LITMIR.BIZ

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suddenly, which shocked them both. Grace jerked away and inhaled sharply. “Kelly…”

      Her youngest daughter stood in the room, holding Tyler in a baby carrier, her eyes huge and angry. “What’s he doing here?” she demanded.

      “Kelly, this is Cliff Harding, the man I told you I was seeing,” Grace said, recovering quickly. She left the sofa and crouched down to look at her grandson. Little Tyler was sound asleep.

      “Your mother invited me to lunch,” Cliff added, wanting it understood that he hadn’t stopped by without a reason.

      Kelly remained tense, standing there, glaring at them both.

      “Please, sweetheart, sit down.” Although her daughter was clearly furious, Grace remained courteous.

      Kelly did as her mother asked, but reluctantly. “Why didn’t you tell me about Maryellen?”

      Grace sighed and looked away. “It wasn’t my decision not to tell you. It was Maryellen’s.”

      “My own sister is pregnant, and I’m kept entirely in the dark?”

      This was news to Cliff, too, but now didn’t seem the time to mention it.

      “I suggest you take this up with Maryellen,” Grace said. “The last thing I want to do is get between the two of you. I will say that I didn’t agree with Maryellen, but the choice was hers.”

      “She told you, though.” Kelly’s hurt was evident. “She didn’t trust me? She left me to figure it out for myself, like…like I don’t matter?”

      “I’m sorry, but it was your sister’s choice,” Grace repeated.

      “How many other people know? Am I the only one who doesn’t?”

      “I guessed she was pregnant,” Grace admitted. “She didn’t tell me voluntarily.”

      Cliff could see that Grace and her daughter needed to talk, and his being there wasn’t helping. “Why don’t I leave for a while?” he said, getting to his feet.

      Grace reached for his hand and gazed up at him, her eyes appealing. “You will come back?”

      “If you want.”

      “Give us an hour,” she said.

      Cliff nodded, and after bidding Kelly farewell, he headed for the front door. He wasn’t halfway out when he heard Kelly tear into her mother.

      “How could you date again?” her daughter cried. “We don’t know what’s happened to Dad and already you’ve got yourself a boyfriend. I can’t believe you’d do such a thing. First Maryellen keeps her pregnancy from me, and then I learn my mother has a few secrets of her own. What’s happened to our family? Nothing’s been right since Daddy left. Nothing.”

      Then it sounded as though Kelly burst into tears.

      Sunday afternoon, Olivia stood inside the main terminal of Sea-Tac Airport, awaiting her brother’s arrival. She glanced at her watch; Will’s flight was due at three o’clock and she had plenty of time. After several telephone conversations, it was agreed that he’d fly in for their mother’s surgery, which was scheduled first thing the following morning.

      Olivia had a good relationship with her older brother. They’d kept in frequent touch through the years, and he’d lent a willing ear during that terrible summer back in 1986. Will had been as shocked as Olivia when Stan remarried so quickly following the divorce. Lately, though, it seemed that with their busy careers, brother and sister spoke less often. They’d started e-mailing each other, but usually those e-mails were just a means of passing along jokes, news articles and statistics; they conveyed little that was personal.

      Charlotte’s cancer had badly shaken Olivia. Her mother had always been healthy, vigorous, full of energy. In the last few months, she’d watched Charlotte decline right before her eyes, but she’d been so caught up in her own life that she hadn’t realized the seriousness of what was happening. She’d attributed her mother’s growing frailty to old age.

      At precisely the time he was expected, Will came through the secure section of the airport. He paused to look around. When he saw her, his eyes lit up and she walked into his warm embrace.

      “You’re as beautiful as ever,” he said.

      “And you always were a liar,” she returned. Already she felt better, knowing that Will would be with her on Monday. “How’s Georgia?” Her brother had been married for more than thirty years. Georgia was a career woman—an advertising executive—and hadn’t wanted a family. Will had reluctantly agreed, but Olivia wondered if he regretted that decision. If so, he’d never mentioned it to her.

      “Like me, my wife leads a busy life.”

      The oddly stilted words bothered Olivia, as did his detached tone. She suspected trouble in the offing, but this wasn’t the time to ask him about it. She sensed that Will was not okay, or at least his marriage wasn’t.

      Once they’d collected Will’s luggage and paid for parking, they headed out of the airport and toward the freeway that led to Cedar Cove.

      “My, my,” Will commented when they turned out of the airport parking lot. “Where did you get that bracelet?”

      Olivia had hesitated before wearing the diamond tennis bracelet Jack had given her, fearing it might invite questions. “It was a birthday gift from Jack Griffin.”

      “The newspaper man? Mom told me you were seeing him.” He glanced at her pointedly. “From you, however, I’ve heard almost nothing on the subject.”

      Olivia hadn’t fully identified her feelings toward Jack and wasn’t sure what to say about their relationship. “Actually I like him quite a bit.” She felt her brother studying her and briefly let her eyes leave the road in order to meet his.

      “If that bracelet is any indication, he feels the same way.”

      “I hope he does.” Feeling more comfortable about discussing Jack, she added, “His son’s living with him just now and that’s been a challenge.” Eric seemed to be in constant turmoil, miserable one moment and elated the next.

      “I’m glad Justine is happily married,” Will said. “Not so long ago, Justine laughed in my face when I mentioned the word marriage. She claimed she wasn’t interested.”

      “Not only is she married, she’s pregnant.”

      “You’re joking! As I recall, her laugh got a whole lot louder when I suggested she might want a family one day.”

      Olivia beamed at him. “I’ve never seen her happier. I love Seth all the more because of that. Oh, Will, I want you to meet him.”

      “And James’s marriage is going well?”

      She nodded. “Stan and I were shocked at how quickly it all came about, but I’ve met Selina and she’s a good match for him. I’ll bore you with the latest pictures of Isabella Dolores the minute I get a chance.”

      “I’ll look forward to it.”

      They entered the freeway, and Will reached for his cell phone. He punched in a number, held the phone to his ear for a moment, and then clicked it off. “I thought I’d let Georgia know I’ve arrived. She must be out.” He said it as though he wasn’t surprised, but Olivia wondered why he didn’t leave a message. Later, when Charlotte’s operation was over, she’d talk to him about it.

      “Is Mom emotionally ready for this surgery?” Will asked.

      Olivia couldn’t tell. Judging by outward appearances, Charlotte was calm and confident. A few days earlier, however, Olivia had gotten a glimpse behind the mask and for a few fleeting seconds witnessed raw fear.

      “Did you know Grandma Munson died of the same form of cancer?” Olivia asked her brother. Charlotte had brought up that fact the day she’d been so worried,

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