Cadence of Cranberries - Valerie Comer Page 0,42

his mother dating his fiancée’s father? Why did that have to be a big deal, an embarrassment?

Julia. Why did a woman who’d thrown her husband away still get a say in his life and happiness a dozen years later? And how did Winnie feel about being the second woman in Charlie’s life? It wasn’t quite the same with Al, because Al had passed away, while Julia was very much still alive, spreading her toxicity.

A metallic click caught her attention, and she stared over at the front door, holding her breath, as the door opened slowly. She set the mug down. Where was a weapon? The fireplace poker! She grabbed it, still staring at the door, bracing herself to swing. Or jab.

“Mom? You’re still up?”

The poker fell to the tiles in front of the fireplace, and she threw herself at Dominic. “You’re home! I thought you weren’t coming yet.”

He gave a sharp chuckle as he patted her back then nudged her away. “Yeah, I’m home.”

Something about his voice triggered her mom-instincts. “Why didn’t you call? Did you drop Katri off at Charlie’s? I thought you had to work tomorrow. What’s going on?”

He toed off his boots, not looking at her.

“Dominic?”

“I knew you’d be at Nonna’s, and I didn’t want to worry you.”

That only answered one of her many questions. Even at that, it did a poor job. “I’ve been home for nearly four hours. About as long as you’ve been driving.”

Dominic hung his jacket in the closet. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Katri had to work.”

“That’s why you weren’t coming until later.”

“Yeah, well, I decided to come tonight, okay?” He drove his hand through his hair, the gesture reminding her so much of his father that Winnie swallowed hard. He glanced toward the basement stairs. “Pretty tired, though.”

She’d bring out the big guns if she had to. “Dominic Alberto Santoro.”

He glanced at her and shook his head. “It’s just... it’s complicated.”

Winnie put her arms around the fine young man her son had become. “Give me the two-minute version, and I’ll let you get some rest. Because I won’t sleep until you do.”

“Katri’s having second thoughts. About, well, everything.”

“No...” The vivacious young woman had been so thrilled when Dominic proposed at Thanksgiving. It seemed impossible that anything on the planet could dull the love shining from her eyes.

Oh. Reality slapped Winnie upside the head, and she reeled. “Is it because of her dad and... me?”

Dominic sighed. “Partly, I guess. But there’s more. It’s not all on you.”

Just some of it. Great. She’d already pulled back from Charlie because of Dominic and Katri’s reaction. Now she had to live with guilt from causing the breakup of her son’s engagement? “Did she... she didn’t give you back the ring, did she?” The ring Al had given Winnie. The ring that promised great things and enduring love.

“Not yet. Don’t worry. I’ll get it back to you if she does.”

“Oh, sweetie. I wasn’t hinting about that at all. I’m just heartbroken for you. I know how much you love her.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, Mom. She decided she didn’t want to come to Spokane for Christmas after all. She told me she needed to think about things. Whatever that means.” Dominic shook his head, frustration evident on his face. “And I certainly didn’t want to spend extra time hanging around at Julia’s, not when I had four days off to come home. So, I came.”

Julia again. She was still busy making sure Charlie couldn’t grasp happiness. How like the tale of the dog in the manger Winnie had found in a volume of Aesop’s Fables as a child. The dog had lain in the hay, snarling and snapping to keep the cattle from eating their rations, even though it wasn’t food the dog would ever eat. The moral of the tale had been simple: don’t begrudge others what you cannot enjoy yourself. Julia was doing her best to keep Charlie from finding his own happiness, even though she didn’t want him for herself.

Or did she?

Had Charlie’s ex finally realized what a treasure she’d tossed away? Did Julia want him back? But this was hardly the way to go about winning his love, not that Winnie was an expert.

Carrying his backpack, Dominic padded past her on his sock feet and paused at the head of the stairs. “Good night, Mom. See you in the morning.”

“I’ll pray for you, son.” Not that she’d ever stopped, not really. But now there was a new layer of urgency to her petitions.

“Thanks.” But