Cadence of Cranberries - Valerie Comer Page 0,1

Caribbean cruise. We were going to learn to snorkel.” Winnie shook her head. “Sorry for dumping all that. It’s been a strange day, but it’s not on you.”

“Not a problem. Twenty-five years is quite a feat in this day and age.” This time it was he who stared off. Then he turned a lopsided smile on Winnie. “My ex and I made it all the way to seventeen.”

Ex. So Charlie was divorced, not widowed. But he’s single now. Winnie shushed her brain, because what did that matter? She might be lonely, but she wasn’t looking for a relationship.

Nor did she wish to know the details of Charlie’s failed marriage, which meant he was equally as interested in hearing about Al. In other words, she’d overstayed her welcome in front of the Redband Roasters truck.

Winnie lifted the paper cup in salute. “I still have my shopping to do, so I should get on with it and quit monopolizing your time. Thanks for the coffee, and have a good evening.”

And a nice life, since this was the final market of the season. No point in giving Charlie another thought. She’d never seen him anywhere but at Kendall Yards, so it was unlikely she’d run into him at random around the city.

Unless, of course, she attended the Christmas festivals and sought out his coffee truck.

But a respectable widow of fifty with five kids, three of them still living at home in a community surrounded by her late husband’s extended family, wouldn’t do such a thing. She’d keep Al’s memory alive every day for their kids and be thankful for the precious years they’d had.

She’d had it good. She knew that. It wasn’t fair to expect a second chance.

“Thanks for stopping by, Winnie.”

She’d already turned away and taken a few steps, but now she looked back.

Charlie stood illuminated in the truck window, that lopsided smile back on his face. He raised a hand in farewell.

A man who was trying to start something would say more now, but he didn’t. He turned to his sink and turned on the faucet.

Just as well.

“Hey, Dad?”

Charlie Jalonen shifted his cellphone to his other hand and settled into his big comfy chair. “Hey, baby! How are you?”

“Great! I know I told you I couldn’t get time off over Thanksgiving, but one of the other nurses in my unit needs the following weekend off for a wedding, so we’re swapping some shifts. It’s not the whole weekend, but it’s better than nothing.”

He barely dared to hope but couldn’t help himself. “And...?”

“And Dominic wants me to meet his family.” Katri gave a little squeal, and Charlie pictured her bouncing around her small apartment. “Dad, do you think that means what I hope it means?”

Back in the day, a young man would ask his girlfriend’s dad for his blessing before proposing. Guess that was kind of old-fashioned now but, at least, one of his daughters had let him back in her life after all the venom their mother had spewed. He didn’t deserve the lies Julia told, but he had been at work too much and therefore a lousy father. Julia was right about that part.

“I don’t know, baby. Maybe it depends on what you think it means.” He kept his tone light, teasing. She didn’t need to know the wound her words scratched open.

“He’s amazing, Dad. You’re going to love him.”

Doubtful any young buck could win over a cynical father like Charlie, but whatever.

“And I think it’s pretty cool that you moved to Spokane so the whole meet-the-parents thing can go both ways in one weekend trip.”

Charlie dared to breathe. His baby girl was really coming home in a couple of weeks. Not that it was home to her, but he could hardly wait to show her around the city. At least if he could pry her away from that boyfriend for an hour or two.

“Has your mother met him?” Why, oh why, had he allowed the question to slip out? At least he’d kept the tone neutral.

“Yes, she has.”

Of course. Julia still lived in Seattle. She probably had the young couple over for dinner once a week. He’d missed out on so much over the years. Still did.

“She’s thrilled he’s a doctor. Well, when he finishes med school next spring. Mom figures he’ll be able to support a family well.”

There were so many things Charlie wanted to say to that. If Julia thought Charlie had worked long, irregular hours at Boeing, she shouldn’t be encouraging Katri to marry a doctor,