marriage. The fact that her grandparents had been in love for more than fifty years gave Annie hope that love and commitment could and did last a lifetime. All she needed was to find a good man. Although it was painful now, Annie accepted that she’d made the right decision, and she wasn’t turning back.

  Mary Smith was already at the breakfast table when Annie came down the stairs. The afternoon before, Annie’s conversation with the other woman had been brief. Almost as soon as Annie arrived at the inn, Mary had made an excuse and gone up to her room. She let it be known she wasn’t looking for company or in the mood for chitchat. Annie wasn’t in the mood to socialize, either, so that suited her fine.

  “Coffee?” Jo Marie asked as soon as Annie came into the breakfast room. She stood just inside the room for a moment to soak in the light. The sun sparkled off the windows, filling the room with both light and warmth. This wasn’t the typical weather for the end of May, and it came as a pleasant and most welcome surprise. Annie had dared to hope they’d have sunshine this weekend for the party. Now if only it would hold for the next few days.

  Annie reached for her coffee cup, and Jo Marie promptly filled it.

  “I understand you two have already introduced yourselves,” Jo Marie said, glancing from one to the other for confirmation.

  “We did,” Mary answered for them both.

  “Annie’s grandparents and a family friend will arrive sometime today,” Jo Marie added for Mary’s benefit.

  “Followed by a whole slew of relatives, most of whom will be spending Saturday night at the inn,” Annie explained. “But not to worry; they aren’t a rowdy group.”

  “It’ll be a full house,” Jo Marie added.

  Mary looked up quizzically. “It’s a family reunion?”

  “My grandparents are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary,” Annie said, and then added, “I hope you get a chance to meet; I’m sure you’ll like them.”

  “I’m sure I will, too,” Mary said, but not with a lot of enthusiasm.

  “What amazes me is that after all these years, my grandparents are still deeply in love.” She enjoyed seeing all the sweet things her grandmother did for her grandfather. Every morning she set out his pills for him. And he helped her make the bed and washed the breakfast dishes. In the evenings, they sat side by side in matching chairs, and while her grandmother knit, her grandfather worked crossword puzzles. They supported each other, helped and encouraged each other, too. Annie felt it was an honor to be part of this celebration of two of the most loving people she’d ever met. They gave her hope that someday she might experience a loving relationship like theirs.

  “Fifty years, you say? So they were married in the nineteen-sixt
ies, right?”

  “Right. They were college sweethearts, but then Grandpa had to drop out because of money.”

  “They’re from Cedar Cove?”

  “No, they’re from Oregon,” Annie explained, “but they were married here. Grandpa knew he was going to get drafted—this was during the Vietnam War—so he enlisted in the navy, and following his training he got word he was going to be shipped out. They didn’t know how long it would be until they saw each other again.”

  “So Julie came to visit him at the naval base?” Jo Marie asked.

  “Yes, and they decided not to wait for the big church wedding but to get married right then and there. It was one of the most romantic stories I’ve ever heard.”

  “In this day and age of no-fault divorces, it’s wonderful to meet people who’ve managed to make their marriages work,” Mary said.

  “It wasn’t always smooth sailing. Grandpa worked in construction. There were times when the economy was slow and he didn’t have a job for several months. But the hard times seemed to bring them together instead of splitting them apart.”

  “That happens with a lot of families,” Jo Marie said. “Financial problems can put a terrible strain on relationships and marriages.”

  “I agree,” Mary added. “I’ve seen it more than once myself.”

  “Are you married?” Annie asked. She didn’t mean to pry, but curiosity got the better of her.

  “No,” Mary responded, not adding any additional information.

  Annie wondered if Mary was divorced. If so, this must be a painful conversation for her.

  “I apologize if I was being insensitive, Mary.”

  The other woman held up her hand, stopping her. “You weren’t. I think it’s wonderful your grandparents have shared fifty years together. I never married … I was tempted once, but that was years ago.”

  A look of such intense longing flashed in the other woman’s eyes that Annie had to resist reaching out and laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  “It sounds as if you have wonderful grandparents.”

  “I do.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting them,” Jo Marie said. She left momentarily and returned with a tray filled with breakfast pastries, homemade muffins, and sliced banana bread, along with thick slices of cottage bread and fresh sourdough.

  Annie sat down and helped herself to one of the muffins. She was anxious to see her grandparents. They would show everyone what real love was all about.

  Chapter 7

  Until this point Mary and Annie were my only two guests. Soon I expected to have a full house with Annie’s grandparents and an assortment of other relatives.

  As I removed the breakfast dishes from the table, I saw Annie and Mary head back up the stairs. Annie had mentioned something about checking in with the florist about the table centerpieces and had gone upstairs to get her sweater and purse.

  Mary followed at a much slower pace. She took four or five steps and then paused as though the effort had sapped her strength.

  I paused just outside the kitchen, debating whether I should say anything. Mary seemed to feel my presence because she turned and glanced over her shoulder.

  “I’m fine,” she said, although she sounded out of breath. “It just takes me awhile.”

  “You don’t need help? I’m happy to give you my arm.”

  She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ll lie down for a bit and be good as new. I don’t have a lot of strength just yet, but I’m feeling much better than I did a few weeks ago.”

  I was glad to hear it, but still I worried the stairs were too much for her.

  After finishing up the dishes, I ran the dishwasher and glanced out the window to the yard, hoping to find Mark. He wasn’t anywhere in sight. To be fair, he hadn’t mentioned returning this morning, but I’d hoped to see him hard at work.

  The phone rang, and I went into my office to answer. “Rose Harbor Inn.”

