1022 Evergreen Place - Debbie Macomber [53]
Despite the overcast skies and drizzle earlier in the day, Mack had been working outside, wearing rubber boots. He’d weeded the garden and was now erecting a fence around the backyard. He’d also promised to put up a swing for Noelle, which he planned to do.
There was a chance of rain, so Mack had suggested they drive down to the farmer’s market and include a stop at the library. Immediately after lunchtime, she bundled up Noelle and they set off, again taking her car.
When they’d parked in the free lot next to the library, Mary Jo got Noelle from the backseat while Mack set up the stroller. The baby gurgled happily when Mary Jo fastened her inside. Her little girl was growing so quickly. Already Noelle was sitting up on her own, and it wouldn’t be long before she started crawling.
They returned their library books, then walked over to the market, chatting about Joan and Jacob and the letters.
“There’s Grace and Olivia. At that booth with all the soap.” Mary Jo caught their attention and waved.
The two women immediately came toward them. Grace carried a small bag from the Soap People and as they drew closer Mary Jo could smell the distinctive scent of lavender.
“Don’t tell me that’s Noelle,” Olivia said, leaning over to get a better look at the baby. “Oh, my, she has two little teeth.”
After the months of chemo, Olivia’s hair had grown back in short, bouncy curls all over her head. Mary Jo wasn’t sure what the color or texture had been before but it was silver now, and Mary Jo thought it was beautiful. She hadn’t met Olivia until last December, when she was in the middle of her fight with cancer. She’d been so thin and pale. So fragile. She was a different woman now, still thin but healthy and vibrant.
“We’re off to shop,” Grace told them after they’d visited for a few minutes.
“Have fun, you two,” Mack said as he steered Mary Jo toward the market.
Mary Jo purchased two pounds of fresh clams and invited Mack to share in her feast that night. He bought a crusty loaf of French bread from the local bakery and salad makings, plus a bottle of white wine to complement their meal. She told him that soon they’d have produce from their garden—lettuce and peppers and beans.
“Our garden,” Mary Jo said again. Mack had done all the hard work, tilling the ground and preparing the soil. True, she’d done the planting, but they’d both contributed to the weeding and watering. From the beginning they’d agreed to share the bounty.
“Well, sure, it’s our garden,” Mack said, sounding surprised. “And I’ve enjoyed working in it as much as I’m going to enjoy eating all that good stuff.”
A man who liked gardening. That seemed to her a very positive thing. It showed how nurturing and patient he was, how generous. She didn’t want to fall in love with him and yet it was almost impossible not to….
Out of the corner of her eye, Mary Jo noticed her brother and his wife. She was about to mention it when she saw Linc place his arm around Lori. Marriage had changed her oldest brother. Mary Jo became aware of the subtleties it had brought into his life—or, perhaps, revealed in his personality—every time she saw him.
For years Linc had been on his guard, looking after his family. He’d taken on the responsibilities of a parent, constantly worrying about his siblings, trying to protect them. He hadn’t liked it when Mary Jo had moved to Cedar Cove, but her decision had been a turning point for him, as well.
She’d made a mess of things by trusting David Rhodes. Naively, she’d believed he loved her, because it was what he’d said and what she wanted to believe. All his lies and false promises had left her pregnant and alone.
In giving herself to David, she’d rebelled against the control Linc had over her. Her pregnancy had complicated everything—and yet it was the beginning of a new order in the Wyse family. She’d moved to Cedar Cove and, as an indirect result of that, Linc had met Lori. Over the past few months