Cadence of Cranberries - Valerie Comer Page 0,12

face. His baby girl was totally in her element. Totally in love.

Dominic held Katri’s coat for her. When his sisters ribbed him, he made a show of holding theirs with a grin and a flourish. He was a good kid.

Not a kid. An adult poised on the edge of a solid career. He’d be good for Katri.

He already was.

The younger generation poured out the door en masse. Katri was already fast friends with Brittany and Gabriella, and even Landon and Michael seemed to have warmed to her.

Winnie chuckled as she reached for her coat in the sudden silence then startled when strong hands lifted it to her shoulders. She’d all but forgotten Charlie in the tornado spiraling its way outside. She smiled up at him. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He reached behind her for his own down jacket, the warmth of his arm causing her to take a step out of the way. “Wow, sure quiet in here.”

She laughed. “I always try to savor moments like these. They’re so rare.”

Charlie shrugged into his jacket but held her gaze. “Savoring is good.” He opened the door and escorted her out to the stoop.

The kids were already clattering down the metal steps beneath the Maple Street bridge half a block away. Landon hollered at Michael.

“You’ve got a nice place here.” Charlie fell into step beside her as they ambled down the sidewalk.

“Thanks. I like it. Bridgeview is a great family place.” Winnie hesitated. Best to forge ahead in case any of the neighbors looked out their windows and got too curious. “My late husband’s family lives all around us. His eighty-year-old mother is at the end of the block.” She pointed out Marietta’s house. “One of his four brothers lives right there.” She pointed at the white house looking down from the street above. “Everyone knows everyone around here, whether or not they’re related.”

“Interesting.”

Was it her imagination, or did the gap between them widen slightly at his word?

“I can’t imagine that many relatives.”

“My kids have a lot of cousins.”

“Katri mentioned that one of them was married yesterday? Gave me the chance to spend some time with her.”

“Oh!” Winnie pressed her palm to her heart. “I’m sorry if it seems we’re trying to steal all her time this weekend. We’ve just heard so much about her from Dominic, and... I suppose it’s the same for you.”

Charlie’s gaze lingered on her hand for a second, and Winnie looked down. Had she cut her finger? Messed up her nail polish? Oh. The indentations from her rings were clear, and Charlie knew she’d been wearing them just a month ago. What must he think! Maybe he didn’t even remember his assumptions about Mr. Winnie. By the expression in his keen gray eyes, he hadn’t forgotten.

And that thought should not be making her heart speed up.

Winnie gestured to the steep stairs leading downward. “There’s a little park along the river. It’s one of our favorite places to walk.”

“I’ve been.” He thumbed westward. “I live not far from here, out on Riverside. I’ve got a great view of the river from there, but no direct access, so I like it down here. Can drop a fishing line sometimes in the evening, catch a redband or two.”

“And that’s how your coffee company got its name?”

He grinned down at her, the skin around his eyes crinkling. “The previous owners chose the name, but I saw no reason to change it. I got curious about where the name came from, looked it up, and decided to give the local fishing scene a try.”

“Have you been an avid fisherman all your life?”

Charlie shook his head, his gaze turning long-distant. “Never had time for that sort of thing in my previous life.”

She couldn’t imagine running on a hamster wheel without recreation. Not that she’d ever particularly been into fishing, herself.

“I guess the polite way to put it was that I was focused on my career.” He cleared his throat. “Laser focused.”

“I see.” But she didn’t. Not really.

“When Julia and I split up, she said I was never home. She wasn’t far wrong. I figured I was working hard so she and the girls would never want for anything money could buy, and I can say I accomplished that. At the expense of everything else.”

Winnie’s heart went out to him. “It sounds like you have regrets.”

“Definitely. After the divorce, the cycle continued. Whether Katri or Evie wanted dance lessons or a car, I was up for it, even if I needed to work more overtime to