Page 50 of A Dream for Daphne

“I’m throwing potatoes on the grill,” he said. “If you want to make it a more balanced meal, go ahead.”

Laurel laughed. “I’ll finish it up. You talk to your cousin.”

“I’m just going to finish mowing,” he said. “Go in and get settled with your woman.”

Easton snorted over that comment but went in with Laurel and Abe walked around the backyard pushing his mower.

He had enough equipment that he could have done this quicker, but his yard wasn’t big enough for him to worry about. There was nothing wrong with a little bit of sweat and exercise. Seemed Daphne liked it well enough on him.

Maybe he was rushing some in his mind because he did find someone who all but told him he was acting like a fool over what he did for a living or how he looked at the end of the day.

Didn’t his mother tell him when he found that person to hang on tight?

He was going to do it. As long as he didn’t push her away.

After fifteen minutes, he was putting his mower back in the garage and then returning to the house.

His phone was on the kitchen counter and he saw it lit up, then walked over to see the message from Daphne.

She said she had a great time last night and even stressed about reaching out this early now and hoped it didn’t come off as clingy.

Since he’d felt the same way, he wanted to ease her mind.

He wasn’t one for texting and just called instead. “Hi,” he said when she answered right away.

“Hi back at you,” she said.

“Did you find a new hobby thinking about me?” he asked. The minute those words were out of his mouth he actually made a sour pucker face over the cheesiness of them.

“Not sure it’s a hobby,” she said. “But I had some nice thoughts of you in bed last night.”

“The same,” he said. “And it’s not clingy that you’re reaching out. I was going to text you at some point. Just doing some work around the house. I’m ready for a shower now. It’s nice out, but not if you’re mowing and pulling weeds.”

“I don’t get to do those things around here,” she said. “They pay some great company to deal with it.”

He laughed. “You have no clue what your place is going to look like when I’m done. It’s the last thing we are touching though, other than the lawn being mowed.”

“Can’t wait for it,” she said. “Though it’s not like I can watch you working as I’ll be at the main house.”

“You could watch me working now,” he said. “When I’m there. I’m not always.”

“But I plan on keeping an eye out for you.”

“I’ll be doing the same,” he said. He’d like to stay on the phone and talk more, but it wasn’t the type of person he was.

Besides, he was sounding too much like a dorky high school kid with a crush on the hot cheerleader with the shit spewing out of his mouth. Best to quit while he was ahead.

“I’ll let you get back to your chores,” she said. “It was nice to hear your voice.”

“Bye,” he said. He was going to say it was nice to hear hers too but had enough restraint to let it go.

He walked up the stairs to shower and change.

When he came down twenty minutes later, Easton was in his kitchen with a beer in his hand.

“What’s going on?” Easton asked. “It’s not like you to invite us to dinner like that.”

“I have before,” he argued.

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