1022 Evergreen Place (3 page)

“His name is Jacob Dennison and he was a major stationed in Europe during the war. Some of his letters have black marks on them, but a lot of them don't have any at all. I assume those marks were put there by censors. You know, I read that there were over two hundred censorship offices. Their job was to ensure that military
personnel didn't reveal anything sensitive in their letters.” She paused. “Of course, that doesn't explain why these letters were hidden.”

“I'm sure that had more to do with Joan's circumstances than Jacob's,” Mack said wryly.

“Well, even with the black marks, I've been able to follow quite a bit. They're fascinating. I can hardly wait for you to read them.”

Mack nodded, caught up in her excitement.

“Joan worked at the Bremerton shipyard,” Mary Jo went on, “and she lived with her older sister. Elaine—that's her sister—was married and her husband was somewhere in the South Pacific. I gather Joan met the major at a USO dance and they started writing after he shipped out to England.”

Mack gently bounced the baby, to Noelle's evident approval. “I'd like to take a look at the letters,” he said.

“Here's the first one. I put them in chronological order.” She unfolded the letter carefully and handed it to him.

Mack finished the letter and set it aside. He read the next two in quick succession.

“Aren't these letters
wonderful?
” Mary Jo was watching his reaction avidly.

Mack had to agree. “Yeah, they are.” He reached for another.

Mary Jo leaned forward slightly. “Were you able to find out anything about the previous house owner?” she asked. “I want to learn whatever I can about Joan and Jacob.”

Mack had forgotten that he'd volunteered to check with “the landlord”—although it was hardly necessary, since he owned the duplex. He regretted now that he'd lied to Mary Jo about that. He knew she'd be upset at the low rent he was charging her if she realized
he
was her landlord. She'd feel he was patronizing her or maybe that he expected something in return. Mack suppressed a despairing sigh. He just kept digging himself a deeper hole. One of these days he'd have to tell her the truth—and he would, when the time felt right. Although he wasn't quite sure how he'd recognize that moment of clarity…

“I did say I'd look into that, didn't I? I apologize, but I haven't got to it yet.”

“That's okay,” she said, accepting his answer easily enough. “Ready to eat?”

He saw that the table was set, with the pot of stew and a plate of biscuits placed in the middle of the table, wine and water glasses by each plate.

“I fed Noelle before you got here,” she told him.

That was his cue to put the baby back in her seat and sit down at the table, which he did. Mary Jo was an excellent cook—as good as his mother, and
that
was a real compliment. Her own parents died when she was still in
high school, and she'd taken over kitchen duties, more out of necessity than desire. Still, she seemed to enjoy cooking and took pride in putting together meals that were nutritious as well as appealing.

He was no slouch in the kitchen, if he did say so himself, but until she'd moved in next door, his meals had been haphazard affairs. Other than when it was his turn at the firehouse, he never really bothered with cooking. He usually relied on frozen microwave dinners or the various fast-food choices available in Cedar Cove. He didn't make a habit of dropping by unannounced at his parents', but whenever he did, his mother always insisted he stay for dinner. Mack didn't often refuse.

“Hey, this is
great,
” he told Mary Jo after the first bite. And it was. Tender chunks of chicken, fresh vegetables that weren't cooked to mush, lots of flavorful broth. The biscuits that accompanied it melted in his mouth. “A guy could get used to eating like this,” he said jovially.

Mary Jo didn't comment.

Oh, boy, he'd done it again. Would he never learn? “I, uh, didn't mean that the way it sounded. I just wanted you to know the meal's delicious…. I'm not suggesting anything else.”

Mary Jo carefully set her fork next to her plate. “I was afraid of this.”

“Afraid of what?” He swallowed before he'd finished chewing, and the biscuit nearly stuck in his throat.

“It's still awkward between us, don't you think?”

He nodded, grabbing his wineglass and gulping down a mouthful.

“You don't need to work so hard, Mack.”

He frowned, unsure what she meant.

“We're friends, right?”

“Friends,” he repeated.

