LITMIR.BIZ

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raised her face and wept openly as Jon’s kisses traveled over her forehead, her cheeks, her chin, moving toward her lips. When their mouths finally met, it was a kiss that spoke of faith and trust and love, and she returned those feelings in full measure.

      She was breathless by the time he eased his mouth from hers. “I want us to get married soon.”

      “Yes,” she whispered. “Promise me you’ll never threaten to leave us again.”

      “I promise,” he said, and kissed her.

      “Promise you’ll always love me.”

      “Promise.” Another deep kiss.

      “Anything else?” he asked, his eyes so full of love it was almost painful to see.

      “Lots more,” she whispered. In fact, Maryellen was just getting started.

      Twenty-Eight

      Home from a Saturday afternoon spent volunteering at the Cedar Cove Animal Shelter, Grace pulled into her driveway. She enjoyed her work, found real purpose in helping animals. There was such satisfaction in seeing lost pets reunited with their owners and in connecting abandoned or mistreated cats and dogs with people who’d love them.

      The vet had a notice about the Humane Society on her bulletin board, which Grace had seen the afternoon she’d taken Buttercup in. She’d decided to respond to the call for volunteers. Buttercup had come into her life at exactly the right moment and Grace wanted others to find the same pleasure.

      Her first thought once she’d parked the car was to retrieve her mail. Although she tried not to be hopeful, she couldn’t help looking for a response from Cliff. Two weeks earlier she’d written him, reiterating how sorry she was. Although it meant having to swallow her considerable pride, Grace had asked him to give her a second chance. So far, she hadn’t heard from him, and now, after two weeks, she suspected she wouldn’t.

      She walked to the house with Buttercup trotting behind her. The golden retriever sniffed at her legs suspiciously, recognizing the scent of other animals. Buttercup actually seemed a bit jealous and required lots of attention on those Saturdays.

      “Did you miss me, girl?” she asked, stroking Buttercup’s head. “Don’t worry, there wasn’t a single dog there as wonderful as you.”

      The phone rang and Grace absently reached for the receiver. “Hello,” she said, still fondling the dog’s ears.

      “Grace? It’s Stan Lockhart.”

      This was completely unexpected. She couldn’t imagine what her best friend’s ex-husband had to say to her.

      “What can I do for you?” she asked coolly.

      “I’m in town and I was wondering if I could stop by for a few minutes.”

      Grace wanted to refuse him, but didn’t have a good excuse. “Can I ask why?”

      “I’m surprised you don’t already know.”

      “Olivia and Jack.”

      “Yes. I won’t stay long.”

      She reluctantly agreed. As soon as she hung up, Grace hurriedly punched in Olivia’s phone number. “Why do you think he wants to talk to me? I could really do without this,” she complained.

      “He probably needs a shoulder to cry on.”

      “Let him look elsewhere,” Grace muttered. She had enough problems of her own without dealing with his. As far as she was concerned, Stan Lockhart was a sore loser.

      “I don’t think it would hurt to hear him out,” Olivia said. “He’s had a shock.”

      Yes, he has, Grace mused. For the first time in his life, Stan Lockhart couldn’t manipulate Olivia! “Do you want me to phone you after he leaves?” she asked.

      Olivia hesitated. “Not particularly. Stan’s out of my life, and frankly I don’t care what he says.”

      Grace marveled at her friend. If their positions had been reversed, she’d be sitting by the phone waiting for a report. She’d want to hear all about her ex-husband’s regrets.

      Fifteen minutes later, Stan arrived, looking decidedly unhappy.

      “Come in,” she said, holding open the screen for him.

      Stan entered and she showed him into the living room. Buttercup wandered over to sniff him; apparently he passed muster because the dog wandered back to the chair where Grace normally sat and lay down.

      “Would you like something to drink?” she asked Stan, only to be polite.

      “Do you have any Scotch?”

      Yeah, right. Even if she did, she wouldn’t offer it to him. “No, sorry. Coffee or tea.”

      He shook his head. “Nothing, thanks.”

      She gestured for him to sit down, which he did on the sofa across from her. “Olivia’s actually going to do it, isn’t she?” he muttered.

      “If you mean marry Jack, the answer is yes.” The arrangements were in full swing. Seth and Justine were going to hold the reception at their restaurant, following a private ceremony at the gazebo in the waterfront park.

      “James and Selina are flying in, she said.”

      “Olivia asked if they would.” Grace didn’t mean to make him feel worse, but it was important to Olivia that her children be present.

      “I thought she’d have one of the other judges perform the ceremony,” he said. “But apparently not. Who’s this pastor friend of hers, anyway?”

      “Dave Flemming. He’s at the Methodist church.”

      “Oh.”

      Grace was about to ask if there was a point to his visit when Stan glanced up. “This is what I deserve, you know?”

      Despite what she knew about Stan, Grace felt sorry for him. The news of Olivia and Jack’s engagement shouldn’t have come as a shock but obviously had. Now his regrets about Olivia would be permanent. There’d be no further chance to make amends, to start over. Oh, yes, she understood about regrets. They were something she’d lived with for quite some time now.

      “I made a big mistake myself recently,” she told him.

      “You?” He sounded skeptical.

      Grace nodded. “I hurt someone I care about and there’s no going back.”

      “I feel the same way. I was such a fool. When Jordan drowned…” He paused and stared down at the carpet. “I went out to the cemetery the other day and visited my son’s grave.” He drew a hand along the side of his jaw. “It’s funny. It’s been—what, sixteen years? I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I still can’t believe my oldest son is dead.” He slowly rubbed his palms together, his eyes closed in pain.

      “It was as if I self-destructed after we lost Jordan,” he continued, opening his eyes. “I did the best I could with the mess I’d made of my life after I married Marge, but it was never a good marriage, and we both knew it.”

      Grace’s heart softened. Although she’d been furious with Stan for what he’d done to Olivia and his two surviving children, she remembered that he’d been a decent father.

      “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t surprised when Marge decided she wanted out. In a lot of ways, I think she did us both a favor. My first thought when she asked for the divorce was that I’d move heaven and earth to get Olivia back.”

      “Jack’s a good guy.”

      Stan frowned. “I just don’t see the two of them together.”

      “That’s because you don’t want to.”

      He gave her a half smile and shrugged. “I

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