74 Seaside Avenue

“But you’ve always been so responsible.”

“Exactly my point,” Linnette told her. “I’m tired of meeting all these expectations.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “Your father and I never meant—”

“Mom.” Linnette leaned across the table and placed a hand on her mother’s arm. “It’s not your expectations I’m talking about but my own. I’m the one who put them on myself. As of right now, I’m taking a long, hard look at my life. I’m setting out to discover what I really want. All I know is that it isn’t in Cedar Cove.”

Her mother seemed about to break into tears. “And you have to run away from your family?”

“Yes.” It was the simple, straightforward truth.

“Oh.” Corrie picked up her tea and her lips trembled as she bent to take a sip.

Linnette understood how difficult this was for her mother. “Think about the positive side, Mom,” she said, forcing a note of cheerful optimism into her voice.

“What’s positive about my daughter running away?” Corrie asked.

“Well, this’ll be a wonderful opportunity for you and Gloria to get to know each other without me there always directing the conversation.”

Her mother’s eyes widened. The situation with Gloria remained awkward, although everyone was trying to make her feel like part of the family. Gloria had been given up for adoption as an infant and then found her biological family. She was a full-blooded sister Linnette had never known she had—or at least not until two years ago.

A little while before that, Linnette had moved practically next door to her own sister and they’d struck up a friendship. Gloria had been a tremendous comfort to Linnette since her breakup with Cal.

“I love you both equally,” her mother said in low tones. “I always have.”

“Of course you do, Mom, but you don’t really know Gloria. Like I said, this is your chance to bond without me being there.” So far, it’d always been the three of them. Now, both Gloria and their mother could benefit from some private time together. Without Linnette who, as she readily acknowledged, tended to be the center of attention.

She finished her tea and, feeling a little stronger—perhaps the tea had helped—she brought her cup to the sink. Her mother stood, too. “I should go. Your father expected me back at the office half an hour ago.”

“I’m surprised that he didn’t call your cell.”

Corrie smiled. “I suspect he knew where I was.”

She was probably right. Linnette admired her parents’ marriage and the way they understood each other, the way they worked together. It was what she wanted for her own marriage and was determined to have one day.

Her mother left soon afterward. Linnette hugged her, and they both managed to smile, despite Corrie’s disappointment. Everything she’d said was true, and yet nothing was going to change. Linnette instinctively knew she’d made the right decision. She needed to leave Cedar Cove.

She rinsed out the cups and set them in the dishwasher. She’d just returned to her packing when the doorbell rang again. It would be either her brother, Mack, or Gloria, she figured. Most likely Gloria.

But Linnette was in for a shock. Vicki Newman, the woman Cal loved, stood on the other side of the screen door. For a long moment the two women did nothing but stare at each other.

“I hope you don’t mind that I’ve come,” Vicki said shyly, her brown eyes imploring Linnette.

“Does Cal know you’re here?” Linnette couldn’t help glancing over the woman’s shoulder. Then she looked back at Vicki, with her plain face—there was no other word for it—and her carelessly braided hair. And yet Linnette had begun to realize why Cal loved her so much. For one thing they shared a view of the world, including their passion for animals; Vicki was a veterinarian and Cal a horse-trainer who worked for Grace Harding’s husband. The way it had all happened, though—Linnette still found that hard to believe. But she respected him for caring so deeply that he was willing to stand up to the barrage of criticism directed at him because of the pain he’d caused Linnette.

In response to Linnette’s question, Vicki shook her head. “Cal wouldn’t like it if he found out I’d stopped by.”

Knowing him as well as she did, Linnette agreed. Unlatching the screen door, she pushed it open to allow the other woman inside.

As Vicki walked into the apartment, her gaze darted about the room, taking in the boxes that littered the floor. “So it’s true. You are moving.”

Linnette ignored her comment and gestured toward the sofa. “Would you like to sit down?”

Vicki declined with a shake of her head. She gazed down at the carpet. “I heard you were leaving, and I just wanted to tell you how … how sorry I am.”

“Sorry that I’m leaving?”

“No … sorry that I hurt you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I.” Vicki looked up then and seemed to reach some decision. “I’ve been in love with Cal for a long time,” she said. “Long before he met you. He didn’t know it and I … I didn’t know how to tell him, so I said nothing. I never thought he could possibly love me.”

