50 Harbor Street

While it was still daylight, Ben and Charlotte drove over to Bremerton and walked onto the Seattle-bound ferry. During the hour-long commute, Ben was uncharacteristically silent. They held hands and sipped coffee, and Charlotte watched Bainbridge Island fade into the distance as the Seattle skyline came into view. It really was a lovely time of year in Puget Sound. By the end of the month, Christmas decorations would be up, and a festive spirit would suffuse Cedar Cove.

Once the ferry docked in Seattle, Ben ushered Charlotte down the ramp and out of the terminal. They took one of the taxis waiting on the street outside and rode up to Martini’s Steakhouse, the restaurant David had chosen.

Ben led Charlotte to an elevator that brought them to the lower floor. As she stepped off, her interest was immediately captured by the signed photographs of famous people who’d dined at Martini’s.

A man who could only be Ben’s son sat in the restaurant foyer. He was handsome, a younger version of his father with dark hair and a strong presence. He glanced up and smiled when he saw Ben and Charlotte.

“Hello, David.” Ben spoke without emotion.

“Dad,” David said eagerly, standing. He hugged his father and slapped him affectionately on the back. When he’d finished, he gave Charlotte a warm smile.

“This is Charlotte,” Ben said, placing his arm protectively around her shoulders.

David held out his arms and drew her into an enthusiastic hug. “I am so delighted to finally meet you,” he said. “You’ve made my father a very happy man.”

Charlotte was instantly charmed. Ben didn’t have a thing to worry about, she decided; this was certain to be a wonderful evening. When David released her, she looked at Ben and found him scowling. She couldn’t imagine why he was being so unpleasant.

David’s smile dimmed slightly as he regarded his father. “Come on, Dad,” he said. “Relax. Let’s enjoy the evening.”

“Yes,” Charlotte chimed in. “I’m meeting your son for the first time and we’re going to have a great meal. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”

David directed his attention to her as they waited for the hostess to return from seating the couple in front of them. “I can’t tell you how sorry I was to miss the wedding,” he said, avoiding his father’s eye.

“I’m looking forward to introducing you to my children,” Charlotte told him happily. “I’m sure you’ll get a chance to meet them soon.”

“I’m sure I will, too. Again I apologize about missing the big day but summer’s an especially busy time for me.”

“What do you do?” Charlotte asked, and refrained from reminding him that they were married the first week of May, which was actually spring.

“I work in insurance,” David said. “It’s difficult to explain but I deal with actuaries and statistics.”

“Oh, yes.” Charlotte nodded. “All of that’s beyond me. Clyde always took care of that sort of thing. I’m grateful he did. Clyde was my first husband,” she told him. Although he’d been gone almost twenty-five years, Clyde had seen to Charlotte’s financial needs before his death. She would be forever grateful.

The hostess seemed to be waiting for them to finish their conversation.

“Our table’s ready,” Ben said, steering them toward the young woman.

They were quickly seated, and Charlotte took the opportunity to look around. A single glance convinced her that this was one of the finest restaurants she’d ever been inside. To date, the most elegant restaurant she’d eaten in belonged to her own granddaughter, Justine. Justine and Seth owned The Lighthouse in Cedar Cove and had made a brilliant success of it. She was near to bursting with pride about her granddaughter, who’d had the good sense to marry a solid man like Seth Gunderson. When David visited Cedar Cove, she’d make sure he had a chance to dine at The Lighthouse.

Their waiter approached the table, wheeling a cart, and with a good deal of ceremony revealed virtually a complete menu. Her head spun as he displayed and then described each item. When he was finished, they were given a price list. Charlotte studied it and gasped aloud. But, my goodness, it all looked so delicious. She made a mental note to tell Justine every detail she could remember. Her granddaughter would want to know about this. After the elaborate presentation, she ordered the grilled swordfish and both men ordered steaks.

The meal was superb and so was the service. The conversation, too, was enjoyable. David had an engaging manner and did most of the talking. He chatted about the weather and recent movies and how he planned to go to Vegas for Christmas. Ben remained stubbornly quiet, as he had before; it was up to Charlotte to respond to his son’s questions and remarks. The one irritation was David’s cell phone, which rang four times during the course of their meal.

After the fourth call, Ben snapped, “Turn that damn thing off.”

“Sorry.” David did look apologetic as he reached for his cell and pushed a button. The telephone sang a brief song and then went silent.

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the waiter who brought coffee to their table with several varieties of sugar from which to choose. Charlotte was quite taken with the hard candy sticks that looked like something out of a confectionary store.

Over coffee, David grew quiet. “You might’ve guessed why I wanted to meet with you, Dad,” he said as he stirred in the cream.

“David, if this is about money—”

“Dad, I’m in a tight spot.”

“I can’t help you.”

“Can’t or won’t?” David asked with barely suppressed anger.

Ben’s shoulders heaved as if he’d inhaled sharply in an effort to control his own annoyance. “Since you put it like that, the answer is won’t. I refuse to give you another dime. You haven’t paid back the last two loans. I’d be a fool to give you more.”

“I’m good for it. I promise.”

“That’s what you said last time and the time before that. Why should I believe you now?”

“Because it’s true. Dad, do you think it’s easy, coming to you like this? Do you think I’d do this if I had any other options?”

He seemed about to say more but Charlotte could see that his arguments increased Ben’s irritation. “How much do you need?” she asked. She didn’t mean to intrude, but if it was a reasonable amount then perhaps Ben wouldn’t mind so much.

“Five thousand,” he said after a moment. “That’s considerably less than I needed before,” he added with a hopeful expression.

“What do you need it for?” Charlotte asked, wanting to help and not knowing how. Her questions didn’t please Ben, she could see that, but she felt badly for the young man.

David shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

“The usual, no doubt,” Ben cut in. “His credit cards are maxed out, he hasn’t paid his taxes and he’s paying alimony for two ex-wives.”

“I’m getting a bonus this Christmas,” David said. “I only need the money for a couple of months, just to carry me through. You know I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate. I’m telling you, Dad, money pressures are the worst. I can’t sleep nights. I can hardly eat.”

“You certainly didn’t have a problem tonight,” Ben pointed out. David had obviously enjoyed his meal, and Charlotte was glad of that after seeing those prices. Fifty years ago, she could’ve fed her family for a week for the price of a single steak.

David looked hurt. “This is the first decent meal I’ve had in ages. You have to know how difficult this is for me. There’s no one else I can ask.”

“I’m sure it’s painful to ask for a loan,” Charlotte said sympathetically.

David thanked her for her understanding with a smile. “I swear to you, Dad, I’ll pay you back. I don’t know what’ll happen if you turn me down.”

“How old are you now?” Ben asked his son.

David straightened slightly. “Forty-three.”

“Really,” Charlotte said conversationally. “I would’ve guessed much younger.”

David ignored her, holding his father’s eyes.

“Forty-three is old enough to stand on your own two feet and stop expecting someone else to bail you out.”

David’s shoulders slumped.