Love Letters: A Rose Harbor Novel (4 page)

“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Jo Marie promised.

“Thank you.” Ellie disconnected the line and exhaled a slow breath. She felt better than she had since she’d boarded the plane for the short ride between Bend and Seattle. No matter what her mother said, she had a good feeling about this adventure. A very good feeling.

Once I got the call from Eleanor Reynolds, I loaded Rover into my car and made a quick run to the Texaco service station off the first Cedar Cove exit on Highway 16. I saw her right away, standing alone with her one piece of luggage, looking a bit lost and nervous.

Rover leaped from the backseat into the front as soon as I turned into the parking lot. We’d made this trip before, picking up guests who rode the shuttle bus from the airport into town.

I pulled into the parking space in front of the mini-mart and turned off the engine. Although we’d spoken three times over the phone, I had yet to get a good picture of what to expect from Eleanor Reynolds. She was younger than what I’d assumed, especially after our initial conversation.

“Eleanor?” I questioned, and quickly revised it to “Ellie? Ellie Reynolds?”

The woman looked up and nodded. “Yes, that’s me. You must be Jo Marie?”

Rover barked from the front seat of the car. “And Rover,” I added.

“You’re young,” Ellie said, as if surprised. “I guess I was expecting someone closer to my mother’s age.” She reached for her suitcase and headed toward the car.

“I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

“People say I sound much older on the phone. Elocution was important to my grandmother.” And then, as if she felt the need to explain further, she added, “We lived with my grandparents while I was growing up.”

I opened the car trunk. “I hope you enjoy your stay in Cedar Cove.”

“I know I will,” she said, smiling broadly. She effortlessly set her suitcase inside and then came around to the passenger side.

As soon as he realized Ellie was getting in the car, Rover returned to the backseat. Ellie climbed inside and then turned around to pet Rover. He basked in her attention and then immediately settled down, circling on the seat several times before finding a comfortable position.

Ellie clipped her seat belt into place. “I hope this isn’t too much of an inconvenience,” she said. “I would have been happy to catch a cab.”

“It’s no problem. I do it all the time; it’s part of the service the inn provides.”

“I got the schedule for my return trip, too … in case I need it,” she added.

I was about to question her but changed my mind. She seemed a bit anxious and reached for her phone twice, checking emails, during the short drive back to the inn. “It’s my mother,” she mumbled. Then, as if she’d made a momentous decision, she added, “I’m going to ignore her; otherwise she’ll ruin everything.”

Apparently, a comment from me wasn’t necessary, and frankly, I
was just as glad, because I wasn’t sure what to say. “I’ll leave you to get settled in your room while I run an errand, if that’s all right.”

“Oh sure,” she was quick to assure me. “Contrary to what my mother believes, I don’t need a babysitter.”

“No, you don’t.” The poor girl clearly had mother issues. She hadn’t said anything about her mother during our short phone conversations previously. What little I was able to read between the lines told me Ellie’s mother was convinced this trip was a huge mistake.

“I met a wonderful grandmotherly woman on the bus,” Ellie continued, chatting away as if she was eager to tell me about the experience. “She was so wise and reassuring. I could be making a big mistake coming to Cedar Cove, but if so, then it will be a learning experience.”

Her meaning was lost on me, but I nodded as if I understood. We pulled up to the inn and Rover obediently followed us inside. I hadn’t taken him for our morning walk yet, and he instantly trotted over to where I stored his leash, letting me know he was eager and ready to follow routine.

“In a bit, Rover,” I told him. To his credit, he’d been patient, and I appreciated it. I glanced at my wrist; it was nearly time to meet Peggy.

Ellie signed in and I handed her the key to her room and showed her around the communal areas of the inn before leading her up the stairs to her room.

“Are there other guests this weekend?” she asked.

“A married couple and a local resident.”

“Local resident?” she repeated, as if she found it difficult to understand why someone from town would opt to spend the weekend at a bed-and-breakfast.

“Yes, Peter McConnell called this morning. Apparently, he’s having some plumbing work done on his house and the water’s being turned off. He’d normally go out of town, but he’s working a half-shift on Saturday and needed to be in the area.”

