“What friend?”

“Carrie, I think.”

“You think?” Rachel had been afraid of this. Bruce had ceded all control to Jolene. Rachel had always insisted on knowing where Jolene was going and who she’d be with before she left the house, and Jolene had hated that.

“It’s either Carrie or Lucy. Why? What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that your daughter needs supervision. Jolene is at a vulnerable age. She needs boundaries.”

“I told her she had to be home before midnight.”

“Midnight?” Rachel thought she was going to be sick. “A thirteen-year-old should be home and in bed long before then. Have you lost your mind?”

“Can we talk about this later?” Bruce said after a strained moment.

“That might be best.”

“Shall I meet you at D.D.’s at six?”

“I’ll be there.” Then, because she felt the urge to talk to Jolene, the urge to try yet again, she asked Bruce to put her stepdaughter on the line.

It was a couple of minutes before Jolene got on the phone. “What?” she demanded.

“I understand you’re taking good care of your father,” Rachel said, thinking that if she began with a compliment, the conversation might go more smoothly.

“I told you before—we don’t need you here.”

“And you’re right, you don’t.” That obviously wasn’t what Jolene had expected. “Your father and I are going out for dinner on Friday night.”

“Great,” she muttered sarcastically. “You aren’t moving back, though, are you?”

“No.”

“Good, because it’s been really nice around here without you.”

Rachel didn’t doubt that was true—in Jolene’s mind, if not Bruce’s. Rachel responded with silence.

“Dad and I are as close as ever.”

Rachel decided to ignore that, too. “I wanted to tell you I felt the baby move today.”

For the first time since she’d picked up the phone, Jolene didn’t have anything derogatory to say.

Rachel continued. “The doctor says the baby—”

“Do you know yet if it’s a boy or girl?”

“Your father asked me the same thing. No, I didn’t want to be told. I’d rather be surprised.”

“Oh.” Jolene seemed disappointed.

“Do you want a baby brother?”

She hesitated. “I guess.”

“A sister would be nice, too,” Rachel said. “Someone you could be friends with later on. I always wanted a sister.”

“I did, too. When I was little.”

“Either way, this baby is going to be happy to have a big sister,” Rachel said. “It was nice chatting with you, Jolene. Maybe we can do it again, okay?”

“We can talk,” Jolene whispered, “as long as you don’t move back.”

Sixteen

“Oh, Mom,” Tanni whispered as she stepped into her mother’s bedroom. “You look so beautiful.”

Shirley blushed. “Oh, Tanni, do I?” She was about to be married and felt more unsettled than she could ever remember being.

A small wedding was what both she and Larry wanted. Just family and a few friends. Tanni had agreed to be her maid of honor and Miranda would serve as her one and only bridesmaid.

The wedding would take place in the small chapel at the Catholic church, with Father Donahue presiding. Larry and his children had flown in from California early that morning. They either had to get married in this two-day window or wait another three months until he returned from his travels.

To Larry, the three months seemed far too long, since they’d already made up their minds. Shirley had never intended to fall in love again; she’d certainly never expected to. Meeting Larry had overturned all her preconceived ideas about living the rest of her life as a widow.

As Larry said, they were meant to be together.

Together.

That was almost worthy of a laugh. With his lecture tour and painting schedule, they’d have this forty-eight-hour period, and then he was off to New York for two weeks, followed by a European tour. Naturally Larry wanted her to go with him, and she would’ve loved it.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t possible. Shirley couldn’t pull Tanni out of school or take off for weeks at a time. She wasn’t willing to leave her seventeen-year-old daughter to fend for herself. She also had several commissions she was working on and couldn’t abandon what she’d been contracted to complete. Above all, she was Tanni’s mother and Tanni needed her to be at home.

Losing her father had been a terrible blow to her teenage daughter, and Shirley wasn’t going to subject Tanni to another massive change, just when she was starting to cope.

The plan was that they’d have their wedding Friday afternoon, honeymoon for two days and then Larry would be gone for nearly eleven weeks.

The ceremony was lovely, and both families went to dinner afterward. She was relieved to see how well her children and Larry’s got along. They joked and teased as if they’d known one another all their lives.

Larry clasped her hand beneath the dinner table. “Are you ready to get out of here?” he said in a low voice.

“Now?” Shirley asked. She was enjoying the families’ interactions and hated to have everything end so soon.

“We can stay as long as you like, but we do have a three-hour drive ahead of us.”

