Harbor Street (Cedar Cove #5)(43)

“I feel so…so foolish.”

“Don’t.” Ben ignored his son as David walked quickly away from them. “You’re a warm, compassionate person, and he took advantage of that. Now, didn’t you say something about Christmas shopping?”

When Charlotte sniffled forlornly, he arranged her scarf around her neck, then took her hand in his.

Twenty-One

Justine Gunderson’s composure still hadn’t recovered from the unpleasant episode involving her grandmother when Warren Saget walked into the restaurant. The afternoon was going from bad to worse. The fact that she managed to greet him with a smile was a credit to her skills as hostess.

“Hello, Warren,” she said, reaching for a menu to escort him to a table. She’d dated Warren, a building contractor, for several years before marrying Seth. Warren, who was almost twenty years older than she, had pressured her to marry him. At the time, Justine was convinced she never wanted a husband or children. It had taken Seth and the love they shared to change her mind. Their three-year-old son was the joy of her life. And working with Seth to build this restaurant had been—and continued to be—immensely satisfying.

“You’re as beautiful as ever,” Warren murmured as he slid into the chair by the window. She’d given him one of the best tables in the house.

“Thank you.” She set the menu on the table.

Warren’s hand covered hers. “Stay a few minutes,” he urged.

“I can’t.”

“Sure you can,” he said. “You’re not busy now. It’s almost two-thirty—the lunch crowd is gone. We haven’t talked in months.” He lowered his voice. “You loved me once, Justine.”

She’d thought she did, but Seth had shown her the real meaning of the word. What she’d felt for Warren, she realized in retrospect, was a strange mixture of affection and pity. His ego required him to have a pretty woman on his arm at social functions, but it was all for show. Unable to perform sexually, he was tender and indulgent with her. She’d needed his kindness and for a time, the relationship had suited her perfectly. Not only that, her willingness to keep his little secret had endeared her to him. Only when Seth came into the picture and Warren felt threatened had he wanted to marry her. For a while, when admitting the depth of her feelings for Seth had proved painful and difficult, Justine had actually considered marrying Warren.

That way Seth would leave her alone, she’d believed—and he had, but she wasn’t free of him. Seth Gunderson was in her thoughts every minute of every day. There’d been no escaping Seth or the love she felt for him. When she’d finally agreed to marry him, she knew without a doubt that she’d made the right decision.

“Please join me,” Warren asked, his eyes pleading with her. “For just a few minutes.”

Reluctantly Justine sat down. After the afternoon she’d had, a few minutes’ respite would do her good. It wasn’t often that she encountered a man like David Rhodes. She felt a little guilty about calling Ben, but she couldn’t tolerate the sight of David manipulating her grandmother like that. “All right.”

“Thank you.” Warren stood and pulled out the chair opposite him. His business dealings might be shady, but his manners could never be questioned.

When the waitress came for the drink order, Warren asked for two glasses of wine.

“I can’t,” she protested, but he refused to listen.

“You look like you need to unwind.”

This was something else about Warren. He seemed, at times—like now—to discern her feelings with astounding accuracy. Granted, at other times he could be incredibly insensitive. She decided just to enjoy the moment.

The chardonnay arrived, and despite herself, Justine relaxed and took a sip. This was one of those days when a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon was exactly what she needed.

“How are you?” Warren asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Good.”

He sighed and looked away. “I’ve missed you, Justine.”

She didn’t respond. That period of her life was over.

“Are you happy?” he asked.

“Very much so.”

He nodded and looked around. “You and Seth have done a wonderful job with this restaurant.”

“Thank you.” No one really knew how much effort went into their business. Seth often worked fifteen-hour days and she served as a hostess and managed the books. The Lighthouse demanded attention to detail—every kind of detail. Early that morning, Seth had been in the parking lot picking up litter and cigarette butts, and later he’d had to clean out the grease trap in the kitchen. Both unpleasant tasks. People tended to see the glamour but not the work that went into running a successful business. Most nights when Justine got Leif from his daycare, she was exhausted. She worried that her son was being raised by strangers. She wanted a second child. Seth did, too, but the timing, he felt, was wrong. Justine worried that the timing might never be right. Much as she loved the restaurant, it had taken over their lives.

“You’re frowning,” Warren said, breaking into her thoughts.

“I am?” She laughed, making light of it.

He leaned toward her and reached for her hand. “There’s no use pretending. I want you back.”

He seemed sincere and that touched her. “Warren, I’m married,” she said gently.