Silver Linings (2 page)

When I returned with the leash, I found Rover lying on the grass close to where Mark worked. He rested his chin on his paws and kept close tabs on my handyman.

“You ready for a walk, Rover?” I asked. Generally, the instant he saw the leash Rover was on his feet, tail wagging energetically, eager to get going. Not this morning. Rover looked at me with dark brown eyes and then at Mark and then back again.

“Rover,” I said again, with a bit more emphasis. “Let's take a walk.”

“Go on,” Mark said gruffly, nodding toward my dog.

“You talking to me or Rover?” I asked.

“Both of you.”

“Fine.” I walked over to Rover and attached his leash. He didn't seem all that interested until I tugged a little. He stood and we headed out of the yard. Rover paused and looked back at Mark much the same way I had earlier.

As soon as we left the driveway, I walked at a clipped pace to work off my irritation. The way I was feeling now, I considered myself well rid of Mark Taylor. If he wanted to move away from Cedar Cove, then it was fine by me. Good riddance! He was moody, cantankerous, and a pain in the butt.

By the time I'd walked two or three blocks, all uphill, I was winded. I'd walked so fast that I'd probably set a personal best, time-wise. The one positive was that the irritation I felt when I left the house had lessened. I took in several deep breaths and slowed my pace. Rover seemed grateful.

For reasons I didn't want to think about, I decided to walk past Mark's house. I remembered the time I'd found him in his workshop. A table had collapsed and pinned him down. He'd broken his leg and must have been in horrific pain.

Although he'd strongly objected, I called for help and followed the Aid Car to the hospital. After he was X-rayed and had a cast put on, I'd driven him home. One thing I could say about Mark was that he made a terrible patient. He'd snapped at me, complained, and issued orders as if I was personally responsible for his injury. He made it sound as if I was the very bane of his existence. Heaven only knew how long it would have taken for someone else to have found him—one would think he'd be grateful, but oh no, not Mark.

To be fair, he did thank me later. Weeks later, and even then the appreciation had come grudgingly.

Although Mark claimed to be in love with me, the thing was, I didn't know how I felt about him. I'd hardly been given the chance to absorb his declaration, let alone react to it. I wanted to talk about it, but he was having none of that.

The thing with Mark was that we disagreed on almost every subject. It took me a while to catch on that he purposely egged me on. At first he infuriated me. Not until later did I realize that arguing with him stirred my senses. I'd wallowed in my grief for months. Arguing with Mark lit a fire under me and proved my emotions hadn't stagnated. I still had the ability to feel.

I'd gotten used to spending time with Mark. We played Scrabble and would sometimes sit out on the porch at the inn and watch the sun set. He'd helped me plant a garden and I shared the produce with him. I'd enjoyed being with Mark and missed the times we shared. I missed him. And this was only a foretaste of what was to follow if I believed that he was indeed moving away.

The question was whether I cared for him the same way he said he cared for me. The truth was I didn't know if I was capable of loving another man after Paul. Perhaps Mark sensed that, read my doubts and felt he couldn't compete with a dead man. I shook my head, certain now that I was grasping at the thin strands of a spiderweb.

I turned the corner to the street where Mark lived. As if he knew exactly where we were headed, Rover strained against the leash.

“Mark isn't at his house,” I reminded my dog. “There's no need to rush; he isn't home.”

Rover barked as if discounting my words and pulled ever harder on the leash.

“Rover, Mark's at the inn.”

I had to half run in order to keep up with my dog. It was as if Rover had something to show me, something he felt was important for me to see.

I didn't understand what was happening until I came closer, and when I saw Mark's house, I came to a dead stop.

The sign was prominently posted in front of the house, square on the edge of the grass, for anyone and everyone who drove by to see.

It was a local Realtor's sign that read in large red letters:
FOR SALE
.

This was no ruse, no trick. Mark was serious. He was leaving Cedar Cove, and more important, he was leaving me.

Kellie “Coco” Crenshaw found it difficult to believe ten years had passed since she was in high school. Her overnight bag was laid open on top of her bed as she tried to pack for the reunion weekend. She had several outfits carelessly tossed across the bedspread as she sorted through her choices. She had to look great.

The window was open and the scent of Puget Sound and late summer filled the apartment. Coco lived close to the University district in Seattle, in a quaint brick building that had been constructed during World War II. It'd been updated a couple times over the years but had managed to maintain its distinctive charm. Coco loved her apartment, small as it was.