This was news to Shirley. She’d planned the wedding, but had left the honeymoon to Larry.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“I have good friends who own a summer home near Leavenworth, which they’ve lent us.”

The Bavarian-style village in the eastern part of the state was one of her favorite places. Since it was an artists’ community, she wasn’t surprised that Larry had friends living there.

Larry squeezed her fingers. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

Shirley squeezed back. “We can leave now.”

Except that it took at least half an hour to get away, since everyone wanted to wish them well. Still holding hands, Larry led her to the front of the restaurant, where the valet had brought their rental car. Larry helped her in, and with their friends and family gathered around, they drove off to waves and shouts.

“We’re on our way,” Larry said, glancing at her as he pulled out of the circular drive. “Finally.”

Shirley smiled at him.

“You’re a beautiful bride,” he said.

“And you’re an exceptionally handsome groom,” she returned. “Are you happy?”

“Very much so—and sad, too.”

“Sad? Why?” she asked.

“Because we have so little time.”

Shirley didn’t want to think about the future, other than this coming weekend. Somehow they’d make it through the next eleven weeks. Then, after Tanni left for college, they could live together in California.

“Have I ever told you how much I enjoy Leavenworth?” she asked. They often spoke for two and three hours at a time. Shirley supposed she must have mentioned her fondness for the town at some point.

“Not that I recall. I was only there once and liked it tremendously. It’s the first place I thought of for a honeymoon.”

Shirley nestled in the plush leather seat. She was exhausted and the warm air from the car’s heater made her feel sleepy.

“Go ahead and rest,” Larry said. “I plan on keeping you up for most of the night.”

Shirley sighed contentedly. “Then you should be aware that I plan on wearing you out.”

He chuckled. “We’ll just have to see about that.”

The next morning, Shirley had to admit they were both right. They’d arrived at the cabin around eleven the previous night. While Larry lit a fire and opened a bottle of champagne, she’d unpacked their suitcases and changed into her silk nightgown and robe.

He was a gentle, caring lover. Afterward, they slept for a while and then made love again. In the morning, Shirley woke to sunshine. She sat up and stretched contentedly before she snuggled against Larry’s side.

“Mmm.” He rolled over, throwing one arm around her. “I like waking up with you beside me.”

“Me, too,” she whispered. Tossing aside the covers a few minutes later, she shivered in the morning chill and hurriedly reached for her flimsy robe, although it offered little warmth.

The coffee was brewing by the time Larry joined her. He’d dressed and immediately set about building another fire.

Not until she’d poured them each a cup did Shirley look outside. “Larry!” she cried, pulling open the drapes. “It snowed.”

“We are in the mountains, love.”

“Yes, I know, but it’s still October, and I wasn’t expecting this. It’s so beautiful.”

“Yes, it is,” he said, coming to stand behind her, folding his arms around her. She loved being this close to her husband, loved feeling his embrace. All too soon she’d be back in the real world, alone once again.

They spent one glorious day together, riding snow-mobiles, laughing, enjoying each other’s company. Larry took her to a wonderful restaurant for dinner and they spent much of that night discovering each other in new and exciting ways. Then, early Sunday morning, Larry drove them back to Cedar Cove.

Since he had to return the rental car to the airport, he took her home first. When they got there, he carried her small suitcase into the house, then held her close. “I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered.

Shirley didn’t want him to go, either. In fact, she felt like weeping.

Larry hid his face in her hair. “The weeks will fly by,” he said.

“No, they won’t,” she protested. “Every minute’s going to seem like an hour.” She felt his smile against her skin when he kissed her neck.

“I agree,” he said. “I’m doing my best to think positive here. How about a little help?”

“I’m positive,” she muttered. “Positive I’m going to be lonely and miserable.”

He glanced at his watch. “I have to go.”

“I know.” If he got delayed in traffic or at the rental return, he’d miss his flight. Shirley dared not keep him there any longer.

They kissed one last time, and she walked him out to the car and waved, forcing herself to smile, refusing to send him off with tears in her eyes. Standing by the fence she waited until the car disappeared from sight.

With a sigh, she went into the house and found Tanni’s scribbled note on the kitchen chalkboard. “With Kristen. Home before six.”

It was only three now. Her arms around her middle, she sank into a chair, feeling sorry for herself.

“This is ridiculous,” she said aloud. She’d met and married a good man—an artist like herself, whose work she admired. Instead of brooding about the empty weeks ahead, she should be counting her blessings.

She picked up the phone and called Miranda. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Cleaning house,” Miranda said. “Somebody stop me.”