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“We are all doing Christmas at Dan and Alice’s this year. Did they tell you?” Carmen inhaled the steam from her cup and sighed. “I love coffee,” she murmured, more to the mug than to Charlotte.
Charlotte chuckled and propped a hip against the table where Carmen sat. “Heck ya, Sista.”
Carmen cocked her head, tearing her eyes away from her cup long enough to glance at Charlotte. “To the question or the statement?”
“I concur with both. October is a tad early to be talking about Christmas, though, isn’t it?”
“Christmas at the Stevensons’ is the best time of the year. No reason we shouldn’t be excited about it.”
Charlotte nodded. “Alice is the queen of Christmas. She gave me the first Christmas present I remember getting. A stuffed Care Bear. I still have him on my bed. He’s a little worse for wear, and he’s seen things he shouldn’t have been privy to, but old Tender Heart has been a constant companion these long years.”
“Ah, Care a Lot. Those were simpler times.” Carmen sat back in her chair. “You’re mentally prepared to see Samuel, then?”
“As prepared as I ever will be. Not sure if I’ll punch him in the face or jump his bones in front of everyone.” She shrugged. “It’s anyone’s guess if you’d like to get ahead of the game and start a betting pool now.”
“Please don’t do either. Well, you can jump his bones but not in front of us. I, unlike Tender Heart, have a say in the matter, and I don’t wish to be subjected to that.”
“Time will tell, my friend.” Charlotte stabbed a fork into Carmen’s omelette, glanced around the café, then scooped a healthy bite into her mouth. “Why can’t I get this figured out?” she mumbled.
Carmen gave her a look that clearly said, because you’re an idiot, that’s why, but out loud, she said, “Because you refuse to talk to the man like a normal adult.”
Charlotte tapped a finger against her chin. “I don’t see the issue.”
Carmen released a long-suffering sigh. “I didn’t think you would. That would just be asking, too. Oh—” She jerked her chin toward the other side of the restaurant. “That man is trying to get your attention.”
Speed chewing another stolen bite of eggs, Charlotte turned to the man in the corner with his back to the wall. “What do you want?” she barked, then flashed the old-timer a grin.
“Hey, kid, you going to chat all day, or are you going to get back to work?”
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a kid?”
“Uh-huh, all I know is, I’ve got socks older than you.”
“You should buy new socks,” Charlotte countered, “and why do you even need the coffee? I’ve seen how much cream and sugar you pour in there. You may as well have a milkshake.”
The man grinned, his eyes nearly lost in the wrinkles and mirth that changed his entire countenance. “Don’t be mean to me. I’m old and feeble.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep the smile from inching across her face as she turned back to Carmen.
“So, are you going to see him again?” Carmen asked around a bite of toast.
“Who?” Charlotte grabbed for the straggling tendrils of her friend’s train of thought. “Charles?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know, we’ve been out three times now, and it’s not bad, it’s just—” Charlotte shrugged, letting her words float away.
“It’s not what it was with Sam?” Carmen supplied after a moment.
Charlotte sighed. “It’s not what it was with Sam.”
***
Charlotte said goodbye to Carmen and cleaned up the aftermath of the breakfast rush. Her mind kept leaping between thoughts of Sam and Charles.
“Hey, Charlotte, the phone is for you.” Harper waved her over, passing Charlotte the handset and taking the cloth from her hand to tend to the tables Charlotte had abandoned.
“Hello, this is Charlotte.”
“Chuck? Honey, it’s Alice.”
A rock-hard ball of worry formed in Charlotte’s stomach at the tension in Alice’s voice.
“Alice, what’s wrong?”
“It’s your dad. He was here with Dan, and—” A shuddering breath sounded over the line. “He collapsed. We called the ambulance. The paramedics thought it was a stroke, but they couldn’t tell us for sure.”
Bright pinpoints of light darted across Charlotte’s vision. Harper said something to her, alarmed, but the words and her concerned face faded in and out of focus.
“Is he... will he—” Charlotte choked out before her voice broke.
“We don’t know, sweetie. I’m coming to get you now. I didn’t want to tell you on the phone, but I thought you would need the time to speak to your boss.”
With a promise to arrive in a few moments, Alice disconnected. Charlotte stared at the handset, the Stevensons’ familiar number still blinking on the screen. Harper reached out and took it from her, settling it in the cradle.
“Go, sit down.” With an arm around her waist, Harper guided Charlotte to a chair. “I’ll talk to Gary and get you covered.”
Tremors had started in her hands, and no amount of clenching would quell them. She stared at her pink-tipped nails, watching how they bit into her palms. She didn’t hear Alice enter the café, but when the older woman’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, she turned her face into the older woman’s shoulder.
Alice held her for a moment, then tugged her to her feet. “Come on, honey.” Alice led her to the car, emitting a running stream of dialogue the entire way. Anchoring herself to Alice’s voice, Charlotte laid her head against the glass of the car window and closed her eyes, willing the drive to pass quickly.