“It’s because of Cal that you volunteered to help with the mustang rescue, isn’t it?”

Vicki nodded. “Well … partly. The cause is important to me too, of course. Anything to do with horses.”

“I understand.” After a brief silence, she asked, “You knew about me?”

Vicki nodded again. “I tried not to love him.”

Linnette wasn’t sure of the other woman’s purpose in confronting her. Perhaps she felt guilty. Perhaps because of that she was hoping Linnette would yell at her, curse her, condemn her for taking the man Linnette loved. A week earlier, that was exactly what might have happened. Not now. “I’m the one who’s trying not to love him,” Linnette whispered.

“I’m sure there’ll be lots of other opportunities for you. You’ll find someone else to love—someone who’ll love you,” Vicki said urgently. “But for me.” She cleared her throat. “I communicate better with animals than I do with people. I always have. As soon as I met Cal, I felt we should be together. He has the same feeling about animals.”

Linnette suddenly had a sharp clear memory of the time she’d come to visit Cal and overheard him crooning to an injured horse. He hadn’t known she was there. Linnette had felt as if she was intruding on a private moment, a private world.

“Cal’s asked me to marry him,” Vicki said in a low voice. “I want to.”

“Then you should,” Linnette said.

“We both feel so guilty.”

“Don’t, please.” She reached out to touch Vicki’s arm. In the beginning she’d hated this woman, but she no longer felt that way. “I want you both to be happy.”

“You mean that?” Vicki asked, frowning.

“With all my heart.” Linnette took a deep breath. “If you’ve come looking for my absolution, then you have it.”

“Can I tell Cal we’ve talked?”

Linnette nodded. “You’re right, you know. I will find someone else.” For the first time she actually believed it.

Six

It was the Saturday evening of the dreaded family dinner.

Teri couldn’t stop fidgeting. She checked the ham roasting in the oven, along with a huge casserole of scalloped potatoes. She’d chosen fresh green beans for the vegetable; they were simmering on the stove. Although it was summer, ham had always been served on special occasions, and Teri wasn’t about to break with tradition. The table was set with her formal dishes—even the concept of “formal” and “everyday” dishes was a new one for her—and sparkling crystal glasses. Nothing but the best for Mom, Christie and the gang, she thought with no small degree of irony. Against her better judgment, Teri was introducing her family, such as it was, to her husband.

“Bobby,” she called, leaving the kitchen and pulling off the apron she’d donned to protect her pale-green shirt. She’d worn it for confidence, since Bobby loved that color on her. When he came toward her, she drew in a calming breath. “Remember what I told you?”

Her husband regarded her blankly.

“About Christie.”

Judging by the blank look he gave her, he didn’t recall a word. She’d wanted to warn him so he’d be prepared. Her sister, slim and lovely, would do everything in her power to attract him—and steal him away if she could.

Teri suspected that Christie had coerced Johnny into arranging this meeting just so she could prove yet again that any man would prefer her. Christie was thinner, prettier, sexier, and she made sure Teri knew it. Not for a minute did Teri discount her sister’s charms.

She sighed at Johnny’s naiveté. She didn’t really blame him for engineering this … this fiasco-to-be; her little brother desperately wanted them all to live in peace and harmony—as though they actually liked each other.

She sighed again. “My family will be here any minute.”

Bobby stared back at her, then slowly smiled. “I love you, remember.”

“I’m not the one who needs to be reminded.” Christie could be subtle while she was busy flattering some unsuspecting man. She’d be completely absorbed in Bobby, hang on his every word. He’d fall for it, too, she thought grimly. It seemed that every guy she’d loved had been lured away by her sister. Whenever Christie met any man in Teri’s life, he was no longer interested in her. Even if Christie had a boyfriend at the time, she had to take her sister’s, too.

No one had mattered to Teri as much as Bobby. If Christie assumed she could waltz into Teri’s home and play her games, then her little sister had a real surprise awaiting her.

“Tell me their names again,” Bobby said.

