Cadence of Cranberries - Valerie Comer Page 0,28
have flushed a bit deeper. It was hard to tell beneath the canopy of starry lights.
A child sprawled across the ice, and Charlie let go of Winnie’s hand so they could divide and avoid. She grasped his hand again a moment later, glancing back. “Hope he’s okay.”
An adult had already lifted the tot to his feet as skaters streamed around them, so everything looked all right. By the time they’d circled around again, the child was shuffling along, clinging to the rail.
After a dozen rounds — or more, since he wasn’t counting — Charlie guided Winnie into seats surrounding one of the fire pits. “Want a hot chocolate?”
“I’d love one.” The smile she sent his way caused his heart to do a victory dance.
“Be right back.” He edged back into the fray and headed toward the vendor, but he hadn’t gone far when his phone rang. Katri. He stepped off the ice to answer, covering his other ear with a gloved hand. “Hey, baby girl. What’s up?”
“Hi, Dad.” She sniffled. “Mom’s what’s up.”
Perfect. Because he wanted to discuss Julia while on a date with Winnie. “Can I call you—?”
“Daddy, she’s going to wreck everything.” Katri’s words came out with a wail.
She mustn’t have heard him, but how could he brush off a crying daughter? He couldn’t. “It will be all right.”
“No, it won’t! She’s booked Sodo Park for the last Saturday of April. Apparently, they had a cancelation and she scooped it up.”
Charlie walked further from the nearest speaker, trying to block the music and the crowd, but he couldn’t go far wearing his ice skates. “She can’t do that.”
“She did do it, and she’s angry that I’m not happy. She can’t figure out why I’d rather be married in a dumpy church so far away from family and friends.”
By family and friends, Julia meant her inner circle.
“I told her you were paying for my wedding in Spokane, and she said you’d pay for it the way she said.”
Charlie’s eyes narrowed as his blood pressure spiked. “Your mother is on her own with that. I’m not aiding and abetting her ridiculous desire to one-up me. Winnie’s already booked the church and hall here.”
Katri groaned through a sob. “Is Mom right that it would be better to have the wedding before we move? And she’s furious about the move, too, by the way.”
Remember, it’s not Katri’s fault. It’s all on Julia. He took a deep, unsteady breath. “What’s right is what you want, baby girl. It’s your wedding, not hers.” Julia’d had her chance, and she’d spent big bucks on their Christmas wedding extravaganza. She didn’t need to take over their daughter’s big day.
“Tell that to Mom. She thinks it’s her right, only she calls it her privilege.” Katri hiccupped.
Charlie turned toward the Ribbon and spotted Winnie watching him. He was too far away to read her face, but he could guess. What was taking him so long? Why was accepting a phone call more important than spending time with her? He should have let Katri’s call go to voicemail and called her back later.
“I’ll call your mother and straighten things out.”
“Will you?” Katri sniffled.
“Promise. Not tonight, though. Tomorrow is soon enough.”
“But, Dad, she—”
“I’m busy tonight.” He tilted the phone away from his face, hoping the noise would pour into his daughter’s speakers. “In fact, your old man is on a date.”
“You’re not old! And wait, what?”
“A date. You may have heard the term? It’s when two people who might like each other spend time together—”
Katri giggled. “Dad! I know what a date is. Who is she?”
He took a deep breath. “Winnie.”
She squealed so loudly that Charlie held the cell away from his ear again, but he couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face. “I take it you approve?”
“She’s great! This is too funny. You’re not kidding me, right? Because just wait until I tell everyone my dad is dating my fiancé’s mom! No one’s gonna believe it.”
“Maybe don’t tell the entire world just yet.” He cleared his throat. “Especially not your mother.”
“Oh, man, Mom will go ballistic.”
Katri had her mother pegged. “Just give us a few weeks to see if this goes anywhere? You’re coming for Christmas, right?”
“Well, not actual Christmas, but Dominic and I both got three days off just before New Year’s, so we’re coming then.”
“Close enough. Give us until then before you spill the beans, if you don’t mind.”
“Can I tell Dom? Or maybe his mom already has, and he was sworn to secrecy. She wouldn’t