All for One

by Melody Carlson

  “I honestly don’t know. I’ve been handling her finances since summer, but I never paid for homeowner’s insurance.”

  Janie considered this. On one hand it could help Caroline’s case if there was no fire insurance. That would remove some motivation for causing a fire. On the other hand, without insurance, how would Caroline afford the repairs? “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Janie said.

  “Eventually.” Caroline finished her coffee, then rinsed her mug and set it in the sink. “I called the hospital. It sounds like there’s been no change in my mom.”

  Janie wasn’t sure how to respond.

  “Anyway, I’m heading over there now.” Caroline jangled her keys. “Guess I’ll see you later.”

  “I plan to go have another conversation with Detective Alberts this morning,” Janie informed her. “Then I’ll swing by the hospital to give you an update. Maybe we can have lunch.”

  Caroline nodded. “Sounds good.”

  After Caroline left, Janie decided it might be wise to dress more like an attorney today. She suspected that Detective Alberts wasn’t taking her as seriously as she would’ve liked. She pulled out her favorite gray suit, an exquisitely cut St. John that was both classic and authoritative. No-nonsense. She even combed her hair into a neat French twist and pulled out her best briefcase of sleek black leather trimmed in sterling. She usually reserved it for court. It went nicely with her black Stuart Weitzman pumps. Yes, she was overdressed for their small coastal town, but her goal was to get some attention and then show the Clifden legal system that she meant business.

  She parked in front of city hall and had just entered the building when she found herself face-to-face with Victor. “Oh!” She gave him a surprised smile. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  He looked even more shocked. “Janie—what are you doing here?”

  “I’m here on some legal business for Caroline.” Now she looked past Victor to see a petite blonde standing beside him, smiling with interest.

  “Uh, Janie”—Victor cleared his throat—”I’d like you to meet Donna Lewis. Donna, this is my good friend Janie Sorenson.”

  The two women shook hands, and Janie took a quick inventory. Donna was very pretty in that soft, delicate, feminine sort of way. Wearing a blue cashmere sweater set and tweed wool pants, she looked casually chic and stylish—nothing like Janie had imagined.

  “You must be the New York attorney I’ve been hearing about,” Donna said as she studied Janie. “You look as if you’re about to try a very important case.”

  Janie forced a smile. “I’m on something of a legal mission.”

  “How’s Caroline’s mother doing?” Victor asked.

  “The same as yesterday,” Janie told him.

  He nodded. “Well, give Caroline my best.”

  “We’ll let you get on with your mission,” Donna said brightly. “Lovely to meet you, Janie.”

  “You, too.” Janie nodded primly. “I hope you’re enjoying our little town.”

  “Oh, I absolutely adore Clifden,” Donna gushed. “It’s a delight.”

  Janie glanced at Victor. His eyes looked troubled, but she wasn’t sure if the source of his angst was his ex-wife or Janie. Maybe both. Janie wanted to ask what they’d been doing in city hall, but a deep-down sense of dread told her that she might not like the answer. What if they’d been in to get a marriage license? Or worse yet, what if they’d already remarried? “Well, nice to see you both,” Janie managed to murmur.

  “Good luck,” Victor said a bit formally.

  She thanked him and said good-bye, but as she walked to the reception area, Janie felt as if someone had pulled the floor from beneath her. Her worries were totally ridiculous, not to mention completely unfounded. Really, what were the chances that Victor and Donna had already decided to remarry? It wasn’t only preposterous, it was paranoid. And yet …

  Chapter 10

  ABBY

  Paul was hunched over, sitting on the bench by the door and taking far too long to tie the laces of his athletic shoes.

  “What did you just say?” Abby demanded.

  He looked up. “Hey, don’t chew my head off, Abs. I was just asking.”

  “You honestly expect me to have lunch with Victor and you as well as Victor’s ex-wife?” With hands on hips Abby frowned down at him. Seriously, had he lost his ever-loving mind? “Did I hear you correctly?”

  “Fine, don’t come if you don’t want to. But you don’t have to shoot the messenger. I’ll tell Victor that you can’t make it. It’s not that big of a deal, Abby.”

