“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 was 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, eve
n 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 joke. “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.”
“But Ben, he’s ill! He needs medical treatment.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed on his son. “It’s a lie.”
“But…”
“David, for once in your life own up to what you’ve done. Tell her the truth.”
Eyes wide, Charlotte stared at Ben’s son. After an awkward moment, David shrugged. “You can’t blame me for trying.”
Her face burned. Like they said, there was no fool like an old fool. “Oh, Ben,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, so very sorry.”
“Sweetheart,” he said, slowly shaking his head. “It isn’t your fault. My son is a master manipulator. He fed you a lie, the same way he’s been feeding me lies through the years. David is willing to say or do whatever it takes to get money. I’m ashamed to call him my son and even more ashamed that he’s involved you in this.”
“I feel so…so foolish.”
“Don’t.” Ben ignored his son as David walked quickly away from them. “You’re a warm, compassionate person, and he took advantage of that. Now, didn’t you say something about Christmas shopping?”
When Charlotte sniffled forlornly, he arranged her scarf around her neck, then took her hand in his.
Twenty-One
Justine Gunderson’s composure still hadn’t recovered from the unpleasant episode involving her grandmother when Warren Saget walked into the restaurant. The afternoon was going from bad to worse. The fact that she managed to greet him with a smile was a credit to her skills as hostess.
“Hello, Warren,” she said, reaching for a menu to escort him to a table. She’d dated Warren, a building contractor, for several years before marrying Seth. Warren, who was almost twenty years older than she, had pressured her to marry him. At the time, Justine was convinced she never wanted a husband or children. It had taken Seth and the love they shared to change her mind. Their three-year-old son was the joy of her life. And working with Seth to build this restaurant had been—and continued to be—immensely satisfying.
“You’re as beautiful as ever,” Warren murmured as he slid into the chair by the window. She’d given him one of the best tables in the house.
“Thank you.” She set the menu on the table.
Warren’s hand covered hers. “Stay a few minutes,” he urged.
“I can’t.”
“Sure you can,” he said. “You’re not busy now. It’s almost two-thirty—the lunch crowd is gone. We haven’t talked in months.” He lowered his voice. “You loved me once, Justine.”
She’d thought she did, but Seth had shown her the real meaning of the word. What she’d felt for Warren, she realized in retrospect, was a strange mixture of affection and pity. His ego required him to have a pretty woman on his arm at social functions, but it was all for show. Unable to perform sexually, he was tender and indulgent with her. She’d needed his kindness and for a time, the relationship had suited her perfectly. Not only that, her willingness to keep his little secret had endeared her to him. Only when Seth came into the picture and Warren felt threatened had he wanted to marry her. For a while, when admitting the depth of her feelings for Seth had proved painful and difficult, Justine had actually considered marrying Warren.
That way Seth would leave her alone, she’d believed—and he had, but
she wasn’t free of him. Seth Gunderson was in her thoughts every minute of every day. There’d been no escaping Seth or the love she felt for him. When she’d finally agreed to marry him, she knew without a doubt that she’d made the right decision.
“Please join me,” Warren asked, his eyes pleading with her. “For just a few minutes.”
Reluctantly Justine sat down. After the afternoon she’d had, a few minutes’ respite would do her good. It wasn’t often that she encountered a man like David Rhodes. She felt a little guilty about calling Ben, but she couldn’t tolerate the sight of David manipulating her grandmother like that. “All right.”
“Thank you.” Warren stood and pulled out the chair opposite him. His business dealings might be shady, but his manners could never be questioned.
When the waitress came for the drink order, Warren asked for two glasses of wine.
“I can’t,” she protested, but he refused to listen.
“You look like you need to unwind.”
This was something else about Warren. He seemed, at times—like now—to discern her feelings with astounding accuracy. Granted, at other times he could be incredibly insensitive. She decided just to enjoy the moment.
The chardonnay arrived, and despite herself, Justine relaxed and took a sip. This was one of those days when a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon was exactly what she needed.
“How are you?” Warren asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Good.”
He sighed and looked away. “I’ve missed you, Justine.”
She didn’t respond. That period of her life was over.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
“Very much so.”
He nodded and looked around. “You and Seth have done a wonderful job with this restaurant.”
“Thank you.” No one really knew how much effort went into their business. Seth often worked fifteen-hour days and she served as a hostess and managed the books. The Lighthouse demanded attention to detail—every kind of detail. Early that morning, Seth had been in the parking lot picking up litter and cigarette butts, and later he’d had to clean out the grease trap in the kitchen. Both unpleasant tasks. People tended to see the glamour but not the work that went into running a successful business. Most nights when Justine got Leif from his daycare, she was exhausted. She worried that her son was being raised by strangers. She wanted a second child. Seth did, too, but the timing, he felt, was wrong. Justine worried that the timing might never be right. Much as she loved the restaurant, it had taken over their lives.