Page 43 of A Dream for Daphne

It was funny when she thought of it, but comforting to know that he got what was going through her mind.

When she arrived back home, it was still daylight out and she saw Poppy walking the kids on the driveway. She wondered if her boss went down to her house and noticed she was gone.

She waved and continued on. No way she was talking because she was positive Poppy would be able to sniff out the scent of a man on her, even if it was only from a hug.

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“Have I said how happy I am you decided this is what you wanted for a date today?” Abe asked.

“Only five times,” she said. “Once more and we’ve got half a dozen.”

“I’m so happy you wanted to go hiking today,” he said, nudging her with his elbow. “Now you can retell this to anyone you want and say a half dozen to be specific.”

Daphne turned her head and smirked at him. “You’re pretty cute, you know that?”

“I’ll let my mother know you think that,” he said. “She had something to do with it.”

Her smile dropped as they walked along the trail of the Avery Farm Nature Preserve. “You’re going to tell your mom about me?”

“Not right now,” he said. “Geez. I’ve only kissed you.”

She burst out laughing. “Got it,” she said, turning her fingers on an imaginary key. “Just a kiss.”

“More than one kiss,” he said. “More than a dozen. See, I was counting too.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you always joke about everything?”

“Not usually,” he said. “I think I’m just a laid-back guy. You’re tense and I don’t want you to be.”

“I’m not anymore. I’ll be less tense if you kiss me.”

She stopped and leaned up on her toes so he planted a loud one on her lips. No way he was going to start making out with her here.

Shit, the last thing he needed was wood visible through his shorts. He’d had a hard enough time keeping his body under control yesterday as it was.

“Happy now?” he asked.

“Very,” she said. “But back to your mother. I guess we haven’t talked about this. It’s our third date.”

“Don’t put that kind of pressure on me,” he said, waving his hand in front of his face. “Three dates and all.”

She gave him a little playful shove this time. “Stop. I’m being serious.”

“Okay,” he said. “I can be too. I’ll stop.”

“Good,” she said. “I mean I like your personality and sense of humor. I get the feeling you’re like this a lot and not trying that hard. Am I right?”

“I am,” he said. “Or many would say that about me. I can be serious and am. I run what I think is a very successful business and none of my clients want me on their property horsing around.”

But he had been someone to goof around a lot in his relationships.

Hadn’t Ella always complained about that too? That everything was a joke to him.

He just wanted to make her laugh.

She didn’t see life the way he had.

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