It'd been a major decision for her to remain in Washington state after her father had accepted a job transfer to the Chicago area. Within a matter of weeks, the family had moved, including her two younger sisters. That had happened six years ago, just about the time Coco graduated from college. She'd opted to stay in Seattle along with her older brother. For a long time afterward she feared she'd made the wrong decision, but she was happy to be in familiar territory. Aunts, uncles, and cousins were scattered all across western Washington, so she was never really alone.

Her phone buzzed and Coco quickly checked the text. It was from Katie Gilroy, a high school friend.

You home yet?

Yup. You?

Having second thoughts. Not sure I want to do this.

Coco typed furiously. She'd half expected this would happen.

Too late now. Be there soon.

No way was she letting Katie off the hook—they were attending this reunion, and she wasn't taking no for an answer. Coco had made the reservations at Rose Harbor Inn for two nights. She'd gone through all kinds of hassles to get this Friday afternoon off. She wasn't going to let Katie back down now.

It hadn't been easy to convince Katie to join her, but Coco had an answer for every excuse Katie tossed her way. They were doing this.

She was scheduled to pick up Katie at two that afternoon and then they'd take the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton and drive around the cove to the town they both knew so well—Cedar Cove.

Unlike Katie, Coco looked forward to attending this reunion. According to Lily Franklin, the reunion organizer, Coco had been the first person to mail in a check. But her eagerness to reunite with her high school class wasn't for the reasons some might assume.

Coco was going back to her hometown, to the school and classmates she'd known for the majority of her life, for one reason and one reason only.

Ryan Temple.

Just thinking about Ryan caused her blood pressure to spike. Nearly everyone in Cedar Cove viewed him as some kind of athletic Adonis who could do no wrong. He'd been the quarterback of the football team for all three years. He played baseball, too, and was good enough that after two years in college he'd been picked up by a professional team, and played in the minors for a couple years before heading to the majors.

She forgot which team he'd played for. Saint Louis? New York? Knowing what she did about him, she'd purposely not paid attention. Ryan Temple had become a hometown star, the All-American hero. It wouldn't surprise her if Cedar Cove threw him a parade. Legions of fans would line the streets, women would swoon; kids would chase after him and ask for his autograph.

Not Coco, though. No one knew Ryan the way she did.

Ryan had done her wrong, way wrong, and she was determined to finally tell him exactly what she thought of him. For ten years Coco had held on to her anger and pain. No longer, though. The time had come for Ryan Temple to own up to what he'd done.

Taking in a deep breath, Coco calmed her pounding heart. She had everything planned out in her mind and relished the thought of embarrassing him in front of their classmates the way he had her. It was what Ryan deserved.

Wanting to hit the road before Katie changed her mind, Coco finished the last of her packing, grabbed her overnight bag, purse, and car keys, and was out the door within ten minutes.

While on the drive to Katie's apartment, she heard her phone beep, indicating another text. She ignored it, knowing it had to be from Katie.

Her friend's apartment was less than five miles from Coco's place, but with heavy traffic it took her nearly as long as if she'd jogged over. Just as she suspected, Katie wasn't out front waiting, as they'd discussed. That meant Coco had to find a parking spot, no easy task in the Denny Hill neighborhood. It seemed every street had some form of construction, which meant she had to drive around the block several times before she was lucky enough to secure a spot.

Grabbing her purse, she leaped out of the car and hurried down the sidewalk to Katie's building. She found her friend on the third floor, pacing the hallway.

“You're upset, aren't you?” Katie asked nervously.

“Of course not.”

Katie's dark eyes rounded with surprise and gratitude. “I thought you'd be furious with me…”

“Why should I be? You're coming to the reunion just the way we planned.”

Katie's shoulders slumped forward as though someone had forced her to lift a hundred-pound barbell. When she managed to speak, her voice was a plaintive cry. “James doesn't want to see me.”

“You don't know that,” Coco insisted, although if everything Katie told her was true, then she might be right. Still, she knew her friend needed to face James to get some closure. That was why she felt so strongly she must convince Katie to go.

“He's the only reason I even signed up,” Katie said, and then added, “Well, other than you telling me I needed to do this. The thing is, I hardly know anyone and I doubt anyone will remember me.”

“You know me.”

“Well…okay, but only a few of the others. James made it clear he doesn't want anything more to do with me. I've accepted that.”

Coco balanced her hand on her hip and snorted. “You have a say in this, too!”

Katie's eyes revealed her misery. “I have to accept it. James has rejected my friend request on Facebook. He's ignored my LinkedIn invite and blocked me from email. I got the message. What's done is done.”

“He signed up for the reunion, didn't he? This could be your one and only chance to talk to him. Do you seriously want to let this opportunity slip by? If you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.”

