wiped her face with a towel. “Being alone didn’t bother you?”
“Not in the least.” Grace shrugged. “I enjoy my own company.” Yes, at first she’d been a bit down, since Will hadn’t been available, but eventually she was able to talk to him. He’d e-mailed her later than usual. He’d stayed at the office finishing up a report so he could leave for New Orleans the following week. Grace didn’t dare think about that. After all this time, she was actually going to be in Will’s arms. She’d dreamed of this in high school and only recently confessed to him how she’d felt back then.
The plane ticket he’d mailed her waited on her dresser, where she gazed at it every day, imagining the pleasures to come. For his part, Will had made her a number of promises. This first time would be as special as he could make it.
Soon they’d have a life together. Will hadn’t wanted to discuss the details but said they’d go over all of that once she arrived.
“Did you and Jack have a good time?” Grace asked in order to turn her thoughts from Will.
“We had a fabulous time,” Olivia said, with a long, drawn-out sigh.
“Did he get you flowers?”
“Jack?” Olivia arched her eyebrows dramatically. “Once a year is about all I should expect from him.”
“He did buy you that tennis bracelet for your birthday last year.”
“And gave it to me weeks late,” she recalled.
Olivia loved that bracelet; she wore it almost constantly.
“If you must know, Jack bought me two tickets to the Sonics basketball game.”
“He didn’t!” Grace loved the way Jack could make Olivia smile. It was just like him to buy her a gift he wanted.
“That’s all right, I outsmarted him,” Olivia assured her. “I bought him a facial at the health spa.”
Grace shook her head and marveled that her friend could get exactly what she wanted and do it in such a clever manner. “You two are getting along better than ever, aren’t you?”
Olivia nodded. “I can’t believe how silly I was to make demands on him. And that stupid ultimatum—I should’ve known better. I was such a fool to consider getting back with Stan.” She lowered her voice. “I’m in love with Jack.”
Grace was thrilled for her. This really was good news, but it wasn’t something she hadn’t figured out herself. Olivia’s feelings for Jack were obvious. While Grace had similar news concerning Will, she wasn’t free to share it. But she would the minute his divorce was final.
Grace had told Olivia everything nearly her entire life.
The urge to tell her dearest friend about her plans with Will was almost overwhelming, but she couldn’t. Soon, though. Very soon. According to Will, his wife had moved out and the divorce was all but over. The legalities couldn’t be settled quickly enough to suit Grace.
“Did I tell you Mom heard from Will? He’s worried about this protest rally she’s organizing. He’s going to be out of town next week, but he’s planning to call and give her his two cents’ worth.”
Grace already knew he’d be in New Orleans. What Olivia didn’t know was that Will would be with her. She was a bit surprised that Olivia avoided mentioning his divorce, but she was probably waiting until it was final before she said anything, which was understandable.
“I’d love to take a cruise one day,” Olivia said dreamily.
Grace frowned. “A cruise. What’s that got to do with anything?”
Olivia glanced at her. “My brother. He and Georgia booked a cruise this summer in the South Pacific.”
It felt as if her heart had stopped beating. “Will’s taking a cruise with his wife?” she asked, just to be certain she’d heard Olivia correctly.
“They’ve gone on several over the years. Will says it’s the only way to travel.”
This was a mistake; it had to be. Will and Georgia were in the middle of a divorce. Will couldn’t have misled Grace like this, couldn’t have lied to her…not after the things he’d promised. She didn’t believe it. She absolutely refused to accept it.
Somehow Grace managed to remain in one piece until she got back to the house. Buttercup was waiting for her as usual, but Grace ran past the dog and reached for the phone. Her hand trembled so badly she nearly dropped the receiver.
No, she couldn’t just call him out of the blue like this. After all these months of communicating online, she didn’t even know his home number. He was always the one who phoned her. With finances so tight, she couldn’t afford lengthy long-distance conversations, and Will knew that. She needed to think this through before she made accusations.
Perhaps it was all a big misunderstanding. Will didn’t want his family to find out about the impending divorce; that was it. Naturally, after all these years, it would be difficult for him to tell his mother and sister that his marriage was a failure.
Of course, Grace reasoned, that had to be it. Instantly she felt better, but no matter how hard she struggled to find reassurance, she couldn’t sleep. At midnight, she got up, turned on the computer and went online; no new messages from him. At one, with a pounding headache, she took an aspirin and crawled back into bed. At two, she still couldn’t sleep. Nor at three. Doubts invaded her mind. The fact that Will had insisted she not let Olivia know they were talking online, the secrecy of it, had always bothered her.
Olivia rarely mentioned her brother. He lived on the other side of the country, so his name didn’t often enter the conversation. He hadn’t lived in Cedar Cove since his early twenties. People changed.
She had to know.
At three-thirty, when the night was at its darkest and dawn only an unfulfilled promise, Grace picked up her bedside phone. She got Will’s home phone number from directory assistance. With the time difference, he would be awake, just getting ready for the office.
The phone was answered on the first ring. A female voice, sounding depressingly cheerful.
“Good morning.”
“Is this the Will Jefferson residence?”
A short hesitation. “Yes, this is Mrs. Jefferson. May I ask who’s calling?”
“This is Grace Sherman from Cedar Cove, Washington.”
“Oh, hi. My husband’s from Cedar Cove. I hope everything’s all right?”
“Yes. Could I speak to Will?”
“Of course. I’ll get him for you right away.”
Grace thought she was going to be physically ill. She closed her eyes and concentrated on taking deep breaths.
A moment later Will picked up the phone. “Hello.”
“Hello, Will. It’s Grace.” She paused
