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…
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.”
Pulsuz fraqment bitdi.