“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.
“You’re frowning,” Warren said, breaking into her thoughts.
“I am?” She laughed, making light of it.
He leaned toward her and reached for her hand. “There’s no use pretending. I want you back.”
He seemed sincere and that touched her. “Warren, I’m married,” she said gently.
“You’re not happy.”
“I am,” she insisted. “It’s just that Seth is working so hard.” She was, too, but she didn’t mention that. “I have a good marriage, and I love my husband and son.”
Warren looked down at the open menu, but she doubted he was reading over the daily specials. “You can’t imagine how difficult it is to live in the same town and see you practically every day. It’s tearing me apart. We had something special and I haven’t found it with anyone else.”
She hadn’t kept tabs on his relationships, but it seemed to her that Warren had gone through a number of women in the last few years. The young ones didn’t last long, she noticed.
“It’s too late.”
“Is it?” he pressed. “I refuse to believe that, Justine.”
“Warren…”
He looked up and over her shoulder. His eyes narrowed as Seth approached the table.
“Seth,” Justine said, flustered that he’d found her with an old boyfriend. “Warren invited me to sit down for a few minutes.”
Her husband glanced at the two glasses of wine. He offered Warren a casual smile. “How are you, Warren?”
“Lonely,” he said, his gaze locking with Justine’s. She swallowed uncomfortably.
Seth placed a possessive hand on Justine’s shoulder. “Has Susan taken your order yet?”
“No.”
“I recommend the oyster stew. It’s the special of the day.”
“Warren doesn’t like oysters,” Justine said and immediately knew she should’ve kept her mouth shut. Judging by Seth’s expression, he didn’t want to be reminded of her once-close relationship with Warren.
“Can you come and see me once you’re finished visiting with Warren?” When she nodded, Seth went to his small office behind the hostess desk.
Justine stood. “I need to get back to work.”
“Seth doesn’t deserve you,” Warren muttered. “I’d treat you like a queen if you came back to me.”
She didn’t even bother to reply. Justine was happy, if tired and overworked. Seth, too. They were both committed to this restaurant; Seth was determined to make good on their investment and pay back the money his father had lent him.
“Circumstances change, Justine. I’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready. You won’t be sorry,” he promised her.