“Oh.”

“He won’t check in until late this afternoon. I don’t know how much we’ll see of him.”

“I plan to be busy myself,” Ellie told me. “I’m meeting a … friend. A male friend …”

Ah, so that was it. No wonder her mother was concerned. Well, good for Ellie. It was long past time that this bird left the nest.

Once Ellie was comfortably settled in her room, I left with Rover to meet Peggy Beldon at the downtown bakery. Eager to exercise, Rover all but dragged me down the hill toward the waterfront. The day couldn’t have been any more beautiful. The sky was cloudless and a luscious shade of blue that made it difficult to look anywhere else. The waters of the cove were flat and clear, with an occasional eagle circling overhead, seeking out a meal. It wasn’t unusual to see one swoop down and grab hold of an unfortunate salmon, swimming too close to the surface.

I saw Peggy even before I reached Harbor Street. She sat at a table outside, luxuriating in the warmth of the summer sun.

“Hi,” I said, joining her. “I hope I’m not late.”

“Not at all,” Peggy said, reassuring me. She’d dressed comfortably in capri pants with a red checkered shirt over a matching red sleeveless top. Her hair was shorter, which told me she’d had a recent haircut.

“You look all summery,” I said, as I pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. Rover settled by my feet, pressing his chin over the top of my foot. Peggy had ordered me a cup of coffee. “Thanks.” I lifted the cup and took a sip. “It’s my turn to buy next.”

“No worries.”

Now that I was comfortable, I got to the subject that was prominent on my mind. “Were you able to talk to Bob about Mark?”

“I was.” She leaned slightly closer.

“And?” I was unable to hide the eagerness in my voice.

Peggy shrugged. “I wish there was more to tell. Bob met Mark for the first time at the local hardware store.”

“How long ago?”

“I asked him that, too, and he seems to think it must have been five or six years now, but I don’t think it was near that long. My guess is about four years, but I could be off. It seems like he’s always been around.”

“So Bob met Mark at the hardware store and the two struck up a conversation?”

“Yes.”

“Did Mark mention where he’d moved from?”

“Not that Bob remembered. All Bob remembered was Mark telling him that he was new in town and looking for odd jobs. Said he was retired, which Bob found humorous, seeing that Mark couldn’t have been more than thirty-five at the time.”

“Did Bob happen to ask Mark why he moved to Cedar Cove?”

“You’ll have to ask Mark that yourself. But why not?” Peggy asked, motioning toward the view. “It’s beautiful here, and a good place to raise a family.”

“But as far as I can tell Mark doesn’t have a family.”

“True.”

I wished Bob had known more. The fact was, I already knew just about everything he’d mentioned to Peggy. Well, not the part about Bob and Mark meeting, but everything else.

“Did you notice that he likes to be paid in cash?” I asked. Frankly, I couldn’t help wondering if this was his way to avoid having to pay taxes. It seemed underhanded and not in line with what I knew about him.

“I didn’t know that,” Peggy said, frowning slightly. “Bob is the one who deals with the finances. He never mentioned that. You should ask Mark.”

“I did.” Many times, but I had yet to get a satisfactory reply. I guess I’d put too much emphasis on the small idiosyncrasies I’d noticed
about him that made me suspicious. This habit led me to believe he didn’t want a money trail going back to him and that he wanted to keep his identity hidden from the outside world.

“Bob liked him right away,” Peggy added, breaking into my thoughts.

This surprised me. Mark wasn’t a likeable kind of guy; it seemed he went out of his way to be cantankerous and disagreeable. At least that was my experience with him.

“Before Bob felt comfortable recommending Mark to others, he hired him to do a small job at the Thyme and Tide to test his skills.”

“And Mark passed?”

“With flying colors. Following that, Bob sent a number of small jobs Mark’s way for family and friends. Several people have thanked us. Mark is conscientious, and his prices are reasonable.”

