Page 62 of A Dream for Daphne

“A few weeks,” he said. “You’ll like her a lot. She’s down to earth and doesn’t like a guy that sits at a computer.”

His mother laughed. “That’s good for you. But if she is a nanny that tells me that she most likely is used to running around. At least she likes kids. I hope she does.”

He snorted. “She loves kids. She’s great with them.”

“Good to know,” his mother said. “You’ve always been a kid at heart so it sounds like she might be good with you too.”

“I have my moments,” he said. “I can be serious. I cooked for her on the first date we had.”

“You did?” his mother asked. “Did you serve her a salad?”

“And you wonder why I joke all the time,” he said. “I get it from you.”

“Fair point,” his mother said. “Has Easton met her yet?”

“Not yet. We’ll work that out. But Laurel did once. Daphne’s brother is the Director of Facilities at Blossoms so he works with Laurel.”

“What does Laurel think of her?” his mother asked.

“She likes her a lot. Said she could see us together. A lot of people are saying that.”

“That is good to hear. Looks aren’t everything though.”

“I think they meant it as our personalities. She’s from Texas originally. Moved here to be closer to her brother. She’s good at what she does. I find her friendly, sweet, and strong but a little unsure of herself at times too.”

“Everyone is unsure of themselves at some point or another,” his mother said. “Especially a woman in a new relationship.”

He sighed. “So I should be doing more nice things, huh?”

“Like what?” his mother asked.

“Poppy was just picking on me about flowers.”

“Ahhh,” his mother said. “All those things other women have wanted. Has Daphne brought any of that up?”

“No,” he said. “But she’s not the type to do it. She’s very basic, but not in a bad way. She’s not about fuss or anything like that. She has a good appreciation for hard work and the value of things.”

“Sounds like the way your father used to describe me.”

“That’s right,” he said cheerfully. “I might have found someone just like you.”

“Then make sure you let her know how much you appreciate her. That doesn’t mean buying flowers or jewelry or pretty things. It means finding what she likes and values and giving it to her or sharing it with her. Maybe she likes walks in the park.”

“We went hiking on a date. She brought it up and I know she doesn’t sit still.”

“What ideas for dates have you come up with? Or do you just sit around and eat?”

“I took her on a sailboat cruise after the hike. She likes to be outside in nature. I thought the water would be cooler and it fed us so she didn’t have to prepare the food like she wanted to for a picnic.”

“Good boy,” his mother said. “You were thinking ahead.”

“So I’m doing okay?” he asked.

“You sound unsure of yourself,” his mother asked. “This is serious to me. You never come to me with these types of questions.”

“I know,” he said. “But you told me if I find the right person not to lose her. I don’t want that to happen.”

“Is she the one?” his mother asked.