92 Pacific Boulevard

  Praise for the Cedar Cove Novels of Debbie Macomber

  A “wonderful, emotional and uplifting story.”

  —Reader to Reader.com on A Cedar Cove Christmas

  “Macomber takes us back to Cedar Cove for another emotional yet amusing visit, updating readers on events large and small in the lives of favorite characters, as well as introducing some new ones.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews on 8 Sandpiper Way

  “[This book’s] small-town charm is virtually guaranteed to please.”

  —Publishers Weekly on 74 Seaside Avenue

  “Readers new to Macomber’s considerable narrative charms will have no problem picking up the story, while loyal fans are in for a treat.”

  —Booklist on 6 Rainier Drive

  “Debbie Macomber is a skilled storyteller.”

  —Publishers Weekly on 50 Harbor Street

  “The books in Macomber’s contemporary Cedar Cove series are irresistibly delicious and addictive.”

  —Publishers Weekly on 44 Cranberry Point

  “Excellent characterization will keep readers anticipating the next visit to Cedar Cove.”

  —Booklist on 311 Pelican Court

  “Macomber’s endearing characters offer courage and support to one another and find hope and love in the most unexpected places.”

  —Booklist on 204 Rosewood Lane

  “Macomber is known for her honest portrayals of ordinary women in small-town America, and this tale cements her position as an icon of the genre.”

  —Publishers Weekly on 16 Lighthouse Road

  92 Pacific Boulevard

  Debbie Macomber

  www.mirabooks.co.uk

  To

  Jerry Childs

  and

  Cindy Lucarelli

  For making the dream of Cedar Cove Days

  a reality

  And to the board members who

  worked so hard to

  make it possible:

  Gil and Kathy Michael

  Dana Harmon and John Phillips

  Gerry Harmon

  Mary and Gary Johnson

  Shannon Childs

  and

  Ron Johnson

  September 2009

  Dear Friends,

  The number nine has long held special significance for me. It all started in an algebra class when the professor said that those of us who wished to bypass the final could write an essay on anything to do with mathematics instead. I leaped at the opportunity—need I mention that working with numbers makes my blood pressure rise? An essay sounded like an easy out—until I spoke with other students in my class. One young man had decided to write about mathematics in World War II and another chose the probability of solving a complicated conjecture in our lifetime. I gulped, visited the local library and prayed for inspiration. I found it in the number nine. Yes, I wrote my entire essay on the number nine and how it’s used in literature, Scripture, the classroom and daily life. Not only did I receive a top grade for the essay, the instructor asked me to share with the class everything I’d uncovered. And so you see, I have a special bond with the number nine.

  Maybe that’s why it’s not surprising that the ninth book in the Cedar Cove series has proved to be special. Because, simultaneous with this book, my wonderful publisher is also releasing Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Cookbook, written by Charlotte Jefferson Rhodes (with my help). Charlotte has gathered her family’s special recipes and those shared by her Cedar Cove friends, and put them all together for her granddaughter, Justine Gunderson, who has recently opened the Victorian Tea Room and asked her grandmother’s advice. Charlotte, being Charlotte, responded with this collection—above and beyond anything Justine could have anticipated. And if you don’t mind my saying so, this cookbook is incredible. It’s beautiful and filled with fabulous recipes, plus Charlotte’s personal comments on Cedar Cove’s residents and on the recipes themselves.

  There’s more Cedar Cove news, in addition to the launch of the cookbook. The entire town of Cedar Cove (aka Port Orchard, Washington) is celebrating Cedar Cove Days from August 26 to August 30, 2009. Our little town has worked for the past two years preparing for this event. I can’t begin to tell you how excited we are to welcome you to the real Cedar Cove.

  So, as you can see, 2009 is a special year for this series. Sheriff Troy Davis has his hands full with the goings-on around town. His heart was broken after Faith decided it would be best if they didn’t continue their relationship. In addition, there’s the mystery of those skeletal remains in the cave outside town. Olivia’s undergoing chemotherapy and doing well, and Grace has started a wonderful new program at the library…Settle back, grab yourself a glass of iced tea and join Troy and your other friends in Cedar Cove.

  P.S. I love to hear from my readers.

  You can reach me in two ways: through my Web site (www.debbiemacomber.com) and by mail (P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366).

  Cast of Characters

  Some of the Residents of Cedar Cove, Washington

  Olivia Lockhart Griffin: Family court judge in Cedar Cove. Mother of Justine and James. Married to Jack Griffin, editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle. They live at 16 Lighthouse Road.

  Charlotte Jefferson Rhodes: Mother of Olivia and of Will Jefferson. Now married to widower Ben Rhodes, who has two sons, David and Steven, neither of whom lives in Cedar Cove.

  Justine (Lockhart) Gunderson: Daughter of Olivia. Mother of Leif. Married to Seth Gunderson. The Gundersons owned The Lighthouse restaurant, which was destroyed by fire. Justine has recently opened the Victorian Tea Room. The Gundersons live at 6 Rainier Drive.

