As she knew he would, Cal walked up the stairs with her. When she removed the keys from the outside pocket of her purse, he took them from her hands and unlocked her front door—another old-fashioned courtesy.
She found herself blurting out a rather awkward invitation. “Would you like to come inside? Inside my apartment, I mean…for a few minutes?” She knew she’d suffer a sleepless night if she didn’t tell him. It was completely unfair to lead him on.
Linnette stepped into the apartment and was greeted by a blast of warm air as the furnace kicked in. “Oh!” she said, pointing toward the window that overlooked the marina. With the snow drifting down, the scene could’ve been an illustration on a Christmas card. A number of the boats were gaily decorated with colorful lights strung on their masts. They bobbed almost rhythmically on the water, their lights reflected by its dark surface.
Cal stopped her when she moved to flick on a lamp. “Keep them off,” he said—again with no sign of a stutter.
Oh, boy. Here it was. Just as she’d feared, he was going to kiss her. He turned her in his embrace and slipped one arm around her waist and the other over her shoulder. As he bent forward, there was ample opportunity to stop him. But she didn’t. Why, Linnette could only speculate. Curiosity, she supposed.
Without even a whimper of protest, she tilted her face toward his, closed her eyes and waited. She wasn’t disappointed. His mouth was firm and moist and surprisingly smooth. That was what shook her most. Because Cal was a man’s man. A horse trainer. Before she was even aware of it, he’d coaxed her lips open. From that point on, the kiss quickly heated up. Everything did.
A few minutes earlier, they’d been standing in the cold and snow. Now heat suffused her until it was all she could do to breathe. Gripping his coat, she welcomed the exploration of his tongue, meeting his with her own, shyly at first and them more boldly.
By the time Cal broke off the kiss, Linnette felt on the verge of collapse. They edged away from each other as though they were both in shock.
Linnette staggered into the kitchen and placed her hand on the kitchen counter in an effort to regain her balance. Long before she was ready, Cal was standing behind her, touching her shoulder.
“No,” she insisted, horrified that the word sounded more like a croak.
“No?” he asked.
She turned, unsure how to handle this. Sliding her arms around his waist, she exhaled a long, drawn-out breath. Unable to resist, she kissed the underside of his jaw.
He purred as softly as a kitten. “Nice.”
“Too nice. This isn’t right.”
His eyes narrowed. “Sooner than you w-want?”
“That isn’t it,” she whispered, and because she was embarrassed and more than a little confused, she buried her face in his chest. “I think very highly of you.”
“Hmm…” He nuzzled her neck. “Me, too.”
Shivers of desire shot down her spine as his lips explored the sensitive skin of her throat. She had to say something, and fast. “It would be wrong to let this go on.”
“Wrong?” He lifted his head and looked directly into her eyes. “No.” As if to prove her incorrect, he slowly lowered his mouth to hers again. This kiss was as devastating as the first. More so. She felt herself weaken.
“Cal, please,” she managed when she found her voice. “There’s someone else I’m interested in.”
He froze and instantly released her.
Linnette lurched backward. “I’m sorry. I’ve known Chad Timmons for some time and well, I accepted this date to make him jealous. That was wrong. I apologize.”
He stepped away from her as though in a daze. Because of his Stetson she couldn’t see his eyes. She didn’t need to. She felt his disappointment, his frustration—his pain.
“I feel dreadful.” She shouldn’t have told him about Chad. It was too hurtful, too cruel. “Will you forgive me?”
Without a word, he turned and strode out of the kitchen.
“I’m so sorry,” she said again. But his only response was the slamming of her door.
Cal was gone. So much for letting him down gently, for not wanting to mislead him. If Linnette had been feeling sick earlier, it was nothing compared to the knot in her stomach now.
Twenty
Charlotte wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing, but she wanted Ben’s children to accept her—and to like her. She also wanted to reassure them that she had no intention of replacing their mother, and to convey to David and his older brother, Steven, whom she had yet to meet, how much she loved their father.
