She found a man with a polished pair of boots and raised her head. She immediately dismissed him as a possibility. He was far too old. Her survey continued. Scuffed boots—too young. Snakeskin boots—nope. Too urban.

“Linnette?”

She abruptly looked up and nearly collided with a lean, wiry man of about thirty-five. He wore a cowboy hat and western-style jacket with leather patches on the sleeves and—yes, indeed—cowboy boots. Linnette’s expectations hadn’t been high, but if this was Cal Washburn, he far exceeded her hopes. He was a pleasant-looking man, not striking, but obviously in good shape. Brown hair and eyes, prominent cheekbones, a solid jaw and surprise of surprises, a warm smile.

“Cal?”

He nodded. “I h-have a reservation.” With his hand at the small of her back, he directed her to the desk.

The woman behind the counter looked at them expectantly.

“W-Washburn,” Cal said.

She scanned the list and scratched out his name when she located it on the reservation sheet. Reaching for two menus, she said, “Your table is ready.”

Linnette had no idea The Lighthouse restaurant did such a rousing business. It hadn’t occurred to her to make reservations, and she was grateful Cal had.

Once they were seated, Linnette opened her menu, studied the selections and chose the seafood fettuccini with clams, scallops and Hood Canal shrimp. It sounded appetizing—and was affordably priced. She’d stick to the free rolls for her appetizer.

The waiter came for their drink order and Linnette decided on iced tea. Cal asked for a whiskey sour. Remembering that her funds were limited, Linnette opened her menu again to see if there was a price list for mixed drinks. Yes—to her horror, it was made with premium whiskey and cost almost ten dollars.

After their drinks arrived, they made small talk, with Linnette doing most of the talking, just as she’d assumed she would. Cal seemed interested in her work as a Physician’s Assistant and was impressed that she could prescribe medications and treat minor injuries. She described the first times she’d sutured a wound and put on a cast and how nervous she’d been.

The waiter returned for their meal order and it was as if Cal had only recently discovered food. He ordered a crab-and-artichoke dip for an appetizer, plus a dinner salad with shrimp. The seafood topping cost extra. For his entrée, he chose a T-bone steak.

Linnette casually looked at the menu a second time and checked on the price of the steak. According to her calculations, his tab alone would add up to all the cash she carried.

“Is s-something wr-rong?” Cal inquired.

She leaned closer and tried to figure out a way to explain that she was on a limited budget, but couldn’t. It was just too humiliating. “N-nothing,” she assured him.

“You stutter?” His eyes widened as though he’d met his soul mate.

“No.” She shook her head. “Cal, I—” She began to explain that they might need to split the bill, but just then the waiter delivered the rolls and the appetizer.

Despite her predictions, Linnette actually had an enjoyable time. She relaxed after she started eating. Cal insisted she have a glass of wine with her meal; the expense was more than she could afford, but she let him talk her into it. When she tasted the chardonnay, she was glad she’d succumbed. The wine was not only delicious, it went a long way toward calming her nerves.

She shouldn’t have been surprised that Cal ordered dessert—New York-style cheesecake, no less. He also requested two forks.

“I couldn’t,” she insisted, placing both hands on her stomach.

“One taste,” Cal said.

“We bake it here at the restaurant,” the waiter told her. “It’s our most popular dessert.”

“All right,” she acquiesced, “one taste.”

Linnette ended up eating most of it. She didn’t normally like heavy desserts, but this was exceptional—the best she’d ever tasted.

They lingered over coffee, and then the waiter brought the bill, tucked inside a leather sleeve. It stood in the middle of the table, impossible to ignore. By her estimate—she’d kept a running total in her head until the wine, at which point she’d lost count—the tab far exceeded her cash. Granted, she had her VISA, but she was already close to her limit on that. For a long moment, Linnette stared at the bill, still concealed in its folder, and prayed this man her mother considered such a paragon would reach for it.

He didn’t.

Linnette was beginning to worry. “Shall we split this?” she suggested.

Cal picked up the bill and looked it over. He didn’t say what her half would be. “I’ll t-t-take care of it on the way out,” he said.

Linnette nodded.

“I had a nice time.” He seemed as astonished as she was.

“I did, too.”

“You aren’t l-l-like I ex-x-x-pected.”

“Neither are you.”

He glanced at his watch. “Can I w-walk you to your v-v-vehi—car?”

She shook her head. “You go on, while I pay my half of the bill. Thank you, Cal, for a most enjoyable evening.”

“Y-y-you’re welcome.” He dropped his napkin on the table and stood.

The restaurant wasn’t as busy as it had been earlier. Several couples sat with their heads close together, enjoying each other’s company. Some evening Linnette hoped that would be Chad Timmons and her.

Once Cal had left, Linnette sighed deeply and decided she’d better figure out what she owed. She reached for the bill and was shocked to find it had already been paid. Frowning, she motioned for the waiter. “This is completely paid? The tip, too?”

“Yes, the gentleman made arrangements with the restaurant before you arrived. He left his credit card with the hostess.”

“Oh.” He might’ve said something. Still, Linnette felt she should thank him. However, when she hurried out to the parking lot, Cal was already gone.

Nine

It was the first Tuesday of November, the day Charlotte and Ben were having dinner with his son. That afternoon, she sorted through her closet in search of a dress to wear. She finally decided on the pink-and-white one she’d purchased for her wedding reception. With its row of tiny ribbon rosebuds edging the collar it made her feel feminine and attractive. Although the outfit was better suited for spring than autumn, she hoped to make a positive impression on David.

“How do I look?” she asked Ben, stepping out of the bedroom and brushing the wrinkles out of her skirt. She waited for her husband’s approval.

Ben glanced up from the television set and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Charlotte asked, crestfallen. She wanted to do her husband proud.

“You went to far too much trouble. You don’t need to impress David.”

“But…I want your son to like me.”

“I know, dear, and I appreciate that, but it isn’t necessary. I suspect the only reason David asked us to have dinner is to see if I’ll give him another loan.” Ben’s face hardened. “I refuse to do it. I told him that the last time and I’m not going to change my mind.” He shook his head. “Just watch. We’ll get stuck with the bill, too.”

“Oh, Ben, I’m sure that’s not true. Anyway, he invited us.”

“Yeah, but you can bet I’ll be paying the tab.”

“Oh, Ben, don’t be so negative.”

Ben didn’t argue with her. She could tell he was nervous and that he regretted agreeing to this. He revealed no pleasure at seeing David or the prospect of a rare evening out in downtown Seattle.

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.