“My mother’s name is Ruth and her husband, my stepfather, is Donald.” Teri had to stop and think. “No, sorry, Johnny phoned and told me Mom’s left Donald and now she’s planning to marry Mike. I haven’t met him yet.” She shook her head. Out of seven men, Ruth had yet to pick a decent one as far as Teri could tell, and she doubted Mike would be the exception.

“Ruth and Mike,” Bobby dutifully repeated. “And your sister’s Christie.”

“Christie Levitt.” She bit out the name, hoping she didn’t sound as angry as she felt.

He nodded.

“I told Mom we wouldn’t be serving any alcohol.”

“Okay.” Bobby studied her.

Bobby could be completely oblivious to what was going on around him—the time of day, the weather, even what month it was. However, when it came to Teri, he seemed to notice more than she sometimes realized.

“Is your sister like you?” he asked.

Now, that was an interesting question. Christie wasn’t like her, and yet she was. Two years younger, Christie had tagged after her for the first twelve years of Teri’s life. Anything Teri had, Christie wanted—and generally got. Teri could say without hesitation that their mother had always favored her younger daughter. And yet Christie was capable of kindness on occasion, which Teri found all too easy to forget. She knew enough about human nature to understand that she and Christie shared an insecurity that probably stemmed from their mother’s selfishness and neglect. Ruth might have preferred Christie and spoiled her but both girls had suffered. They just expressed their insecurity with contrasting kinds of behavior.

“Well, in some ways Christie and I are alike,” she conceded.

“Then why are you afraid?”

“Concerned,” she said. She had to learn to trust her husband. The biggest test would come this very evening, and she’d know once and for all if Bobby truly loved her.

“Does Donald play chess?” he asked next.

“Mike,” she corrected. This time around, her mother hadn’t bothered to introduce the new man in her life. Well, for that matter, Teri hadn’t introduced Bobby, either—but for entirely different reasons.

“Does Mike play chess?” He revised the question.

“I don’t know.” Teri loved Bobby all the more for asking. He wasn’t comfortable in social situations and didn’t handle them well. For the most part he avoided even small gatherings; they tended to overwhelm him.

The doorbell chimed, and Teri felt herself tense. “This is going to be a perfect dinner,” she said aloud. Maybe voicing the words would make it happen, although she was pretty sure she sounded more sarcastic than hopeful. The last time the entire family had been together was two Christmases ago, and it’d been an unmitigated disaster.

Ruth and Mike were already drunk and in the middle of a pointless argument when Teri arrived for Christmas dinner. Johnny was late and their sister had left in a fit of anger, furious over something trivial. Teri was stuck refereeing between her mother and her worthless fiancé.

She’d done her best to be festive and cheerful, and all she got in return was anger and resentment. No one else, apparently, was interested in celebrating anything. Because she’d wanted to see Johnny, she’d waited until he got there; she’d spent an hour talking to him, then went home, glad to make her escape. That year, she’d spent the rest of Christmas Day propped up in bed with a good book and a large chocolate bar. She’d felt guilty about abandoning Johnny to their lunatic family, but she couldn’t have been happier to get away. Yet, here she was, willing to try all over again.

When she opened the door, Christie stood on the other side. Teri should’ve known her half sister would show up right on time. She looked awestruck—and envious. The house was impressive, Teri had to admit.

“Some digs you’ve got here,” Christie said. “Mom and Mike are parking the car and they’re going to have a smoke before they come in.” Her gaze immediately shot past Teri and flew to Bobby.

“Hello,” she cooed and practically shoved past Teri in order to greet Bobby. “I’m Christie.” She held out her hand, and when Bobby moved to shake it, she deftly slipped into his arms for a gentle hug. “We’re family, after all,” she said, smiling up at him with undisguised admiration.

Bobby extricated himself and stood beside Teri, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Bobby Polgar.”

“I know all about you,” Christie told him. “I read your story on the Internet. You’re, like, the most popular checkers player in the world.”

“Chess,” Teri muttered. Reaching for her husband’s hand, she gave it a squeeze. “Bobby plays chess.”

“Oh.” Her sister’s face fell. “Well, I remembered it was one of those board games.”

Unlike Teri, her sister was tall with curves in all the right places, and she knew how to use them. Her blouse was cut low in the front, displaying an almost indecent amount of cleavage. Bobby, bless his heart, didn’t seem to notice.

