“Megan sought me out—but not because she knew about us.”

“You certainly didn’t discourage her, though, did you?”

“No, and why should I? She’s a very sweet girl. Maybe that’s why it took me a while to realize the two of you are related—” Faith paused long enough to shake her head. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I shouldn’t have said that. But I did tell her I knew you.”

“Back in high school.”

“True,” she said. “I didn’t feel it was necessary to go into our recent relationship…but perhaps I was wrong.”

“Perhaps you were.”

“Then I suggest that perhaps the best thing for us to do is agree to disagree.”

“If that’s the way you want it.”

Her lower lip trembled slightly. “We gave it a good try. Twice. We both made mistakes. I apologize for my part and you’ve already apologized for yours.”

“Can’t we start over?” he asked.

“No,” Faith said. “I don’t think we should.”

That seemed so final. “We tried and it didn’t work out. I don’t have the heart to make another stab at this. I guess I’m too old and set in my ways. I don’t bounce back as quickly as I used to.”

Troy had no alternative but to accept her decision. “Then I’d like us to part as friends.”

“Oh, I agree.” She removed her hand from her pocket and held it out to him.

Troy frowned at it. “I’d be more receptive to a hug.”

Faith smiled, moving toward him.

Troy enveloped her in his arms and closed his eyes. He breathed in her familiar scent, holding her just a moment longer than he probably should have. When he dropped his arms, he stepped back.

“Since we live in the same town, I hope we can be cordial to each other,” Faith said, sounding like herself for the first time that evening.

“I’m hoping that, too.” He shuffled his feet, still a bit uneasy. “As far as Megan’s concerned, I appreciate that you took her under your wing. She obviously needed someone and I’m glad she chose you.”

Faith’s face grew red; he wondered if it was from the cold or something else.

“I’m sorry for getting so angry with you,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have said anything about you and Sally.”

Troy shrugged. “Sally was a blind date I got roped into. She’s the mother-in-law of one of my deputies. She was visiting from New York. Bart had a social obligation that particular night, and his mother-in-law was going to be alone, so he asked me if I’d mind taking her to dinner.”

“Oh.”

“Although it’s neither here nor there, it was only the one date.”

“You were right, though. It wasn’t any of my business. I must’ve sounded like a jealous shrew.”

“You didn’t,” he assured her.

“Grandma, Grandma, come and look at our tree,” Angela called out to Faith. Her brother trailed behind her.

“I’d better join my family.”

Troy took another step back. “And I should go find Megan and Craig.”

“I’m grateful we had this talk.”

He nodded.

“Merry Christmas, Troy,” Faith said softly.

“Merry Christmas.”

Megan and Craig had already chosen and cut down their tree by the time Troy located them.

“So, what do you think, Dad?” she asked.

Troy studied the tree. “Good choice. Do you plan to decorate it this evening?”

“I’m not talking about the tree,” Megan said. “I was asking about Faith.”

“Oh, that,” he murmured, unsure how to explain. “She’s very nice but I don’t think we have that much in common.”

His daughter’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding. Faith is perfect for you.”

“Let it rest, honey,” Craig said. “This is your father’s decision, not yours.”

It looked as if Megan wanted to argue but then she took her husband’s advice.

Troy helped Craig tie the fresh Christmas tree to the roof of the car. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Troy caught sight of Faith. She stood apart from her family, watching him. When their eyes met, she raised her hand in a gesture of farewell.

This time it really was goodbye.

Twenty-Seven

“Where are you?” Christie asked her sister, nearly shouting into her cell phone. Her heart pounded at an alarming rate. It was vital that she speak to Teri as soon as possible. She’d just finished her shift at Wal-Mart and had stopped by Teri and Bobby’s house—a visit that was also a convenient excuse to see James again. Since the night he’d come to her apartment, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. Their time together had been so special—at least to Christie—and she needed to confirm that he felt the same way about her.

“…shopping.” Teri’s voice faded in and out.

“I didn’t ask what you were doing, I asked where you are. I need to talk to you, pronto.”

“Seattle,” Teri told her. “Bobby and I are shopping for cribs. We’re driving to a mall.”

“Oh.” Christie’s heart sank. “I went over to your house when I got off work…I thought you’d be here.”

“Sorry…disappoint you, but…” Once again Teri’s voice faded out.