  “Maybe not to you.” She pressed her lips together and thought hard. “Honestly, do you expect me to go along with you, socialize with Victor’s ex, and act like Janie’s not one of my closest friends?”

  “Of course not.” He stood and pulled on his sweatshirt. “Victor just wanted to introduce Donna to some of the locals. I think it would help to take some of the pressure off of Vic. Poor guy, he’s trying to accommodate this demanding ex-spouse, and I have a feeling he’s a little overwhelmed.”

  Abby envisioned a domineering woman, outspoken and bossy as she tried to force Victor to conform to her unreasonable whims and harebrained plans. The image made her feel a little sorry for Victor. He probably felt trapped between a rock and a hard place. The more she considered this, the more she realized she might be doing both Janie and Victor a favor to meet the ex-wife today. At the very least she could gather information about Victor’s ex, and then she could reassure Janie that there was nothing whatsoever to be worried about.

  Besides all that, Abby was just plain curious. Who was this woman?

  Abby sighed. “Well, I suppose I could go to lunch with you guys. Just this one time probably wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Great.” He picked up his gym bag. “I plan to do my workout, and then I’ll sit in the sauna for a while. I’ll meet you at The Chowder House at noon. Okay?”

  “Okay.” But she could hear the doubt in her own voice.

  He frowned at her. “You will be civilized, won’t you, Abby? No dramatics.”

  “Good grief, Paul. What do you think I am?”

  He grinned. “Well, I know how you can be sometimes, though usually you save it for me.”

  She gently smacked his forehead with the heel of her hand. “That’s because you ask for it.” She watched as he got his truck keys and put on his ball cap.

  “You’re still taking it easy at the fitness club?” she asked with concern.

  “Like I already told you, my fitness program is doctor approved.”

  “I know that’s what you said, Paul, but I also know how guys can act.”

  He cocked his head to one side. “How can guys act?”

  “Oh, you know, you see another guy who’s about your age, or maybe older, and he’s doing a vigorous workout—or maybe it’s a cute chick you want to impress—and so you decide to push yourself a little harder. And instead of using a twenty-pound weight like you’re supposed to, you go for a fifty-pound one, and the next thing you know you’re taking an expensive one-way trip to the emergency room.”

  “You certainly have one vivid imagination.” He leaned over and pecked her on the cheek. “Don’t worry, my macho-man days are a thing of the past.”

  “Okay, just don’t you forget it.”

  “See you at high noon.”

  As soon as Paul left, Abby was tempted to call one of the Lindas to confess what she was about to do, but Caroline had her hands full, and no way was she calling Janie yet. Abby would have no problem filling her in after the fact, but not before. She was just about to call Marley when she stopped herself. No, she didn’t need to phone a friend to bolster her confidence. Instead she would simply put on her big-girl pants and do this thing herself. She could report back to the Lindas later.


  She went to her closet and looked for something appropriate to wear. For some reason she felt she should put her best foot forward. Of course, with Abby’s lackluster wardrobe, this was always a challenge. Eventually she settled for her best jeans, an oxford shirt, and her favorite fisherman-knit cardigan. So she wasn’t the epitome of fashion. Clifden was her town, and she had no problem showing this interloper Donna that she was perfectly comfortable in it. For that matter so was Janie. Not that Abby planned to mention this, but it would be going through her mind.

  Abby got to the restaurant at noon, but Paul’s truck wasn’t in the parking lot. She considered waiting for him in her car, but it was possible he’d parked on the street. So she went inside. There, waiting in the foyer, was Victor with a very pretty blonde woman next to him. At first Abby assumed the blonde was the hostess. She appeared to be maybe in her late thirties or early forties, and she had the pleasant smile of someone totally comfortable in her own skin.

  “I’m so glad you could make it.” Victor clasped Abby’s hand.

  “Paul must still be on his way,” Abby told him. The next thing she knew, Victor was introducing her to this pretty woman, who was not the hostess but his ex-wife, Donna. Abby shook her hand and tried not to look overly surprised, but Donna was nothing like what she’d imagined. Almost as disturbing was the fact that Donna seemed very nice. Quite likeable, in fact.