“Good,” she said. She seemed satisfied. “Friends are
comfortable with each other. We shouldn't worry that what we say is going to be taken wrong or out of context.”

He coughed and nodded again.

“Then relax and enjoy yourself. Stop worrying that I'll be offended, okay?” She sent him a dazzling smile.

“Okay,” he said. This comment was supposed to put him at ease, and yet her words had the opposite effect. Yes, they were friends, but Mack had hoped they would be so much more.

I
t still felt strange, yet, oh, so wonderful, to wake up every morning with his wife beside him. Linc Wyse had grown accustomed to married life with a speed that astonished him. He'd been caught up in a whirlwind from the moment he met Lori Bellamy.

Less than two months ago, her car had broken down on the highway. Linc had been in Cedar Cove checking up on his stubborn little sister, who'd moved out of the family home and into a duplex next door to McAfee. The firefighter had delivered Noelle, and next thing Linc knew, the guy was her neighbor. He seemed to be over at Mary Jo's far too often, and Linc considered it his responsibility—his
duty
—to make sure nothing untoward was going on. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation his sister had gotten herself into now. One man had already taken advantage of her, and Linc wasn't letting
that
happen again. He didn't care how many times Mary Jo told him to butt out and to stop interfering.

Lori made a faint, waking sound, then yawned and arched her back before snuggling into Linc's arms. “Is it morning?” she asked, still groggy with sleep.

Linc kissed the top of her head. Mornings with Lori were the very best of his life. “So it seems.”

“I'll make coffee.” She leaned over to turn off the clock radio, cutting off a traffic report in midsentence.

When she started to toss aside the covers, Linc stopped her. “No need to get up so soon, is there?” He nuzzled her neck and slipped his arm around her, bringing her closer. She was warm and soft and infinitely lovely.

“I didn't think you were the sort of man who liked to linger in bed,” Lori teased as she slid her arms around his neck. Her breasts grazed his chest and he briefly closed his eyes at the sensation.

“I never used to be,” he murmured. “Until now.” She had no idea how true that was. As the oldest, Linc had held the family together after his parents died—the family and the business.

He was the first one at the car repair shop every morning and the last one to leave at night. All he'd done was work and worry. He worried about his family, about the business, about the economy. If there was something to lose sleep over, Linc was ready to take it on.

Then he'd met Lori.

His relationships with women had always soured and he'd never been able to figure out where he'd gone wrong. But it was definitely a pattern; he'd meet someone, things would be great for a while and then it was over. He didn't understand it. Mary Jo claimed he was too “bossy” and “controlling” but she wasn't exactly a relationship expert, so he ignored her opinion—and the cycle of ever-shorter romances had continued. But all of that changed the night he'd stopped to help when Lori's car had broken down.

He'd nearly driven past. He'd already put in a long day and he was still annoyed by the heated argument he'd had with his sister. But he'd stopped, because if it was
Mary Jo stranded there on the highway Linc would want someone like him to help. So he'd pulled over. Lori's car had run out of gas and he'd taken her to a service station. They'd ended up having dinner together, and then spent hours talking during the next few days.

Linc had learned that Lori had recently come out of a broken engagement—to a man who'd gone to prison for theft. Not surprisingly, it had left her disillusioned. Linc knew the feeling well. She was an old-fashioned kind of woman who expected a man to behave honorably. He was an old-fashioned kind of guy who demanded honor from himself and others. On impulse, before they could talk themselves out of it, they decided to get married.

It was crazy. It was wonderful. Linc had never in his life felt this happy and carefree.

“Why are you smiling?” Lori asked, rising up on one elbow to study his face.

Just looking at his wife made his chest tighten. “I never in a million years thought I'd sleep in a canopy bed under pink sheets and be okay with it.” He paused. “
More
than okay.”

Now it was Lori's turn to smile. “I told you it wouldn't be so bad, didn't I?”

“Not that I remember. What I recall is the promise you made when you lured me to your bed.”

“Lured you?” She raised her eyebrows. “As
I
recall, you hauled me into your arms, slammed my bedroom door and carried me across the room caveman-style.”

