to say was, “Poor girl. I do hope she’ll feel better by tomorrow.”
Sierra looked across the lounge. “I guess she’s fine now.” She held up both hands in a helpless gesture and shrugged.
Catherine followed her gaze and saw her sister entering the room with a man somewhere in his thirties. She frowned across the lounge at Sierra.
“It’s too bad we didn’t save her a seat,” Catherine said.
“She’s not suffering any obviously.”
Judging from the looks of the man she was with she certainly shouldn’t have been. He was fit looking with dark hair, and as handsome as she was cute. Together they made a very attractive couple.
The man who had taken Sophie’s seat introduced himself as Charlie. He quickly proved himself a nice addition to the group, keeping everyone—especially Denise—entertained with his quips and jokes. Charlie lived in Bellevue, a high-end Seattle suburb. He owned several rental properties around the city, and with Denise being in real estate, they had plenty to talk about. It was plain to see she’d been his main target when he joined them. But he wasn’t above sharing jokes with the others.
“You know why Santa never goes on a diet?” he was saying to Rudy. “He has to keep his figure. His contract has a Santa clause.”
Everyone groaned and Charlie said, “Okay, that one’s not ready for prime time yet. But I’ll keep trying. Laughter’s the best medicine, right, Doc?”
“It definitely is good medicine,” Rudy agreed.
“Where do you practice?” Charlie asked.
Rudy told him and that started a conversation going between the two men.
“And what do you do, Athena?” Catherine asked.
“I’m an executive assistant for a film agent in Los Angeles.”
“Now, that sounds glam,” Denise said, encouraging Athena to share more.
“It’s work, like any other,” Athena said, and turned her head toward Charlie. Conversation over.
Catherine and Denise exchanged looks. Every party has a pooper, that’s why we invited you.
Catherine returned her attention to Sierra. “It’s nice to be doing a trip with your sister.”
Sierra’s smile faltered and she stared at her drink. “She took my husband’s place. He couldn’t get away from work. This was supposed to be a surprise but it didn’t work out.”
From the expression on the woman’s face Catherine wondered if more than just the trip wasn’t working out. “That’s too bad.”
Sierra took a sip of her drink. “Oh, well. Sophie and I will have a good time.”
And here came their cruise director, Elsa, to tell them all about the good time that was planned for them the next day. “I hope you all enjoyed your first dinner on the Heart of the Rhine,” she said. This produced appreciative applause and she continued. “Chef Bruno has many more wonderful treats planned for you as we make our journey down the Rhine. And now, tomorrow, we have planned for you several shore excursions to enjoy. We know many of you will want to visit the Kinderdijk windmills. This is a unique and historic UNESCO World Heritage Site and you will be able to tour a working windmill.”
“That sounds like fun,” Catherine said to Denise.
“Are you ladies doing that one?” Rudy asked.
“I want to,” Catherine said.
“Me, too,” said Denise.
“I do, too,” Rudy said, and smiled at Catherine.
“So do I,” put in his daughter.
“Count me in,” Charlie said.
“And we will also make a brief stop in Rotterdam where those of you who have already signed up will disembark the ship to join our Dutch cheese maker tour.”
“No cutting the cheese for us, eh?” quipped Charlie, producing a collective groan from the others.
“Then tomorrow afternoon at three, right here in the lounge, Chef Bruno will show you how to make Appelflappen, a traditional Dutch treat.”
“I bet they’ll have free samples,” said Charlie.
“I’ll be there then,” said Denise.
So would Catherine, if her energy level held up. “It sounds like we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow,” she observed.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Rudy said, and smiled at her.
His daughter didn’t say anything.
* * *
“Feeling like the kid who didn’t get invited to the party?” Trevor asked Sophie as the cruise director set aside her mike and the pianist began playing a jazzy medley of Christmas songs.
Sophie had been stealing a lot of glances at the chatting group in the middle of the lounge, wishing she was there. Not that Trevor March wasn’t wunderbar, but a girl who was prone to health problems didn’t need wunderbar. She needed a doctor. And how was Sophie supposed to make a connection with that doctor from the opposite side of the