Falling for Christmas
Debbie Macomber
featuring A Cedar Cove Christmas and Call Me Mrs Miracle

www.mirabooks.co.uk

About the Author

DEBBIE MACOMBER is a number one New York Times bestselling author. Her recent books include 44 Cranberry Point, 50 Harbor Way, 6 Rainier Drive and Hannah’s List. She has become a leading voice in women’s fiction worldwide and her work has appeared on every major bestseller list. There are more than one hundred million copies of her books in print. For more information on Debbie and her books, visit www.DebbieMacomber.com.

Make time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.

CEDAR COVE

16 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD

204 ROSEWOOD AVENUE

311 PELICAN COURT

44 CRANBERRY POINT

50 HARBOR WAY

6 RAINIER DRIVE

BLOSSOM STREET

THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET

A GOOD YARN

OLD BOYFRIENDS

WEDNESDAYS AT FOUR

TWENTY WISHES

SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET

THURSDAYS AT EIGHT

HANNAH’S LIST

CHRISTMAS IN SEATTLE

A Cedar Cove Christmas

To our dear friends

Rhett Palmer

and

Claudia Faye Johnson

plus

Beni

The cutest dog in the universe

Prologue

“I can’t believe Grace is willing to do this on Christmas Eve,” Mary Jo said, slipping the frilly red dress over Noelle’s head. The one-year-old fussed, objecting to the fact that her face was momentarily covered.

“It’s Noelle’s birthday,” Mack reminded her.

Not that Mary Jo needed reminding…

“A year ago today you stepped off the foot ferry to Cedar Cove…”

“And met you,” she finished for him.

“At the library…”

“Because Grace thought I needed medical attention.”

“Which you did,” Mac continued, smiling at their exchange, “because you were about to give birth.”

“Only I didn’t know that at the time.”

“No one did.”

Noelle squealed.

“Except Noelle,” Mary Jo said. “Right, sweetie?” She nuzzled her daughter’s face. “Happy birthday, baby girl.”

“Ma Ma.”

“That’s right, sweetie. That’s me.”

“Ma Ma,” Noelle repeated and gleefully clapped her hands.

“Are my two girls ready to party?” Mack asked. He had his coat on and a big collection of birthday and Christmas gifts tied up in a large bag that made Mary Jo think of something Santa would haul around. “We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”

Grace had invited half of Cedar Cove—or so it seemed to Mary Jo—to her Christmas Eve bash, which was also Noelle’s birthday party. All three of Mary Jo’s brothers planned to attend, which was only fitting since they’d lost out on the chance to welcome their niece into the world a year ago. Mary Jo still had to grin whenever she thought about her brothers racing around the county like Keystone Kops frantically searching for their missing sister.

Grace’s two daughters and their families would be at the ranch as well, along with Grace’s dear friend Olivia and Olivia’s husband, Jack. And Charlotte and Ben Rhodes were on the invitation list, too, as well they should be.

Then, of course, there were Mack’s parents, Roy and Corrie McAfee. His oldest sister, Gloria, had sent her regrets. She was a sheriff’s deputy and unfortunately she’d pulled the Christmas Eve shift. His other sister, Linnette, who lived in North Dakota, was a new mom herself and had mailed a gift Noelle had cheerfully ripped open that morning. It was a pull toy that made popping sounds with every step. Mack had laughed and promised revenge. Mary Jo could see a toy drum set in little Wade Mason’s future.

Oh, yes, this was going to be quite the party and one Mary Jo had never expected. But then, she hadn’t expected any of this. That day exactly a year ago—when she’d come from Seattle with the desperate, and misguided, idea of finding Noelle’s birth father—had changed her life.

What she’d found was love, friends, a home, a whole new family. Not that there was anything wrong with her old one, but the people of Cedar Cove had expanded her family above and beyond anything she could ever have dreamed of.

“I’ll get the car warmed up and then come back and help you and Noelle,” Mack said.

“Okay, darling.”

“Darling?” Mack’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly, giving him a sexy, enticing look. “I have to say I prefer that to the nickname the guys at the firehouse have for me.”

“And what’s that?”

“You think I’m going to tell you? Not on your life.”

“Loverboy?”

He laughed, shook his head and disappeared out the front door. Mack returned a couple of minutes later to carry Noelle to the car. “You ready?”

“Ready.”

Noelle, bundled up in her winter coat with the faux-fur hem and edging around the hood, raised her tiny arms up to Mack. Her daughter had reached out to Mack a year ago, too. And Mack had responded—to both of them.

Love, family, friends—a place to belong. Her first Christmas in Cedar Cove had given her all that. And this, her second one, was a celebration of the first.

Christmas Eve. It was a night for remembering and rejoicing in two birthdays, wasn’t it?

Chapter One
A year ago

Even though she was listening to Christmas carols on her iPod, Mary Jo Wyse could hear her brothers arguing. How could she not? Individually, the three of them had voices that were usually described as booming; together they sounded like an entire football stadium full of fans. All three worked as mechanics in the family-owned car repair business and stood well over six feet. Their size alone was intimidating. Add to that their voices, and they’d put the fear of God into the most hardened criminal.

“It’s nearly Christmas,” Linc was saying. He was the oldest and, if possible, loudest of the bunch.

“Mary Jo said he’d call her before now,” Mel said.

Ned, her youngest brother, remained suspiciously quiet. He was the sensitive one. Translated, that meant he’d apologize after he broke David Rhodes’s fingers for getting his little sister pregnant and then abandoning her.

“We’ve got to do something,” Linc insisted.

The determination in his voice gave her pause. Mary Jo’s situation was complicated enough without the involvement of her loving but meddlesome older brothers. However, it wasn’t their fault that she was about to have a baby and the father was nowhere in sight.

“I say we find David Rhodes and string him up until he agrees to marry our sister.”

Mary Jo gasped. She couldn’t help it. Knowing Linc, he’d have no qualms about doing exactly that.

“I think we should, too—if only we knew where he was,” she heard Mel say.

Unable to sit still any longer, Mary Jo tore off her earphones and burst out of her bedroom. She marched into the living room, where her brothers stood around the Christmas tree, beers in hand, as its lights blinked cheerfully. Ever since their parents had been killed in a car accident six years earlier, her older brothers had considered themselves her guardians. Which was ridiculous, since she was over twenty-one. Twenty-three, to be precise. She hadn’t been legally of age at the time of their deaths, but her brothers seemed to forget she was now an adult.

All four of them still lived in the family home. Mel and Ned were currently seeing women, but neither relationship seemed all that serious. Linc had recently broken up with someone. Mary Jo was the only one eager to leave, chafing as she did at her brothers’ attempts to decree how she should live her life.

Admittedly she’d made a mess of things; she couldn’t deny it. But she was trying to deal with the consequences, to act like the adult she was. Yes, she’d made a massive error in judgment, falling for an attractive older man and doing what came all too naturally. And no, she didn’t need her brothers’ assistance.

“Would you guys mind your own business,” she demanded, hands on her hips. At five-three she stared up at her brothers, who towered above her.

She probably looked a sight, although at the moment her appearance was the least of her problems. She was dressed in her old flannel nightgown, the one with the Christmas angels on it, her belly stretched out so far it looked like she’d swallowed a giant snow globe. Her long dark hair fell in tangles, and her feet were bare.

Linc frowned back at her. “You’re our sister and that makes you our business.”

“We’re worried about you,” Ned said, speaking for the first time. “You’re gonna have that baby any day.”

“I don’t know nothin’ about birthing no babies,” Mel added in a falsetto voice.

If he was trying to add humor to the situation, Mary Jo wasn’t amused. She glared at him angrily. “You don’t have to worry about delivering my baby. This child is my concern and mine alone.”

“No, he isn’t.”

From the very minute she’d tearfully announced her pregnancy four months ago, her brothers had decided the baby was a boy. For some reason, the alternative never seemed to occur to them, no matter how often she suggested it.

“You’re depriving this baby of his father,” Linc said stubbornly. It was a lament he’d voiced a hundred times over the past months. “A baby needs a father.”

“I agree,” Mary Jo told him. “However, I haven’t seen David in weeks.”

Mel stepped forward, his disapproval obvious. “What about Christmas? Didn’t he tell you he’d be in touch before Christmas?”

“He did.” But then David Rhodes had made a lot of promises, none of which he’d kept. “He said he’d be visiting his family in the area.”

“Where?” Ned asked.

“Cedar Cove,” she supplied and wondered if she should’ve told her three hotheaded brothers that much.

“Let’s go there and find him,” Linc said.

Mary Jo held up both hands. “Don’t be crazy!”

“Crazy,” Linc echoed with a snort of indignation. “I refuse to let you have this baby alone.”

“I’m not alone,” Mary Jo said. She gestured toward them. “I have the three of you, don’t I?”

Her brothers went pale before her eyes. “You…you want us in the delivery room?” Mel asked in weak tones. He swallowed visibly. “You’re joking, right?”

Mary Jo had delayed registering for birthing classes because David had promised to attend them with her. Only he hadn’t managed to show up for the first session or the one after that or the following one, either. Giving up on him, Mary Jo had begun a session that week—a lot later in the pregnancy than she should have. She’d gone by herself and left the class in tears. Although she’d considered asking Ned if he’d be her birthing partner, she hadn’t found the courage to do it yet. And she wasn’t sure he’d be the best choice, anyway. Her other options were her girlfriends Casey and Chloe; however, Casey was terrified by the idea and Chloe, married last year, was expecting her own baby.

“Right.” She struggled to maintain her composure. “That was a joke.”

They released a collective sigh.

“You’re distracting us from what’s important here.” Obviously, Linc wasn’t going to be put off. “I want to talk to David Rhodes, just him and me, man to man.” He clenched his hands at his sides.

“And when Linc’s finished, I want a turn,” Mel said, plowing his fist into his open palm.

Mary Jo rolled her eyes. She’d defended David to her brothers countless times. She’d defended him to Casey and Chloe—the only other people who knew David was her baby’s father. Casey worked with her at the insurance company in Seattle, so she’d met David, since he’d come to their office for meetings every few weeks, representing corporate headquarters in California. David had charmed just about everybody—with the possible exception of Casey.

He’d always had such good excuses for missing the birthing classes, and she’d believed him. It was easy to do because she so badly wanted to trust him. He claimed to love her and while the pregnancy certainly hadn’t been planned, he’d seemed genuinely pleased when she’d told him. There were a few legal and financial matters that needed to be cleared up, he’d explained, but as soon as they were dealt with, he’d marry her.

For a number of months Mary Jo had convinced her brothers that David’s intentions were honorable. Now, though, she had to resign herself to the fact that David wasn’t willing or able to marry her. She realized she didn’t know as much about him as she should. Granted, he was older by at least twenty years, but her infatuation had led her to dismiss the significance of that. Now Mary Jo had to doubt his sincerity. She hadn’t heard from him in more than two weeks and he wasn’t answering his cell phone, and even during their last conversation, he’d been preoccupied and abrupt. He’d mentioned that he’d be in Cedar Cove for Christmas with his father and stepmother and would call her then.

“Do you want to marry David?” Ned asked. He was the only brother to take her feelings into consideration.

“Of course she wants to marry him,” Linc answered, scowling at him. “She’s about to have his baby, isn’t she?”

“I believe I can answer for myself.” Mary Jo calmly turned toward her oldest brother. “Actually—”

“You’re getting married,” Linc broke in.

“I won’t have you holding a gun on David!”

Linc shook his head, expression puzzled. “I don’t own a gun.”

She sighed; her brothers could be so literal sometimes. “I was speaking figuratively,” she said loftily.

“Oh.” Linc frowned. “Well, I’m not talking figures, I’m talking facts.” He raised one finger. “You’re having a baby.” He raised a second. “The father of that baby needs to accept his responsibilities.”