“Caveman? Please.”

“He-man, then.”

He-man, he could live with. “After that, I didn't even notice the canopy, which was what you intended all along.”

“Do you mind it now?” she asked.

Linc shrugged. He'd lived with his brothers for so
many years, he didn't pay attention to all the froufrou stuff women had. Mary Jo probably had it, too, but she was his baby sister, so that was different.

Everything
about Lori had his attention from the moment she'd stepped out of her car that first evening. And when she'd emerged from the bedroom in that black silk piece-of-nothing on their wedding night… The memory still excited him.

“I'll make coffee,” she volunteered again when he didn't respond.

“Not so soon,” he said, kissing her until they were both breathless. He watched as her eyes widened and she realized what he wanted. “Linc! I have to get ready for work!”

“You won't be late,” he promised as he urged her onto her back and brought his mouth to hers.

Ah, yes, marriage had a lot to recommend it, and Linc was going to enjoy every minute.

A half hour later, having forgone coffee, Lori was rushing to get dressed when Linc stepped out of the shower. Her makeup—not that he felt she needed it—was done. She wore a business skirt and was pulling on a soft blue sweater. “What are you doing today?” she asked as she adjusted the neckline.

“I'm signing the closing papers on the garage.”

She looked surprised. “The deal went through already?”

Linc stood in the doorway to the tiny bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. “It sat empty for two years and the owner really wanted to sell.” Linc planned to open a branch of the family business, Wyse Men Auto and Body Shop—formerly
Three
Wyse Men—in Cedar Cove. His brothers were competent enough to handle everything in Seattle. By starting a second shop, he was giving them an opportunity to succeed on their own. Besides, one of
the three needed to be close at hand to keep an eye on Mary Jo, although he had to admit that was more of an excuse than a reason. Linc liked living in Cedar Cove.

Okay, to be honest, he liked living with Lori.

“I only work until three this afternoon,” Lori said, moving about the room. She slipped her arms into a black jacket that didn't match the skirt but looked good with it, then pinned a cameo to the lapel. Even Linc, most comfortable in a T-shirt and jeans, recognized that Lori had a real sense of style. He supposed it was why she worked in a high-end dress shop in Silverdale. She dabbled in designing, too, and knew how to sew.

“I'll get groceries on the way home.” She brushed her hair, slung her purse over her shoulder and was about to leave.

Linc grabbed her hand. “Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?”

A smile made her eyes sparkle mischievously. “No, kissing leads to other things and I'm already late.”

“One kiss,” he begged. “Please?”

“Linc,” she groaned, but then complied.

Her kiss left him weak in the knees. He had to clear his throat before he could speak again. “I'll be back from the title company around four.”

“Great. I'll pick up a bottle of wine so we can celebrate.”

“Good idea.”

“See you later,” she said, and kissed him again, letting her mouth linger over his. She was well aware of what she was doing to him, and he nearly staggered backward when she abruptly broke away.

“You're an evil woman, Lori Wyse,” he called after her.

Linc headed out fifteen minutes after Lori. He had several stops to make, plus he needed to drive into Seattle and meet with his brothers about the business there.
By the time he returned to Cedar Cove, he had to sign the papers for the garage. That all took longer than he'd expected and it was almost five when he'd finished.

Linc collected the keys to the garage and went home, hoping to pick up Lori and take her down to see the garage. He had a notebook filled with ideas on how to build the business. He wanted to tell her about them, and above all, he wanted to share this moment with her. They'd take the wine over to the property and toast there.

When Linc arrived home, he saw a black Town Car parked in the very spot where he normally left his truck. Even before he reached their apartment, he heard raised voices.

“Don't say that, Daddy!” Lori cried. She sounded close to tears.

Oh, boy. Lori hadn't told her family yet that they were married. Linc didn't understand why she'd delayed, but the decision was hers. When he'd asked her about it, Linc could see how uncomfortable the subject made her, so he'd dropped it.

Now her father was upset, and frankly, Linc didn't blame him. He'd do his best to set things straight.

