ever choose? Knowing Denise, she’d find a way to keep them both.
“You girls ready to spend money and drink Glühwein?” Charlie asked as Arnold slid into the last seat.
“I am,” Denise said. “I think Catherine’s leaning toward staying on the boat.”
“Not feeling well?” Charlie asked Catherine.
“Just a little tired,” she said.
“Would you like me to drink your share of Glühwein?” he asked with a wink.
“I think you should,” she told him.
Glühwein, shopping, seeing the cathedral. It would have been fun, she thought wistfully. But the day would be too long and she’d be done in. She gave herself permission to pace herself. There would be more good times ahead. Better to take the adventure in small bites that she could digest.
She caught sight of Rudy entering the room with his daughter and experienced a moment of longing even though she knew nothing could happen between them. There was no room at their table for anyone else. Just as well, she supposed, and sighed.
* * *
Athena and her father had entered the dining room to find it nearly full. And, oh, look. What a shame. The two predators already had people sitting with them.
“It looks like Catherine and Denise have found some new friends,” she observed. Oh, happy day. Now she could quit worrying about Daddy.
He frowned. “I’ll find us a table if you want to go get something.”
She did indeed. She celebrated this new turn of events with an omelet.
The celebration was short-lived. After her omelet she returned to the buffet to splurge on a doughnut, making the mistake of leaving her father alone at their table. Well, not exactly alone. There were two other couples there, and he’d seemed to be enjoying visiting with them as he finished his coffee and cereal.
But she returned to the table to find him gone.
“Your father said he’d be right back,” one of the women at the table said to her. “He went to say hi to someone.”
It wasn’t hard to guess who that someone was. Athena abandoned her doughnut and hurried to where her father sat, visiting with Catherine. The other three who’d been with her had left and it was just the two of them at the table. Ugh.
She got there in time to hear her father saying, “I don’t think I want to do the city tour, either. What would you say to a quick peek at one of the Christmas markets? There’s one right next to the cathedral so we could see that, too.”
“I must admit, I would love to at least see the cathedral. And I’d like to maybe do a little bit of shopping.”
Shopping, it had been Nicole’s favorite pastime. Déjà vu all over again, thought Athena bitterly. She donned a smile and slipped into the vacant seat next to her father.
“Daddy, I was wondering where you went. Are you ready to go?” Do the tour with your daughter like you’d planned?
“Honey, I think I’m going to let you do the tour without me,” Daddy said.
“I was looking forward to us doing that together,” Athena said. It sounded a little like whining. But they’d made plans and now he was ditching her.
“If you already had plans with your daughter please don’t let me upset that,” said Catherine.
Very gracious of her.
But was she being gracious or strategic?
“Of course you’re welcome to join us old folks,” Daddy said, reaching out and giving her shoulder a squeeze. “I thought you really wanted to do the tour.”
“Only because I thought you wanted to do it,” Athena told him. “I just wanted to be together.”
“Well, then,” Daddy said with a nod. “That settles it. Shall we all meet in the lobby in twenty minutes?”
Catherine nodded and excused herself, leaving father and daughter seated at the table, father looking at daughter suspiciously. Athena felt suddenly uncomfortable under that fatherly gaze.
She didn’t want to rain on his holiday parade, really, but she remembered how things had gone with Nicole and her once the woman entered their lives. It had started with, “I hope we can be friends. I really do love your dad.” She’d known it wasn’t true, but Daddy hadn’t tuned into that. Then they’d gotten married and it had gone to, “It’s none of your business how much money I spend. He can’t take it with him. Or are you worried there won’t be anything left for you?” As if Athena was as mercenary as her.
Anyone could have seen what Nicole was up to, but her father was living proof that love