“He will,” Mary Jo murmured, although any hope that David would take care of her and the baby had long since been dashed.

“Yes, he will,” Mel said firmly, “because we’re going to make sure he does.”

“And that includes putting a wedding band on your finger,” Linc informed her, giving her a look that said he wouldn’t tolerate any argument.

The baby kicked as though in protest and Mary Jo echoed the child’s feelings. She no longer knew what she wanted. In the beginning she’d been head-over-heels in love with David. He was the most exciting man she’d ever met, and without even trying, he’d swept her off her feet. Mary Jo had been thrilled when he paid attention to her, a lowly accounting clerk. Compared to the boyfriends she’d had—as naive and inexperienced as she’d been herself—David was a romantic hero. An older man, confident, witty, indulgent.

“Mary Josephine,” Mel said loudly. “Are you listening?”

Blinking to clear her thoughts, Mary Jo focused on her middle brother. “I guess not, sorry.”

“Sorry?” Mel stormed. “We’re talking about your future here and the future of your son.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mary Jo yawned. She couldn’t help it. She covered her mouth with one hand and placed the other on her protruding belly. “I’m going to bed,” she declared.

“Mary Jo!” Linc shouted after her as if she were a marine recruit and he was her drill instructor. “We need to decide what to do here and now.”

“Can’t we talk about it in the morning?” She was too exhausted to continue this argument with her brothers at—she glanced toward the antique clock—almost midnight.

“No.”

“Linc, be reasonable.”

“We have to get this settled.” Mel joined forces with his older brother.

Again Ned didn’t speak. He cast her a look of quiet sympathy but he wasn’t taking sides. Mary Jo could see that he felt Linc and Mel were right—not about becoming Mrs. Rhodes but about the need to make some kind of decision.

“Okay, okay, but we’ve already said everything there is to say.” She sagged onto the sofa and tried to keep her eyes open.

Linc glanced at the clock, too. “As of about one minute ago, it’s officially Christmas Eve. Rhodes promised to be in touch before Christmas.”

Exhaling a deep sigh, Mary Jo shrugged. “He might’ve said on Christmas. I’ve forgotten.”

“Well, I haven’t.” Mel’s feet were braced wide apart, his arms folded across his chest.

“I haven’t forgotten, either.” Linc, too, crossed his arms. They looked like bouncers at a tough bar, but Mary Jo feared the person they’d toss out on his ear would be David Rhodes.

And he’d deserve it; she knew that. He’d deceived her not once, not twice, but a dozen times or more. Still, some of the responsibility was hers. Even though she was aware that he’d abused her trust, she’d foolishly believed him, giving him chance after chance. Now her brothers were trying to save her from him—and from herself.

“David said he’d contact you before Christmas,” Linc reminded her. “That gives him less than twenty-four hours.”

“Yes, it does.” Her agreeing with him was sure to confuse her well-meaning brothers.

Apparently shocked by her unaccustomed meekness, Linc narrowed his eyes, then checked the clock again. “Yup, less than twenty-four hours. It’s time you realized he has no intention of doing the proper thing.”

Mary Jo couldn’t argue with that. She was just tired of discussing it. “You never know,” she said, forcing a note of optimism into her voice.

“Then you’re living in a dream world, little sister,” Mel said through gritted teeth.

Ned sat down next to Mary Jo and reached for her hand. “Linc and Mel are right,” he told her gently.

“About what?” She was so exhausted, her vision had started to blur.

“Someone needs to get in touch with David. If we can’t find him, then one of his family members. He has to be held accountable.”

Linc snorted again. “David Rhodes has to make an honest woman of you.”

If Mary Jo heard that one more time she was going to scream. “I am an honest woman! I don’t need David or any man to validate what each of you should already know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Linc muttered. “Don’t get your knickers in a knot. It’s only an expression.”

“What we all want,” Mel began, as if to clarify their thoughts, “is for you to be happy—with the father of your baby.”

Mary Jo doubted that was even possible. She’d lost faith in David and as much as she wanted to believe he loved her and cared about their child, the evidence stated otherwise.

“He’s not giving us any choice,” Linc said, his dark eyes menacing. “We’re going to find him and—”

“Linc, please. Hold off for a few days. Please.” She hated to plead but it was Christmas and she didn’t want to see the holiday ruined for any of them. She was protecting David—again—and the irony didn’t escape her. Despite all these months of intermittent contact and broken promises, Mary Jo still felt the urge to shield him from her brothers.

But her real concern was for Linc, Mel and Ned. She didn’t want them ending up in jail because of David.

“We’re not waiting another minute!” Mel boomed. “If David’s in Cedar Cove, we’re going to track him down.”

“No. Please,” she said shakily.

“You don’t have a say in this anymore.”

“Linc, it’s my life! Listen to me. I—”

“We’ve listened to you enough,” her oldest brother said matter-of-factly. “Now the three of us have decided to take matters into our own hands.”

Mary Jo couldn’t let her brothers get involved. She shuddered as she imagined them charging into Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, bent on forcing David to marry her.

No, she couldn’t allow that to happen. Resolute, she stood up and started for her bedroom. “We’ll finish discussing this in the morning,” she said in as dignified a voice as she could manage.

Linc seemed about to argue, but her fatigue must have shown because he hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “There’ll be no avoiding it, understand?”

“Perfectly.”

“Night, sweetie.” He threw his arms around her in a quick hug, as did Mel and then Ned.

Mary Jo slept soundly for six hours and woke in a cold sweat. She knew she’d never be able to stop her interfering brothers from invading Cedar Cove, embarrassing her and possibly doing bodily harm to David. The only solution she could think of was to get there first and warn David and/or his family.

With that in mind, Mary Jo left her brothers a note and slipped quietly out of the house.

Chapter Two

Cedar Cove was a festive little town, Mary Jo thought when she stepped off the ferry. It was a place that took Christmas seriously. Even the terminal was decorated, with bells hanging from the ceiling and large snowflakes in the windows. She’d never been here before and was pleasantly surprised by its charm. After taking the Washington State ferry from downtown Seattle to Bremerton, she’d caught the foot ferry across Sinclair Inlet to the small town David had mentioned.

He’d only talked about it that one time. She’d had the impression he didn’t like it much, but she hadn’t understood why.

She looked around.

A lighthouse stood off in the distance, picturesque against the backdrop of fir trees and the green waters of the cove. Waves rhythmically splashed the large rocks that marked the beach. Adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder and getting a tighter grip on her bag, Mary Jo walked down the pier into town.

Large evergreen boughs stretched across the main street of Cedar Cove—Harbor Street, according to the sign—and from the center of each hung a huge ornament. There were alternating wreaths, angels and candles. The lightposts were festooned with holly. The effect of all these decorations was delightful and it raised her spirits—until she remembered why she was in Cedar Cove.

It was ten in the morning on Christmas Eve, and everyone seemed to have places to go. So did Mary Jo, except that she was in no hurry to get there, and who could blame her? This was likely to be a painful confrontation.

Not sure where to start searching for David’s family and desperate to collect her thoughts, Mary Jo stopped at a coffee house called Mocha Mama’s about a block from the waterfront. This, too, was decorated and redolent of Christmas scents—fir, cinnamon, peppermint. And the rich, strong aroma of fresh coffee. The place was nearly empty. The only other person there was a young man who stood behind the counter; he was writing or drawing something in a sketchbook and appeared to be immersed in his task, whatever it was.

“Merry Christmas,” Mary Jo said cheerfully, wondering if her words sounded as forced as they felt. She pulled off her wool hat and gloves, cramming them in her pockets.

Her presence startled the young man, who wore a name tag that identified him as Shaw. He glanced up, blinked in apparent confusion, then suddenly smiled. “Sorry. Didn’t see you come in. What can I get you?”

“I’d like one of your decaf candy cane mochas, Shaw.”

“What size?”

“Oh, grande—is that what you call it here? Medium. One of those.” She pointed at a stack of cups.

His eyes went to her stomach, which protruded from the opening of her wool coat. She could no longer fasten more than the top three buttons.

“You’re gonna have a baby,” Shaw said, as if this information should be a surprise to her.

“Yes, I am.” She rested a protective hand on her belly.

Shaw began to prepare her mocha, chatting as he did. “It’s been pretty quiet this morning. Maybe ’cause it’s Christmas Eve,” he commented.

Mary Jo nodded, then took a chair by the window and watched people walk briskly past. The town seemed to be busy and prosperous, with people popping in and out of stores along the street. The bakery had quite a few customers and so did a nearby framing shop.

“I haven’t seen you around here before,” Shaw said. He added whipped topping and a candy cane to her cup and handed it to her.

“I’m visiting,” Mary Jo explained as she got up to pay for her drink. Shaw seemed to be full of information; he might be just the person to ask about David. She poked a folded dollar bill into the tip jar. “Would you know any people named Rhodes in this area?” she asked speculatively, holding her drink with both hands.

“Rhodes, Rhodes,” Shaw repeated carefully. He mulled it over for a moment, then shook his head. “The name’s familiar but I can’t put a face to it.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t quite hide her disappointment. Carrying her mocha, she returned to the table by the window and gazed out at the street again. Her biggest fear was that her three brothers would come rolling into town in their huge pickup, looking like vigilantes out of some old western. Or worse, a bunch of hillbillies. Mary Jo decided she had to get to David and his family first.

“Just a minute,” Shaw said. “There is a Rhodes family in Cedar Cove.” He reached behind the counter and pulled out a telephone directory.

Mary Jo wanted to slap her forehead. Of course! How stupid. She should’ve checked the phone book immediately. That was certainly what her brothers would do.

“Here,” Shaw said, flipping the directory around so she could read the listings. As it happened, there was a B. Rhodes, a Kevin Rhodes and three others—and Mary Jo had no way of knowing which of these people were related to David. The only thing to do was to call every one of them and find out.

“Would you mind if I borrowed this for a few minutes?” she asked.

“Sure, go ahead. Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“Thanks.”

“Consider it a random act of kindness.”

“Not so random.” Mary Jo smiled as she brought the phone book back to her table. She rummaged for her cell phone; she hadn’t remembered to charge it before she left and was relieved to see that she had nearly a full battery. She dialed the number for B. Rhodes and waited through several rings before a greeting came on, telling her that Ben and Charlotte weren’t available and inviting her to leave a message. She didn’t. She actually spoke to the next Rhodes, who sounded young and didn’t know anyone named David. Of the last three, the first had a disconnected phone line and the other two didn’t answer.

Mary Jo had assumed it would be easy to find David in a town as small as Cedar Cove. Walking down Harbor Street, she’d seen a sign for Roy McAfee, a private investigator. She hadn’t expected to need one, and even if she could afford to pay someone else to search for David Rhodes, it wasn’t likely that Mr. McAfee would accept a case this close to Christmas.

“Any luck?” Shaw asked.

“None.” Without knowing the name of David’s father, she couldn’t figure out what her next step should be. There were three, possibly four, potential candidates, since she’d managed to rule out just one. Her only consolation was the fact that if she was having trouble, so would her brothers.

“I can think of one person who might be able to help you,” Shaw said thoughtfully.

“Who?”

“Grace Harding. She’s the head librarian and she knows practically everyone in town. I’m not sure if she’s working this morning but it wouldn’t do any harm to go there and see.”

“The library is where?” Being on foot and pregnant definitely imposed some limitations, especially now that it had started to snow.

“How’d you get here?” Shaw asked.

“Foot ferry.”

He grinned. “Then you walked right past it when you got off. It’s the building with the large mural on the front. You won’t have any trouble finding it.”

Mary Jo had noticed two such murals. She supposed it wouldn’t be difficult to distinguish which one was the library. Eager to talk to Grace Harding, she left the remainder of her drink behind. She put the wool hat back on her head and pulled on her gloves. It was cold and the few snowflakes that had begun to drift down seemed persistent, like a harbinger of more to come. The Seattle area rarely experienced a white Christmas, and under other circumstances Mary Jo would’ve been thrilled at the prospect of snow.