Squaring his shoulders, Linc opened the door and walked into the living room. Lori stood next to the fireplace, her father—a balding, heavyset man—no more than a foot away. One of his hands was raised, as if he'd been wagging his finger at her. The other was clenched at his side. At Linc's entrance, they both turned to stare at him.

“Hello,” Linc said, hoping he sounded calm and composed. “You must be Lori's father. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bellamy.” He thrust out his hand, which the older man ignored.

Instead, Leonard Bellamy turned back to his daughter. “Is that the man?”

“Daddy, this is my husband, Lincoln Wyse. Linc…this is my father.”

Linc walked over to Lori's side and placed his arm protectively around her shoulders.

Bellamy continued to ignore him. “You've pulled some stupid stunts in your life, but
this
takes the cake.”

“Mr. Bellamy, I realize—”

“If I want to hear from you, I'll say so,” the older man shouted. “Don't you have any sense, Lori Marie? You married this man and you don't even
know
him? What about his family? Who are his people?”

“If you'd allow me—”

“You,” Leonard said, pointing an accusing finger at Linc, “mind your own business. This is between me and my daughter.”

Lori squeezed his arm, indicating that Linc should do as her father said. He didn't like it, but he clenched his jaw and waited impatiently for the other man to get to the end of his rant.

“First, you were engaged to that…that felon.”

“Geoff was a mistake.”

“A mistake!” Leonard shouted. “So that's what you're calling him. He was a major embarrassment to the whole family. How do you think your mother and I felt when we had to cancel the wedding? We couldn't even say it was wedding-day jitters or make up a decent excuse. Oh, no. Geoff's name was plastered across the front page of every newspaper on the Kitsap Peninsula. Everyone in the entire county knew why the wedding was canceled.”

“I…I didn't know what kind of man Geoff was,” Lori said, defending herself. Her voice quavered with mortification. “I agree I misjudged Geoff, but you liked him, too, remember?”

Her father brushed off her comment. “What makes you
think you have better judgment this time?” he demanded. “How long did you two know each other, anyway?”

“Long enough,” Linc said, unable to remain silent.

“I asked you to stay out of this,” Bellamy shouted. He started pacing, then stopped and glared at Lori. “What were you thinking?” Briefly he closed his eyes. “What on earth possessed you to marry a
stranger?
”

“Daddy…”

“Can you imagine how your mother felt to have a friend—mind you, a
friend
—announce that you'd recently married?”

“Daddy, please…”

“You couldn't have told us yourself?” he bellowed, refusing to let Lori explain.

“Mr. Bellamy,” Linc said, trying again.

Lori covered her face with both hands and began to sob.

“You've really done it this time,” Leonard said. “You've consistently shown poor judgment, and worse, you never seem to learn from your mistakes.”

Frowning, Linc took a step forward. He understood why Lori's father was upset, but the man was crossing the line now.

“No one in the family has ever done anything like this. Your mother's beside herself.”

“I'm sorry,” Lori sobbed.

“As you should be. You made one stupid mistake and then you immediately followed that up with another.” He whirled around and studied Linc through narrowed eyes. “A mechanic, Lori? For heaven's sake, why would you marry a mechanic? It isn't embarrassing enough that our daughter elopes without a word to her family, but then you have to marry a man with oil under his fingernails, an uncouth, uneducated…mechanic? What's the matter with you, girl? Don't you have a brain in your head?”

“Mr. Bellamy,” Linc said, his voice hard. It was one thing to belittle him, but Linc wasn't going to stand idly by while Lori's father chastised her as if she were a child. “I can see why you're upset. I'll be the first to admit that we rushed into this marriage, but that doesn't give you the right to come to our home and ridicule my wife.”

“
Your
home?” The other man's face reddened.

Lori's hand tightened around Linc's forearm and she squeezed hard. “This building belongs to my parents,” she whispered. “I don't pay rent.”

Linc hadn't known that—and wished she'd told him. “If you want us to move, we'll be out by the end of the month,” he offered.

“I want you out, all right,” Bellamy raged, jerking one thumb at the door. “Out of my daughter's life.”