  “I just love Clifden,” Donna told Abby as they were led to a table. “Every single thing about it. It’s absolutely charming. I honestly think if the rest of the world got word of it, this town would be overpopulated by Thanksgiving.”

  “I told Donna we try to keep it our little secret,” Victor said as they sat down.

  “I don’t think Paul would agree with that,” Abby told him. “He’s on the chamber, you know, and they do all they can to bring positive publicity to Clifden.”

  “Who can blame them?” Donna said pleasantly. “When you have something this lovely, this delightful, well, you can’t help but want to share it with friends.”

  “At least the friends with deep pockets,” Abby said. “Our town could use some more development.”

  “That’s exactly why I encouraged Victor to go to city hall this morning,” Donna said with bright eyes.

  “City hall?” Abby was confused.

  “To discuss the possibility of a farmers’ market.”

  Abby nodded. “Oh yes, I remember that idea you had, Victor. So are you really getting serious about it now?”

  Victor kind of shrugged, and for a moment Abby remembered him as the shy schoolboy, brainy but nerdy.

  “He should be serious about it,” Donna answered. “It’s a brilliant idea. The city manager we met with this morning wholeheartedly agreed.” Then Donna went on to tell Abby she’d worked as a publicist in Chicago and was eager to use her publicity skills in Clifden.

  Victor waved at someone, and Abby turned to see Paul making his way toward their table. Before long they were all chatting like old friends. Although Abby felt guilty for Janie’s sake, she couldn’t deny that she liked Donna. As Paul told Donna a bit about the chamber’s priorities in regard to business development, Abby turned her attention to Victor.

  What was going on in him? He definitely seemed different from his usual relaxed and easygoing self. Was it because he was torn? Had he rediscovered his love for his ex? If so, where did Janie fit into this new scenario? Though he was being polite and congenial, it seemed he was holding something back. Abby suspected—or maybe just hoped—that Victor wasn’t as comfortable with his ex-wife as Donna appeared to be with him.

  It was impossible to ignore the loving gestures Donna made toward Victor: a touch of the hand, a warm and engaged smile, a merry laugh at his wittier comments. No doubt, this woman was seriously putting the moves on her ex-husband. Why shouldn’t she? Wouldn’t Abby do the same thing in the same situation?

  But what about Janie? Abby felt like a traitor. Really, where were her alliances?

  “So where will you be living in Clifden?” Abby asked Donna when the conversation came to a lull.

  “That’s actually one reason I wanted to have lunch with Paul today,” Victor said quickly. “I thought Donna might like to hear about some of his spec houses. You still have some on the market, don’t you?”

  Paul nodded eagerly. “I do have a couple of houses for sale. One is nearly finished. The other should be done by Christmas.”

  “That’s great.” Victor smiled eagerly. “Paul is the best builder in town. You should see his home—it’s really well done. I’m sure his spec houses are equally nice.”

  “Oh yes,” Abby said. “Paul only uses the finest materials, and yet his designs are practical for the Oregon coast. If you decided to go with the one that won’t be done until Christmas, you could probably pick out some of your own finishes for floors and cabinets and such.” She turned to Paul. “Right?”

  He nodded. “Absolutely.”

  To Abby’s surprise Donna looked unimpressed.

  “Of course, there are lots of other lovely properties for sale in Clifden,” Abby said. She hoped she hadn’t been too pushy about Paul’s houses. That wasn’t her usual mode, but she’d been caught up in the moment. “In fact I could introduce you to a realtor friend of mine. If you’d like, I mean.” Abby felt like backpedaling. Why was she being so aggressive?

  Donna made a stiff smile. “Well, it might be a bit premature for that. But I will definitely keep all this in mind.”

  Victor glanced directly at Abby. “I actually had another idea.” He cleared his throat. “It might be a crazy one, but I thought I’d toss it out anyway, just in case.”

  Abby was curious. “Sure, what is it?”