As Shaw had predicted, she didn’t have a problem locating the library. The mural of a frontier family was striking, and the library doors were decorated with Christmas wreaths. When she stepped inside, she saw dozens of cut-out snowflakes suspended from the ceiling in the children’s area, as well as a display of seasonal picture books, some of which—like A Snowy Day—she remembered from her own childhood. A large Christmas tree with book-size wrapped gifts underneath stood just inside the small lobby. One look told Mary Jo that this was a much-used and much-loved place.

She welcomed the warmth, both emotional and physical. There was a woman at the counter, which held a sign stating that the library would close at noon. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Mary Jo was surprised to see that it was already ten-forty-five.

She approached the front counter. “Excuse me. Are you Grace Harding?” she asked in a pleasant voice.

“Afraid not. Should I get her for you?”

“Yes, please.”

The woman disappeared into a nearby office. A few minutes later, she reappeared with another middle-aged woman, who greeted Mary Jo with a friendly smile. She wore a bright red turtleneck sweater under a festive holly-green jumper. Her right arm seemed to be thickly bandaged beneath her long sleeve.

“I’m Grace Harding,” she announced. “How can I help you?”

Mary Jo gave the woman a strained smile. “Hello, my name is Mary Jo Wyse and—” The baby kicked—hard—and Mary Jo’s eyes widened with shock. She placed her hands against her stomach and slowly exhaled.

“Are you okay?” Grace asked, looking concerned.

“I…think so.”

“Perhaps you should sit down.”

Numbly Mary Jo nodded. This was all so…unseemly. She hated making a fuss, but she suspected the librarian was right and she did need to sit. Thankfully, Ms. Harding came around the counter and led her to a chair. She left for a moment and returned with a glass of water.

“Here, drink this.”

“Thank you.” Mary Jo felt embarrassed, since almost everyone in the library was staring at her. No doubt she made quite a spectacle and people probably thought she’d give birth any second. Actually, her due date wasn’t for another two weeks; she didn’t think there was any danger the baby would arrive early, but this was her first pregnancy and she couldn’t really tell. She could only hope…

Grace took the chair beside hers. “How can I help you?” she asked again.

Mary Jo gulped down all the water, then put the glass down beside her.

Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands together. “I’m looking for a man by the name of David Rhodes.”

Right away Mary Jo saw that the other woman stiffened.

“You know him?” she asked excitedly, ignoring any misgivings over Grace’s reaction. “Is he here? He said he’d be visiting his father and stepmother in Cedar Cove. It’s important that I talk to him as soon as possible.”

Grace sagged in her chair. “Oh, dear.”

“Oh, dear,”Mary Jo repeated. “What does that mean?”

“Well…”

“Is David in town?”

Grace shook her head, but her expression was sympathetic. “I’m afraid not.”

Mary Jo’s heart sank. She should’ve known not to trust David. This was obviously another lie.

“What about his father and stepmother? Are they available?” If she didn’t tell David’s family about the baby, then her brothers surely would. The information would be better coming from her. The image of her brothers barging into these people’s home lent a sense of urgency to her question.

“Unfortunately,” Grace went on, “Ben and Charlotte have taken a Christmas cruise.”

“They’re gone, then,” Mary Jo said in a flat voice. She recalled the message on their phone; ironically, Ben had been the first Rhodes she’d called. Maybe she should be relieved they were out of town, but she wasn’t. Instead, a deep sadness settled over her. The uncertainty would continue. Whatever happened, she accepted the likelihood of being a single mother, but her brothers would do their best to prevent it.

“According to a friend of mine, they’re coming back sometime tomorrow,” Grace told her.

“On Christmas Day?”

“Yes, that’s what I understand, at any rate. I can find out for sure if you’d like.”

“Yes, please.”

Grace looked tentative. “Before I phone Olivia—she’s the friend I mentioned—I should tell you that her mother is married to Ben Rhodes.”

“I see.”

“Would you mind if I asked you a question?”

“Of course not.” Although she already knew what that question would be…

“Is your baby…is David Rhodes—”

Rather than respond, Mary Jo closed her eyes and hung her head.

Grace touched her arm gently. “Don’t be upset, dear,” she murmured. “None of that matters now.”

The answer to Grace’s question was obvious. Why else would someone in an advanced state of pregnancy come looking for David and his family—especially on Christmas Eve?

As she opened her eyes, Grace squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“I haven’t seen or heard from David in weeks,” Mary Jo admitted. “He occasionally calls and the last time he did, he said he was coming here to spend Christmas with his family. My brothers want to make him marry me, but…but that isn’t what I want.”

“Of course you don’t.”

At least Grace shared her point of view. “I’ve got to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes as soon as I can and explain that even if David offered to marry me, I don’t think it’s the right thing for me or my baby.”

“I don’t either,” Grace said. “David isn’t to be trusted.”

Mary Jo grinned weakly. “I’m afraid I have to agree with you. But this is their grandchild. Or…or Ben’s, anyway. Maybe they’ll be interested in knowing the baby. Maybe David’ll want some kind of relationship.” She turned to Grace and said earnestly, “Shouldn’t I give them that choice?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what you should do.” Grace squeezed her hand again. “I’ll go call Olivia and get right back to you. She’ll know Charlotte and Ben’s travel schedule. However, it does seem to me that they’re due home on the twenty-fifth.”

“Thank you,” Mary Jo murmured. She was feeling light-headed and a bit queasy, so she intended to stay where she was until Grace came back. It didn’t take long.

Grace sat down next to her again. “I spoke with Olivia and she confirmed that Charlotte and Ben will indeed be home tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh…good.” Still, Mary Jo wasn’t sure what she should do next. If she went home, her brothers would be impossible. They’d be furious that she’d left with no warning other than a brief note. In any case, they were probably on their way to Cedar Cove now. And with some effort, they’d uncover the same information Mary Jo had.

“What would you like to do?” Grace asked.

“I think I’d better spend the night here,” Mary Jo said. She hadn’t packed a bag, but her requirements were simple. All she needed was a decent hotel. “Can you recommend a place to stay?”

“Oh, yes, there are several, including a lovely B-and-B. I’m just wondering if there’ll be a problem getting a room for tonight.”

“A problem?” This wasn’t something Mary Jo had considered.

“Let’s see if there’s anything at the Comfort Inn. It’s close by and clean.”

“That would be great. Thank you so much,” Mary Jo said.

Here it was, Christmas Eve, and she felt as if she’d found an angel to help her. An angel fittingly named Grace…

Chapter Three

Grace Harding studied the young pregnant woman beside her. So David Rhodes was the father of her baby. Not a surprise, she supposed, but it made her think even less of him. Certainly Olivia had told her plenty—about his deceit, his loans that were more like theft, since he never seemed to have any intention of repaying his father, the rumors of women he’d cheated on…That Ben Rhodes, who was one of the most decent and honorable men she’d ever met, could have a son like David defied explanation. Not only had David fathered this child, which she didn’t doubt for a minute, he’d also lied to Mary Jo.

Well, Grace decided, she’d do what she could to give the poor girl a hand. And she knew Charlotte and Ben would, too.

“I’ll get that list of places for you,” Grace told Mary Jo, rising to her feet. The library had a sheet with phone numbers of the local bed-and-breakfasts, plus all the motels in the area. The best place in town was Thyme and Tide Bed & Breakfast, run by Bob and Peggy Beldon. However, she recalled, the couple was away for the holidays. So staying there wasn’t an option. But there were several chain hotels out by the freeway.

“I’ll need to be within walking distance of the Rhodes home,” Mary Jo said as Grace handed her the list. “I didn’t drive over.”

“Don’t worry. If there’s a vacancy a few miles out of town I’ll take you there myself 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 myself.”

“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 returned to her office. She’d promised to call Olivia back as soon as she could. Although they spoke almost 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.

Sitting at her desk, Grace picked up the receiver and punched in Olivia’s number. Her dearest friend was at home today, but unfortunately not because it was Christmas Eve. Judge Olivia Griffin had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone surgery; she’d begin chemotherapy 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 hitting 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 really don’t think it should wait. Mary Jo’s obviously due very soon.” She hesitated, unsure how much to tell Olivia. She didn’t want to burden 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—although 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.” Outrage 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 thousand dollars a few years ago. The man was without conscience.

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

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

“No kidding,” 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 herself, 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?”

“Justine. 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 bitten 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 anyone 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 anytime. 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 donkey, since she’d grown fond of him. But the camel? Goodbye, Sleeping Beauty! Grace almost snorted at the animal’s unlikely name.

“Of course,” Olivia said, “the live Nativity scene. I didn’t get a chance to see it. So that’s how you encountered 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 requisite 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 donkey 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. “Justine, 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 grandkids 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. “Justine invited us,” she added, “but we declined. Next year,” Olivia said, and it sounded like a promise.

Everything would be back to normal 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 understanding of Olivia. Her strength and courage impressed Grace and humbled 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 forward, cell phone dangling from one hand.

“I have to go.”

“Problems?”

“I should get back to Mary Jo.”

“You’ll keep me updated, 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 Pancake Palace, Grace intended 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 confront him, and if not David, then his family.”

Grace could only imagine how distressing it would be for Ben and Charlotte to return from the vacation of a lifetime 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.”

“Nowhere? Not in the entire town? What about the Comfort Inn?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“You mean everything’s already reserved?”

“Yes. There’s no room at the Inn.”

Chapter 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, perhaps? 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 behind the coffeemaker. Must’ve fallen off.”

Before he’d read two words, Linc’s face started to heat up. His stubborn, strong-willed, hardheaded, obstinate little sister had gone to Cedar Cove. Without her family, because 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 herself?”

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

“It’s true,” Linc informed his youngest brother. “I can’t believe she’d do anything 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.

“Explain yourself,” Linc ordered.

“Don’t you see?” Ned gazed up at them. “All that talk about confronting David and forcing him to do the honorable 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 understood.

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 attended 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 campus on her own. Not at first, anyway. 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 getting her own place.

Linc didn’t understand 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 upkeep—maybe not quite to her standards but well enough. That wasn’t the reason she was so determined to live somewhere else.

No, Mary Jo had an intense desire for independence. From them.

Okay, maybe they’d gone overboard 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 because Linc would take real pleasure in ripping his face off.

“What are we going to do?” Mel asked.

His younger brothers were clearly worried.

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

“Let’s talk this through,” 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 because 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 anyway.”

“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 supposed 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 require a response.

“And everyone knows how unreasonable 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 unreasonable lately, don’t you think?”

Mel wasn’t wrong there.

“Maybe we should bring her a gift just so she’ll know how concerned we are about her and the baby. How much we care. We want her with us for Christmas, don’t we?”

“What woman doesn’t like gifts?” Linc said, thinking out loud.

“Yup,” Ned said, smiling at Mel. “It couldn’t hurt.”

Linc conceded. “Okay, then, we’ll each bring her a gift.”

They returned to their individual bedrooms, planning to meet in the kitchen five minutes later. Linc had gone online a few weeks ago and ordered a miniature football, basketball and soccer ball for his yet-to-be-born nephew. He couldn’t speak for the others, but he suspected they too had chosen gifts that were geared toward sports. At first he figured he’d bring the football, but then he reconsidered. He’d been after Mary Jo to save money and in an effort to encourage her, he’d purchased a gold coin that he planned to present on her birthday in February. Perfect. He pocketed the coin and hurried to the kitchen.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” Mel echoed.

“Me, too,” Ned confirmed.

The three brothers hurried out to the four-door pickup Linc drove. Mel automatically climbed into the front passenger seat and Ned sat directly behind him.

“You got your gift?” Linc asked Mel.

“Yeah. I’m bringing her perfume.”

