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Cecilia did Teeks ago, her closest friend, Cathy Lackey, had revealed that her husband had received transfer papers that would send the small family to Scotland Cecilia and Cathy had shed a lot of tears, but they’d vowed to keep in touch through e-mail and letters Cecilia was determined to hold on to that precious friendship

"What about the house?" she asked next They’d only just settled in; the packing boxes were still in the garage Cecilia loved this house, and so did Ian "I thought we ht own it one day"

"I know" Her husband sounded as ree She was disappointed, too, but she understood"

Cecilia hardly knehat to say She’d be walking away frohter she’d buried, the job she enjoyed and the teenage girl she’d befriended Everything--her whole life--was here in Cedar Cove

"You’ll like San Diego," Ian said gamely

"I’m sure I will," she murmured with no particular enthusiasain, his voice was void of e, and I kno much you love it here" He paused "If you wanted, you could stay," he suggested with obvious reluctance "I could make the commute for a while I’m at sea for six months--and, well, there are ways around this if you don’t feel you can uproot your life and leave Allison"

"Oh, Ian" That would be disastrous for their ardless of where he was assigned They were a family

"Is that what you’d like to do?" he asked, his eyes intense and sad as he studied her

"I hate leaving Cedar Cove," she said softly, rubbing her hand down his bare back "But Ian, don’t you see? I could never live apart froh "At least, not any ht his ar to each other Words weren’t necessary He wanted her and Aaron with hiive her what he felt would make her happy

"I love you so much," he whispered "You have no idea howyou this"

She hadn’t made it easy, Cecilia realized Every day she’d been full of joy about the house and working hard to

"We can start packing this afternoon," she said, tears spilling froo visit Allison first"

Yes, and while she was there, Cecilia would tell her baby girl goodbye

Twenty-Eight

Justine glanced at her watch, surprised it was al and back-to-back appointrabbed her purse and hurried out froo She was hthouse, or rather where The Lighthouse used to be The site had been cleared now, and decisions needed to be made

As Justine headed out, she nearly collided with Warren Saget, as just entering the bank

"Justine," he said catching her by the shoulders "I almost bowled you over"

"Warren," she said, nearly breathless "Oh, oodness, I’m sorry I’ent"

"Oh" His face fell, his disappoint to convince you to have lunch with me"

"I can’t," she told him "I have to run I’? I could wait"

She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but Seth had asked her not to see Warren again Her mother had been critical of her, too, for that one lunchOlivia didn’t know the nature of her relationship with Warren, although Seth, of course, did Warren was impotent, and they’d been friends who’d provided each other with certainco to be at DD’s on the Cove," Warren told her as she started backing away from him "They do marvelous crab cakes That was your favorite entrée, wasn’t it?"

"You go on ahead," she told hiet away She realized she hadn’t explicitly turned him down

"Meet me if you can," he said

Justine nodded and, because she was late, decided to drive rather than walk She rushed across the parking lot where she’d left her car Seth had been so busy at the boatyard lately that they hadn’t had a chance to discuss their plans for the restaurant She still hadThe restaurant was too de; it took too ic and distressing as the arson had been, she loved the freedo so well in sales, and each cole month at the restaurant In her heart of hearts, she hoped Seth would see that rebuilding The Lighthouse would be too hard on the about not wasting all the effort of the last five years Besides, she had an idea, one she’d co a recent visit at her mother’s and briefly discussed with Seth He seerasped her vision

Seth and Robert Beckent, were already at the site Justine parked and hurried across the street to join them The view of the cove was dramatic and beautiful, part of the reason this was such a valuable piece of real estate

When she approached Seth and Robert, they were deep in conversation, pausing only to s, her husband put his arht her close

"Robert was just saying he’s reviewed the architect’s plans," he told Justine "With a fresh start, we can es and update the old floor plan"

Justine unsuccessfully hid her surprise Construction plans? No one had mentioned any of this to her "I have a few ideas of my own," she inserted

"Because of the fire," Seth said, ignoring her corinned wryly "Ironic, huh?"