Chapter 25
Cate
Cate studied her reflection in the front hall mirror and reached to turn on the antique chandelier.
For a woman who prided herself on practicality, she’d spent an embarrassing amount of time getting ready.
What was she doing? She told herself it was only because Seth Barrett had been her contractor.
She didn’t want to hurt his feelings by saying no to his invitation.
Of course, that wasn’t all. She pressed her lips together, suddenly dry.
Three outfits lay discarded upstairs. She had finally settled on a black bolero jacket, a cream silk blouse, and slacks she hoped didn’t cling. Her pearl earrings and necklace were one of Monty’s gifts. They gleamed softly at her throat. She needed a little of his strength tonight. Maybe a lot.
“Too much?” she whispered. Her reflection looked panic stricken.
Her bob was smooth except for one rebellious wing of hair she’d shellacked within an inch of its life with spray. The stubborn thing. It still stuck out.
“For heaven’s sake, Cate,” she murmured. “It’s just dinner.”
From the living room drifted the sound of ice clinking and her nieces whispering like teenagers. Samantha lounged on the sofa teasing Marlowe about Brad. Marlowe’s denials were becoming increasingly less convincing.
Cate smiled, affection calming her nerves.
The girls were thriving. Even Samantha was coming into her own after the difficult divorce and the recent disappointment with Josh McCall.
At moments like this, Cate felt Jo’s presence.
Her sister was watching over all of them. Help me get this right, Cate thought.
Cate had always been the one who saw possibilities, whether it was a difficult legal case or her nieces’ love lives.
Lately she’d been wondering if her talent for matchmaking was also a way to avoid her own life.
Cate’s only plan now was to see her nieces married to good men. One down and two to go.
The familiar roar of a BMW pulled up in front of the house.
“Aunt Cate!” Samantha called. “He’s here!”
Cate’s stomach gave a small nervous leap. She smoothed her slacks, wishing they felt looser. Lately she’d indulged in too much cheese and too many Oreos.
Marlowe was peering out the window. “Yep. And he looks great.”
Cate groaned. “Don’t you start.”
But Marlowe wasn’t wrong. When Cate opened the front door, Seth Barrett stood on the porch holding a bouquet of white roses.
His casual, unhurried smile was exactly the one she remembered from the renovation.
Dressed in a navy sport coat, pale-blue shirt, dark jeans and polished boots, he seemed to have taken time with himself.
His hair was more salt than pepper now, but his lake-colored eyes hadn’t changed at all, sometimes a heated green and sometimes a watery blue.
“Evening, Cate,” he said. “You look…” Seth paused just long enough to fluster her. “Beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she managed. “You clean up nicely yourself.”
Behind her came Samantha’s stage whisper: “Don’t stay out too late!”
Marlowe snorted. Cate whipped them a glare, which only made them laugh harder.
“Ignore them,” she said, her cheeks warming. “They’re incorrigible.”
“They’re great,” Seth said, grinning. “And they’re right. We shouldn’t stay out too late. Sunrise tomorrow is supposed to be a good one.”
Cate stared. “You’re one of those morning people, aren’t you?”
“Guilty.” Of course he was. Seth had always arrived early at Sunnycrest and expected the same from his crew. After passing the roses to Marlowe, she stepped into the cool evening air, the coach lights lighting the way down the steps to the road.
“Don’t want you taking a tumble here,” Seth said, going ahead of her. She clung to the metal handrail.
By the time he opened the BMW’s door for her, her nerves were jangling again.
“Thank you,” she murmured, sliding into a seat that smelled pleasantly like him.
They headed north, away from Charlevoix. She frowned. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
“I’m not dressed for anything fancy.”
“You’re dressed just right.” Certainty warmed his words.
She folded her hands in her lap. The last time someone had surprised her with a drive, it had been Monty. Not tonight, she warned herself about going down memory lane.
But the ride was easy. They teased each other about the kitchen renovation and her endless revisions. She’d wanted to get things right and Seth had walked her through any changes. As they drove through the darkness, their banter felt familiar. Maybe too familiar.
When he finally turned down a winding road, her breath caught.
Walloon Lake. Were they going to the Inn that had fabulous food and a romantic view?
The curving farm fields and the turn in the road all looked the same as the last time she’d been here. Her heart already knew before the inn came into view, casting a soft glow over the darkening water.
“The Walloon Lake Inn,” she whispered.
“You’ve been here?” Pride warmed his voice.
“A long time ago.”
The memory of her thirtieth anniversary rushed back, a beautiful time that would never come again. Monty in his navy blazer, ordering the best cabernet and toasting her with a tenderness that still lived in her bones.
“It’s beautiful,” she managed.
“Let’s see if it’s as good as you remember,” Seth said, totally unaware as he opened her door.
The smell of dry leaves permeated the air. Inside, amber light pooled across linen-draped tables. Fresh flowers, soft murmurs and the smell of good food welcomed them. They were guided to a table overlooking the lake.
“This is the best view,” Seth said, lowering her chair.
Her heart thudded. “I know. You went to a lot of trouble.”
“I thought you’d enjoy it.”
A waitress arrived with menus but the words blurred.
This special place wrapped itself around her with memories that would not let go.
And dear Seth was trying so hard. He ordered cabernet before she could protest. She only nodded.
The first sip unspooled a knot in her chest. She could get through this.
She had to. This dear man deserved her full attention.
“How’s Sunnycrest treating you?” he asked after they’d ordered.
“It’s a different house now,” she said slowly. “In the best way.”
“You made good choices.”
She smiled. “I had the best contractor.”
“We make a good team.”
Hmm. Not made but make. Cate let that go.
They had worked well together. They talked about the Petoskey renovation he was currently working on.