“Good idea,” Linc said approvingly. “Where’d you get it?”

“I actually bought it for Annie, but I’ll get her something else…”

“Ned?” Linc asked.

“Incense,” his youngest brother mumbled.

“You brought her what?”

“Incense. She likes that stuff. It was gonna be part of her Christmas gift anyway.”

“Okay…” Linc shook his head rather than ask any further questions. Whatever his brothers chose to bring Mary Jo was up to them.

He turned his key in the ignition, then rested his arm over the back of the seat and angled his head so he could see behind him as he reversed out of the driveway. He’d reached the stop sign at the end of the block before it occurred to him to ask.

“Which way?”

“North,” Mel said.

“Cedar Cove is south,” Ned contradicted.

“For crying out loud.” Linc pulled over to the curb. Leaning across his brother, he opened the glove box and shuffled through a pile of junk until he found the Washington State map he was looking for. Dropping it on Mel’s lap, he said, “Find me Cedar Cove.”

Mel immediately tossed it into the backseat. “Here, Ned. You seem to think you know where it is.”

“It was just a guess,” Ned protested. Nevertheless he started to unfold the map.

“Well, we don’t have time for guessing. Look it up.” Linc put the truck back in gear and drove toward the freeway on-ramp. He assumed Ned would find Cedar Cove before he had to decide which lane to get into—north or south.

He was nearly at the ramp before Ned cried out triumphantly. “Found it!”

“Great. Which way should I go?”

Linc watched his brother through the rearview mirror as he turned the map around.

No answer.

“Which way?” Linc asked impatiently.

“South.”

“You don’t sound too sure.”

“South,” Ned said again, this time with more conviction.

Linc entered the lane that would take him in that direction. “How far is it?” he asked.

Ned stared down at the map again. “A ways.”

“That doesn’t tell me a darn thing. An hour or what?”

“All right, all right, give me a minute.” Ned balanced the map on his knees and studied it intently. After carefully walking his fingers along the edge of the map, Ned had the answer. “I’d say…ninety minutes.”

“Ninety minutes.” Linc hadn’t realized it was that far.

“Maybe longer.”

Linc groaned silently. Traffic was heavy, which was to be expected at noon on Christmas Eve. At the rate they were crawling, it would be hours before they got there, which made their mission that much more urgent.

“Should we confront the Rhodes family first thing?” Mel asked.

“Damn straight. They need to know what he’s done.”

Ned cleared his throat. “Don’t you think we should find Mary Jo first?”

Linc nodded slowly. “Yeah, I suppose we should.”

They rode in silence for several minutes.

“Hey.” Ned leaned forward and thrust his face between the two of them.

“What now?” Linc said, frustrated by the heavy traffic, which was guaranteed to be even worse once they hit Tacoma.

“How did Mary Jo get to Cedar Cove?” Mel asked.

“Good question.” Linc hadn’t stopped to consider her means of transportation. Mary Jo had a driver’s license but didn’t need a vehicle of her own, living in the city as they did. Each of the brothers owned a car and she could borrow any one of them whenever she wanted.

Ned sat back and studied the map again and after a few minutes announced, “Cedar Cove is on the Kitsap Peninsula.”

“So?” Mel muttered sarcastically. The traffic was apparently making him cranky, too.

“So she took the ferry over.”

That explained it. “Which ferry?” Linc asked.

“She probably caught the one from downtown Seattle to Bremerton.”

“Or she might have gotten a ride,” Mel said.

“Who from?” Ned asked.

“She wouldn’t bother a friend on Christmas Eve.” Ned seemed confident of that.

“Why not?” Mel demanded.

“Mary Jo isn’t the type to call someone at the last minute and ask that kind of favor,” Ned told them. “Not even Chloe or Casey—especially on Christmas Eve.”

Linc agreed with his brother.

They drove in silence for another fifteen minutes before anyone spoke.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Ned asked tentatively.

“Sure she is. She’s a Wyse, isn’t she? We’re made of stern stuff.”

“I mean physically,” Ned clarified. “Last night she seemed so…” He didn’t finish the sentence.

“Seemed what?” Linc prompted.

Ned shrugged. “Ready.”

“For what?” Mel asked.

Mel could be obtuse, which was only one of his character flaws, in Linc’s opinion. He was also argumentative.

“To have the baby, of course,” Linc said, casting his brother a dirty look.

“Hey, there’s no reason to talk to me like that.” Mel shifted his weight and stared out the side window. “I’ve never been around a pregnant woman before. Besides, what makes you such experts on pregnancy and birth?”

“I read a book,” Ned told them.

“No way.” Linc could hardly believe it.

“I did,” Ned insisted. “I figured one of us should. For Mary Jo’s sake.”

“So one book makes you an expert,” Mel teased.

“It makes me smarter than you, anyway.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Mel argued.

“Quit it, you two.” Linc spent half his life settling squabbles between his brothers. “You.” He gestured over his shoulder. “Call her cell.”

Ned did, using his own. “Went right into voice mail,” he said. “Must be off.”

“Leave her a message, then.” Linc wondered if he had to spell everything out for them.

“Okay. Who knows if she’ll get it, though.”

After that they drove in blessed silence for maybe five minutes.

“Hey, I just thought of something.” Mel groaned in frustration. “If Mary Jo took the ferry, shouldn’t we have done the same thing?”

Good point—except it was too late now. They were stuck in the notorious Seattle traffic, going nowhere fast.

Chapter Five

Mary Jo hated the idea of returning to Seattle having failed in her attempt to find either David or his family. He wasn’t in Cedar Cove the way he’d promised; not only that, his parents weren’t here, either. Ben and Charlotte Rhodes would show up the next afternoon or evening, but in the meantime…

The thought of her brothers approaching the elderly couple, shocking them with the news and their outrageous demands, made the blood rush to her face. Her situation was uncomfortable enough without her brothers riding to the rescue like the superheroes they weren’t.

The fact that Mary Jo had left on Christmas Eve was only going to rile them even more. Linc, Mel and Ned were probably home from the garage by now. Or maybe they’d skipped work when they found her note on the coffeemaker and immediately set out in search of her. Maybe they were already driving up and down the streets of Cedar Cove…

Looking around, Mary Jo could see that the library was about to close. People were putting on coats and checking out their books. She wondered how an hour had disappeared so quickly. Now what? There wasn’t a single vacant room in the vicinity, which meant the only thing to do was thank Grace Harding for her help and quietly leave.

She waited until the librarian stepped out of her office. The least she could do was let Grace know how much she appreciated her kindness. As she approached, Mary Jo rose from her chair.

All of a sudden the room started to sway. She’d been dizzy before but never like this. Her head swam, and for an instant she seemed about to faint. Blindly Mary Jo reached out, hoping to catch herself before she fell.

“Mary Jo!” Grace gasped and rushed to her side.

If the other woman hadn’t caught her when she did, Mary Jo was convinced she would’ve collapsed onto the floor.

Slowly, Grace eased her into the chair. “Laurie!” she shouted. “Call 9-1-1.”

“Please…no,” Mary Jo protested. “I’m fine. Really, I am.”

“No, you’re not.”

A moment later, the assistant behind the front counter hurried over to join Grace and Mary Jo. “The fire department’s on the way.”

Mortified beyond words, Mary Jo leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Needless to say, she’d become the library’s main attraction, of far greater interest than any of the Christmas displays. Everyone was staring at her.

“Here, drink this,” Grace said.

Mary Jo opened her eyes to find someone holding out a glass of water—again. Her mouth had gone completely dry and she took it gratefully. Sirens could be heard roaring toward the library, and Mary Jo would’ve given anything to simply disappear.

A few minutes later, two firefighters entered the library, carrying their emergency medical equipment. One of the men moved toward her and knelt down.

“Hi, there.” The firefighter’s voice was calm.

“Hi,” Mary Jo said weakly.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“I just got a bit light-headed. I wish they hadn’t called you. I’m perfectly okay.”

He ignored her comment. “You stood up?”

She nodded. “The room began to sway and I thought I was going to faint.”

“I think she did faint,” Grace added, kneeling down next to the firefighter. “I somehow got her back into the chair. Otherwise I’m sure she would’ve crumpled to the floor.”

The firefighter kept his gaze on Mary Jo. He had kind eyes and, despite everything, she noticed that he was attractive in a craggy, very masculine way. He was in his late twenties, she guessed, a few years older than she was.

“My name’s Mack McAfee,” he said. “And that guy—” he pointed to the other firefighter “—is Brandon Hutton.”

“I’m Mary Jo Wyse.”

Mack smiled, maintaining eye contact. “When’s your baby due?”

“January seventh.”

“In about two weeks then.”

“Yes.”

“Have you had any other spells like this?”

Mary Jo was reluctant to confess that she had. After a moment she nodded.

“Recently?”

“Yes…”

“That’s not uncommon, you know. Your body’s under a lot of strain because of the baby. Have you been experiencing any additional stress?”

She bit her lip. “A little.”

“The holidays?”

“Not really.”

“I’m new to town. I guess that’s why I haven’t seen you around,” Mack said. He opened a response kit he’d brought into the library.

“Mary Jo lives in Seattle,” Grace said, now standing behind Mack as the other firefighter hovered close by.

“Do you have relatives in the area?” he asked next.

“No…” She figured she might as well admit the truth. “I was hoping to see the father of my baby…only he isn’t here.”

“Navy?”

“No…I understood his family was from Cedar Cove, but apparently they’re out of town, too.”

“Ben and Charlotte Rhodes,” Grace murmured.

Mack twisted around to look up at Grace. “The judge’s mother, right? And her husband. Retired Navy.”

“Right.”

“David Rhodes is the baby’s father,” Mary Jo said. “We’re not…together anymore.” David had told her one too many lies. She knew intuitively that he’d have no desire to be part of the baby’s life.

Mack didn’t speak as he removed the blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around her upper arm. “How are you feeling now?” he asked.

“You mean other than mortified?”

He grinned up at her. “Other than that.”

“Better,” she said.

“Good.” He took her blood pressure, a look of concentration on his face.

“How high is it?” Grace asked, sounding worried.

“Not bad,” Mack told them both. “It’s slightly elevated.” He turned back to Mary Jo. “It would probably be best if you relaxed for the rest of the day. It wouldn’t hurt to stay off your feet, either. Don’t do anything strenuous.”

“I’ll…I’ll try.”

“Perhaps she should see a physician?” Grace said. “I’d be happy to take her to the clinic.”

“No, that isn’t necessary!” Mary Jo objected. “I’m so sorry to cause all this fuss. I feel fine.”

Mack met her gaze and seemed to read the distress in her eyes. “As long as you rest and stay calm, I don’t think you need to see a doctor.”

“Thank you,” she breathed.

Although the library was closing, the doors suddenly opened and a tall, regal woman walked in. She was bundled up in a wool coat with a red knit scarf around her neck and a matching knit cap and gloves.

“Olivia,” Grace said. “What are you doing here?”

“Why’s the aid car out front?” the other woman asked. She immediately turned to Mary Jo, and a stricken look came over her. “Are you in labor?”

“No, no, I’m just…a little light-headed,” Mary Jo assured her.

The woman smiled. “I already know who this must be. Mary Jo. Are you all right?”

“This is Olivia, Charlotte Rhodes’s daughter.” Grace gestured at her. “She’s the woman I called to get the information about Ben and Charlotte.”

“Oh.” Mary Jo shrank back in her chair.

“David Rhodes is my stepbrother,” Olivia explained. She smiled sympathetically at Mary Jo. “Although so far, he’s been nothing but an embarrassment to the family. And I can see that trend’s continuing. But don’t assume,” she said to Mary Jo, “that I’m blaming you. I know David far too well.”

Mary Jo nodded mutely but couldn’t prevent a surge of guilt that must have reddened her face, judging by her heated cheeks. She was to blame, for being naive in falling for a man like David, for being careless enough to get pregnant, for letting the situation ever reach this point.