“Shall we sit down?” Teri suggested. Dinner was ready, so there was nothing to distract her in the kitchen. The last thing Teri intended to do was give her sister time alone with Bobby.

They walked slowly into the living room, then sat and stared at each other. They were like aliens from different planets meeting to negotiate a peace settlement—like on Star Trek, Teri thought. Except there was no Captain Picard to guide them. Silently Teri pleaded with Bobby to say something. Anything. He cast her a helpless look in response.

Teri clutched his hand as if it were a lifeline that connected her to the mother ship as she drifted around outer space.

“I’m surprised my sister caught such a handsome man,” Christie said in a bright voice.

“Surprised?” Teri repeated, gritting her teeth.

“Handsome?” Bobby repeated at the same time.

Teri glared at him. Not Bobby, too. Her heart sank.

“Handsome and rich and famous.”

“My husband the checkers player.” Teri stared up at Bobby with an exaggerated starstruck expression. For further effect, she batted her eyelashes.

Bobby looked uncomfortable and confused.

Christie laughed softly. “Don’t tell me you’re worried that I’d try to lure Bobby away from you. My goodness, Teri, are you really that insecure?”

“I … I.” She hated to admit that she was—that they both were. Her sister’s need to compete, to win, brought out the very worst in Teri, especially when there was a man involved. Christie knew her deepest fears and manipulated them. And Teri allowed her to do it. That was a pattern she recognized but couldn’t explain. Maybe it was simply habit, all those years of playing certain roles, feeling certain emotions.

Christie hadn’t been in the house two minutes and already Teri hated her—and hated herself.

Clearing her throat, she decided then and there that she wouldn’t play the role Christie always assigned her. The loser. The unattractive one. The rejected woman. “You can try all you want,” she said with a look of unconcern. “My husband loves me, and I trust him. So go ahead, little sister. But it isn’t going to work.”

Christie blinked, obviously taken aback by Teri’s directness.

“Maybe I’ll do just that,” she murmured. “We’ll see what happens.”

Rather than watch, Teri excused herself to check on their dinner. She’d made her stand and now she had to step back and trust her heart—and her husband. Finding busywork in the kitchen, she gave Christie ten full minutes.

When Teri returned, Christie seemed more than a little befuddled.

“I don’t suppose you have any beer?” her sister asked.

“No, I didn’t think it was a good idea to have alcohol around when Mom’s going to be here.”

“I could use one.”

Teri caught her husband’s eye and, to her utter astonishment, Bobby winked. Teri grinned and so did he. Bobby knew—and he’d put Christie in her place. Teri had no idea what had gone on while she was in the kitchen. But in that moment all she wanted to do was throw herself at her husband and make love to him, regardless of who was in the room.

Her husband recognized her look, and his eyes briefly flared. They shared a smile and an unspoken promise. He’d get his reward later.

Teri’s mother and Mike showed up next. As soon as her mother walked inside, she oohed and aahed over the house. After introductions were exchanged, she turned to her older daughter. “Teri, this is just lovely. Give me a tour, would you? I want to see every room.” She brought one hand to her throat as she roamed from living room to kitchen to dining room, commenting on each feature. Like an obedient puppy, Mike silently trailed behind.

“Teri’s got the bucks now and she can flaunt it,” Christie said. The words had a deflated quality that Teri chose to ignore.

Johnny arrived last and a genuine smile lit up his face when he saw Teri. He immediately hugged her and whispered, “It’s not so bad, is it?”

“Not bad at all.”

“Great.”

Her mother left to go to the car and returned with a case of beer. “This is Mike’s and my contribution to dinner,” she said, setting it down on the kitchen counter. Before Teri could protest, Christie had pulled out a bottle, twisted off the cap and taken her first swig. Ruth and Mike followed in quick succession.

Johnny met her eyes and shrugged. There was nothing either of them could do now.

The evening deteriorated from that point on. Ruth and Mike, along with Christie, sat in the living room and drank beer while Teri served appetizers they mostly ignored. Bobby and Johnny gamely swallowed cheese puffs and shrimp.

“I baked a ham,” Teri announced. Bobby got up and stood behind her, as if protecting her from harm.