David had called her two days earlier, on Monday afternoon. That was when Ben had his monthly get-together with other Navy retirees, so he’d been out of the house. It was one of the rare times they were apart. Charlotte had been baking sugar cookies for the Convalescent Center when David called. He was in Seattle on business again, and had invited her to lunch on Wednesday. But just her—he’d made that clear. He’d asked her not to let Ben know about it. In spite of her natural honesty, she’d agreed.
Charlotte decided to meet David at The Lighthouse restaurant. She was so proud of Justine and Seth, and she felt that meeting them would prove to David that she had a good family, too. She hoped this would assuage any fears he might have about her.
When she’d made the reservation, she’d discovered that Justine was working on Tuesday afternoon and Charlotte was glad of it.
“Grandma,” Justine said hurrying toward her as Charlotte waited in the restaurant lobby. “It’s great to see you!” She smiled, apparently surprised that Charlotte was alone. “Where’s Ben? Wasn’t your reservation for two?”
That was the uncomfortable part. Charlotte hated misleading Ben. She’d said she was going Christmas shopping and it’d be best if he didn’t accompany her. Following lunch with David, she would indeed do some shopping. Her Christmas buying had been completed long ago, but she wouldn’t outright lie to Ben. This was merely a sin of omission. Still, small as the lie might be, Charlotte felt guilty about it.
“There’s a young man meeting me here,” Charlotte said, gesturing at the dining room.
“Are you stepping out on Ben?” Justine teased.
Charlotte giggled. “Oh, hardly. This is Ben’s son and he asked to meet me.”
“Without Ben?”
“Well, yes. I have a feeling he wants to get to know me for myself, but…” She hesitated, unsure how much information about this clandestine lunch she should reveal to her granddaughter. “David must be afraid of offending his father because he didn’t want Ben to know about this.”
“And you agreed?” Justine’s tone made Charlotte feel like a disobedient schoolgirl.
“I did,” she said, somewhat defiantly. “David’s a fine young man, but he’s had a falling out with his father.” Charlotte didn’t feel she was to blame for that. Their disagreement was over the money David wanted to borrow. As she spoke, she scanned the dining area. Sure enough, David sat at a table by the window overlooking the Cove. He stared into space, a drink in his hand. “That’s him there.”
Justine frowned, but said nothing. She escorted Charlotte to the table; David stood as she approached.
“David, it’s lovely to see you.” Charlotte kissed his cheek and as she leaned close, she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Stepping back, she introduced him to her granddaughter. “Justine and her husband own The Lighthouse,” she boasted. “They’ve made a wonderful success of it.”
David exchanged an enthusiastic handshake with Justine, who then left them to their lunch. Knowing the menu as well as she did, Charlotte didn’t bother to open it.
The waitress was by a few minutes later for their drink orders. David asked for another malt whiskey and Charlotte requested hot tea. It was barely noon yet, far too early to be drinking, in her opinion, but it wasn’t her place to chastise him.
After their drinks were delivered, they ordered lunch. Charlotte chose the Northwest Salad, a recent addition to the menu. This wa
s a Caesar salad, heaped with sautéed clams, shrimp and scallops. David decided on a rare roast beef sandwich.
The waitress left, and Charlotte poured her tea. David, she noticed, had quickly gulped down his second drink and seemed ready for a third.
“I imagine you’re wondering why I asked to see you,” he said conversationally as he sought the waitress’s eye. When he saw Justine, he raised his empty glass to indicate he’d like another. “My glass seems to have developed a leak,” he teased the waitress when she promptly returned.
The woman smiled, obviously charmed by his humor and good looks.
“I think I’ve figured out why you wanted to see me without Ben,” Charlotte said, stirring her tea.
His gaze met hers.
“You wanted an opportunity to get to know me.”