“What are you doing here?” Grace asked her friend a second time.

“I’m meeting Will at the gallery. We’re going to lunch. I saw the aid car outside the library as I drove by.” Olivia turned to Mary Jo again. “I was afraid something like this had happened. Thank goodness for young Mack—” they exchanged a smile “—and his partner over there.” Brandon was helping an older couple with their bags of groceries and stack of books.

Mary Jo felt no less humiliated. “I should never have come,” she moaned.

“I’m glad you did,” Olivia said firmly. “Ben would want to know about his grandchild.”

Mary Jo hadn’t expected everyone to be so…nice. So friendly and willing to accept her—and her dilemma. “It’s just that my brothers are upset and determined to defend my honor. I felt I should be the one to tell David’s family.”

“Of course you should,” Olivia said in what appeared to be complete agreement.

Mack finished packing up his equipment. He placed his hand on Mary Jo’s knee to gain her attention. When she looked back at him, she was struck by the caring in his gaze.

“You’ll do as I suggested and rest? Don’t get overexcited.”

Mary Jo nodded.

“If you have any other problems, call 9-1-1. I’m on duty all day.”

“I will,” she promised. “Thank you so much.”

Mack stood. “My pleasure.” He hesitated for a moment and looked directly into her eyes. “You’re going to be a good mom.”

Mary Jo blinked back tears. More than anything, that was what she wanted. To be the best mother she could. Her child was coming into the world with one disadvantage already —the baby’s father had no interest in him. Or her. It was all up to Mary Jo.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Merry Christmas,” Mack said before he turned to leave.

“Merry Christmas,” she called after him.

“You need to rest,” Olivia said with an authority few would question. “When’s the last time you ate?”

“I had a decaf latte at Mocha Mama’s before I came to the library.”

“You need lunch.”

“I’ll eat,” Mary Jo said, “as soon as I get back to Seattle.” There was the issue of her brothers, but she’d call Linc’s cell phone and let them know she was on her way home.

“You drove?” Grace asked.

“No, I took the ferry across.”

Grace and Olivia glanced at each other.

“It might be a good idea if you came home with me,” Olivia began. “It won’t be any inconvenience and we’d enjoy having you.”

Mary Jo shook her head. “I…couldn’t.” Although Olivia was related to David, by marriage anyway, she didn’t want to intrude on their Christmas. Olivia and her family certainly didn’t need unexpected company. Olivia had stated that David was an embarrassment to the family, and Mary Jo’s presence only made things worse. Bad enough that she’d arrived without any warning, but it was beyond the call of duty for Olivia to take her in, and on Christmas Eve of all nights. Olivia must have plans and Mary Jo refused to ruin them.

“No,” Grace said emphatically. “You’re coming home with me. It’s all arranged.”

This invitation was just as endearing and just as unnecessary. “Thank you both.” She struggled to her feet, cradling her belly with protective hands. “I can’t let either of you do that. I appreciate everything, but I’m going back to Seattle.”

“Nonsense,” Grace said. “I’ve spoken to my husband and he agrees with me.”

“But—”

Grace cut her off, obviously unwilling to listen. “You won’t be intruding, I promise.”

Mary Jo was about to argue again, but Grace talked right over her.

“We have my stepdaughter and her family visiting us, but we’ve got an apartment above our barn that’s completely furnished. It’s empty at the moment and you’d be welcome to stay there for the night.”

The invitation was tempting. Still, Mary Jo hesitated.

“Didn’t you hear what Mack said?” Grace reminded her. “He said it was important for you to remain calm and relaxed.”

“Yes, I know, but—”

“Are you sure?” Olivia asked Grace. “Because I can easily make up the sofa bed in the den.”

“Of course I’m sure.”

“I don’t want to interfere with your Christmas,” Mary Jo said.

“You wouldn’t be,” Grace assured her. “You’d have your privacy and we’d have ours. The barn’s close to the house, so if you needed anything it would be simple to reach me. There’s a phone in the apartment, too, which I believe is still connected. If not, the line in the barn is hooked up.”

The idea was gaining momentum in her mind. “Maybe I could…” Mary Jo said. As soon as she was settled, she’d call her brothers and explain that she’d decided to stay in Cedar Cove overnight. Besides, she was tired and depressed and didn’t feel like celebrating. The idea of being by herself held more appeal by the minute.

Another plus was the fact that her brothers needed a break from her and her problems. For the last number of weeks, Mary Jo had been nothing but a burden to them, causing strife within the family. Thanks to her, the three of them were constantly bickering.

Ned was sympathetic to her situation and she loved him for it. But even he couldn’t stand up to Linc, who took his responsibilities as head of the family much too seriously.

If her brothers were on their way to Cedar Cove, as she expected, she’d ask them firmly but politely to turn around. She’d tell them she was spending Christmas with David’s family, which was, in fact, true. Sort of. By tomorrow evening, she would’ve met with Ben and Charlotte and maybe Olivia and the rest of David’s Cedar Cove relatives. They’d resolve this situation without her brothers’ so-called help.

“One thing,” Grace said, her voice falling as she glanced over at Olivia.

“Yes?” Mary Jo asked.

“There’s a slight complication.”

Mary Jo should’ve known this was too good to be true.

“The barn’s currently home to a…variety of animals,” Grace went on to explain.

Mary Jo didn’t understand why this should be a problem, nor did she understand Olivia’s smug grin.

“There’s an ox and several sheep, a donkey and—” she paused “—a camel.”

“A camel?” Mary Jo repeated.

“A rather bad-tempered camel,” Olivia put in.

Nodding, Grace pointed to her obviously bandaged arm. “You’d be well advised to keep your distance.”

“That’s, um, quite a menagerie you have in your barn.”

“Oh, they don’t belong to us,” Grace said. “They’re for the live Nativity scene, which ended last evening. We’re housing them for the church.”

“The animals won’t bother me.” Mary Jo smiled. “And I won’t bother them.”

Her smile grew wider as it occurred to her that she’d be spending Christmas Eve in a stable—something another Mary had done before her.

Chapter Six

Olivia reluctantly left the library by herself. Weak as she was these days, it made more sense for Mary Jo to go home with Grace. Nevertheless, Olivia felt a certain obligation toward this vulnerable young woman.

Olivia had never had positive feelings toward her stepbrother, and this situation definitely hadn’t improved her impression of him. Ben’s son could be deceptive and cruel. She knew very well that David had lied to Mary Jo Wyse. Sure, it took two to tango, as the old cliché had it—and two to get Mary Jo into her present state. But Olivia also knew that David would have misrepresented himself and, even worse, abdicated all responsibility for Mary Jo and his child. No wonder her family was in an uproar. Olivia didn’t blame them; she would be, too.

The drive from the library to the Harbor Street Gallery took less than two minutes. Olivia hated driving such a short distance when at any other time in her life she would’ve walked those few blocks. The problem was that those blocks were a steep uphill climb and she didn’t have the energy. The surgery and subsequent infection had sapped her of strength. Today, however, wasn’t a day to dwell on the cancer that had struck her so unexpectedly, like a viper hiding in the garden. Today, Christmas Eve, was a day for gratitude and hope.

She parked outside the art gallery her brother had purchased and was renovating. Olivia had been the one to suggest he buy the gallery; he’d done so, and it seemed to be a good decision for him.

Will was waiting for her at the door. “Liv!” he said, bounding toward her in his larger-than-life way. He extended his arms for a hug. “Merry Christmas.”

“Same to you,” she said, smiling up at him. Her brother, although over sixty, remained a strikingly handsome man. Now divorced and retired, he’d come home to reinvent himself, leaving behind his former life in Atlanta. In the beginning Olivia had doubted his motives, but slowly he’d begun to prove himself, becoming an active member of the town—and his family—once again.

“I wanted to give you a tour of the gallery,” Will told her as he led her inside.

The last time Olivia had visited the town’s art gallery had been while Maryellen Bowman, Grace’s daughter, was the manager. Maryellen had been forced to resign during a difficult pregnancy. The business had rapidly declined once she’d left, and eventually the gallery had gone up for sale.

Looking around, Olivia was astonished by the changes. “You did all this in less than a month?” The place barely resembled the old Harbor Street Gallery. Before Will had taken over, artwork had been arranged in a simple, straightforward manner—paintings and photographs on the walls, sculpture on tables.

Will had built distinctive multi-level glass cases and brought in other inventive means of displaying a variety of mediums, including a carefully designed lighting system. One entire wall was taken up with a huge quilt, unlike any she’d seen before. At first glance she had the impression of fire.

Close up, it looked abstract, with vivid clashing colors and surreal, swirling shapes. But, stepping back, Olivia identified an image that suddenly emerged—a dragon. It was fierce, angry, red, shooting out flames in gold, purple and orange satin against a background that incorporated trees, water and winding roads.

“That’s by Shirley Bliss,” Will said, following her gaze. “It took me weeks to convince her to let me put that up.”

“It’s magnificent.” Olivia was in awe of the piece and couldn’t tear her eyes from it.

“It isn’t for sale, however.”

“That’s a shame.”

Will nodded. “She calls it Death. She created it shortly after her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident.” He slipped an arm through Olivia’s. “Can’t you just feel her anger and her grief?”

The quilt seemed to vibrate with emotions Olivia recognized from her own life—the time her thirteen-year-old son had drowned, more than twenty years ago. And the time, only weeks ago, that she’d been diagnosed with cancer. When she initially heard the physician say the word, she’d had a nearly irrepressible urge to argue with him. This couldn’t be happening to her. There’d been some mistake.

That disbelief had been replaced by a hot anger at the unfairness of it. Then came numbness, then grief and finally resignation. With Jordan’s death and with her own cancer, she’d experienced a tremendous loss that had brought with it fears of further loss.

Now, fighting her cancer—and that was how she thought of it, her cancer—she’d found a shaky serenity, even a sort of peace. That kind of acceptance was something she’d acquired with the love and assistance of her husband, Jack, her family and, as much as anyone, Grace, the woman who’d been her best friend all her life.

“My living quarters are livable now, too,” Will was telling her. “I’ve moved in upstairs but I’m still sorting through boxes. Isn’t it great how things worked out? Because of Mack,” he added when Olivia looked at him quizzically.

“Getting the job here in town, you mean?”

“Yeah, since that meant he needed an apartment. At the same time, I needed out of the sublet, so it all came together perfectly.”

After a quick turn around the gallery to admire the other pieces on display, Will steered her toward the door. “Where would you like to go for lunch?” he asked. “Anyplace in town. Your big brother’s treating.”

“Well, seeing you’ve got all that money burning a hole in your pocket, how about the Pancake Palace?”

Will arched his brows. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m serious.” The Pancake Palace had long been a favorite of hers and in the past month or two, she’d missed it. For years, Grace and Olivia would head over to their favorite high school hangout after aerobics class on Wednesday night. The coconut cream pie and coffee was a reward for their exertions, and the Palace was where they always caught up with each other’s news.

Goldie, their favorite waitress, had served them salty French fries and iced sodas back when neither of them worried about calories. These days their once-a-week splurge reminded them of their youth, and the nostalgic appeal of the place never faded.

Some of the most defining moments of their teenage years had occurred at the Pancake Palace. It was there that eighteen-year-old Grace admitted she was pregnant, shortly before graduation.

And years later, it’d been over coffee and tears that Olivia told her Stan had asked for a divorce after Jordan’s death. And later, it was where they celebrated Olivia’s appointment to the bench. The Pancake Palace was a place of memories for them, good and bad.

“The Pancake Palace? You’re really serious?” Will said again. “I can afford a lot better, you know.”

“You asked and that’s my choice.”

Will nodded. “Then off to the Palace we go.”

