CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Taking a deep breath, Didi jumped in with both feet. “Hi Jake. This is Didi.” She propped herself up with a pillow on the bed and jerked a throw over her knees.

In a heartbeat, a deep male voice came over the line. “Hey, Didi. Thanks for calling back. I wasn’t sure if you’d remember me.”

“Of course I remember you, Jake. You brought me hot chocolate, and you complimented my cat. How could a girl forget that?”

A few seconds of quiet followed. The momentary pause wasn’t awkward, and Didi found his hesitant manner charming. Was he as nervous as she was? She twirled her hair and waited for him to collect himself. He might be Mr. Thoughtful, but thankfully, Mr. Smooth he wasn’t.

“Chocolate lovers have to stick together.” He chuckled softly as he continued. “It was great meeting you, and if you’re not busy already, uh, would you like to go to dinner with me on Friday night?” He hesitated again, and Didi envisioned wheels whirring in his brain. “If you’re not comfortable with that, we could do lunch or get a cup of coffee, or I could always meet you…”

Putting the poor boy out of his misery, Didi broke in. “I’d love to go out to dinner with you, Jake. Sounds like fun. I’m not sure how far apart we are, though. I live in a country town called Airy Ridge. Do you know where that is?”

“Sure do. I live maybe ten miles away in Pleasant Hills, but don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of it. At last count, only fifty-five people, three chickens, and a Siamese cat live here.”

Didi laughed, and Jake continued, sounding encouraged. “And I have to confess something to you. I got your number from my Aunt Alice. After talking with you, I realized you both go to the same church. You know Alice Smythe, right? She’s seventy-eight, not quite five feet tall, a real sweetheart, and I understand that even people who aren’t related to her call her ‘Aunt Alice.’”

Well, that answered a nagging question. He was Aunt Alice’s nephew? She gave him extra points for having exceptional relatives. “Everyone knows Aunt Alice. She’s virtually an institution at church. And you’re right. Your aunt is the dearest person on the planet.”

Chitchat was getting easier now, and Didi loosened up. They discussed his marvelous aunt, her super-delicious molasses cookies, and memorable moments from the youth rally. They’d both had a fine time and planned to help at a follow-up rally in the fall. Didi gave Jake her address, and they exchanged cell phone numbers as they made plans for him to pick her up at her house at seven on Friday night.

“How should I dress?” As they chatted, she opened her closet and assessed her wardrobe. She hadn’t dressed for a first date in a long time. Wouldn’t this be a fine excuse to buy a new outfit?

“I was thinking casual. Do you like Italian? There’s a first-rate place near Airy Ridge called Ramino’s. The ambiance isn’t fancy, but it’s got great food.”

“Who doesn’t like Italian? Ramino’s is one of my favorite restaurants.” Didi had been there many times. It was the perfect choice. The place was cozy and informal, with appealing Tiffany-style lamps over each booth, dark forest green carpet, muted romantic music, and low lighting. She would have been pleased with most anywhere as long as it wasn’t Chez Monte Carlo. A brief flash of her disastrous last date with Kevin at the pricey French bistro flitted through her mind. She pushed the memory aside.

Didi glanced at her bedside clock. They’d been on the phone for half an hour. She could tell Jake was on the quiet side, but he could be quite talkative once she got him going. He had a quirky sense of humor and a dry wit. As they conversed, she imagined him sitting in a snug house in the woods somewhere. Perhaps he lounged in a leather recliner with his feet up. Maybe he was dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt, his wavy hair romantically tousled.

As the conversation neared a natural ending, Didi tussled with whether or not to bring up Kevin. On the one hand, she didn’t want Jake to think he was the “rebound guy” when he heard about her failed wedding plans. Would he think she was pathetic, or needy, or afraid to be alone? Would he wonder if she were damaged goods? If she brought up her disastrous engagement, she might blow her chance with him before she’d even gone out with the man.

On the other hand, if she didn’t tell him now, what if they ran into a friend on their date who asked, “So, where’s Kevin tonight?” Worse, what if someone saw her with Jake and questioned if she were two-timing Kevin? If the situation were reversed, wouldn’t she want to know the whole truth?

She’d want to know. Opting for honesty, and before she had a chance to change her mind, Didi dove headfirst into the deep end.

“Jake? I should tell you something before we meet. You seem like a great person, and I’d love to go out with you. And maybe I’m shooting myself in the foot by telling you this, but it’s important you know something right off the bat.” She took a breath and paused, fearing the validity of the next sentence. “It might affect whether you want to go out or not.”

Jake sucked in a breath, and a tense hush vibrated over the line. Was he bracing himself for what was coming next? She didn’t blame him. What man wanted to hear “there’s something I need to tell you?”