“Are you with James?” Christie asked.

“Who? I didn’t hear you.”

“Never mind.” Obviously she was.

“What’s wrong?” Her sister must have detected the note of panic in her voice.

“Someone was here.”

“Where?” Teri shouted back.

“At the house. By the gate.”

A short pause followed, and Christie didn’t know if it was due to the bad connection or her sister’s worry.

“Who?”

“A reporter, and he wasn’t interested in talking to Bobby.”

“Then who…” Christie heard some static. “Me?”

“No, he wanted to talk to James.”

“Really? What about?”

“Well, for starters, his name isn’t James Wilbur.”

“Then what is it?”

Her head was whirling with what she’d learned. “His name is James Gardner.”

“That’s…interesting.” Since Teri was in the car with Bobby and James, the conversation was risky, but Christie had to chance it. Teri seemed to realize intuitively that she couldn’t reveal what Christie was about to tell her. Still, there was a limit to how much she could say over the phone, especially with both men in earshot.

“What else did he tell you?” Teri wanted to know.

“The reporter thought I was one of the help, so I played along. I let him assume I was the housekeeper and said Bobby and you, plus James, were out of town for the next few days.”

“Good idea.” Teri’s voice was louder now; wherever they were, cell phone reception had clearly improved.

“I need to talk to James. It’s important, Teri. His cover is about to be blown.”

“Cover?”

“I’ll explain later. Ask Bobby. He knows everything—he’s known all along.”

“Okay,” Teri said calmly.

Christie felt as though she might break into tears. “Haven’t you ever wondered about James?”

Teri’s voice fell. “To be honest, yes.”

“James and Bobby go way back—back to when they were in their early teens.”

Her announcement was followed by a short silence. “Bobby and I are staying in a hotel downtown, so you can—”

“I need to talk to James,” Christie broke in. “It’s vital that he know what’s going on.”

“James is driving home to Cedar Cove. He should be there by six-thirty.”

“Okay.”

“Can you tell me any more?”

“It’s too complicated.” With a shaking hand, Christie brushed her hair away from her forehead. “I never guessed…Not in a million years would I have guessed.”

“Christie, you can’t keep me in suspense like this.”

“I can’t tell you right now, so don’t ask me again. Only…”

“Only, what?”

“Tonight when you and Bobby are alone, you might ask him a few questions about James.”

“You think I haven’t already?”

“Just ask, and this time tell him the whole world’s about to learn…everything.”

Christie wanted to kick herself. She’d intended to keep her mouth shut and here she was, practically blurting it all out.

“What do you mean by ‘everything’?” Teri demanded, and from her tone of voice, Christie knew her sister wasn’t going to let this drop.

Teri was like a bloodhound tracking a scent. She was after details, and she wanted them now. Sighing heavily, Christie muttered part of what she’d found out. “Apparently James was born in a town called Wilbur—I think it’s on the East Coast. That’s where he got his surname.”

“Who told you that?”

“The reporter…This is going to be big, Teri. Very big.”

“You’re positive this person is who you think it is?” she asked carefully.

“Yes.” Christie didn’t have a single doubt. “I saw the photos. It’s James, all right. He’s much younger in the pictures, but there’s no mistaking him.”

Her sister spoke in a whisper. “We’re at the hotel. Give me ten minutes and I’ll call you back.”

“Okay, okay.”

Sure enough, exactly nine minutes later, Teri phoned. “You want to talk to James, right?” she said without so much as a greeting. “Alone,” she added. “In a private setting where you won’t be disturbed.”

“Yes…of course.” Christie had to let him know, as soon as possible. “What do you mean, a private setting?” Teri had something in mind.

“Now listen,” Teri continued, sounding authoritative. “James is driving back to Cedar Cove and I’ve asked him to bring some packages into the house.”

“No, he can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because the reporter might still be around, looking for him.” Once the article hit the newsstands, it would only be a matter of time before the Seattle stations were hounding James. Then would come CNN and Fox and the other networks, the Internet…

“I thought you told that reporter James was out of town.”

“I did.”

“Then you don’t have anything to worry about.” The reassurance in her voice calmed Christie. “No one can get into the house, so as soon as James arrives he’ll be safe. The gate’s electronically wired and we have the best security system money can buy. No one’s getting in there without a whole lot of trouble, so don’t concern yourself with that.”