Her brother insisted on driving and Olivia couldn’t fault his manners. He was the consummate gentleman, opening the passenger door for her and helping her inside. The snow that had fallen earlier dusted the buildings and trees but had melted on the sidewalks and roads, leaving them slick. The slate-gray skies promised more snow, however.

Olivia had been out with her brother plenty of times and he’d never bothered with her car door. She was his sister and manners were reserved for others.

She wondered if Will’s solicitude was linked to her illness. Although he might’ve been reluctant to admit it, Will had been frightened. His caring comforted her, particularly since they’d been at odds during the past few years.

He assisted her out of the car and opened the door to the Pancake Palace. They’d hardly entered the restaurant when Goldie appeared.

“Well, as I live and breathe, it’s Olivia!” Goldie cried. Then she shocked Olivia by throwing both sinewy arms around her. “My goodness, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

“Merry Christmas, Goldie,” Olivia said.

The waitress had to be close to seventy and could only be described as “crusty.” To Olivia’s utter astonishment, Goldie pulled a hankie from her pink uniform pocket and dabbed at her eyes.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again,” she said with a sniffle.

“Oh, Goldie…” Olivia had no idea what to say at this uncharacteristic display of affection.

“I just don’t know what Grace and I would’ve done without you,” Goldie said, sniffling even more. She wiped her nose and stuffed the hankie back in her pocket. Reaching for the coffeepot behind the counter, she motioned with her free hand. “Sit anyplace you want.”

“Thank you, Goldie.” Olivia was genuinely touched, since Goldie maintained strict control of who sat where.

Although Goldie had given her free rein, Olivia chose the booth where she’d sat with Grace every Wednesday night until recently. It felt good to slide across the cracked red vinyl cushion again. Olivia resisted the urge to close her eyes and breathe in the familiar scents. The coffee had always been strong and a hint of maple syrup lingered, although it was long past the breakfast hour.

Goldie automatically righted their coffee mugs and filled them. “We’ve got a turkey dinner with all the trimmings if you’re interested,” she announced.

Olivia still struggled with her appetite. “What’s the soup of the day?”

Goldie frowned. “You aren’t having just soup.”

“But…”

“Look at you,” the waitress chastised. “You’re thin as a flagpole. If you don’t want a big meal, then I suggest chicken pot pie.”

“Sounds good to me,” Will said.

Goldie ignored him. She whipped the pencil from behind her ear and yanked out the pad in her apron pocket. From sheer force of habit, or so Olivia suspected, she licked the lead. “Okay, what’s it gonna be? And make up your mind, ’cause the lunch crowd’s coming in a few minutes and we’re gonna be real busy.”

It was all Olivia could do to hide her amusement. “Okay, I’ll take the chicken pot pie.”

“Good choice.” Goldie made a notation on her pad.

“I’m glad you approve.”

“You’re getting pie à la mode, too.”

“Goldie!”

One hand on her hip, Goldie glared at her. “After all these years, you should know better than to argue with me.” She turned to Will. “And that goes for you, too, young man.”

Will raised his hands in acquiescence as Olivia sputtered. “I stand corrected,” she said, grinning despite her efforts to keep a straight face.

Goldie left to place their order and Will grinned, too. “I guess you were told.”

“I guess I was,” she agreed. It was nice to know she’d been missed.

Grace would get a real kick out of hearing about this. Olivia would make a point of telling her when they met at the Christmas Eve service later that evening.

Looking out the window, Olivia studied the hand-painted snowman, surrounded by falling snow. The windowpane next to Will was adorned with a big-eyed reindeer. A small poinsettia sat on every table, and the sights and sounds of Christmas filled the room as “O, Little Town of Bethlehem” played softly in the background.

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to join us for Christmas dinner?” Olivia asked her brother.

He shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but you’re not up for company yet.”

“We’re seeing Justine and her family tonight. It’s just going to be Jack and me for Christmas Day.”

“Exactly. The two of you don’t need a third wheel.”

“It wouldn’t be like that,” Olivia protested. “I hate the idea of you spending Christmas alone.”

Will sat back. “What makes you think I’ll be alone?”

Olivia raised her eyebrows. “You mean you won’t?”

He gave a small noncommittal shrug.

“Will.” She breathed his name slowly. She didn’t want to bring up past history, but in her view, Will wasn’t to be trusted with women. “You’re seeing someone, aren’t you?”

The fact that Will was being secretive didn’t bode well. “Come on,” she urged him. “Tell me.”

He smiled. “It isn’t what you think.”

“She isn’t married, is she?”

“No.”

That, at least, was a relief.

“I’m starting over, Liv. My slate’s clean now and I want to keep it that way.”

Olivia certainly hoped so. “Tell me who it is,” she said again.

Her brother relaxed and folded his hands on the table. “I’ve seen Shirley Bliss a few times.”

Shirley Bliss. She was the artist who’d created the dragon, breathing fire and pain and anger.

“Shirley,” she whispered. “The dragon quilt lady.” Olivia hadn’t even met the woman but sensed they could easily be friends.

“She’s the one,” Will said. “We’re only getting to know each other but I’m impressed with her. She’s someone I’d definitely like to know better.”

“She invited you for Christmas?”

Will shifted his weight and looked out the window. “Well, not exactly.”

Olivia frowned. “Either she did or she didn’t.”

“Let’s put it like this. She hasn’t invited me yet.”

“Good grief, Will! It’s Christmas Eve. If she was going to invite you, it would’ve been before now.”

“Perhaps.” He grinned boyishly. “Actually, I thought I’d stop by her place around dinnertime tomorrow with a small gift.”

“Will!”

“Hey, you can’t blame a man for trying.”

“Will she be by herself?”

He shook his head. “She has two kids, a teenage daughter who’s a talented artist, too, and a son who’s in college. I haven’t met him yet.”

Before Will could say anything else, Goldie arrived at their booth, carrying two chicken pot pies. She set them down and came back with two huge pieces of coconut cream pie. “Make sure you save room for this,” she told them.

“I’d like to remind you I didn’t order any pie,” Olivia said, pretending to disapprove.

“I know,” Goldie returned gruffly. “It’s on the house. Think of me as your very own elf. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas to you, Goldie the Elf.”

Will reached for his fork and smiled over at Olivia. “I have the feeling it’s going to be a merry Christmas for us all.”

Olivia had the very same feeling, despite—or maybe even because of—their unexpected visitor.

Chapter Seven

Linc gritted his teeth. It was after two, and the traffic through Tacoma was bumper to bumper. “You’d think it was a holiday or something,” he muttered sarcastically.

Mel’s eyebrows shot up and he turned to look at Ned in the backseat.

“What?” Linc barked.

“It is a holiday,” Ned told him.

“Don’t you think I know that? I’m joking!”

“Okay, okay.”

“You’re going to exit up here,” Mel said, pointing to the exit ramp for Highway 16.

Linc sighed in relief. They were getting closer, and once they found Mary Jo he intended to give her a piece of his mind. She had no business taking off like this, not when her baby was due in two weeks. It just wasn’t safe.

His jaw tightened as he realized it wasn’t Mary Jo who annoyed him as much as David Rhodes. If Linc could just have five minutes alone with that jerk…

“I’ll bet he’s married,” Linc said to himself. That would explain a lot. A married man having an affair would do anything he could to hide the fact that he had a wife. He’d strung Mary Jo along, fed her a bunch of lies and then left her to deal with the consequences all on her own. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. No, sir. Not while Linc was alive. David Rhodes was going to acknowledge his responsibilities and live up to them.

“Who’s married?” Mel asked, staring at him curiously.

“David Rhodes,” he said. “Who else?”

The exit was fast approaching and, while they still had twenty miles to go, traffic would thin out once he got off the Interstate.

“He’s not,” Ned said blithely from the backseat.

“Isn’t what?” Linc demanded.

“David Rhodes isn’t married.”

Linc glanced over his shoulder. “How do you know?”

“Mary Jo told me.”

Ned and Mary Jo were close, and he was more apt to take a statement like that at face value.

“He probably lied about that along with everything else,” Mel said, voicing Linc’s own thoughts.

“He didn’t,” Ned insisted.

“How can you be so sure?”

“I checked him out on the internet,” Ned continued with the same certainty. “It’s a matter of public record. David Rhodes lives in California and he’s been married and divorced twice. Both his marriages and divorces are listed with California’s Department of Records.”

Funny Ned had only mentioned this now. Maybe he had other information that would be helpful.

“You mean to say he’s been married more than once?” Mel asked.

Ned nodded. “Yeah, according to what I read, he’s been married twice. I doubt Mary Jo knows about the second time, though.”

That was interesting and Linc wished he’d heard it earlier. “Did you find out anything else while you were doing this background search?” he asked. He eased onto the off ramp; as he’d expected, the highway was far less crowded.

“His first ex-wife, who now lives in Florida, has had problems collecting child support.”

Linc shook his head. “Does that surprise anyone?”

“Nope,” Mel said.

“How many children does he have?” Linc asked next.

“Just one. A girl.”

“Does Mary Jo know this?” Mel asked. “About him being a deadbeat?”

“I didn’t tell her,” Ned admitted, adding, “I couldn’t see any reason to upset her more than she already is.”

“Good idea,” Mel said. He leaned forward and looked up at the darkening sky. “Snow’s starting again. The radio said there’s going to be at least three inches.”

“Snow,” Linc groaned.

“Snow,” Ned repeated excitedly. “That’ll make a lot of little kids happy.”

Mel agreed quickly. “Yeah, we’ll have a white Christmas.”

“Are either of you little kids?” Linc snapped. His nerves were frayed and he’d appreciate it if his brothers took a more mature outlook.

“I guess I’m still a kid at heart,” Ned said, exhaling a sigh.

Considering Linc’s current frame of mind, it was a brave admission. With a slow breath, Linc made a concerted effort to relax. He was worried about Mary Jo; he couldn’t help it. He’d wanted the best for her and felt that he’d failed both his sister and his parents.

To some extent he blamed himself for what had happened. Maybe he’d been too strict with her after she turned eighteen. But to his way of thinking, she was under his protection as long as she lived in the family home.

Not once had she introduced him to David Rhodes. Linc was convinced that if he’d met the other man, it would’ve taken him all of two seconds to peg David for a phony.

“What are you gonna say when we find her?” Ned asked.

Linc hadn’t worked out the specifics. “Let’s not worry about that now. Main thing is, we’re going to put her in the truck and bring her home.”

“What if she doesn’t want to come with us?”

“Why wouldn’t she? We’re her family and it’s Christmas Eve. Mary Jo belongs with us. Besides, that baby could show up anytime.”

Mel seemed distinctly queasy at the prospect.

Thinking back, Linc knew he should have realized she was pregnant a lot earlier than he had. In fact, he hadn’t recognized the signs at all; she’d told him and after that, of course, they were easy to see.

Not until the day Mary Jo rushed past him in the hallway and practically shoved him into the wall so she could get to the toilet in time to throw up did he have the slightest suspicion that anything was wrong. Even then he’d assumed she had a bad case of the flu.

Boy, had he been wrong. She had the flu, all right, only it was the nine-month variety.

It just hadn’t occurred to him that she’d do something so dumb. An affair with the guy was bad enough, but to take that kind of chance…

Frowning, Linc glanced in his rearview mirror at his youngest brother. He was beginning to wonder about Ned. He’d never seemed as shocked as he or Mel had, and Mary Jo had always confided in him.

“How long have you known?” he asked casually.

Ned met Linc’s gaze in the rearview mirror, his expression trapped. “Known what?”

“That Mary Jo was going to have a baby.”

Ned looked away quickly and shrugged.

“She told you as soon as she found out, didn’t she?”

Ned cleared his throat. “She might have.”

“How early was that?” Linc asked, unwilling to let his brother sidestep the question.

“Early,” Ned admitted. “I knew before David.”

“You knew that early?” Mel shouted. “Why’d she tell you and not me?”

