Dating, Dining, and Desperation (A Dear Daphne Novel)

by Carlson, Melody

  Sabrina handed her empty cup to Daphne. “That is downright unneighborly, Daphne. But I will not hold it against you. As long as you help me to meet Tony.”

  “Sabrina, are you nuts?”

  “Not at all. The way you described Tony makes me think that I would really like him. In fact, he and I are probably a lot alike. Everyone tells me I talk too much. And you have to admit, I’m pretty self-absorbed. We just might be a match made in heaven.”

  Daphne just shook her head.

  “Come on, please, tell me how to meet my own Dr. Dreamy.”

  “Just a minute.” Daphne went into the house and dug through her purse until she found Tony’s business card. She walked back outside and handed the rumpled card to Sabrina. “Here. Go ahead and call him yourself. You’ll probably have to leave a message. Just tell him I gave you his number because I thought you two might like each other. See if he calls you back.”

  Sabrina hugged her. “Oh, thank you, Daphne. You are a true friend.”

  “Let’s see if you still feel that way after you have a date with him. That is, if you really decide to go through with this crazy plan. I do not recommend it.”

  After Sabrina left, Daphne felt a little concern for her neighbor. It almost seemed as if Sabrina was trying to imitate Daphne’s frenzied dating life. Because it wasn’t as if Sabrina needed to get married anytime soon. Why didn’t she just slow down a little and enjoy this era of her newfound freedom? Why was she in such a hurry? Maybe Daphne should remind her of this. Or maybe Sabrina would figure it out for herself. One date with Tony might help straighten her out!

  After lunch, Daphne turned on her computer and started pulling Dear Daphne letters onto the screen. Her goal was to get two more done before Monday. The first one was fairly easy to answer. It sounded like it was written by a young teen, which was good since the syndicate was trying to attract a younger market.

  Dear Daphne,

  Why does love have to hurt so much? I fell in love with “Brent” this summer and I thought he loved me too. But now he won’t even speak to me. I don’t know what I did wrong. I asked my best friend to talk to him and she said Brent just doesn’t like me anymore. But how could he have loved me a month ago and not like me now? And when will this pain go away?

  Aching in Amarillo

  Dear Aching,

  I’m not sure there’s a good answer for why love hurts so much. But it’s partly because we open our hearts and make ourselves vulnerable when we’re in love. That makes it easier to get hurt. And sometimes that happens. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid this kind of pain is to never fall in love again. But that’s not much fun. What I can tell you is that it really does get better with time. Also you are not alone. Almost everyone on the planet has been hurt by love at some point in time. So welcome to the club! And don’t forget the old saying—“It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

  Daphne

  Daphne chuckled as she saved that one. The girl sounded so downhearted and discouraged, but Daphne would wager that by the time the letter made it into print, probably just as the new school year started, Aching would be off falling in love with another boy.

  She skimmed and read through about a dozen letters before she found one that caught her eye.

  Dear Daphne,

  I’ve known “Tom” for about six years. We’ve dated off and on during the whole time, but he is usually the one who breaks up first. I always promise myself I won’t go back with him after a painful breakup. But last spring I started seeing him again. My friends think I’m a complete fool. But I still believe he is the one for me, and I can imagine us being happily married. So much so that I recently started hinting about weddings. The problem is, Tom shows absolutely no interest in marriage. Am I nuts for staying with him?

  Crazy in Costa Mesa

  Dear Crazy,

  I’m curious as to why you always break the promise you make to yourself—never to go back with Tom. I assume you wouldn’t make that promise unless you were really hurting at the time. Do you forget the pain during the intervals of being apart from Tom? Even if you believe Tom is the one for you, it seems obvious he doesn’t share these sentiments. So if your goal is marriage, you seem to be barking up the wrong tree. And unless you get some kind of masochistic pleasure from being hurt every time he breaks up, I suggest you start keeping that promise to yourself. The next time he breaks your heart—and I suspect it won’t be long—love yourself enough to leave Tom for good. And maybe—if you’re not too distracted to see it—the real Mr. Right might be around the next corner.

  Daphne

  Daphne made some quick edits, then sent the files off to her syndication editor. Satisfied, she leaned back in her chair and stretched her shoulders. Done. At least until next week anyway. Her confidence in writing the advice column had increased these past few weeks. It probably had to do with no longer funneling them through Jake. It was as if she was standing on her own two feet now. Well, she might still be wearing Aunt Dee’s shoes, but at least she didn’t need Jake’s approval anymore. If she wasn’t feeling so irked at him about Dr. Tony, she might be tempted to drop him a casual e-mail to thank him for forcing herself to take those new steps. And okay, if they were really friends like he kept saying—why not?

  She opened her e-mail again and started writing him a note.

  Hi, Jake.

  I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for your help with the Dear Daphne column. Initially you were just what I needed to help build my confidence as I stretched my wings. And I’m a little embarrassed to remember how I fought back when you told me I was ready to fly solo. Turns out you were right, and I just felt I should let you know. I want to say a sincere thank-you.