  James Lockhart: Olivia’s son and Justine’s younger brother. Lives in San Diego with his family.

  Will Jefferson: Olivia’s brother, Charlotte’s son. Formerly of Atlanta. Divorced, retired and back in Cedar Cove, where he has bought the local gallery.

  Grace Sherman Harding: Olivia’s best friend. Librarian. Widow of Dan Sherman. Mother of Maryellen Bowman and Kelly Jordan. Married to Cliff Harding, a retired engineer who is now a horse breeder living in Olalla, near Cedar Cove. Grace’s previous address is 204 Rosewood Lane (now a rental property).

  Maryellen Bowman: Oldest daughter of Grace and Dan Sherman. Mother of Katie and Drake. Married to Jon Bowman, photographer.

  Zachary Cox: Accountant, married to Rosie. Father of Allison and Eddie Cox. The family lives at 311 Pelican Court. Allison is attending university in Seattle, while her boyfriend, Anson Butler, has joined the military.

  Rachel Pendergast: Works at the Get Nailed salon. Very recently married to widower Bruce Peyton, who has a daughter, Jolene.

  Bob and Peggy Beldon: Retired. They own the Thyme and Tide B & B at 44 Cranberry Point.

  Roy McAfee: Private investigator, retired from Seattle police force. Two adult children, Mack and Linnette. Married to Corrie. They live at 50 Harbor Street.

  Linnette McAfee: Daughter of Roy and Corrie. Lived in Cedar Cove and worked as a physician’s assistant in the new medical clinic. Now living in North Dakota.

  Mack McAfee: A fireman and paramedic, who moved to Cedar Cove.

  Gloria Ashton: Sheriff’s deputy in Cedar Cove. Natural child of Roy and Corrie McAfee.

  Troy Davis: Cedar Cove sheriff. Widower. Father of Megan.

  Faith Beckwith: High school girlfriend of Troy Davis, now a widow. Has moved back to Cedar Cove, where she is renting 204 Rosewood Lane.

  Bobby Polgar and Teri Miller Polgar: He is an international chess champion; she was a hair stylist at Get Nailed. Their home is at 74 Seaside Avenue.

  Christie Levitt: Sister of Teri Polgar, living in Cedar Cove.

  James Wilbur: Bobby Polgar’s driver.

  Pastor Dave Flemming
: Local Methodist minister. Married to Emily.

  Shirley Bliss: Widow and fabric artist, mother of Tannith (Tanni) Bliss.

  Shaw Wilson: Friend of Anson Butler, Allison Cox and Tanni Bliss.

  Mary Jo Wyse: Young woman who had her baby in Cedar Cove on the previous Christmas Eve, assisted by Mack McAfee.

  Linc Wyse: Brother of Mary Jo, formerly of Seattle. Opens a car repair business in Cedar Cove.

  Lori Bellamy: From a wealthy area family. Recently broke her engagement.

  Louie Benson: Mayor of Cedar Cove.

  Chapter One

  Troy Davis had been with the sheriff’s department in Cedar Cove for most of his working life. He knew this town and he knew these people; he was one of them. Four times now he’d been elected to the office of sheriff by an overwhelming majority.

  Sitting at his desk on this bleak January day, he let his mind wander as he sipped stale coffee. The department stuff was never good, no matter how recently it’d been brewed. As he sat there, he thought about Sandy, his wife of more than thirty years. She’d died last year of complications related to MS. Her death had left a gaping hole in his life. He’d often discussed his cases with her and had come to appreciate her insights. She usually had opinions, carefully considered ones, on what led people to commit the crimes that brought them to his attention.

  Troy would’ve been interested in her views on one of his current cases. A couple of local teenagers had come upon skeletal remains in a cave not far from the road leading out of town. Partial results of the autopsy were finally in, but they raised more questions than they answered. Additional tests were forthcoming, and they might provide further information. He could only hope…Hard though it was to believe, the body had gone all this time without discovery, and no one seemed to know who it was.

  Despite this perplexing—and very cold—case and, of course, the loss of his wife, Troy had reason to count his blessings. He had a comfortable life, good friends and his only child, Megan, was married to a fine young man. In fact, Troy couldn’t have chosen a better husband for his daughter had he handpicked Craig himself. In a few months, Megan would give birth to his first grandchild.

  As far as finances went, Troy had no complaints. His house was paid off and so was his car. He enjoyed his work and had strong ties to the community.

  And yet…he was miserable.

  That misery could be attributed to one source.

  Faith Beckwith.

  Troy had reconnected with his high-school girlfriend, and almost before he realized what was happening, he’d fallen in love with her all over again.

  Neither of them possessed an impulsive personality. They were adults; they’d known what they wanted and what they were doing.

  Then the relationship that had seemed so promising had come to a sudden end—thanks to his daughter’s reaction and to some undeniably bad judgment on Troy’s part.