“Because you’d tell Linc,” Ned told him. “She wanted to keep the baby a secret as long as she could.”

Linc couldn’t figure that one out. It wasn’t like she’d be able to hide the pregnancy forever. And why hadn’t she trusted him the way she did Ned? Although he prided himself on being stoic, that hurt.

Mel tapped his fingertips against the console. “Did she tell you how David Rhodes reacted to the news?”

Ned nodded. “She said he seemed pleased.”

“Sure, why not?” Linc said, rolling his eyes. “The pregnancy wasn’t going to inconvenience him any.”

“I think that’s why he could string Mary Jo along all this time,” Ned suggested.

“You’re probably right.”

“I warned her, you know.” Ned’s look was thoughtful.

“When?”

“When she first started seeing him.”

“You knew about David even before Mary Jo got pregnant?” Linc couldn’t believe his ears. Apparently Mary Jo had shared all this information with Ned, who’d remained tight-lipped about most of it. If he wasn’t so curious to uncover what his brother had learned, Linc might’ve been downright angry.

“So?” Mel said. “How’d she meet him?”

Ned leaned toward the front seat. “Rhodes works for the same insurance company. He’s at corporate headquarters in San Francisco. Something to do with finances.”

His sister worked in the accounting department, so that explained it, he supposed. “She should’ve come to work at our office the way I wanted,” Linc said, and not for the first time. That was what he’d suggested when, against his wishes, Mary Jo had dropped out of college.

From her reaction, one would think he’d proposed slave labor. He never had understood her objections. He’d been willing to pay her top wages, as well as vacation and sick leave, and the work wasn’t exactly strenuous.

She’d turned him down flat. Mary Jo wouldn’t even consider working for Three Wyse Men Automotive. Linc regretted not being more forceful in light of what had happened. She might be almost twenty-four, but she needed his protection.

As they approached the Narrows Bridge, Linc’s mood began to lighten somewhat. Yeah, Mary Jo needed him, and he assumed she’d be willing to admit that now. Not just him, either. She needed all three of her brothers.

Ned’s idea that they bring gifts had been smart, a good way to placate her and prove how much she meant to them. Women, in his experience anyway, responded well to gifts.

Except that was probably the same technique David Rhodes had used.

“Did he buy her gifts?” Linc asked, frowning.

Ned understood his question, because he answered right away. “If you mean Rhodes, then yes, he got her a few.”

“Such as?”

“Flowers a couple of times.”

“Flowers!” Mel said.

“In the beginning, at any rate, and then after she was pregnant he bought her earrings.”

Linc sat up straighter. “What kind?”

Ned snickered. “He said they were diamonds but one of them came loose so I dropped it off at Fred’s for her. While he had it, I asked him to check it out.”

Fred’s was a local jewelry store the Wyse family had used for years. “Fake, right?”

“As phony as David Rhodes himself.”

Mel twisted around and looked at Ned. “You didn’t tell Mary Jo, did you?”

Ned shook his head. “I didn’t want to add to her heartache.”

“Maybe she already knows.” His sister might be gullible but she wasn’t stupid.

“I think she considered pawning it.” Ned lowered his voice. “She didn’t, so she might’ve guessed…”

The mere thought of his sister walking into a pawnshop with her pathetic bauble produced a stab of actual pain. “If she needed money, why didn’t she come to me?” Linc demanded.

“You’ll have to ask her that yourself.”

“I plan to.” Linc wasn’t about to let this slide. “What does she need money for, anyway?”

“She wants her own place, you know.”

No one needed to remind Linc of that. Mary Jo herself did a fine job of informing him at every opportunity. But it wasn’t going to happen now. With a baby on the way, she wouldn’t be leaving the family home anytime soon.

Linc liked that idea. He could keep an eye on her and on the baby, too. Even if he got married, which was by no means a sure thing, the house was big enough for all of them. His nephew would need a strong male influence, and he fully intended to provide that influence.

“How much farther?” Mel asked.

His brother was like a kid squirming in the front seat, asking “Are we there yet?” every five minutes.

“Hey, look,” Ned said, pointing at the sky. “It’s really coming down now.”

“Did you think I hadn’t noticed?” Linc didn’t have much trouble driving in bad weather; it was all the other drivers who caused the problem. Snow in the Seattle area was infrequent and a lot of folks didn’t know how to handle it.

“Hey,” Mel said as they approached the first exit for Cedar Cove. “We’re here.”

“Right.” Not having any more specific indication of where they should go, Linc took the exit.

“Where to now?” Mel asked.

Linc could’ve said, “Your guess is as good as mine.” But he figured his guess was better. “We’ll do what Mary Jo did,” he said. “We’ll chase down David’s family. That’s where she’s going to be.”

Mel nodded. “Whoever said the Wyse Men needed a star to guide them obviously never met the three of us.”

Chapter Eight

Olivia couldn’t wait to see her husband. For one thing, she wanted to tell him about her stepbrother, get his advice.

David Rhodes…that…that—she couldn’t think of a word that adequately described how loathsome he was. She wanted him exposed. Humiliated, embarrassed, punished. Only the fact that Ben would be humiliated and embarrassed, too, gave her pause.

When Olivia pulled into her driveway on Lighthouse Road she was delighted to see that Jack was already home from the newspaper office. Impatiently, she grabbed the grocery bag of last-minute items and made her way into the house, using the entrance off the kitchen.

“Jack!” she called out as soon as she was inside.

“What’s wrong?” Her husband met her in the kitchen and stopped short. “Someone’s made you mad.”

Olivia finished unwinding the muffler from around her neck. “Why do you say that?” she asked, not realizing she’d been so obvious.

“Your eyes are shooting sparks. So, what’d I do this time?”

“It’s not you, silly.” She hung her coat on the hook along with the bright red scarf her mother had knit for her. She stuffed the matching hat and gloves in the pockets, then kissed Jack’s cheek.

As she filled the electric teakettle and turned it on, Jack began to put the groceries away.

“Are you ready to talk about it?” he asked cautiously.

“It’s David.”

“Rhodes?”

“The very one. The man is lower than pond scum.”

“That’s not news.”

Early in her mother’s marriage to Ben, his son had tried to bilk Charlotte out of several thousand dollars. He’d used a ruse about needing some surgery his medical insurance wouldn’t cover, and if not for Justine’s intervention, Charlotte would have given him the money. David Rhodes was shameless, and he’d dishonored his father’s name.

“Is he in town?” Jack asked. He took two mugs from the cupboard and set them on the counter; Olivia tossed a couple of Earl Grey teabags in the pot.

“No, or at least not as far as I’m aware. And frankly it’s a good thing he isn’t.”

Jack chuckled. “I couldn’t agree with you more, and I haven’t got a clue what he’s done to upset you now.”

“He got a young girl pregnant.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose toward his hairline. “And you know this how?”

“I met her.”

“Today?”

“Not more than two hours ago. She’s young, probably twenty years younger than he is, and innocent. Or she was until David got hold of her. I swear that man should be shot!”

“Olivia!” He seemed shocked by her words. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Okay, that might be drastic. I’m just so furious I can hardly stand it.”

Jack grinned.

Olivia glared at her husband. “You find this entertaining, do you?”

“Well, not about the young lady but I will admit it’s a pleasant change to see color in your cheeks and your eyes sparkling, even if it’s with outrage.” He reached for her and brought her close enough to kiss her lips, allowing his own to linger. When he released her, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, “It’s an even greater pleasure to know all this indignation isn’t directed at me.”

“I’ve never been anywhere near this upset with you, Jack Griffin.”

“I beg to differ.”

“When?”

“I remember one time,” Jack said, “when I thought you were going to kick me out.”

“I would never have done that.” Her arms circled his waist. They’d found ways to make their marriage work, ways to compromise between his nature—he was a slob, not to put too fine a point on it—and hers.

Olivia liked order. Their bathroom dilemma was a perfect example. She’d been driven to the brink of fury by the piles of damp towels, the spattered mirror, the uncapped toothpaste. The solution? They had their own bathrooms now. She’d kept the one off the master bedroom and he had the guest bath. Jack could be as sloppy as he wanted, as long as he closed the door and Olivia didn’t have to see his mess.

“You’re lucky I love you so much,” Jack whispered.

“And why’s that?” she asked, leaning back to look him in the eye.

“Because you’d be lost without me.”

“Jack…”

The kettle started to boil, its piercing whistle enough to set the dogs in the next block howling. She tried to break free, but Jack held her fast. “Admit it,” he insisted. “You’re crazy about me.”

“All right, all right, I’m crazy about you.”

“And you’d be lost without me. Wouldn’t you?”

“Jack!”

Chortling like a schoolboy, he let her go and she grabbed the kettle, relieved by the sudden cessation of that high-pitched shrieking.

Pouring the boiling water into the teapot, she covered it with a cozy and left the tea to steep. Then she opened the cookie jar and chose two of the decorated sugar cookies she’d baked a few days earlier with her grandson—a tree shape and a star. The afternoon had worn her out physically but she treasured every moment she’d spent in the kitchen with Leif.

Just as she was about to pour their tea, the phone rang.

“Want me to get that?” Jack called from the other room.

A glance at Caller ID told her it was Grace.

“I will,” she told him. “Merry Christmas,” she said into the receiver.

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” her friend said in return. “I thought I’d check in and let you know how everything’s going.”

“So what’s the update?”

“Everything’s fine.”

“Mary Jo’s resting?”

“She was asleep the last time I looked, which was about five minutes ago. The girl must be exhausted. She told me she didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“She’s in the apartment then, or at the house?”

“The apartment. Cliff’s daughter and her family are already here, so…”

Olivia wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of leaving Mary Jo alone, but it was probably for the best. This way she could relax undisturbed.

“There’s something strange…”

“What?” Olivia asked.

“Well, for no reason I can understand, I decided to do a bit of housekeeping in the apartment yesterday. Cal’s been gone a few weeks now, and I put clean sheets on the bed and fresh towels in the bathroom. It’s as if…as if I was waiting for Mary Jo.”

That was a little too mystical for Olivia. “I’m so glad this is working out,” she said.

“She’s an animal-lover, too.”

That didn’t surprise Olivia. She sensed that Mary Jo had a gentleness about her, a soft heart, an interest in others.

“The minute I brought her into the barn, she wanted to see all the Nativity animals.”

“You kept her away from that camel, didn’t you?”

“I kept us both away,” Grace was quick to tell her. “That beast is going to have to chew on someone else’s arm.”

“Yeah, David’s would be ideal,” Olivia said.

Grace laughed, but sobered almost immediately. “Listen, Mary Jo has a concern I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Sure.”

“She’s got three older brothers who are most likely on their way into town, looking for her, as we speak.”

“Does she want to be found?” Olivia asked.

“I think she does, only she wants to talk to Ben and Charlotte before her brothers do.”

“She’s not trying to protect David, is she?”

“I doubt it. What she’s afraid of is that her brothers might try to insist that David marry her and she doesn’t want to. At this point, she’s accepted that she’s better off without him.”

“Smart decision.”

“Yes, but it came at quite a price, didn’t it?”

“True. A lesson with lifelong consequences.”

“We all seem to learn our lessons the hard way,” Grace said.

“I know I did.” Her children, too, Olivia mused. Justine and James. As always, especially around the holidays, her mind wandered to Jordan, the son she’d lost that summer day all those years ago. Justine’s twin.

“What time are Maryellen and Kelly coming by?” she asked Grace, changing the subject. Although Mary Jo would be staying in the barn, perhaps she should bring her over for dinner. Give her a chance to feel welcomed by Ben’s second family. Cliff’s daughter, Lisa, her husband and their little girl, April, were out doing some last-minute shopping, apparently, and not due back until late afternoon.

“My girls should be here around six.”

“You’re going straight to church after dinner?”

“That’s the plan,” Grace told her. “I was going to invite Mary Jo to join us.”