“I hope everyone’s hungry,” Johnny added, joining them. “Looks like Teri’s been cooking all day.”

She’d taken real pride in this dinner, but that was beside the point. She smiled gratefully at her brother.

“It looks like she’s been eating all day, too,” her mother said, and seemed to find herself exceptionally funny.

One hand on her hip, Teri said, “No more beer for you, understand?”

Ruth’s head came back as though she’d been struck. “What did you say?”

“I said this is my house and if you want to drink, you’ll do it elsewhere.”

“Fine, I will.” She stood and the still-silent Mike stood with her.

Although she’d threatened to leave, Ruth didn’t seem to be in any rush. “You think you’re so smart because you’re married to this hotshot checkers player,” her mother spat. “Just because you’ve got money doesn’t mean you can tell people how to run their lives.”

Everyone froze, and then Bobby stepped forward. Without saying a word, he picked up Ruth’s handbag.

“What’s he doing with my purse?” she demanded.

Marching into the entry, Bobby set her mother’s purse down by the front door.

“Are you kicking me out?” Ruth cried. “I can’t believe this! My own daughter’s asking me to leave her home.” She glanced around the room, seeking support and finding none. Then she headed toward Mike, grabbing his arm.

“I thought you said you were leaving anyway,” Christie commented.

“Yeah, Mom,” Johnny said cheerfully as he held open the front door. “You drink, you go. That’s Teri’s rule.”

Ruth hesitated in the doorway. “Don’t think I’m going to forget this, Teri. One day you’ll need me, but I’ll tell you right now—you can forget it.” With her chin so high she was in danger of tripping over her own two feet, Ruth walked out with Mike once again trudging obediently in her wake.

There was a startled silence. Teri felt like weeping; she’d known something like this would happen, although she’d suspected Christie rather than her mother would cause the scene.

“Are you going to leave, too?” Teri turned to ask her sister.

“No.” Christie hiccuped. It was obvious that she’d already had too much to drink. A glint of admiration shone in her eyes. “I’ve never seen you stand up to Mom that way,” she muttered. “I wish I had the guts to do that.”

Teri blinked, hardly able to believe what she’d just heard. She’d actually confronted their mother any number of times. Apparently Christie hadn’t been around to witness it—probably too busy dating one of Teri’s old boyfriends.

“We should all sit down and eat,” Johnny said after a moment. “It’d be a shame to let a perfectly good dinner go to waste.”

“I agree,” Bobby said.

To her surprise, the meal went smoothly. Without complaint, Christie switched from beer to tap water. The two of them talked in an unusually friendly fashion. Comfortable with each other, Johnny and Bobby chatted about chess, cars and Star Trek. Bobby was polite toward Christie but conveyed in unmistakable terms that he wouldn’t be swayed by her many charms.

“Would anyone like dessert?” Teri asked, her mood hovering close to joyous. She’d always known that she’d married a wonderful man, but he was even more wonderful than she’d realized. Every time she thought about the matter-of-fact way he’d delivered her mother’s purse to the front door, it warmed her heart. Bobby wasn’t about to let anyone insult his wife. He hadn’t spoken a single word, but his message was clear. She couldn’t wait to show him her love and gratitude, and from the gleam in his eyes, Bobby knew exactly how she intended to do that.

Christie must have noticed the look they’d shared because she followed Teri into the kitchen. “He loves you,” she murmured.

“He does.” Teri started to load the plates into the dishwasher. “No man’s ever loved me like that.”

“Where’d you meet him?”

“Not in a bar,” Teri said pointedly.

“I thought you’d say that.” Christie rinsed off the dishes and handed them to Teri.

Teri couldn’t remember ever working side by side with her sister before. Not as an adult, at any rate.

“He’s a decent guy, you know,” Christie said thoughtfully. “I’m not likely to meet someone like him.”

Teri had to agree that she’d been fortunate. “Don’t be so sure,” she told her sister. “Think positive.”

Christie snickered. “A lot of good that’ll do me.”

Teri made a pot of coffee while Christie sliced the homemade coconut cake. Together they carried dessert into the dining room.

Half an hour later, Johnny prepared to leave for Seattle. He hugged both of his sisters and as he walked out, he gave Teri a thumbs-up.