  “Thought I should tell you I won’t be working on the garden today.”

  “Oh,” I said, swallowing my disappointment. “I was just thinking about you.”

  He didn’t seem to know what to say. “I apologize, but I’ve got other commitments, too, you know.”

  “I know,” I whispered.

  “I promise I won’t leave the lawn all torn up like that. I’ll have it tidied up before your open house.”

  “Thanks,” I said, “but I would appreciate a timetable of when I can expect the project to be finished.” The frustration was back, although I struggled to hide it.

  “Can’t do it.”

  “The rose garden or the timetable?”

  He muttered something I couldn’t understand. “The timetable,” he said, and didn’t sound the least bit amused by my question. “I already told you this project wasn’t a priority.”

  Like I needed to be reminded.

  “If you find someone else who can do the work on your timetable, you’re welcome to hire him.”

  “Aren’t you Mr. Sunshine this morning?” I said, fighting down the need to reply in kind. “Really, Mark, there’s no need to be grouchy.”

  He ignored the comment. “I’ll bring your plate by later.”

  “Anytime.”

  “See you.”

  He disconnected the line, and I shook my head, wondering what burr was under his saddle. The man was certainly out of sorts. Disgruntled now myself, I went back into the kitchen and took the dishrag to the counter, wiping it down with the same force I used to scrub pots and pans. I’d hoped we’d made some headway these last couple of days, but apparently not.

  Rover barked, indicating someone had approached the house. The one sharp knock told me it was Mark. He didn’t wait for me to answer the door, but opened it and took one step inside and went no farther.

  “I brought back your plate.”

  I noticed he didn’t mention a single word regarding the cookies I’d taken him.

  “Did you enjoy the cookies?” I asked.

  “Are you searching for compliments?”

  “A thank-you or how-thoughtful-of-you wouldn’t be amiss.” I didn’t hide the sarcasm, disappointed as I was about his complete lack of urgency when it came to my projects.

  “Okay, fine. Thank you. Now I need to go. I’m already late,” he said, one hand on the doorknob.

  Rover sat on his haunches and looked up at Mark. I bit my tongue to keep from saying it wouldn’t hurt him any to scratch Rover’s ears. Then, without my saying a word, he bent down and did exactly that.

  Rover lifted his chin and reveled in the attention. “He’s a no-good, worthless dog …”

  I was instantly insulted. Rover was anything but worthless. “He’s a good boy,” I felt obliged to tell him.

  “Worthless,” he reiterated, but I noticed that Mark continued to pet Rover’s ears and was clearly taken with my dog.

  “Can you give me any indication of when you’ll be available to work on the yard?” It seemed to me nearly all of our conversations these days centered on my rose garden.

  “Soon.”

  “Tomorrow?” I pressed.

  “Can’t say.”

  My shoulders sagged with disappointment.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “That would be appreciated.”

  Mark straightened. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’ll do what I can to pretty it up for you, but it’s still going to be obvious.”

  “Gotcha.”

  He tipped his head to me and then left. The door clicked softly as it closed.

  It would do no good to chide Mark or remind him that his original estimate had been a couple weeks of work. That had been months ago. It was hard not to be discouraged.

  When I’m this out of sorts, I find solace by knitting. It wasn’t my habit to knit so early in the day, but trying circumstances called for it. I headed to my room and reached for my project. I sat in the chair in front of the fireplace and relaxed my shoulders.

  As my fingers
worked the yarn and I tugged away at the skein, I continued to think about Mark, detecting a behavior pattern that had emerged between us. Any time we worked through a barrier, like our most recent tiff, Mark would purposely do or say something that was guaranteed to set me off. It was one step forward and two, or sometimes three, steps back.

  By all that was right I should fire him and get someone else. That had been my intention when he’d stalked away madder than a hornet because I’d dared to enter the “danger zone” and use a stepladder to wash windows. We’d both slept on it, but I’d been the one to bring him a peace offering. And while he probably would never have said so, Mark had been happy to see me. I noticed how hard he struggled to hide that fact, though.

  We’d mended fences, or so I assumed. Everything seemed back to normal, or about as normal as it ever was between us. And then this morning his attitude had made a complete turnaround. He’d been grumpy and argumentative and couldn’t seem to get away from me fast enough.

  What was up with that? Frankly, I didn’t understand him. I jerked on the yarn so hard it tumbled out of the basket and rolled across the rug. Rover was instantly on the alert and picked it up in his mouth and brought it back to me.

  “Good boy,” I said, and patted his head.

  It was a low blow for Mark to suggest Rover was worthless. The only reason he’d said that was to irritate me. Well, he’d succeeded. I wondered what he’d say if he saw Rover now.

  It was times like this that I really missed Paul. Every day there was something to remind me of all that I’d lost, something that seemed to land square over my heart: a hit, a bereft feeling, and a sense of confusion. I wasn’t one to fall victim to a pity party, but this thing with Mark was getting me down. My fingers continued to work the yarn, although I was hardly aware of the pattern. I should be paying more attention.

  It almost seemed that Mark didn’t want to get too close. It wasn’t only me, but everyone. Whenever I mentioned to others that he was doing some work for me, he got rave reviews. Few, however, had anything to say about the man himself. He was an enigma for sure. A puzzle that both irritated and intrigued me. It seemed he purposely kept people at arm’s length. As far as I could tell, he had no close friends but plenty of acquaintances. He rarely talked about himself. I couldn’t help suspecting if he had a deep, dark secret. I wondered if he was part of the Witness Protection Program or was in hiding, living on the run. I immediately dismissed those ideas as proof of having a creative imagination.