1022 Evergreen Place by Debbie Macomber Page B

have anything more to say. She figured everyone was entitled to one mistake; if anything else happened, she’d know it was time to move on.
    â€œCan we let bygones be bygones, then?”
    She nodded again. “Yes, let’s do that.”
    â€œThank you.” His relief was obvious. He stepped down from the porch and started toward her. “I wanted to tell you—I went to the library this afternoon.”
    â€œOh?”
    â€œI don’t remember that much about World War II from my high school history class, so I took out a couple of books on the war. I’d like to familiarize myself with some of the details.”
    Mary Jo smiled. “I talked to Charlotte this Wednesday and also last week, when I took Noelle over there,” she told him. “And I did an online search of every high school in the area, but I didn’t find a single Jacob Dennison in the 1930s or early forties. I’ll expand my searchthe next chance I get.” She shifted Noelle from her right arm to her left.
    â€œDid Charlotte have any information?” Mack asked, reaching inside her car for the baby seat and diaper bag.
    â€œOh, yeah. She thought Joan Manry might have attended Cedar Cove High School, so I went online and checked out the names of everyone who graduated during the war years. She wasn’t there.”
    â€œThat’s too bad.”
    â€œI want to look online for telephone directories from that era, too, but I haven’t had time.”
    â€œIs that even possible?”
    â€œWe won’t know until we try.”
    Mack’s face broke into a bright smile.
    Mary Jo frowned, wondering what he found so amusing.
    â€œI love that you said ‘we,’” Mack explained, clearly understanding her question. “I want us to work together to track down those two. I don’t understand why Joan would hide the letters. I’m grateful she did, but it makes me wonder.”
    â€œAll I can think is that her family objected to her soldier boy and this was the only way to keep his letters to herself.”
    â€œHmm. Jacob did say something about her sister not liking him, didn’t he?”
    â€œYes, and I have no idea why. Although I gather the two of them—Joan and Elaine—didn’t get along that well.”
    â€œYou said she lived with her sister here in Cedar Cove? What about their parents?”
    â€œNot sure. What I’ve picked up from the letters is that she and Elaine did live here, but I haven’t seen anything about their parents. It’s difficult to follow everything justreading his half of the correspondence.” Mary Jo held her door open for Mack. “Do you want to come in? Stay for dinner?” She could tell right away that the invitation pleased him.
    â€œHow about if I order pizza? That way we can look at the letters and check the dates against the books I got from the library.”
    â€œPizza sounds fabulous.” Mary Jo had planned to make clam chowder, but she was exhausted at even the prospect of cooking. A broken night and a long week took their toll, and the strain between her and Mack hadn’t helped. “Just make sure none of those anchovies you like so much end up on my half of the pizza,” she warned laughingly.
    â€œI’ll try,” Mack said with a grin.
    An hour later, they sat at her kitchen table, the pizza box open on the counter. Noelle lay on her stomach in the playpen nearby, gurgling and chewing on her toys. Both history books were on the table, along with the cigar box of letters. Mack and Mary Jo had finished eating and were prepared to start their research.
    â€œOkay, check this date,” Mary Jo said, unfolding a letter. “June 3, 1944. That’s the last one in the box. Listen to what he has to say.” She began to read.
    Hi, Honey,
    How’s my best gal? I don’t know what’s happening but there’s been a lot of talk lately. If I say any more