  However, you are not right about everything, counselor! And I do not wish to express even the tiniest grain of gratitude for how you set me up with Dr. Tony. That was a complete fiasco. Perhaps Tony told you all about it during your golf game this morning. So much for your matchmaking skills!

  Your Friend,

  Daphne

  She let out a big sigh as she hit Send. Hopefully he would take the hint and stay out of her love life. Not that she had a love life at the moment. But she hoped he would take the hint and butt out. She shut down her computer, got a glass of iced tea, and went outside for some fresh air. Lucy and Ethel followed her out and Daphne eventually wandered back to the garden to cut some herbs. Temperatures had been dropping slightly, and afternoons were no longer as scorching as they’d been a couple weeks ago. And the plants in the garden seemed to be relishing this weather. In fact, she couldn’t imagine how it could look any prettier.

  With a basket filled with basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano, she sat on the garden bench and just soaked in the beauty. If anyone had told her—last summer when she was still living in the sweltering city—that she would be sitting here in Appleton, in a quiet and peaceful garden perfectly content, she would not have believed her. And yet . . . here she was.

  She inhaled the fragrance of the aromatic herbs. Heavenly. She loved this place—this garden, this house, this town. But did she love it enough to marry purely for convenience? Besides, even if she ended up poor and struggling to get by, she could still grow a garden, couldn’t she? And if she had a garden, she would always feel rich. She leaned back into the bench, letting the sun wash over her face. Delightful.

  “Hello? Daphne, are you back here?”

  Sitting up straight, she knew that voice. “Jake?”

  “Oh, there you are.” He came into the garden with an uneasy expression. “Sorry to intrude on you like this. Do you mind?” Dressed casually in a white polo shirt and khakis, she could tell he’d probably just finished his golf game.

  She waved her hand to a chair. “Make yourself at home.” She sighed. “I was just enjoying how pretty it is back here.”

  He loo
ked around as he pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “It really is something. Aunt Dee would’ve loved it, don’t you think?”

  She nodded. “I think of that often. It means a lot that it was originally her plan to have this back here. I just wish she’d gotten to enjoy it.”

  “She would be happy just knowing how much you enjoy it.”

  “Yes, but I was just thinking . . . Even if I ultimately lose all this—the house, the car, the garden—well, I’ll still be just fine. And no matter how poor I am, I can still have a garden. Mick has helped me to learn about plants and soil and all that. So even on my own, I think I can do it. Not as grand as this one. But I can do something. I’m sure of it. And I even know how to preserve the food too. This has all been a good learning experience. No regrets.”

  “You make it sound as if it’s over. Are you giving up on finding Mr. Right?”

  She gave him an exasperated look. “After last night’s date . . . yeah, maybe so.”

  “I read your e-mail about Tony on my iPhone after we finished our golf. I tried calling the house and your cell, but you didn’t answer. And since I was already in town, I decided to stop by. I just felt like there was something you should know . . . about Tony.”

  She waved her hand. “There is nothing you can tell me about Dr. Tony that would change a thing, Jake. Even if you told me he’d just won the Nobel Prize or a billion dollars or anything. I would still have absolutely no interest in that man.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why on earth did you set me up with him in the first place?”

  He shrugged. “Sorry about that. Sounds like you had a really horrible time. What went wrong?”

  “You mean besides the fact that he talks too much, never listens, is in love with himself—and in his own words, married to his job? Well, other than that he was delightful. We had a perfectly lovely time.”

  Jake grinned. “And speaking of lovely, what I wanted to tell you is that Tony thinks you are lovely.”

  “What?” She was flabbergasted.

  “Tony talked about you a lot while we golfed. Went on about how pretty you are, how intelligent—”

  “How would he possibly know about my intelligence when I hardly got a word in edgewise? Maybe he meant I was smart enough to know when to keep my mouth shut. And that was continually.”

  Jake laughed. “Maybe he assumed you’re smart because you’re a writer.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m surprised he could even remember that.”

  “Honestly, it sounds like you and Tony went on two completely different dates. He had a great time and you sound like you were being tortured.”

  “Of course he had a great time.” It felt rather good to express herself like this. Almost made up for the wasted evening. “He got to choose where we ate, he got to control the entire conversation, he remained focused completely on himself. Meanwhile I simply listened, or pretended to, while I bided my time and tried not to start planning my revenge on you for setting the whole thing up.”

  “If you didn’t like him, why did you go out with him? I mean, you did meet at the hospital for coffee, didn’t you?”

  “Sure, we met. And he seemed okay, but looking back I realize he was pretty self-absorbed even then. But I probably excused it because we were on his turf. It seemed natural that he was distracted with his place of work. However, a red flag did go up in regard to his manners. Rather his lack of manners.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Call me old-fashioned, but I like it when a gentleman stands to greet a lady—especially when meeting her for the first time. And I like it when a fellow opens the car door for me. Sure, I can do it myself. But that’s just the way I was raised. My dad taught me to have higher expectations.”

  Jake nodded. “I have to agree with you on those things too. Maybe I’m old-fashioned. I had no idea Tony was such a Neanderthal.”

  She chuckled. “Well, that’s a little extreme.”

  “Anyway, I’m sorry.”

