Mother, don’t start.”
“Start what?”
“You’re worried about the fact that I’m seeing Warren and—”
“This has nothing to do with your boyfriend, either.”
Her daughter laughed. “Boyfriend? You make me sound sixteen.”
“Justine,” Olivia said, trying to control her irritation. “As I told you, this isn’t about your brother, your boyfriend, your job or anything else. I’m your mother, and I want us to be able to talk, to share, to laugh together, and I’m hoping you want that, too. I’ve felt…I don’t know, that we’re somewhat estranged these days. Distant. I don’t know why it’s happened, but I don’t like it. I love you.”
If Justine rolled her eyes, Olivia swore she’d…well, she didn’t know what she’d do. Weep, maybe.
Justine didn’t make a scornful face or flip remark; in fact she seemed to have difficulty taking in the words. She went still and after a moment, she met Olivia’s gaze and whispered, “I love you, too, Mom.”
Olivia swallowed the lump in her throat and picked up her fork. Perhaps there was hope of reaching her daughter, after all.
“What would you like to discuss?” Justine asked.
Olivia wasn’t sure. She quickly reviewed a number of topics and remembered a notice in Wednesday’s paper. Not wanting to mention the source for fear of diverting the conversation to her relationship with Jack Griffin, she spoke in an offhand manner. “It’s your ten-year class reunion this year, isn’t it?”
Justine set down her fork and sighed. “Yes, I know.”
Ten years? It hardly seemed possible. “You’ll be attending, of course.”
To Olivia’s surprise, her daughter hesitated. “Actually, I’m not sure.”
“Why not?” But Olivia knew. Warren. It might embarrass Justine to show up with a man old enough to be her father. More likely, Warren would simply decline.
“I’d probably have to go alone. It’s bad enough that I’m still single, but to come without a date—I don’t know if my ego can stand it.”
“You have several single friends who’ll probably be there.”
“I suppose,” Justine said doubtfully.
This was exactly the sort of event that might open her daughter’s eyes. Olivia hoped that if Justine saw her high-school friends, she’d recognize how completely wrong Warren was for her.
“There’s a meeting later in the week,” Justine said.
Olivia remembered that her daughter had been a senior class officer. Surely she’d be involved in planning the reunion. Since Justine was the local bank manager, the reunion committee would likely welcome her expertise with finances.
“Will you be helping?” Olivia pressed.
Justine sighed. “Probably,” she said in a resigned voice. Then she brightened. “Do you remember Julie Wyatt and Annie Willoughby? I haven’t seen either of them in years and they both live right here in Cedar Cove.”
Olivia remembered both families well.
“Seth Gunderson still lives in town, too,” Justine murmured.
Olivia remembered Seth because he’d been Jordan’s best friend. He’d been fishing with his father in Alaska at the time of her son’s accident. Olivia had never forgotten the letter the thirteen-year-old boy had written her and Stan after he’d learned of Jordan’s death. The few short lines, a simple expression of grief and condolence, had touched her heart.
“I always liked Seth,” Olivia said thoughtfully. “Whatever became of him?”
Justine shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know he still fishes in Alaska every summer, which means he probably won’t be home for the reunion.”
That saddened her. If Olivia were to handpick a husband for her daughter, she’d choose a man like Seth.
“Oh, no, you don’t, Mom.” Justine good-naturedly waved her finger. “I can see the wheels turning in your head. You want to link me up with Seth, but I’m not interested.”
“What’s wrong with Seth?”
“Well, first of all, he hasn’t got a brain in his head.”
“Oh, Justine, that’s not true!”
“All that ever interested him was sports.”
“Ah, yes, he was good at sports.” Seth had been the star football and basketball player through all four years of high school.
“He’s a fisherman, for crying out loud!”
Olivia frowned; she hadn’t raised her daughter to be a snob. “He’s a hard worker, Justine, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“As opposed to Warren?”
“No!” Olivia refused to get drawn into that argument. “We’re talking about Seth.”
“Mother, he lives on his boat at the marina. I like Seth, don’t get me wrong, but he’s a big oaf. I haven’t talked to him once since we graduated and I sincerely doubt we have anything more in common than we did in high school.”
Olivia sighed inwardly. “Sweetheart, I didn’t mean to suggest that Seth is the right man for you.” Well, yes, she did, but she could hardly admit it. “Someday you’ll find the one, and in fact you may have already.” She had to grit her teeth to say it, but if Justine married Warren, Olivia would somehow manage to welcome him into the family.
Her daughter looked away. “When James first called to tell me he and Selina were married—and that she’s pregnant—I was so relieved.”
“Relieved?” That was a curious reaction.
“It took the pressure off me. I know you want grandchildren and I want you to have them.” She straightened and met Olivia’s gaze. “But unfortunately, you won’t get them from me.”
“Justine—”
“Listen to me, Mom, please, just this once. I have no intention of ever marrying or having children. I realize you’re concerned about my relationship with Warren, but you don’t need to be. He treats me well and I enjoy his company most of the time, but I’m not serious about him.”
“You don’t want to get married?”
She shook her head. “I know I’m a disappointment to you and I’m sorry, but please accept that I’m just not interested in being a wife or a mother.”
Olivia let the words sink into her heart, then nodded. “I said it earlier and I meant it. I love you, Justine, not for what you do but for who you are.”
Her
