LITMIR.BIZ

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but didn’t explain why he continued to eat, munching down as if he hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks. “What about you?”

      He shrugged. “I’m always hungry.”

      Olivia rested her head on his shoulder, and Jack put the bucket down and slid his arm around her. Like high-school sweethearts, they leaned their heads against each other, holding hands. Olivia hadn’t felt this contented in months.

      She had no idea what the movie was about.

      Sunday morning, Rosie was awakened by the sound of rain beating incessantly against the apartment window. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, without success. She was awake. Wide awake. It’d taken her hours to fall asleep, and now this.

      Weekends were the worst for her. During the week, she was in the classroom every day, and the whole issue of the divorce and this ridiculous joint custody arrangement was easy enough to shove aside. But weekends were dreadful. She hated that Zach was at the house on Friday and Saturday nights. When she’d agreed to give him weekends, she’d thought it was poetic justice. With the children constantly underfoot, he wouldn’t be able to date much. If he realized her intention, he didn’t let on, but it gave Rosie a sense of satisfaction to thwart him at every turn, especially when it came to his relationship with Janice Lamond.

      Wearing her thin housecoat, Rosie wandered into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She wasn’t scheduled to be back at the house until five that afternoon. What they were doing made no sense—the way they were living, moving in and out of the house every few days. She couldn’t imagine what that judge was thinking.

      The rain continued and a chill raced up her arms. The housecoat she wore now was a summer one, inadequate to protect her against the chill of these autumn mornings. This was crazy! One set of clothes hung in her closet here and another at the house. Half the time she didn’t know what was where.

      The morning stretched before her, empty and bleak. A year earlier, she’d been so busy with her volunteer work that she couldn’t squeeze in time to cook her family dinner. Her charity work, along with so much else, had gone by the wayside with the divorce. She’d been forced to resign from every volunteer position—positions she’d willingly accepted. She wasn’t even missed. All her responsibilities, which were once so important, had been transferred to other people. Now she moved from school to school. Her days were filled with teaching, and when she wasn’t with the children, her nights were lonely. Her entire life had changed at the sound of a judge’s gavel.

      Her friends, most of whom were married, no longer seemed to have time for her. A year ago, Rosie had people to see, appointments every day, plans every night. Now there was nothing but guilt and doubts and an abundance of pain.

      When she finished her coffee, Rosie showered, then read the weekend editions of the Bremerton Sun and the local paper, but few of the articles held her interest. The Cedar Cove Chronicle had a brief piece about the mysterious man who’d turned up dead at the Thyme and Tide, but there didn’t seem to be any additional details. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what it had been like before…before their marital troubles. Before the divorce.

      Sunday mornings had always been hectic, getting everyone ready for church and out the door in time for worship service. Until recently, she’d sung in the choir, but she’d stopped attending church once she filed for divorce. She was afraid of facing her friends and having to confess what a lie she’d been living.

      If she missed church services so badly, then perhaps she should go back. Not to the same church, of course, but someplace new, where she could make a fresh start. She’d been hearing good things about the pastor at the Methodist church, Dave Flemming, if she remembered his name correctly. Maybe she should think about attending there. It just might help her deal with the upheaval in her life. God knew she needed something…and fast.

      Decision made, Rosie quickly checked the telephone book for the times of the worship services and realized that if she left right away, she’d make the one scheduled for nine o’clock.

      The parking lot was nearly full when she arrived. She saw several people she knew, including Bob and Peggy Beldon from the bed-and-breakfast, and a number of parents she’d met at the Open House. Seeing Bruce Peyton and his daughter might have cheered her up, but apparently they attended elsewhere. She liked Bruce and they’d talked a couple of times, meeting for dinner once when Jolene was asleep and watched over by a neighbor. Their pain was a common bond—perhaps their only bond.

      The music had already started when Rosie slipped into a pew near the back of the church. Gone were the days when she proudly marched up the center aisle with her husband and children. Like so much else, her respectability had vanished with the divorce.

      The music was wonderful, and even in her depressed state, it lifted her spirits. She listened carefully to the sermon, but about halfway through the service she felt someone’s eyes on her. Hoping she wasn’t being obvious, she looked over her shoulder and immediately froze.

      It couldn’t be! Of all the coincidences in this world, why here? Why now?

      Two rows behind her sat Zach and Eddie. There must be fifteen churches in Cedar Cove, and she and Zach just happened to choose the same one on the same Sunday. Rosie wanted to groan with frustration. No place was safe for her. She couldn’t even walk into church and not be reminded of her past.

      When the service ended, Zach waited for her outside the building.

      “I didn’t follow you here if that’s what you think,” he told her, his voice defensive.

      “I didn’t follow you, either. Listen, Zach, we’re divorced. You have your life and I have mine. This is the first time I’ve attended this church, and I can easily go elsewhere. It’s no big deal.”

      “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,” Eddie said, racing up to join his parents. “My friend Joel comes here. He invited me to his house for lunch. I can go, can’t I, Dad?” He looked expectantly toward Zach and then Rosie. “You don’t mind, do you, Mom?”

      Seeing that Eddie was under his father’s jurisdiction until five, she left the decision to him.

      “I’ll need their address and phone number,” Zach said.

      “You want to meet his parents?” Eddie asked.

      “Sure. I’ll be there in just a minute. I want to talk to your mother first.”

      Eddie gave him a bright smile. “Okay.” With that, the nine-year-old tore across the parking lot, where a small group of parents and children had gathered.

      As if reading her mind, Zach said, “I’ll make sure he’s home before you get there.”

      She nodded. “As I was saying about this morning—”

      “It’s not a problem,” Zach interrupted. “This was our first Sunday here, too.”

      “I’ll change churches. It looks like Eddie’s already got a friend here.” Allison, however, was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Allison?” Rosie looked around, thinking their daughter was probably with her friends, as well. When they’d attended church as a family, Allison made a habit of sitting in any pew her family wasn’t.

      “She didn’t come.”

      Now Rosie was getting irritated. Allison had been in a horrible mood ever since Zach had kicked her boyfriend out of her bedroom. “You let her stay home?”

      Zach wore a guilty look. “She refused to come, and I figured forcing her would only make matters worse.” Zach didn’t seem any too pleased about it, either. From the way he stiffened, he obviously expected Rosie to chastise him.

      Actually, she was pleased Zach had to deal with their daughter’s temper for once. “Are you still having problems with Allison?” she asked, hoping he’d admit it.

      “Some. What about you?”

      She shrugged. “A little.”

      “Maybe

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