Ben was feeling—and acting—more like his old self lately, which greatly relieved Charlotte. She knew he’d spoken with David twice in the past few weeks. While the first call had disturbed him, he’d been less agitated after the second one. In the days that followed, his mood had lightened considerably.
Ben hadn’t shared any of that conversation with her but Charlotte knew he’d contacted Roy McAfee shortly afterward. At first Charlotte was disappointed that Ben hadn’t confided in her. Since then, she’d worked it out in her mind. Thoughtful man that he was, Ben didn’t want to involve her in this latest mess with his son.
“Ben,” she called, fussing with her hat in front of the mirror. She so seldom wore a hat these days, but this was a celebration and nothing said that better than a nice hat. In their last conversation, Olivia had told her she’d decided on a hat, too—for different reasons, obviously—but this was also why Charlotte was wearing hers. To make sure her daughter didn’t feel self-conscious. Olivia had a lovely wig, but found it hot and uncomfortable, so her family and friends urged her to go without.
“Are you ready to leave?” she asked Ben.
“The grand opening’s not for almost an hour,” he called back.
Charlotte secured the fedora with a fancy pin that had belonged to her mother. “Ben, darling, I don’t want to be late.”
“Charlotte,” he said, joining her in their bedroom. “It’ll only take five minutes to get to the tearoom.”
“But there might be a crowd.”
Ben hugged her around the waist. “Very well, my dear, if it’ll reassure you, we can leave now.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
After months of construction, her granddaughter’s Victorian Tea Room was about to open. The pink building with the lavender trim was the talk of the town, and that wasn’t surprising. There’d never been a place in Cedar Cove like it.
In preparation for her granddaughter’s venture, Charlotte had collected her most cherished recipes. Ben had helped her type them. Then, with no small amount of fanfare, they’d delivered the binder to Justine. Charlotte was delighted to see that a number of her recipes had been included in the tearoom menu.
Charlotte sprayed on some cologne—Evening in Paris, her lifelong favorite. Just as she’d finished, she heard the doorbell. What terrible timing!
When she walked into the living room, she saw Roy McAfee, coat still on, briefcase in hand, talking to Ben.
“Roy, how nice to see you,” she said politely.
She waited for Ben to announce that they were leaving for the tearoom. Family and close friends were gathering there before it opened for a blessing ceremony. Pastor Flemming would invoke God’s blessings on this enterprise, and Charlotte didn’t want to miss a second of it. But instead of deferring Roy’s visit, her husband invited him to take a seat.
“We won’t be long,” Ben said, apparently guessing her thoughts.
“Would you like me to make coffee?” she asked the two men.
“No, thanks,” Roy said. “I just need to give Ben a report.”
It was clear that Ben had hired Roy to check up on something and that something undoubtedly concerned David.
Ben gestured to the empty space on the sofa. “Join us, please.”
Charlotte sat down beside him. He reached for her hand, holding it tight. She could feel how tense he was, how weary of dealing with David and his problems, and gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze.
“As you’re probably aware,” Roy said, seated across from them, “Ben asked me to look into David’s story.”
Ben turned to Charlotte and said, “When David and I last spoke, he’d told Mary Jo he wanted a paternity test. She was against it, but because I asked her to comply, she did. Test results prove that Noelle is his daughter. There can be no doubt of that now.”
“Is David going to step up and accept responsibility?”
“He said he is,” Ben answered. “He came to me and explained that he’d left his job with the insurance company and is now working for a bank. He told me he’s trying to make positive changes in his life and asked for my help.”
“Financial help?” Charlotte asked.
“No, and that encouraged me. I felt for the first time in years that perhaps my son had learned his lesson and was willing to become the man I’ve always believed he could be.”
Charlotte’s gaze flew to Roy, unsure why Ben had involved him.
“The thing is, I’ve been led down the garden path with David before,” Ben continued. “It’s difficult for me to judge his sincerity because, as his father, I naturally lean toward trusting him. But rather than blindly accept his word this time, I asked Roy to check out David’s story.”
Roy bent down to open his briefcase. “I have a full written report for you here,” the investigator told them, getting up to pass Ben a file folder.