“For dinner or Christmas Eve service?”

“Both, actually, but I’m having second thoughts.”

“Why? And about what?”

“Oh, about inviting Mary Jo to dinner. I’m afraid it might be too much for her. We’ll have five grandkids running around. You know how much racket children can make, and double that on Christmas Eve.”

“Is there anything I can do for her?” Olivia asked. “Should I invite her to have dinner here?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll talk to her when she wakes up and then I’ll phone you.”

“Thanks. And tell her not to worry about her brothers.”

“I’ll do that.”

“See you tonight.”

“Tonight,” Olivia echoed.

After setting down the phone, Olivia poured the tea and placed both mugs on the table, followed by the plate of cookies, and called Jack into the kitchen again.

His eyes widened in overstated surprise. “Cookies? For me? You shouldn’t have.”

“I can still put them back.”

“Oh, no, you don’t.” He grabbed the star-shaped cookie and bit off one point. “What’s this in honor of?”

“I had pie with lunch. So I’m trying to be fair.”

Knowing her disciplined eating habits, Jack did a double take. “You ate pie? At lunch?”

“Goldie made me do it.”

“Goldie,” he repeated. “You mean Will took you to the Pancake Palace?”

“It’s where I wanted to go.”

Jack sat down, scooped up the tree cookie and bit into that, too. “You’re a cheap date.”

“Not necessarily.”

He ignored that remark. “Did you enjoy lunch with Will?” he asked, then sipped his tea. Jack was familiar with their sometimes tumultuous relationship.

“I did, although I’m a little worried.” Olivia crossed her legs and held the mug in the palm of her hand. “He’s interested in Shirley Bliss, a local artist.”

“She’s not married, is she?”

Olivia shook her head. “A widow.”

Jack shrugged. “Then it’s okay if he wants to see her.”

“I agree. It’s just that I don’t know if I can trust my brother. It pains me to admit that, but still…” She left the rest unsaid. Jack knew her brother and his flaws as well as she did. “I want him to be successful here,” she said earnestly. “He’s starting over, and at this stage of his life that can’t be easy.”

“I don’t imagine it will be,” Jack agreed. “By the way, who was that on the phone?”

“Grace. She called to update me on Mary Jo.”

“Problems?”

“Not really, but she said we need to keep an eye out for three irate brothers who might show up looking for her.”

“A vigilante posse?”

“Not exactly.” But now that Olivia thought about it, it might not be so bad if Mary Jo’s brothers stumbled onto David Rhodes instead. “If her brothers find anyone, it should be David.”

“There’d certainly be justice in that, but David’s not going to let himself be found. And I think we should be focusing on the young woman, don’t you?”

His tone was gentle, but Olivia felt chastened. “Yes—and her baby.”

Chapter Nine

Mary Jo woke feeling confused. She sat up in bed and gazed around at the sparsely decorated room before she remembered where she was. Grace Harding had brought her home and was letting her spend the night in this apartment above the barn. It was such a kind thing to do. She was a stranger, after all, a stranger with problems who’d appeared out of nowhere on Christmas Eve.

Stretching her arms high above her head, Mary Jo yawned loudly. She was still tired, despite her nap. Her watch told her she’d been asleep for almost two hours. Two hours!

Other than in her first trimester, she hadn’t required a lot of extra rest during her pregnancy, but that had changed in the past few weeks. Of course some of it could be attributed to David and his lies. Wondering what she should believe and whether he’d meant any of what he’d said had kept her awake many a night. Consequently she was tired during the day; while she was still working she’d nap during her lunch break.

Forcing her eyes shut, Mary Jo made an effort to cast David from her mind. She quickly gave up. Tossing aside the covers, she climbed out of bed, put on her shoes and left the apartment. The stairway led to the interior of the barn.

As soon as she stepped into the barn, several animals stuck their heads out of the stalls to study her curiously. The first she saw was a lovely horse. Grace had introduced her as Funny Face.

“Hello there, girl.” Mary Jo walked slowly toward the stall door. “Remember me?” The mare nodded in what seemed to be an encouraging manner, and Mary Jo ran her hand down the horse’s unusually marked face. The mare had a white ring around one eye and it was easy to see why the Hardings had named her Funny Face. Her dark, intelligent eyes made Mary Jo think of an old story she recalled from childhood—that animals can talk for a few hours after midnight on Christmas Eve—and she wondered what Funny Face would say. Probably something very wise.

The camel seemed curious, too, and thrust her long curved neck out of the stall, peering at Mary Jo through wide eyes, fringed with lush, curling lashes. Mary Jo had been warned to keep her distance. “Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, waving her index finger. “You’re not going to lure me over there with those big brown eyes. Don’t give me that innocent look, either. I’ve heard all about you.”

After visiting a few placid sheep, another couple of horses and a donkey with a sweet disposition, Mary Jo walked out of the barn. She hurried toward the house through a light snowfall, wishing she’d remembered her coat. Even before she arrived, the front door opened and an attractive older gentleman held the screen.

“You must be Mary Jo,” he said and thrust out his hand in greeting. “Cliff Harding.”

“Hello, Mr. Harding,” she said with a smile. She was about to thank him for his hospitality when he interrupted.

“Call me Cliff, okay? And come in, come in.”

“All right, Cliff. Thank you.”

Mary Jo entered the house and was greeted by the smell of roasting turkey and sage and apple pie.

“You’re awake!” Grace declared as she came out of the kitchen. She wore an apron and had smudges of flour on her cheeks.

“I’m shocked I slept for so long.”

“You obviously needed it,” Grace commented, leading her into the kitchen. “I see you’ve met my husband.”

“Yes.” Mary Jo smiled again. Rubbing her palms nervously together, she looked from one to the other. “I really can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.”

“Oh, nonsense. It’s the least we could do.”

“I’m a stranger and you took me in without question and, well…I didn’t think that kind of thing happened in this day and age.”

That observation made Grace frown. “Really? It does here in Cedar Cove. I guess it’s just how people act in small towns. We tend to be more trusting.”

“I had a similar experience when I first moved here,” Cliff said. “I wasn’t accustomed to people going out of their way for someone they didn’t know. I didn’t believe it could be genuine.

Charlotte Jefferson—now Charlotte Rhodes—disabused me of that notion.”

Despite everything, Mary Jo looked forward to meeting David’s stepmother. The conversation would be difficult, but knowing that Charlotte was as kind as everyone else she’d met so far made all the difference.

“Really, Mary Jo,” Grace continued. “All you needed was a friend and a helping hand. Anyone here would’ve done the same. Olivia wanted you to stay with her, too.”

“Everyone’s been so wonderful.” Thinking about the willingness of these people to take her in brought a lump to her throat. She bent, with some effort, to stroke the smooth head of a golden retriever who lay on a rug near the stove.

“That’s Buttercup,” Grace said fondly as the dog thumped her tail but didn’t stand up. “She’s getting old, like the rest of us.”

“Coffee?” Cliff walked over to the coffeemaker. “I’ll make some decaf. Are you interested?” he asked, motioning in Mary Jo’s direction with the pot.

“I’d love some. If it isn’t any trouble.”

“None whatsoever. I’m having a cup, too.” Grace set out three mugs, then suddenly asked, “You didn’t eat any lunch, did you?”

“No, but I’m not hungry.”

“You might not be, but that baby of yours is,” Grace said as if she had a direct line of communication to the unborn child. Without asking further, she walked to the refrigerator and poked her head inside. Adjusting various containers and bottles and packages, she took out a plastic-covered bowl.

“I don’t want to cause you any extra work,” Mary Jo protested.

“The work’s already done. Cliff made the most delicious clam chowder,” Grace said. “I’ll heat you up some.”

Now that Grace mentioned it, Mary Jo realized she really could use something to eat; she was feeling light-headed again. “Cliff cooks?” Her brothers were practically helpless around the kitchen and it always surprised her to find a man who enjoyed cooking.

“I am a man of many talents,” Grace’s husband answered with a smile. “I was a bachelor for years before I met Grace.”

“If I didn’t prepare meals, my brothers would survive on fast food and frozen entrées,” she said, grinning. Thankfully her mother had taught her quite a bit before her death. The brothers had relied on Mary Jo for meals ever since.

The thought of Linc, Mel and Ned made her anxious. She’d meant to call, but then she’d fallen asleep and now…they could be anywhere. They’d be furious and frightened. She felt a blast of guilt; her brothers might be misguided but they loved her.

“If you’ll excuse me a moment,” she said urgently. “I need to make a phone call.”

“Of course,” Grace told her. “Would you like to use the house phone?”

She shook her head. “No, I have my cell up in the apartment. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“You might have a problem with coverage. Try it and see. By the time you return, the coffee and soup will be ready.”

Mary Jo went back to the barn and up the stairs to the small apartment. She was breathless when she reached the top and paused to gulp in some air. Her pulse was racing. This had never happened before. Trying to stay calm, she walked into the bedroom where she’d left her purse.

Sitting on the bed, she got out her cell. She tried the family home first. But the call didn’t connect, and when Mary Jo glanced at the screen, she saw there wasn’t any coverage in this area. Well, that settled that.

She did feel bad but there was no help for it. She’d ask to make a long-distance call on the Hardings’ phone, and she’d try Linc’s cell, as well as the house. She collected her coat and gloves and hurried back to the house, careful not to slip in the snow.

A few minutes later, she was in the kitchen. As Grace had promised, the coffee and a bowl of soup were waiting for her on the table.

Mary Jo hesitated. She really hated to ask, hated to feel even more beholden. “If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate using your phone.”

“Of course.”

“It’s long distance, I’m afraid. I’d be happy to pay the charges. You could let me know—”

“Nonsense,” Grace countered. “One phone call isn’t going to make a bit of difference to our bill.”

“Thank you.” Still wearing her coat, Mary Jo went over to the wall phone, then remembered that Linc’s number was programmed into her cell. Speed dial made it unnecessary to memorize numbers these days, she thought ruefully.

She’d have to go back to the apartment a second time. Well, there was no help for that, either. “I’ll need to get my cell phone,” she said.

“I can have Cliff get it for you,” Grace offered. “I’m not sure you should be climbing those stairs too often.”

“Oh, no, I’m fine,” Mary Jo assured her. She walked across the yard, grateful the snow had tapered off, and back up the steep flight of stairs, pausing as she had before to inhale deeply and calm her racing heart. Taking another breath, she went in search of her cell.

On the off chance the phone might work in a different location, Mary Jo stood on the Hardings’ porch and tried again. And again she received the same message. No coverage.

Cell phone in hand, she returned to the kitchen.

“I’ll make the call as quickly as I can,” she told Grace, lifting the receiver.

“You talk as long as you need,” Grace said. “And here, let me take your coat.”

She found Linc’s contact information in her cell phone directory and dialed his number. After a few seconds, the call connected and went straight to voice mail. Linc, it appeared, had decided to turn off his cell. Mary Jo wasn’t sure what to make of that. Maybe he didn’t want her to contact him, she thought with sudden panic. Maybe he was so angry he never wanted to hear from her again. When she tried to leave a message, she discovered that his voice mail was full. She sighed. It was just like Linc not to listen to his messages. He probably had no idea how many he’d accumulated.

“My brother has his cell off,” Mary Jo said with a defeated shrug.

“He might be in a no-coverage zone,” Grace explained. “We don’t get good reception here at the ranch. Is it worth trying his house?”

Mary Jo doubted it, but she punched in the numbers. As she’d expected, no answer there, either. Her oldest brother’s deep voice came on, reciting the phone number. Then, in his usual peremptory fashion, he said, “We’re not here. Leave a message.” Mary Jo closed her eyes.

“It’s me,” she began shakily, half afraid Linc would break in and start yelling at her. Grace had stepped out of the kitchen to give her privacy, a courtesy she appreciated.

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