Cadence of Cranberries - Valerie Comer Page 0,21

asked for simple, six months is plenty of time. It’s a matter of scale.”

Charlie frowned. Opened his mouth. Closed it.

“It can still be a very beautiful wedding that suits Dominic and Katri to a tee. You’ll see.”

“All I can say is that if Julia were the one organizing this shindig, she’d need at least a year. Probably eighteen months.”

Winnie’s pen began to doodle all on its own as she stared down at the paper. “Do you think Katri regrets having me involved? If she’d rather have her own mother, I understand.”

“No. I’m sorry.” Charlie’s hand covered hers, stilling the pen. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

The man’s hand was warm. Tanned, with a couple of small scars. He had calluses on his fingertips. And there was a slight pleasant tingly sensation... Winnie had the overwhelming desire to turn her hand and touch his, palm-to-palm. Twine her fingers around his. But that was ridiculous. She shouldn’t feel anything at all.

Winnie slipped her hand from beneath his and picked up her coffee mug. Took a long sip. Regained her equilibrium. Sort of.

“I assume Julia and her latest boyfriend will attend, but the kids definitely asked you and me to be in charge, so Julia doesn’t have a say. Doesn’t mean she won’t try, but it’s Katri who will feel that pressure, not me, since Julia doesn’t talk to me. And it won’t be on you.”

Winnie shot a quick look at Charlie’s solemn face. “Unless she puts so much pressure on your daughter that she changes her mind.”

He shook his head. “Not possible. Katri is strong. She’s already picked sides, although I hate it was ever required. But she’s no pushover, my baby girl.”

“If you’re sure.” Not that Winnie wouldn’t double check with Dominic, too.

“Positive.”

She took a deep breath and let it out then ate another section of the cinnamon roll. “Okay. Do we know what time of day they’d like the wedding?”

“No idea.”

Winnie made a note to ask. “How about attendants? Who they’ll choose for a wedding party? How big it will be?”

Charlie grimaced. “There’s a lot we don’t know.”

“But if we have the questions lined up, then they know what decisions to make, when. That’s today’s task. Then I’ll drop them an email.”

“Or we could do a video call.”

Winnie nodded. “We could, if they want. And then we need to know what their preferences are for colors. For flowers. For music.” She made more notes. “Oh, invitations. And if they’d prefer the church fellowship hall for the reception or the community center. What kind of food...”

“So, we have more questions than answers.”

“At this point, yes.” Winnie could only hope that the kids planned to make the decisions in a timely manner once they were presented. Because, otherwise, she was sure to make a big mistake. She needed guidance.

“Any other points of discussion with them?”

Winnie looked over her list as she sipped her coffee. “I think that’s a decent starting point.”

Charlie tugged the pen out of her hand and laid it on his side of the table. “Good. Let’s talk about something else.”

She wasn’t sure if she liked the sound of that. Okay, maybe she did. Slowly, she closed the notebook and set it aside. She held her mug close to her face with both hands — that should keep them out of trouble — and raised her gaze to meet his.

That lopsided grin. “The best coffee ever?”

“Pretty darn good.”

“Excellent. So, what’s a fun thing to do on a date in Spokane in December?”

Her breath hitched. He was asking... what, exactly? “It depends. Why?”

“Because I’d like to take you out.”

A date? A date with Charlie Jalonen? She’d like to... but she shouldn’t. She barely wanted to look at him across the table now, but his gray eyes had caught her full attention.

“Want a refill?” Marley stood beside their table, coffee pot raised, as she looked between them.

The tension in the air eased some as Winnie set down her mug at the end of the table. “Please.”

Except that meant she’d inadvertently decided to stay in the bistro longer. With Charlie.

Which probably meant she was about to accept a date with her son’s soon-to-be father-in-law.

The secretive smile on Charlie’s face as he accepted his refill did nothing to settle her nerves.

Chapter Nine

Charlie settled on a tall stool next to Winnie at her kitchen island, her laptop open in front of them. She’d made a pot of decaf from the Redband Roasters Light City Roast beans he’d brought over, and she’d poured a cup for them