“Because we’re a little tight for time,” Ben said, “would you be kind enough to summarize it for us?”
“Of course.”
Charlotte noticed the way Roy’s back stiffened—as though he dreaded what he was about to tell them. “When David said he’d left his job, he was telling the truth, although the termination wasn’t his choice. The company fired him with cause. Apparently there’s been a sexual harassment charge filed against him. He didn’t receive a severance package.”
Charlotte wasn’t surprised David had been let go from his job.
“But he has this new position, correct?” The question came from Ben.
“No, I’m afraid that’s another fabrication,” Roy said. “He’s been unemployed for three months.”
Knowing how close to the edge David was financially, Charlotte felt she had to ask, “How is he living, then?”
Roy looked to Ben as if to ask the older man’s permission to respond. Ben gave a slight nod.
“David’s moved in with a…friend.”
“Male or female?” Ben inquired, frowning.
“Female.”
Charlotte sensed his disappointment in his son—his even greater disappointment, she amended.
“In other words,” Ben said, betraying none of the emotion Charlotte had recognized in him, “my son is letting a woman support him.”
Roy nodded. “That appears to be the case.”
“What about all this talk of being a father to Noelle, supporting her financially and bringing her into his life?” Charlotte looked at Ben.
“I can only guess he’s saying all the things I want to hear in an effort to convince me of his sincerity.”
“There’s something else you might find significant,” Roy said after a short hesitation.
“Yes?” Ben returned his attention to the investigator.
“David is currently living in Seattle.”
“Seattle?” Ben repeated. “How long has he been this close?”
“According to what I’ve learned, it’s been a couple of months.”
Ben’s son had been a ferry ride away and hadn’t bothered to notify his family. More telling was the fact that he hadn’t even attempted to see his daughter, who until recently had lived in Seattle, as well. This was a blow, and Charlotte knew that Ben had taken it hard.
“I see,” Ben said after a moment. He’d made an obvious effort—a painful effort—to absorb the shock of this latest revelation.
“I wish I had better news,” Roy was saying.
Ben shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’d rather deal with the truth now than uncover it later.”
Charlotte placed her free hand over Ben’s. She felt like weeping on his behalf. In only a few minutes, her husband looked as though he’d aged several years.
“Is there anything else I should know?” Ben asked.
Roy shrugged. “As I mentioned earlier, everything’s in the report. That’ll give you a clearer picture of your son’s life.”
“You mean there’s more?” Ben cried. “If so, just tell me straight out.”
Roy sent Charlotte a questioning glance. “Ben needs the truth,” she said softly.
“Is it drugs?” her husband asked.
“No. It seems that David has a gambling problem.”
Ben closed his eyes briefly. “I feared as much. What about alcohol?”
Roy winced. “I’m sorry to deliver so much bad news, especially on an important day like this.”
“Day?” Ben asked.
“When the Victorian Tea Room is opening its doors.”
“Oh, yes,” he said, his voice waning. “It…slipped my mind. Charlotte and I were about to leave when you dropped by.”
Ben sounded as if he were in a trance. He stood in the middle of the room, staring at nothing, as Charlotte walked Roy to the door.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte. Is there anything I can do?” Roy whispered.
“No, but thank you for asking.”
Lingering in the doorway, Charlotte watched Roy walk down the steps and across the street to his car. All the while, she tried to figure out how she could help her husband deal with yet another devastating blow from his youngest son.
When she turned around, Charlotte was surprised to find Ben standing behind her. His eyes met hers and he smiled.
“Do you want to stay home?” she asked.
Ben shook his head. “My son is on a path to self-destruction. As much as I hate to see him wreck his life, there’s nothing I can do to stop him.” He exhaled slowly and held out his arm. “I can’t allow David to drag me down and I can’t live his life for him. I’d hoped he was making better choices, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“You’re sure you’re up to this?” she asked.
His returning smile was gentle. “I’m not about to let David ruin this perfectly wonderful day. We’re meeting the others at the tearoom for Pastor Flemming’s blessing. Then you and I are going to be among Justine’s very first customers.” He looked at his watch. “We should be right on time.”