“Whatever it is, Didi, don’t hold back. I can’t imagine it’s as bad as you think. I mean, you’re not an international spy or something, are you?” His chuckle held a trace of anxiety.

Smiling faintly, she steeled herself. “I’ve given up the spy business, but you know, it’s interesting you happened to call today. I couldn’t have said yes if you’d called three days ago. Until Friday night, I was engaged. It’s over between us—really and truly over. We’re not getting back together. But I know this could be a huge, flashing red light for anyone who might want to take me out in the near future.” Didi gulped and waited for a reply.

There was a long pause. “You weren’t kidding, were you, when you said it was important? I wasn’t expecting anything quite like that.”

“If you want to cancel, I’ll understand. But if you don’t, I’d still love to go out with you on Friday.”

After a few seconds, Jake cleared his throat as if he were struggling with what to say next.

“What is it, Jake? Please, tell me what you’re thinking.”

With some difficulty, he blurted out, “Well, since we’re being completely truthful here, I should tell you about something that happened in my life. I was engaged until fourteen months ago, when my fiancée died in a car crash. Two days ago—and I do mean two days—I decided it was high time to date again. You want flashing red lights? We both seem to have sirens going off.”

Talk about bombshells. Jake’s fiancée had died? A wave of compassion flowed over her. This dear man must have gone through a mountain of grief and pain. That explained the sort of weightiness she’d sensed here and there when talking to him. And it clarified why he seemed older than his years.

“Jake, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. How terrible for you. How very, very awful.” She wanted to reach through the phone and wrap her arms around him. How funny that this much emotion welled up inside her for a man she hardly knew.

To Didi’s complete surprise, Jake laughed quietly. It was a deep, pleasing sound that made her heart skip a beat.

“Didi? Strange as this might seem, today both you and I appear to be free, and we’re ready to leave the past where it belongs. I’m on the road to a full recovery, and life’s better than it’s been in a long time. I’m ready to date again. I know I should say I’m sorry to hear about your breakup, but, frankly, I’m not. I have a feeling your ex-fiancé is an idiot.”

“You got that right.” Didi’s heart lifted when he laughed. Kevin was an idiot.

“To start, why don’t we go out to dinner and get to know each other better?”

“Sounds good.” With the pressure of the past few difficult minutes over, Didi dared to breathe again. “I’ll see you on Friday, then?”

“Seven o’clock. I can’t wait.”

Light-headed, Didi set the phone down.

What in the world had she just done?

* * *

Jake placed the portable phone back in its cradle. He tilted back in his red leather chair and hoisted his feet up on the matching hassock. The call had gone well despite his initial apprehension. He raked a hand through his unruly hair. A haircut was long overdue. He’d make sure he was at his best by this weekend. He hadn’t cared much about his appearance in ages.

As he sat there, it occurred to him he should call Drew and tell him he had a date on Friday. Well…maybe not. He wasn’t in the mood for Drew’s gloating, although his friend would be genuinely pleased for him. It had been a long time since he’d been pleased with himself. Drew and Donna might have given him the nudge, but Didi was all Jake’s idea—or maybe God’s. Perhaps he’d call Drew tomorrow.

Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, Jake entered Didi’s numbers into the directory. He had a sudden urge to text her to see if it worked. Was there anything more pathetic than that awkward, too-soon text? He’d just gotten off the phone with her, for crying out loud. Friday was only a few days away. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and avoided the temptation to make a fool of himself.

Where had his cat landed? He bounded up the stairs two at a time to the second floor. Apparently, talking to Didi had put that proverbial spring back in his step.

Queen Lucy lay fast asleep on his pillow. With her striking ginger colored ears, face, and tail, not to mention her always engaging antics, she’d been named for comedian Lucille Ball. Scooping her up, he held her captive high overhead. The cat was not amused. Glaring down at him, she emitted a loud, low-pitched yowl as only a Siamese could. He beamed at her as she grumbled and fumed, then placed her back down on the bed with gentle hands.

“Treat?” he whispered softly.

In a flash, Lucy’s sulky demeanor changed completely. Sitting up on her haunches, she all but batted her eyelashes at him. Withdrawing a salmon-flavored Pounce from a drawer in the nightstand, he made her stretch to reach it. All dignity abandoned, Lucy dispatched the delicacy in one quick gulp and begged for more. She always got two treats. Although Jake would never admit it to anyone, they had their nightly routine down pat.

Slinging the purring Siamese over his shoulder, he sauntered back downstairs to his easy chair. He had a date on Friday night, and he couldn’t stop smiling.