LITMIR.BIZ

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how many times do I have to say it? I don’t care. He’s out of my life. As far as I’m concerned, he’s dead. That man gave up the right to be my father the day he lied on the witness stand and sent me to hell for seven years.”

      Katie set the cracker down in her tray and stared wide-eyed at her father.

      “You talk about forgiveness, and that’s real easy for you. You weren’t the one in that rat hole. You weren’t the one who had to endure it.” His voice grew harsher with each word until Katie started to cry.

      Jon’s shoulders slumped forward and he hurried to his daughter, lifting Katie from the high chair and cradling her in his arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he cooed. “Daddy didn’t mean to shout.”

      Dinner was uncomfortable, but Maryellen made an effort and so did Jon. After Katie’s bath, Maryellen rocked her and read a bedtime story before settling her in the crib. Once there, Katie put her thumb in her mouth and promptly went to sleep.

      Jon had the television on when Maryellen walked down the stairs and joined him. She sat beside her husband on the sofa and rested her head on his shoulder. As if he felt the need to have her close, he draped his arm around her and nuzzled her neck.

      Maryellen smiled contentedly. Since the miscarriage, their love life had been on hold while her body healed. Letting him know she wanted him, Maryellen slipped her hand around his neck and turned so their mouths could meet. Jon’s hand found its way under her sweater to cup her breast. Her nipples instantly hardened and a sigh rumbled through him.

      “Are you sure you’re up to this?” he asked, between deep breathless kisses.

      “You certainly are.”

      He smiled at her bad pun even as he kissed her.

      Taking him by the hand, Maryellen led her husband up the stairway to their bedroom.

      Their lovemaking was fierce, urgent, powerful. While they held each other in the aftermath, Maryellen ran her hand down Jon’s back. Nothing was worth disrupting the intimacy and love they shared. She hoped that eventually Jon would be able to reconnect with his parents, but she wouldn’t force him into something he wasn’t willing to do.

      They released each other, and her husband lay beside her, supporting his weight on one elbow as he brushed the hair from her damp face. He kissed her again, his touch tender with his love.

      “How bad is he?” he asked, his voice husky in the darkness. He was referring to his father.

      The question pleased Maryellen. “There’s no permanent damage.”

      Jon sighed audibly. “Good.”

      Perhaps he’d come farther than she realized.

       Five

      Linnette McAfee stood in the middle of her empty apartment, surveying her new home. The view of the cove was spectacular, with the lighthouse far in the distance. The Bremerton shipyard lay directly across the water, its massive ships glowing in the afternoon sunlight, battleship-gray against an azure sky. Living in a small town would be an adjustment, and yet, her parents had made the transition easily enough. Linnette had every reason to believe she would, too.

      “Anyone home?” There was a knock at the open door, and her mother stepped inside.

      “Hi, Mom!”

      “I saw your car parked outside and decided to see if you were here.”

      “How did you know which apartment was mine?”

      Corrie grinned. “I haven’t been married to your father all these years without developing a few detective skills of my own.” She walked farther into the room. “The door was open and I took a chance.”

      Linnette spread her arms. “So, what do you think?” she asked, pleased with her new apartment. She’d lived on campus while attending the University of Washington and then later shared an apartment with a friend while she did her advanced studies.

      “I think it’s great,” Corrie said, moving into the kitchen. The area was compact but well-designed and convenient.

      “I like that it has two bedrooms,” Linnette said, eagerly leading her mother down the hallway to the empty rooms. Both bedrooms were larger than the one she had in Seattle. With this new apartment, Linnette was getting double the space for half the rent. Of course, her salary wasn’t nearly as high as what she would’ve earned had she accepted a job in Seattle. But staying in Seattle had never been her intention. From the moment she’d made the decision to become a physician assistant, Linnette had set her sights on working in a small rural community.

      That description didn’t exactly fit Cedar Cove, but the town was lovely and it was familiar—and she’d have the advantage of being near her parents. Which was definitely a bonus, since Linnette had always been close to them.

      “I was thinking I’d set up this bedroom as an office,” Linnette explained as they stood in the doorway of the second and smaller bedroom.

      “When are you officially moving?”

      “The first of the month. Mack’s going to help.”

      “Your dad will, too,” Corrie offered. “And of course I’ll be here.”

      Linnette shook her head. “Dad’s not helping, not with his back. Besides, you know as well as I do that it’s best to keep Mack as far away from Dad as possible.”

      Her mother’s eyes grew sad. “I don’t know what it is with those two.”

      Linnette rolled her eyes. “I do. They’re both stubborn and opinionated and too much alike for their own good.”

      Corrie agreed. “Mack makes an effort on holidays, but it’s hard for him to hold his tongue.”

      The problem, in Linnette’s opinion, was that her father disapproved of Mack. Her brother had dropped out of college and worked as a postal employee, a job he seemed to enjoy. Roy thought that with his brains and background, Mack could do better. His attitude infuriated her brother. Although she kept out of the fray, Linnette sided with Mack. This was his life and he should do as he pleased.

      “One of these days,” she said briskly, “we should lock them in a closet and force them to settle this, once and for all.”

      Her mother shook her head. “I absolutely refuse to get involved. I hate being caught in the middle.”

      Linnette felt the same. She led the way back to the living room, considering where to hang her few pictures and framed posters as she walked. Pride of place would go to a beautiful Jon Bowman photograph her parents had given her for Christmas last year—fir trees on a mountainside. The perspective made it much more than simply a pretty picture. Should she hang it between the two windows or—

      “Have you contacted Cal Washburn yet?” her mother asked, interrupting her deliberations.

      “Who?”

      “The young man I bought for you at the Dog and Bachelor Auction last July. You know, the fund-raiser for the animal shelter.”

      An immediate protest rose as Linnette struggled to tell her mother that she wasn’t interested in a blind date with a stranger. Okay, so her brother loved his dog, who’d come as part of the package. Cal and the Australian Shepherd Mack had named Lucky were on the auction block together. But that didn’t mean Linnette was going to hit it off with this bachelor.

      “I really think Cal’s a fine young man,” her mother said.

      “Then you date him,” Linnette teased, hoping to find a gentle way of getting out of this.

      “The least you can do is call him. Let me tell you a bit about Cal. He works for Cliff Harding on his horse ranch. I never quite understood what Cal does, but he appears to be a trainer of some sort. I don’t know that much about horses.”

      “I

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