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him. “Everything’s going to be fine. Babies are born early every day.”

      “Yes, I know. This just caught me off guard. Can you call Stan for me?”

      “Of course. Take a deep breath and I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

      As soon as Seth was gone, Olivia punched out Stan’s work number and was put through immediately. “Stan Lockhart.”

      “Hello, Grandpa,” she said, bubbling over with mingled excitement and concern. “Justine’s in labor and on her way to the hospital. Do you want to meet us there?”

      Stan laughed, sounding delighted and equally thrilled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Tell her I’ll see her soon, Grandma.”

      “No need to rush,” her mother said as Olivia set the portable phone in its base. “These things take time.”

      So spoke the wisdom of age, but Olivia knew she’d be hopeless anyplace but at the hospital. A baby was about to be born into their family, and she felt too much joy to hold inside. She couldn’t sit still, and began pacing compulsively through the house.

      “Go,” Charlotte advised a few minutes later. “I’ll take care of everything here. Call me later.”

      “Thanks, Mom.” Olivia kissed her mother’s cheek, grabbed her purse and car keys and was out the door.

      For nearly an hour she sat alone in the waiting area. Seth came out to give her bits of information every now and then; so far, everything was going smoothly. Stan arrived, looking frazzled, two hours later. They sat and drank coffee and chatted.

      “Remember the night James was born?”

      “I don’t think I could forget that.” She gave an exaggerated shudder. “We barely made it to the hospital.”

      Soon they were laughing, caught up in memories of the early years of their marriage.

      “Remember the Christmas Eve you decided to assemble Jordan’s bicycle?” she asked.

      “Don’t remind me,” Stan groaned. “As I recall, the instructions were in Japanese and you were the one who said assembling a bike couldn’t possibly be that difficult.”

      “My mistake.”

      “What about the time you decided to teach Justine how to bake bread?”

      Olivia rolled her eyes at the memory. In an effort to be helpful, Justine had picked up—and dropped—a ten-pound bag of flour that exploded on impact. For years afterward, Olivia found traces of the powdery substance all over the kitchen—beneath the sink, behind the refrigerator, in the backs of drawers.

      The hours passed with barely a notice as they immersed themselves in laughter and memories.

      At close to nine, Seth appeared, wearing the biggest grin Olivia had ever seen. She’d almost forgotten the reason they were at the hospital. She leapt to her feet, ready for the news.

      “We have a son,” Seth announced. “Leif Jordan Gunderson. He’s a big boy for arriving early. Six pounds, two ounces. The doctor said he’s a mite premature, but his lungs sound like they’re working just fine.”

      Olivia promptly burst into tears.

      By the time Olivia got home, she was happy but exhausted. Her mother had left a note on the kitchen table.

      Think about what I said.

       Jack misses you.

       Call him.

       Mom

      Jack. Olivia hadn’t give him a thought since she’d left for the hospital. In fact, she’d had a perfectly wonderful time reminiscing with Stan. All of a sudden she wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore. All of a sudden there was more to think about than she’d realized. If her ex-husband wanted back in her life, then maybe she should let him. Maybe she should consider all her options. Maybe it wasn’t too late for her and Stan….

      Getting ready for bed, Olivia thought about her divorce, and the couple she’d seen earlier that morning came to mind. Her decision to take them at their word and force them to put their children first had been a bold one. The kids were to stay in the home, and the parents would move in and out. Everyone who lived at 311 Pelican Court would be going through a big adjustment and for the sake of their children, she sincerely hoped they could make it work.

      As for her…well, Olivia would watch and wait. She’d see how things went at 311 Pelican Court—and she’d be keeping an eye on events at 204 Rosewood Lane, too. Just making sure that Grace continued to regain her confidence, her emotional equilibrium.

      And with two men in her own life, who could tell what might happen at 16 Lighthouse Road?

311 Pelican Court

      Make time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.

      CEDAR COVE 16 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD 204 ROSEWOOD AVENUE 311 PELICAN COURT

      BLOSSOM STREET THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET A GOOD YARN OLD BOYFRIENDS WEDNESDAYS AT FOUR TWENTY WISHES

      THURSDAYS AT EIGHT

      Dear Friends,

      Welcome to Cedar Cove, Washington, whether this is your first visit or your third – 311 Pelican Court is the next instalment in this ongoing series. Cedar Cove is definitely a lively place – and everyone here is thrilled that you’ve decided to join us. As usual, there’s a lot happening around town; Olivia, Grace, Jack, Charlotte and all the others are eager to fill you in. Rest assured that in Cedar Cove there’s always a little mystery, a little romance and a lot of fun.

      Those of you who live in a small town, as I do, will recognise that Cedar Cove is like small towns everywhere. The series is inspired by my own home town of Port Orchard, Washington, where there really is a library with a mural painted on the exterior wall, as well as a marina, a waterfront park and plenty of friendly folk. (All the grouches live in Olalla!) Of course, my characters aren’t based on anyone in town and any resemblance is purely coincidental.

      Please join me now as my good friends in Cedar Cove continue to live their lives and tell their stories and head over to my website at www.debbiemacomber.com. Olivia, Charlotte, Grace and everyone else would enjoy a visit. Sign the guest book and you’ll get monthly updates from the characters themselves. They’d be delighted to hear from you and so would I! You can also reach me at PO Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366, USA.

      Now I invite you to sit back and enjoy…

      Warmest regards,

      To Jo and Hayley

       Because you’ve given so much and inspired others

      Some of the Residents of Cedar Cove, Washington

      Olivia Lockhart: Divorced, family court judge in Cedar Cove. Mother of Justine and James. Lives at 16 Lighthouse Road.

      Charlotte Jefferson: Mother of Olivia, widow, lifelong resident of Cedar Cove.

      Justine (Lockhart) Gunderson: Daughter of Olivia, married to Seth, mother of Leif.

      Seth Gunderson: Justine’s husband. Co-owner, with Justine, of The Lighthouse restaurant.

      James Lockhart: Olivia’s son and Justine’s younger brother. In the Navy. Lives in San Diego with wife Selina and daughter Isabella.

      Stanley Lockhart: Olivia’s ex-husband and father of James and Justine. Now lives in Seattle and married to Marge, his second wife.

      Will Jefferson:

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