  “I forgive you. But now what do I do about Tony? I can’t believe he’d still be interested in me. I was pretty chilly at the end of the date last night. I never expected to hear from him again.”

  “He’s planning on calling you.”

  She cringed. “Why? Why would he do that?”

  “Because he’s attracted to you. He said you’re the first woman who’s really interested him since his wife left.”

  “That’s sweet, but honestly, it’s probably only because I kept my mouth closed so much. I was way too tolerant of his bad manners. If I’d really expressed how I was feeling, he would have no interest in seeing me again. I assure you.”

  “Unless he likes a girl who plays hard to get.”

  “Well, I am hard to get. At least when it comes to Dr. Tony.” She pointed at Jake. “And since you got me into this mess, I think the honorable thing to do would be to get me out of it.”

  “You want me to talk to him?”

  She nodded eagerly. “I think you owe me that.”

  Jake looked uneasy.

  “Come on, just let him down nicely. You can do it.”

  He groaned as he slowly stood. “I wish I’d known about how you felt before our golf game. It would’ve been a whole lot easier if I had. As it is, I feel like I may have encouraged him.”

  “Encouraged him?”

  “Well, he was singing your praises . . . What did you expect me to do? Disagree? What kind of a friend do you think I am?”

  “Oh, Jake.” She shook her head. “With a friend like you who needs—”

  “I know, I know.” He held up his hands. “I’ll go do damage control now. I guess I deserve this.”

  She wanted to ask him why he’d ever stuck his foot into her life in the first place. Of course, she wanted to ask him a whole lot of other things too. Questions that she would never allow past her lips. But why couldn’t he have just left well enough alone? And why couldn’t he leave her alone too?

  Chapter 15

  For the next several weeks, Daphne went underground. At least that’s what she told herself as she put all her energy into working on her novel, as well as getting ahead on the advice column. Naturally, Sabrina couldn’t understand why Daphne was staying holed up in the house like that, but Daphne felt it was the best way to regain her personal peace as well as to keep the men in her life at arm’s length. To accomplish this, she would speak plainly to her well-meaning neighbor.

  “Please, don’t take this wrong,” she’d told Sabrina a couple weeks ago. “But I am taking a break from men and dating—and that means I don’t want to talk about it either. I’m happy to visit with you over coffee and whatever, but if you start in on me about some eligible bachelor, or if you attempt to play cupid, I will send you packing.”

  Sabrina’s eyes had grown wide. “That sounds serious.”

  “You got that right. I’m dead serious. I plan to get my head back into my suspense novel. Without distractions. That means I’ll be keeping all men at a safe distance for a while.”

  Not that any men were calling these days. Not even Tony. Fortunately Jake had been able to persuade the good doctor that Daphne had absolutely no interest in getting “better acquainted.” And to Sabrina’s dismay, Tony had balked at being pursued by her as well. In Daphne’s mind that was a win-win situation for everyone.

  The only time Daphne went out was to spend time in the garden, visit with a neighbor, or make a quick trip to the grocery store. And this solitary life suited her just fine—or so she was telling herself. “I think I would make a really good hermit,” she confessed to Sabrina as they sat at her kitchen table. Because it was cool and damp outside, they had moved their coffee chat indoors today.

  “No, you wouldn’t. A hermit lives all alone, never speaking to anyone. You wouldn’t last a week living like that.” She giggled. “And I wouldn’t last a day.”


  “You wouldn’t last an hour.”

  “That depends on whether I could send and receive texts.” Sabrina pointed out the kitchen window. “Hey, speaking of hermits, there goes Wally. Do you think he’s on his way to see Maria?”

  “I’m certain of it. I’ve observed them walking together quite a bit lately. And Wally has looked exceptionally happy.”

  “So he’s given up being a curmudgeon after all.” Sabrina let out a happy sigh. “I’m glad someone has discovered that it’s not good to be alone.”

  “I’m not saying I want to be completely alone.” Daphne paused to check on the zucchini muffins baking in the oven. Her cousin Jocelyn, Mattie’s mom, had given her the recipe. “I’m just saying I enjoy a slower, more peaceful sort of life.”

  “Meaning a life without a man in it?”

  Daphne scowled at her neighbor. Sabrina was well aware that this topic was not welcome in this house. “Have you forgotten my new house rules?”

  “Sorry. But I can’t help but wonder what will happen to you. And the truth is, I worry about you. In fact I worry about me too.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want to wake up next summer, look across the street, and see a perfect stranger living in your house.” Sabrina looked truly sad. “I just don’t know what I’d do if you had to move away, Daphne.”

  “Oh, you’d be all right. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if you were remarried by then anyway.”

  “Ha! At the rate I’m going, I’ll probably be an old maid for the rest of my days.”

  Daphne laughed. “I don’t think you can be an old maid if you’ve already been married.”

  “Fine then, I’ll just be a pathetic, old divorcée who lives with her dog.”

  Daphne refilled their coffee cups. “You know sometimes I get a little mad at Aunt Dee for doing this to me. Why couldn’t she have just left me her estate without all these conditions?”

  “Because she loved you. She wanted you to have the happily-ever-after life she felt she’d missed out on.”