What she said was true. Over the last year, Mark had completed a number of projects for me and either met or exceeded my expectations. The only problem I’d had with him had to do with my rose garden, which seemed to have taken him an inordinate amount of time even before he broke his leg. The lengthy delay afterward was understandable. Still, I couldn’t help feeling Mark’s dawdling had been deliberate … although for the life of me I couldn’t imagine why he would want to delay planting a rose garden. Perhaps the answer was as simple as the fact that he wasn’t keen on gardening.

“Is there anything else you can tell me about him?” I asked. My voice must have been more animated than I’d intended, because Peggy’s eyes widened.

“Any reason you’re so curious?” she asked.

There really wasn’t a reason except my curiosity. “No, not really,” I admitted, striving to sound as nonchalant as possible. “It’s just that he seems so … private.”

“We all cherish our privacy,” Peggy commented, without any censure. “Don’t you think?”

“Well, yes, I suppose.”

“What is it about Mark that intrigues you?” Peggy asked.

“I’m not intrigued,” I returned instantly. “I’m curious. It seems to me he’s hiding something.” There, I’d said it.

“Mark?” Peggy said his name as if it were a joke, worthy of laughter.

“His home is …?” I searched for the right word. “Spartan … there’s nothing there that links him to anyone or any particular place. I asked him, as sort of a joke, if he was part of the Witness Protection Program.”

“You didn’t?” Peggy’s eyes grew even rounder. “And what did he say?”

“He laughed it off.” Actually, now that I mentioned it, Mark had made it sound like one big joke. My mind churned, coming up with other possible scenarios. “Maybe he’s suffered some tragic loss and is running away from life.” It made little sense to me that a man as talented as Mark would choose to be a neighborhood handyman.

“Jo Marie.” Peggy, who had been amused just moments earlier, grew serious.

I looked up and our eyes met and held. “Yes?”

“I think it’s important that you examine why you find it so necessary to know about Mark.”

“Necessary?” That was a bit of a stretch.

“Yes.”

She was actually serious; I could see it on her face. “Like I said, I’m just inquisitive.”

“Have you asked yourself what it is about Mark that makes you want to delve into his life?”

“You’re making more of this than warranted,” I insisted. “I’m not interested in Mark … personally. Okay, I read a lot of mysteries and enjoy solving them. People behave the way they do because of something in their past. Trust me, when it comes to Mark, something is off.”

“Something sinister?”

“Doubtful.” As far as I could tell, Mark was as honest as a summer’s day was long.

“Do you have feelings for him?” my friend asked, in that gentle way of hers that inspired confidence.

Mostly Mark irritated me. He was often cranky and ill-tempered, but buried beneath that outer crust was a decent human being. At times it was hard to believe, but most days we got along perfectly fine. Earlier that spring, I’d been grateful for his help in finding Rover, who’d run off. I’d been beside myself with worry. Mark had spent hours searching for him. I had, too, of course, but it’d been Mark who’d found him and Mark who’d brought Rover home. For that alone I owed him.

“Jo Marie,” Peggy said, lowering her voice to a mere whisper. “Do you have …” She hesitated, as if unsure she should continue.

“What?” I prodded.

Sitting up a bit straighter, she plunged ahead. “Are you … falling for Mark?”

“For Mark?” Now it was my turn to hold back a laugh. “No way.” I didn’t need to think about my answer. “Absolutely not,” I said, without the least bit of hesitation. “Half the time I’m not even sure I like him.”

“A lot of wonderful romantic relationships start out that way.”

I reached for my coffee and shook my head. “I suppose my curiosity about him might look like that,” I said, wanting to downplay the suggestion as much as possible. My fear was that protesting too strenuously would only convince Peggy I was interested in Mark. “You need to know something about me,” I added, figuring this was the best way to put a halt to this kind of thinking. “I love Paul Rose with all my heart. He was my husband and my soul mate. When we met, I’d more or less decided I would probably never marry. I doubted there were many decent men left in this world. I was cheated out of more time with him, but still, I had that year, that one glorious year that I will treasure the rest of my life. I don’t want to fall in love again.” Frankly, I didn’t think my heart would survive another loss if something were to happen to another man I loved.