Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(61)

"Oh, Hannah, I'm so sorry."

"I am, too.... Mom wasn't supposed to be in the car with him that day. But he was so angry and unreasonable and he demanded that she go with him and then he had the accident—and Mom was killed." Weeping openly now, she covered her face with both hands.

Peggy came out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Hannah's shoulders, murmuring soft, meaningless words of comfort.

"If only Mom hadn't gone that day, she'd be alive now."

"I know, I know," Peggy said.

"Dad was hurt so badly in the fire and Mom...didn't have a chance. I wanted to die then, too... but the accident changed Dad."

"In what way?"

Hannah lifted her head and rubbed the sleeve of her robe over her eyes. "He was calmer, less angry afterward."

"So he was easier to deal with?"

Hannah nodded. "I think Mom's death was what did it. He was lost without her. He went through so much pain, you know, and all the surgery, and.. .and for the first time in my life, I felt I had a father. He talked to me and called me his little girl and said he loved me. And then.. .and then he was murdered." She sniffled once.

Peggy could imagine what life had been like for Hannah. Until his accident, Maxwell Russell was a harsh, bitter man who often took his anger out on his wife and daughter. It was little wonder that Hannah vacillated between grief and guilt over the death of her father.

Thirty

Grace checked her watch for the third time in two minutes and used a deep-breathing method to calm her pounding heart. Cliff would be joining her at The Lighthouse any moment now and she was as nervous as if she were fifteen again, going out with a boy for the first time.

Tonight was their dinner date, the one Jack and Olivia, Charlotte, Maryellen, Jon, Kelly and Paul had bought at the Dog and Bachelor Auction. Her friends and family had forked out a whopping eight hundred dollars to arrange this, and Grace was determined to enjoy it. If only she could calm her nerves.

She smiled as she thought of Justine's equally expensive new dog, a golden retriever like her own Buttercup. According to Olivia, the whole family adored Sadie.

And speaking of Olivia... Grace had arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes early in order to escape her best friend.

Olivia had spent half the afternoon with her, discussing every detail of Grace's outfit, hair and makeup. Anyone might think Grace was entering a beauty pageant or attending the Academy Awards! Olivia's interest was well-intentioned, but Grace had reached her limit, so she'd left the house early and gone straight to the restaurant.

When Cliff did appear, it was all Grace could do not to jump up from her chair. Swallowing suddenly became difficult. Cliff saw her then and walked across the room, his steps slow and measured, as if he felt resigned to this evening but not pleased.

With a stiff smile, she extended her hand to him in a rather formal greeting. "Thank you for being my dinner date," she said, hoping her words were intelligible.

"I should be the one thanking you," he said as he pulled out his chair. "It's good for my ego." He paused, apparently reconsidering his comment. "Now that I think about it, wasn't it Olivia who placed the bid?"

Grace nodded. No one had paid more for a bachelor; Cliff should feel flattered by that. "Justine and Seth love the dog, and apparently Leif's quite taken with her, too."

Cliff smiled at the mention of the dog. She smiled back, more naturally this time. Cliff couldn't seem to take his eyes off her, which made her heart beat faster. Cliff looked more attractive than ever, and she gazed at him avidly. She saw him so seldom these days and when she did, it was a painful reminder of what might have been.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice low.

This wasn't a casual question; she sensed that the moment the words left his lips. He wanted the truth.

"Lonely."

Cliff lowered his eyes, although she'd noticed the worried expression he tried to hide.

His silence unsettled her, so she hurried to fill it. "I have a kitten now." She offered this information eagerly, not just to appease his concern about her loneliness but because she knew he'd be interested. "I got him at the Farmers' Market a month ago. I was doing one of my volunteer stints, and he was the last one left. I named him Sherlock because he's constantly digging into things."

Cliff grinned boyishly and his worried look fled. "What does Buttercup think of him?"

"Actually she's happy to have the company. The two of them sleep together. I have pictures." She reached for her purse and pulled out several photos of her animals, as well as her grandchildren.

"Sherlock," Cliff murmured as he studied the first photograph. "The name suits him."

"I thought so, too," Grace said. "The others are of Tyler and Katie. I refuse to let you escape without updating you on my grandchildren."

His grin deepened. "I just happened to bring a picture of April." He slid one hand into his inside pocket and brought out a photograph.

The waitress came for their drink order, and Cliff suggested a bottle of Washington State Chardonnay. Grace nodded at his choice.

She stared at the picture of Cliff's daughter and granddaughter. She'd met Lisa last Thanksgiving, when they'd flown to Maryland to be with his family. Cliff and his daughter were especially close.