Page 49 (1/2)

Her life was coo She had little in common these days with even her closest friends Yes, they chatted and stayed in touch, but Mary Jo had a baby and could no longer take off at aelse Her whole life, and therefore all her relationships, had changed since Noelle’s birth

In a relatively short time she’d become a mother, left her family home, moved to a nen, taken a new job Now she had one aged within aelse, she’d deal with that and with Mack’s confused feelings for her

He was right, of course; it was better to be honest, although she was still unsure exactly where their relationship stood One thing she did feel sure about, though, was the fact that Mack would move heaven and earth to protect Noelle

The baby stirred from her afternoon nap and Mary Jo went into her roo her, she set her in her baby seat and began doing what she always did when she felt troubled She cleaned house

While she was hanging up her clothes in the bedrooht on the toe of her sock It wasn’t the first tied a sock on that nail Under other circumstances, she’d ask Mack to haer on behalf of his friend But she couldn’t go to him just now Besides, she was fairly co to pound the nail A shoe with a solid heel would work equally well

"Your mother is no dunce," she told Noelle as she knelt on the floor and found an appropriate shoe Once down on all fours, Mary Jo saw that ht from her drawer, she aimed it at the closet floor, ready to pound ahen an object of soht her attention

"Noelle," she said, her voice rising "There’s so underneath this board"

The baby cooed froers to wiggle the nail out, then ed to free the second one Once the board was loose, she lifted it up and discovered, still partially hidden, what see floorboards in the closet until she could retrieve the box Breathless, she sat on the floor, holding it in her lap The wooden box was old; that ht The writing on it had faded long ago to the point that it was unreadable

"Shall I peek inside?" she asked Noelle

The baby returned her look ide-eyed wonder

"I’ her breath, she raised the lid There were letters inside, old letters She picked up the first envelope and turned to Noelle Reading the postmark, she said, "These are letters written in 1943 by…" The ink on the blue airmail envelope had faded "Major Jacob Dennison" The letters were addressed to Miss Joan Manry, 1022 Evergreen Place, Cedar Cove, Washington

"I’ine why Joan would hide them like this" She carefully opened the fli was difficult to read "It’s written by Jacob--Jake--during the war," Mary Jo said "He’s in Europe…a pilot flying out of England, it looks like" She bit her lip "It’s a love letter Oh, Noelle, he’s about to go on a bo to die and he wants Joan to know that if he doesn’t survive, he’ll find a way to come to her…that he’ll always love her"

For an hour oron the bedroom floor beside Noelle, she read one after another, her eyes often filling with tears

She was startled into awareness by the ringing of her doorbell, followed by a knock That signal immediately identified her visitor as Mack Immersed as she was in the letters, she wiped her eyes and hurriedly got to her feet, excited about sharing her discovery with him

She threw open the door

"Mary Jo, listen, I think Ii his ar I need to show you"

Mack frowned "What?"

"There was this loose board in the closet and--"

"You should’ve told me I would have taken care of it"

"That isn’t important, Mack The letters are" She couldn’t contain her excitement "I came across a box hidden in the closet It has theWorld War II"

"You read them?"

"Well, of course Anyone would have…You have to read them, too! Once I started I couldn’t stop They’re so eloquent, so …I want to knohat happened to Jake and Joan I want to find out if Jacob Dennison returned from the war and if they ht away"

"My friend?" Mack sounded confused and, little wonder, the way she’d dragged hi nonstop

"The ht be related to him He’ll want these letters--they’re a treasure"

Mack shook his head "That isn’t possible My…friend, the owner, can’t be related He only recently purchased the place"

"Then ht it from will know"

"I can find out, if you want"

Mary Jo nodded eagerly "Please"

He grinned "I’ll see whothe war years"