Gradually the conversation turned to her nieces.
After a second glass of wine, Cate found herself spilling the beans about Izzy’s surrogacy plans.
Later she would kick herself for sharing that tidbit.
So much was uncertain and very private. But that night she wanted to share the wonderful generosity of Marlowe and Samantha.
“You have quite a family,” Seth laughed.
“I am very fortunate,” she admitted.
Their food arrived. Her sea bass gleamed beneath lemon butter, and his risotto was fragrant with scallops. But when their glasses clinked, Monty’s laugh ghosted through her memory.
She blinked hard.
“To new kitchens,” Seth said.
“And fresh starts,” she whispered, thinking of her nieces.
His gaze lingered. “Fresh starts,” he echoed.
As the sun slipped lower, lavender light rippled across the lake. Their food was delicious. Laughter from another table curled through the air, and something inside her cracked open with grief or longing. She didn’t know which.
Seth put down his fork. “Hey. You okay?” His voice had softened.
She blinked, tears stinging. “I’m sorry. Oh, Seth, I’d like to go home.”
Alarm flickered across his face. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. It’s not you. It’s this restaurant. My husband Monty brought me here for an anniversary years ago. I didn’t expect to feel like this.” Her voice broke.
His forehead wrinkled with understanding. “I’m so sorry, Cate. I didn’t know.”
Silence stretched, gentle but not awkward.
“Well,” he said quietly, “next time we won’t come here.”
Blinking, she looked up. “Next time?”
“Sure. There are plenty of places with terrible lighting and noisy tables. We’ll pick one of those next time.”
A laugh bubbled out of her. “You’re very persistent.” Her sadness faded.
“I build things,” he said with a shrug of one broad shoulder. “Can’t help it.”
Cate hesitated, but she had to be honest. “Seth… I’m older than you.”
“Not an issue unless you make it one,” he said immediately. “I’m not concerned about age. You’re a beautiful woman with a big heart and a wonderful mind.”
Kind words, but still. “You could have anyone.”
“Anyone won’t cut it or intrigue me the way you do,” he said. “Younger women want families. I’ve done the family part. I want someone I can talk to. Someone whose company I actually enjoy. Remember the party at my house last summer?”
She nodded. How effortless that July day had been. “It was wonderful.” She’d met his father Jeb there and she knew that’s what Seth would be like in the years to come. Dry sense of humor and down to earth stories. But Cate was stuck on the word intrigue. Really?
“Look, no strings.” Seth spread out his hands. “Can’t we just enjoy our time together?”
She exhaled. He made everything sound so simple. “Maybe I am making a big deal out of nothing.” Her nieces would probably think so.
“Don’t,” he said, reaching across the table to squeeze one of her hands. “Let’s just let it roll.”
She liked the sound of that. Cate didn’t know how but suddenly her fingers were linked with his. When the check arrived and she offered to split it, he looked offended. So she let him pay. “Want to enjoy the view?” Seth asked as they left.
“Sure.” Why not? Her melancholy had lifted.
Outside, the patio lights shimmered across the water. Cate paused at the railing, breathing in the smell of pine and lake air.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“It is,” he agreed softly. “Makes you forget everything for a while.”
“Does it?”
He looked at her with an assuring smile. The man was so grounded in a way that calmed her. “Yeah,” he said. “It does.”
A loon called across the lake, low and plaintive. She hoped it would find its mate. Something inside her eased. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
“You make it easy.”
The quiet drive home felt comforting, not strained. How different this was from her dinner with Winston Price. When they reached Sunnycrest, porch lights glowed. Her nieces might be waiting with popcorn and questions.
Cate was torn. The wine had made her sleepy, but her mind buzzed with memories and possibilities colliding. What did the future hold? She had no clue. He followed her up the stairs.
At the front door, Seth asked softly, “You sure you’re okay?”
“I am. I’m sorry but sometimes the past shows up when I least expect it.”
“That’s all right,” he said, smoothing the stubborn wing of her bob with a gentle touch that sent warmth spiraling through her. “I’d like to see you again.”
Her breath caught. “Really?”
“Really.” And Seth chuckled as if he couldn’t believe that she would question that. “I don’t mind sharing you with ghosts, as long as they’re nice ghosts. Everyone this age has a history.”
“I suppose so.” The words were comforting. A small thrilling spark flickered to life. “Good night, Seth.”
“Night, Cate.” Backing away, he turned and began to whistle as he took the front steps down to the road. Was that “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific?
Turning, she stumbled into the warmth of Sunnycrest. The smell of popcorn met her.
Inside, she leaned against the door. Maybe she should make a dash for the stairs and her room. She didn’t know if she was ready to talk about this.
“We need a full report!” Marlowe called from the living room.
Of course they did.
Cate peeked in. The sisters sat upright on the blue flowered sofa like two cats waiting for treats. A bowl of popcorn sat on the low table in front of them. Bogart lay curled up on the floor in front of them, whisking his tail as if he wanted to hear too.
“You’re home early,” Samantha declared.
Cate laughed. “You two are incorrigible. What did you expect? That we’d park near the lake and make out?”
“Maybe, so how was it?” Marlowe demanded.
“Lovely,” Cate said, slipping off her jacket. “The food was excellent. The company even better.”
“And?” Samantha leaned forward.
“And,” Cate said firmly, “that’s all you’re getting.”
Groans. Eye rolls. Drama.
Cate smiled and headed toward the kitchen. Passing the sea-glass mirror, she caught her reflection. Sure, she wore the same outfit and pearls, but something new shimmered in her eyes.
Not wine. Not nostalgia.
Hope.
She got herself a glass of ice water from the kitchen and returned to her waiting nieces.