only one couple scheduled for the night. They’ve stayed at the inn before and are easy guests. They’re older and don’t want a large breakfast. I know they’d be happy with fresh fruit and yogurt and perhaps a couple sweet rolls.”
“Like I said, I’m happy to do it.” I actually looked forward to it, seeing that it would give me a legitimate excuse to turn down both invitations. Mom would be disappointed, but she’d get over it. Severing ties with my family had never been my intention, but I welcomed a bit of distance as I settled into my new life.
“I’d need to leave Rover here,” Jo Marie continued. “I’m sure he won’t be a problem.”
“Of course you should leave Rover with me.” I’d gotten seriously attached to Jo Marie’s dog. He was her companion, constantly at her side. If she left the house, he sat by the door and patiently waited for her return. I found him endearing.
On hearing his name, Rover lifted his head and cocked it to one side. Studying him reminded me that I wouldn’t be seeing Elvis again. Right away I felt disappointed. I’d grown rather fond of him.
“I’m grateful, Emily,” Jo Marie said.
“Hey, like I said, it’s no trouble.” No doubt she could do with a break. Although we hadn’t talked about Mark since she’d first mentioned him, I knew worries about him weighed on her. Time away would do her good, and being able to make that happen made me feel good.
I was eager to see Dana, anxious to hear what she’d learned about the house and Mr. Dickhead.
Dana arrived that very afternoon. I’d baked cookies earlier in the day before the weather grew too warm to use the oven. Most of my baking went into the freezer; I kept a dozen out and set them on a plate along with a pitcher of lemonade for Dana’s arrival.
Emily had cooled down from her encounter with the man she’d dubbed Mr. Dickhead. After hearing the things he’d said and the way he’d acted, I could appreciate her indignation. I wasn’t sure how I would have responded to him, either. I admired Emily’s restraint. I wasn’t sure I would have been able to bite my tongue.
Mark and I had had our fair share of flare-ups over the years. He could be demanding and unreasonable, bad tempered and moody, and at the same time the most generous, caring man I’d ever known. Despite my best efforts to maintain an emotional and mental distance from him since he’d left, I failed nearly every single day. Hardly a minute passed that Mark wasn’t in the forefront of my thoughts, especially since the arrival of that postcard.
I had everything ready for Dana’s arrival. Emily invited me to join them, so I’d set up the small wicker table on the porch. Puget Sound had been blessed with wonderful weather this month, and it looked like it was going to be one of those special Seattle summers with mild temperatures and lots of sunshine.
Rover and I met Dana at the front door. I led the way onto the veranda, where Emily waited at the table I’d prepared. Because I was fortunate to see the water and the mountains every day, I chose to sit with my back to the cove. This gave my guests the opportunity to enjoy the view, which was spectacular this afternoon. The Olympic Mountains stood guard over the horizon, their sharp, majestic white-capped peaks gleaming against the backdrop of a clear blue sky. I never grew tired of studying this glorious panorama.
“Jo Marie said you might have some information about the owner of the house on Bethel,” Emily said, getting straight to the point. I knew she was anxious to learn what she could about the property.
I poured us each a glass of lemonade and set out plates so we could help ourselves to the cookies. Macadamia with white chocolate chips today, which was one of my personal favorites. Since Mark had left, I hadn’t baked his favorite peanut-butter cookies. I couldn’t look at those cookies and not think of all the times the two of us had sat on this very porch to chat about our day. Those were my favorite memories of Mark, sitting together, facing this view while sharing our thoughts and munching on my homemade cookies.
I missed those lazy evenings, and the longing to have him sit with me again clawed at my heart. The not knowing was the worst. I hadn’t heard