  “Well, I know you purchased that property for your bed-and-breakfast, and I know you probably won’t be opening it for a while, but I wondered if—”

  “If I could rent a room to Donna?” Abby finished for him. He looked a bit sheepish, but Abby nodded eagerly. “That’s a fantastic idea, Victor.”

  “Seriously?”

  “It really is.” She glanced at Paul, but his expression was hard to read. “I want to get it running, but, well, as you know I’ve been distracted with Paul—”

  “Distracted is not the word,” Paul inserted. “Obsessed is more like it. Abby’s been like a cat on a hot tin roof, sneaking around the house, always checking on me, acting like I’m going to kick the bucket at any given moment. It’s creepy.”

  Abby filled in Donna about Paul’s recent heart attack. Donna, bless her heart, was rather understanding. “I don’t blame you a bit,” she told Abby. “My father died young from a heart attack. I would take my husband’s recovery very seriously too if I were you.” She shook her finger at Paul. “You need to accept that Abby’s concern is only because she loves you.”

  Paul made a half smile. “Yeah, I know.”

  Abby was liking Donna more and more.

  “Would you really be interested in renting a room before you officially open the B and B?” Victor asked.

  “It would be a great way to get the whole thing rolling,” Abby assured him. “My plan had been to attack one room at a time. The master suite is actually in great shape.” She turned to Donna. “If you’re interested, I would be happy to let you use it until you figure things out. My house isn’t far from here. In fact it’s very conveniently located to town.”

  “That’s right,” Victor said. “It’s near the library and post office and lots of other things. In fact, if you got a bike, you wouldn’t even need a car.”

  “I don’t know.” Donna looked unsure.

  “I’m sure it doesn’t sound very inviting,” Abby admitted. “But the house is nice. I mostly just want to make some cosmetic changes. You know, a little paint here and there, fresh curtains, the right furnishings, good linens, some nice tou
ches. In fact we could run over there after lunch if you like. I could show you around.”

  Donna still looked disinterested, and Abby tried not to be offended. Victor spoke up. “That’s a good idea, Abby. I’ve only seen the outside of the house, and I’d love to see the interior.” He turned to Donna. “It’s an appealing old Victorian. I’m sure you’d love it. I remember how you used to love old houses.”

  “I’m just not sure about this.” Donna frowned. “Living all by myself in a big old house. It sounds a bit sad and lonely.”

  “Janie will be there sometimes,” Abby said quickly. Perhaps a bit too quickly. She realized too late whom she was talking to.

  “Oh, you mean Janie the lawyer?” Donna looked interested.

  “Yes, she’s going to use the basement as her law office. So, really, you wouldn’t be all alone. I’ll be there a lot too.” Abby smiled hopefully. “You know, working on the place.”

  “I was curious as to where Caroline is going to live,” Victor injected. “I hear that her mom’s house is uninhabitable.”

  “Oh, Victor, what a fantastic idea! I hadn’t even thought about Caroline staying there, but it would be perfect.” Abby turned to Paul. “And you were worried about how this was going to work. My bed-and-breakfast is already filling up.”

  Paul looked a bit doubtful. “Just don’t count your chickens before they hatch, Abby. You never know.”

  After Abby gave Donna and Victor the full tour of the house, she thought Paul was wrong. She was ready to count her chickens. After all, Victor had been effusive in his praise, and after Donna saw the master suite, which was actually rather cozy, it seemed that she warmed to the idea too. Abby strongly suspected that Victor was eager to get Donna out from under his roof. She couldn’t even imagine what that last few days must’ve been like for him. Abby was starting to see that, as sweet as Donna came across, this woman was determined—determined to get Victor back.

  What Abby couldn’t quite discern, though, was Victor’s position. At times he seemed to respond to Donna’s affection, and at other times his jaw hardened and his eyes looked troubled. That had to be hard on Janie. As Abby drove to the hospital to check on Caroline, she realized that her own efforts to convince Donna to live at the bed-and-breakfast could backfire. How would Janie react to the possibility of having her law office in the same house as Victor’s ex?