“Absolutely,” he said, dazzling her with a smile. “You’re the first woman to capture my father’s heart since Mom died.”
Charlotte blushed with pleasure. “I was a widow for more than twenty-five years myself.”
David nodded absently. “That just goes to show that you’re never too old to fall in love.”
That wasn’t exactly how Charlotte would’ve put it, but she did agree. “I love your father,” she said simply.
“I know you do, and it shows. I’ve never seen my father this happy.” He gave her another warm smile. Oh, yes, this boy was a charmer, Charlotte thought. His eyes grew serious then, and he added, “There’s also another reason I wanted to talk to you.”
Charlotte took a sip of tea and was about to respond when Justine brought David’s drink personally.
“Is everything all right here?” she asked. Although the question was directed at them both, she looked at Charlotte.
“Oh, yes,” Charlotte assured her. “Everything’s perfect.”
Justine eyed the whiskey glass, then reluctantly left the table. As she did, Charlotte noticed that David was frowning.
“Does she always involve herself in her diners’ affairs?” he asked. Charlotte could tell he wasn’t taking kindly to Justine’s barely disguised censure.
“No, no, Justine isn’t like that,” Charlotte insisted, feeling a little awkward. “She just wants to be sure the service is good. Justine and Seth pride themselves on excellent service.”
“I heard what she wasn’t saying,” he muttered. “She’s afraid her precious grandmother isn’t safe with a man who enjoys a drink or two.”
“I’m absolutely sure you misconstrued the question.”
David’s scowl darkened and then, as if by magic, relaxed. “You’re right, of course. I was hoping for quality time to get to know you, Charlotte. Unfortunately that wasn’t possible at our last meeting.”
“I did enjoy our dinner.” It had been one of the best dining experiences she’d ever had—until the very end, when David left so abruptly.
“I did, too,” he agreed, “but I felt badly afterward.”
Charlotte nodded. David’s sudden departure had been unsettling to Ben, and to her, too.
“I want to apologize for my behavior during our dinner. I was…distressed.”
Charlotte patted his hand. “I understood that.”
David lowered his gaze and released a beleaguered sigh. “I never did get the money I needed. I don’t think my father appreciates how hard it was to turn to him for help. I have my pride, too.”
“I’m so sorry about your troubles, David.”
“There’s nothing worse than not being able to meet one’s commitments. I was raised to be responsible, and now I’ve found myself in a situation where my back is to the wall.”
“That is worrisome, isn’t it?” Charlotte had lived frugally her entire life. She’d never had many luxuries but always managed to meet her needs.
“Thank you.” His face softened at her sympathy. “Who would’ve believed a measly five thousand dollars would do me in?”
Five thousand wasn’t all that measly to Charlotte. “I’m sure you’ll find a way out of this.”
David shook his head and his brow furrowed. “Not this time.” His voice seemed to crack with the strain.
“How do you mean?” she asked anxiously.
David shrugged. “Let’s not talk about this now. There’s no need to concern yourself with my problems. You’re a sweet, caring woman and I don’t want to ruin our lunch by discussing my troubles.”
“But I think we should. Maybe I could help.” She didn’t know what she could possibly do, but perhaps…
“You’d be willing to do that?” David asked, relief shining from his face. “Help me, I mean?”
“If I can.” An uneasy sensation settled in the pit of her stomach—the same feeling she always got when she was in over her head. “I could talk to your father.”
“Don’t,” David insisted. “Hard as it was, I’ve already gone to him and he refused. I don’t have much left, Charlotte, except my pride. My father knows I’m desperate, but that didn’t make any difference to him. He’s never given me much help.” He hesitated. “I shouldn’t have said that. Forgive me.”
“Of course.” It wasn’t true either, Charlotte knew. According to Ben, he’d lent his son quite a bit of money through the years. Not once had David repaid him.
“I need five thousand dollars, Charlotte.”
The sick sensation returned. “That’s a lot of money.”