Katie briefly closed her eyes. “You're right.”

“My guess is that he wants to see you, too, although he would never admit it.”

Katie doubted that, and her look said as much.

Coco felt otherwise. “He had to know you were on the list.”

“Not necessarily,” her friend argued. “He made sure I know how he feels, and frankly it's just too painful to face yet another rejection. What happened between us was a long time ago. He's moved on with his life and so have I. Attending the reunion will only dredge up painful memories for us both.”

“Do you want to set the record straight or not?” Coco asked, because she knew that was exactly what Katie wanted most.

“I do,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Then get your bag and let's go.”

What Coco wasn't telling her friend—or even admitting to herself—was that facing this reunion wasn't any easier for her. There was no need to burden Katie with her own emotional baggage when Katie had enough of her own to deal with.

Still, Katie hesitated.

“You may never have a chance like this again,” Coco reminded her.

Whenever she was nervous or uncertain, Katie chewed the inside of her bottom lip, a habit she'd had from the time they were in high school. Coco noticed that she did so now.

“Okay, okay,” Katie said. “I just hope I don't live to regret this.”

“Trust me, you won't.”

Katie made a scoffing sound as she opened the door to her apartment and hurried inside. Thankfully, her suitcase was already packed. Coco grabbed the handle away from her and raced down the hallway, dragging the carry-on behind her. She wasn't giving Katie a chance to change her mind…again.

Katie reluctantly followed Coco to the parked car. It went without saying this weekend would demand every ounce of courage her friend had.

Coco unlocked her vehicle and loaded the suitcase into the trunk next to her own while Katie slipped inside and latched the seat belt in place. Her shoulders were rigid, as if she were physically preparing herself for battle.

Coco placed her hands on the steering wheel and hesitated. She loved Katie and genuinely believed that going to the reunion would be the best thing for her. Her reasons for insisting Katie accompany her were partly selfish, too, though. She didn't have a significant other in her life and it would be hard to walk into the reunion alone. Katie was her security blanket, a friend she could hide behind when everything hit the fan with Ryan.

Feeling mildly guilty for forcing Katie to accompany her, Coco's hands tightened around the ignition key. “You still love him, don't you?”

Katie nodded. “Funny, isn't it? Does anyone ever really get over their first love?”

“It's going to work out, I know it is.”

Katie didn't look as though she believed her, but she smiled, as if grabbing hold of that one small thread of hope and holding on to it with every ounce of strength she possessed.

Weaving their way through roadwork, detour signs, and traffic, Coco headed down to the waterfront. They paid their fare and queued up for the ferry that would take them back to Cedar Cove.

“It's going to be a good weekend,” Coco insisted, more to bolster her own spirits than out of any real conviction. Every detail of what she wanted to say to Ryan had been reviewed countless times. Ryan Temple was finally going to be forced to face her and own up to the hell and humiliation he'd put her through. If everything went as she expected, Ryan wouldn't dare show his face in town again. His good-boy image would be forever tarnished.

Although it was only in the midsixties weather-wise, the car soon felt stuffy and overly warm. Katie scooted back her seat and leaned her head against the headrest.

“James has never forgiven me, you know,” she whispered, without looking at Coco.

“Yeah.” Forgiveness didn't come easily to her, either.

“You're going because of Ryan, aren't you?” Katie was a good enough friend to know Coco had her own motives for attending this reunion.

“I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind.”

“I understand.” Katie's cheeks reddened, but it might have been the heat inside the car.

“It's okay, no big deal.” Looking for a distraction, Coco started the car's engine and rolled down the windows to let in the cooler air. The scent of the sound was more pungent this close to the water. Seagulls circled overhead, their cawing echoing over the parking lot as they waited for the ferry's arrival.

“Is Ryan married?”

Coco stared out the driver's-side window, avoiding eye contact. “I wouldn't know.” Heaven help the poor woman who was foolish enough to get involved with the likes of Ryan Temple. Coco felt her friend's eyes boring into her.

“You have good reason to hate him.”

“Why would I do that?” Coco downplayed her bitterness, not wanting Katie to guess how strongly she felt about the jerk. “It was ten years ago. I've put it behind me.” That was only half true. With her busy work schedule, Coco didn't date often. No time, although if the right man came along she'd find the time.

A silly faraway look came over Katie. “You were the cutest couple. I remember watching you and Ryan walk down the hallway and thinking the two of you were perfect together. Who would have guessed what he was really like?”

Coco snorted with disbelief, searching for a way to turn the subject away from Ryan.

“You were,” Katie insisted. “I thought you were, anyway.”

“That was a long time ago.”