  When Megan learned he was dating again so soon after her mother’s death, she’d been very upset. Troy understood his daughter’s feelings. It had only been a few months since they’d buried Sandy; however, Sandy had been ill for years, and in some ways, their farewells had been said long before. But the fact that Troy had hidden his relationship with Faith from his daughter had contributed significantly to the whole mess.

  On the very evening Troy had planned to ask Faith to marry him, Megan had miscarried her first pregnancy. As luck would have it, Troy, who’d been with Faith, had turned off his cell phone.

  His guilt had been overwhelming. The baby had meant everything to Megan and Craig, especially so soon after Sandy’s death.

  In retrospect Troy saw that he’d completely mishandled the situation. Immediately after Megan’s miscarriage he’d broken off the relationship with Faith. He’d acted out of remorse but he hadn’t taken Faith’s feelings into account; her shock and pain haunted him to this day.

  He’d dedicated himself to his daughter and her needs ever since. That didn’t mean he’d stopped thinking about Faith—far from it. Thoughts of her filled his every waking moment.

  To complicate this already complicated situation, Faith had sold her Seattle home and moved to Cedar Cove to be closer to her son, Scott—and to Troy. Seeing her around town these days was torture. Faith had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. Troy didn’t blame her.

  “I have that missing-persons file for you, Sheriff.” Cody Woodchase stepped into his office and set the folder in Troy’s in-basket.

  “Thanks,” Troy murmured. “You checked the appropriate dates?”

  Cody nodded, dutifully efficient. “And came up blank. The only major case I can personally recall was Daniel Sherman a few years back.”

  Troy was well aware of the outcome. His old high-school friend had walked away from his family for no apparent reason. He’d simply vanished. The case had bothered Troy for well over a year. As it turned out, Dan had committed suicide, his body eventually found in the woods.

  “That one was solved,” Troy pointed out.

  “I remember,” Cody said. “Anyway, I pulled all the pertinent missing-persons files and printed them out for you.”

  “Thanks.” Troy reached for the folder as soon as Cody left his office. Cedar Cove was fortunate enough to have a low crime rate. Oh, there was the occasional public disturbance, domestic violence now and then, a break-in, a drunk driver—the sort of crime common to any small town. There was a mystery every once in a while, too. The biggest that came to mind was the man who’d shown up at Thyme and Tide, the Beldons’ B and B. The stranger had the misfortune to die that very night. But that case, which was actually a murder, had been solved, too.

  And now…the human remains, found just before Christmas.

  According to the autopsy, they were those of a young man. A teenage boy between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Based on those bones, there was no obvious cause of death. No blunt-force trauma, for instance. He’d been dead as long as twenty-five to thirty years.

  Twenty-five to thirty years!

  Troy had been with the department back then, untested and eager to prove himself. Sandy was pregnant after miscarrying twice, optimistic that this time they’d have their baby.

  If a missing teenager had been reported in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, Troy was confident he would’ve remembered it. The files Cody had printed out indicated that he was right. Not a single case involving a missing teenager, male or female, had been left unresolved.

  To be on the safe side, he checked five years before and five years after. Twelve boys, mostly runaways, had been reported missing in that time. They’d all been found, either returning of their own accord or located by friends, relatives or the authorities.

  Surely this young man had family, a mother and father, who must have wondered and waited in anguish. Troy closed his eyes and tried to think of boys he’d known during that time. Random names and faces rushed through his mind.

  Around 1985, he recalled, Cedar Cove High School had won the state baseball championship. He could picture the first baseman, Robbie something, and Weaver, one of his deputies now, who’d been the team’s star pitcher. Troy had attended all the play-off games. Sandy had gone with him and, although she wasn’t a real baseball fan, she’d clapped and yelled her heart out.

  Oh, how he missed Sandy…

  Troy had visited her grave a couple of times over the holidays. Even at the end, when her body had failed her and MS had stolen much of her dignity, she’d been cheerful. He missed her appreciation of life’s simple joys.

  At least he and Megan were over the firsts—the first Thanksgiving without Sandy. The first Christmas. The first birthday, wedding anniversary and Mother’s Day…Those were the big ones, when her loss felt like a burden that would never grow lighter. When he and his daughter both acknowledged that nothing would ever be the same.

  Troy was startled out of his reverie by someone calling his name.

  “Am I interrupting anything important?” Louie Benson asked, stan
ding in the office doorway.

  “Louie.” Troy rose to his feet. It wasn’t every day he received a visit from the mayor of Cedar Cove. “Come on in. Good to see you.” He gestured toward the chair in front of his desk.

  “Happy New Year,” Louie said as he slid into the seat. He rested one ankle on the opposite knee, striking a relaxed pose.

  “Same to you,” Troy said and sat back down. “What can I do for you?” The mayor was a busy man and didn’t waste time on unnecessary visits. The fact was, Troy couldn’t remember when Louie had last sought him out. Oh, they ran into each other often enough; that was unavoidable, since they worked in the same office complex. Socially they were acquaintances and he saw Louie at civic functions or the occasional party.

  Louie’s expression grew serious, and he leaned forward. “I’ve got a couple of things I want to discuss with you.”