He didn’t disagree, even though he’d considered it “measly” a few minutes earlier. “Yes,” he said, “but I have every intention of repaying you with interest. I explained this to my father, but he didn’t want to hear it. I’m due for a big Christmas bonus from my company. I know I’ll be getting a check for five grand, probably more, and it’ll come in two weeks. I only need the money until then. If I don’t get some cash now…” He sat back in his chair and sighed. “I can’t bear to think what will happen.”
“Two weeks is all?”
David leaned forward, his eyes filled with hope. “Two weeks.”
“A bank won’t lend it to you?”
“No. I’ve tried again and again, but with my credit rating, they refuse to even talk to me.”
“Oh.”
“Charlotte, if you could help me, I’d be forever in your debt.” He picked up his drink and drained the little that remained. “It could possibly save my life.”
Their lunch arrived just then, but Charlotte’s normally healthy appetite had vanished. She smiled her appreciation at their waitress and reached for her tea, needing to think carefully about this. “Save your life?” she asked, resuming their conversation.
David turned and looked out over the cove. “I don’t want to get into the medical aspects,” he said in a low voice. “It’s rather complicated….”
“No, please tell me.”
“I need this money so badly, I’ve—I’ve considered—” he paused, dropping his head “—suicide.”
Charlotte’s hand flew to her heart and she gasped.
“If I don’t have the surgery…”
Charlotte hadn’t recovered from the first shock and now there was a second one. “The money is for surgery?”
David nodded. “Funny, isn’t it? No one’s ever asked me why I need the five thousand dollars. My father assumes it’s to pay off gambling debts. That’s just like him. Sad as it is to say, my own father chooses to think the worst of me.”
“You need surgery?” Her mind was reeling with this information. Surely Ben would have given him the money if he’d known that.
David’s eyes were weary. “I won’t humble myself any more than I have already. You know what hospitals are like. They want the money up front before they’ll agree to do any kind of procedure.”
“But surely you have medical insurance.”
“Some,” he agreed. “But not enough. I need money to pay the balance.”
“But, David, your father would want to help you if he knew the reason you’re so desperate for this loan.”
He smiled as if she’d made a jo
ke. “You don’t know my father as well as you think. I was never his favorite. Dad always saw the bad in me instead of the good. I suppose I gave him plenty of reason but…we’ve never had much of a relationship.”
Charlotte could see that Ben’s problems with his son were far more complex than she’d realized. For one thing, this wasn’t a recent falling-out, as she’d assumed. She felt sad for them both. Considering the disappointment Will had been to her in the past few years, she understood far better than she cared to admit.
“Dad would be so angry if he knew you gave me the money,” he said, dejection overtaking his voice once again. “I can’t let you do it, Charlotte.”
“You can’t?”
“I don’t want to risk damaging your marriage to my father.”
“Nonsense. Once I tell him, Ben will understand. Besides, it’s my money and I can do with it as I please.”
David didn’t respond.
Charlotte bent down for her purse and pulled out her checkbook. She’d finished writing the check and ripped it free when Justine stepped up to the table.
She glared at David. “Grandma! What are you doing?”
David raised his hand for the check. “I don’t believe this is any of your concern.”
Charlotte had just given him the check when Justine jerked it out of his hand. When she saw the amount and the recipient, she scowled darkly.
David stood. “Give me that,” he demanded.
Then Ben was there, storming across the dining room. What happened next was embarrassing to both Charlotte and her granddaughter. Everyone started talking at once, providing a spectacle for the entire restaurant. Before she could protest, Ben was escorting Charlotte outside, David trailing after them.
“How did you know I was here?” she asked, her cheeks red with mortification. She drew her coat—which Justine had sent after her, via one of the waitresses—more closely around her.
“Justine phoned me.”
“Oh, dear.”
“She was worried. She said David had been drinking quite a bit. I knew immediately why he asked to see you and told her to make sure you didn’t give him a check.”
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