Page 63 of A Dream for Daphne

“Would it be nuts to say that after a few weeks?” he asked.

“No,” his mother said seriously. “You know what you know and no one can talk you out of it. The question is how do you thinkshefeels?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I think the same, but it’s not as if we’ve talked about it. I’m driving there in a minute and I don’t have anything to give her.”

“Don’t give her anything,” his mother said. “Don’t do anything for her either. Not unless you think she is someone who wants a man to do it.”

“No,” he said. “She’s said a few times she can take care of herself.”

“Then listen to her and figure out what is best. I’m going to book a flight home soon. I need to meet her and Laurel. I can’t believe my boys have found someone around the same time.”

“Neither can I,” he said. “Let me know your plans when you make them.”

He hung up and drove to Daphne’s. She was sitting on the porch drinking what looked to be a glass of lemonade.

“Hi,” she said. “Get held up?”

“I was doing a few things,” he said. “Then Poppy came out to talk to me.”

“Did she pick on you?” she asked. He moved to the front porch and she stood her ground, got up on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

She didn’t even shrink back from him when so many others had in the past.

He didn’t blame them half the time.

“She did,” he said. “I wanted to make sure it was fine to be here.”

“I’m sure she told you yes,” she said. “But I appreciate you asking too. I don’t want them to think I’m taking advantage of anything.”

“The same.”

He bent and undid his boots and slid them off, then peeled his damp socks off with them. He ran his hands down his pants and shirt to knock any loose dirt off.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Trying to bring in as little dirt into the house as possible. I know you don’t like it.”

She’d said a few times how filthy her parents were and it drove her nuts.

This was the first time he was coming into her place and he was willing to bet it was spotless.

“I also know that life is full of dirt,” she said.

He had his bag over his shoulder with a change of clothes in it.

“It is,” he said. “And I’m keeping as much of it outside as possible. Point me to the bathroom.”

“On the right down the hall. I’ve just got a half bath in my room which is still nice.”

“This whole place is great,” he said. He knew it’d been updated recently before her move.

He walked into the bathroom and got undressed, turned the shower on, and then climbed in. The sight of his Irish Spring brought a smile to his face. He reached for it over all her floral soaps and bath gels.

When he was cleaned up, he ran the water in the tub to rinse it out and then got dressed. He was looking around for cleaner in the cabinet when Daphne knocked on the door.

“What are you doing now?” she asked. “Do you need something you can’t find?”

“Cleaner,” he said. “I want to clean your tub or at least spray it down. I rinsed it, but I don’t like things to build up.”

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