16 Lighthouse Road - Debbie Macomber [86]
“When did you get this?” she asked, not even trying to disguise her amusement.
“Do you like it?”
“I absolutely love it! You’ll put the top down, won’t you?”
“If that’s what you want.”
He was smiling as he slid into the front seat. He started the engine and made a real production of lowering the top. When he’d finished, they were both laughing. “This reminds me of that beat-up old convertible you had in college,” Olivia said between giggles. “Remember when the top got stuck halfway up?”
They talked comfortably throughout the drive. As they waited at a light, Olivia showed her ex the first photographs of their granddaughter.
“Born May 18th,” Stan reminded her. “That’s the day Mount Saint Helens blew, isn’t it?”
As if either one of them was likely to forget. They’d driven to Portland for the weekend. Stan was attending some engineering conference and while he went to meetings, Olivia had taken the three children over to Lloyd Center. The shopping mall, with a skating rink in the center, had fascinated eight-year-old Jordan. Olivia had tried to shop, but with three children constantly underfoot, it’d been an impossible task and she’d finally given up. After renting skates for herself and the kids, she’d spent a delightful day. Then early Sunday morning, when they were to drive home, Mount Saint Helens had the first of several volcanic eruptions. Plumes of hot gasses, ash and rock had shot sixty thousand feet into the sky. The falling ash had made the drive back to Cedar Cove nerve-wracking. For several hours, they’d been trapped on the Interstate with three whiny, frightened children in the back seat. Olivia had been no less terrified.
“You do remember May 18th, 1980, don’t you?” Stan asked.
In response, Olivia shuddered elaborately. She’d never been happier to get home. The drive had been a nightmare, but time had a way of erasing the sharp edges of that memory. In later years, whenever the trip was mentioned, it was done with drama and lots of laughter.
“She’s beautiful,” Stan said, staring at the color photos while they waited for the light to change.
“James is happy, and Selina’s perfect for him. She’s just the kind of wife he needs.” As the youngest, James had been badly spoiled—even more so after the death of his brother.
Stan had worried about their son. She knew that, but James was an adult now and made his own decisions. Often Olivia disagreed with what he chose, such as joining the military. Without a word to either one of them, he’d enlisted. Now he was married and a young father. This, too, had been accomplished without consulting either parent.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Stan did sound relieved.
Olivia had liked her daughter-in-law instantly. They’d talked on the phone several times, but those brief conversations hadn’t given her a clear picture of her son’s wife. Selina belonged to a large extended and well-to-do family who’d welcomed Olivia with the same enthusiasm that they had James and the new baby. There were dinners and celebrations every night of her visit. James was genuinely happy. He and Selina lived in a suite of rooms at his in-laws’ home and amazingly, the arrangement seemed to be a success. Olivia was impressed by the amount of Spanish he’d learned since he’d met Selina. She’d quickly realized that Selina’s family had been part of the attraction for her son. James had been only ten at the time of the divorce, and although both Olivia and Stan had tried hard to make the split as amicable as possible, their son had suffered. Every child did. Olivia saw the results of divorce every day in family court.
“How’s Justine doing?” Stan abruptly changed the subject.
“Why? What did she say when you talked?”
“Not much.”
He seemed worried about their daughter. “She still seeing that Saget guy?”
“He’s asked her to marry him.” By now, everyone in town knew about the diamond ring Warren had purchased. Justine, however, had yet to mention the proposal.
Stan cursed and swerved into another lane. “Is she going to do it?”
Olivia shrugged. “She doesn’t confide in me when it comes