CHAPTER TWENTY

Jake grabbed his phone and thumbed to Lori’s number. The phone rang twice. “Are you busy?”

Lori huffed. “Well, no I’m not, and thanks for the reminder of just how unpopular I am.”

“What happened to Evan?”

“We’re on a break. As a third-year med student, when he had to choose between sleep, food, or me, I always came in dead last. No big deal. But enough about him. What did you have in mind?”

“Maybe a rousing game of tennis? It’s been a while since we’ve played.” Jake stared out the window. A fearless doe crossed his yard in broad daylight and nibbled on some leaves. The day was too nice to stay inside. Even the deer, minus the antelope, were playing.

“Sounds like fun, but I’m going to need some coffee before we play. Mind if we stop at Higher Ground on the way?”

“No problem. I could use some caffeine.”

“Great. I want to try one of Donna’s lemon poppy seed muffins. I talked to her earlier in the week, and it’s official. She’ll be making all of the baked goods for the coffee bar.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Donna and Drew could use the money. But poppy seed muffins? Sounds like girl food. I’ll stick with blueberry, or better yet, chocolate chip. Do you want me to pick you up?”

“Sure. Could you give me half an hour? How’s eleven thirty?”

“Eleven thirty it is.”

As Jake hung up the phone, Lucy meandered into the living room, yawning from a nap. “Gee, did my phone call disturb your beauty sleep?” Jake hefted the slender cat and carried her to the window. “Look. Deer. Isn’t that exciting? Cat TV.” Jake placed her paws on the windowsill and pointed to the show. Lucy scowled, flew down, flicked her tail, and licked her untidy fur.

“All right. Be that way, but you don’t know what you’re missing.” Jake ran upstairs to change into his tennis gear. He hadn’t played in months, and he missed it. Did Didi play tennis? If she didn’t, she might want to learn.

He’d slipped into the early service at church that morning and slipped out after the benediction. The sermon was good and the people were friendly, but he wasn’t ready to commit to anything yet. While he liked the welcoming smiles and he and God were back on speaking terms, Jake wasn’t certain what to do with his newfound faith. He’d take it one week at a time.

Wandering around the house at loose ends, he was glad he’d called Lori. An afternoon with his sister was the perfect idea. A woman’s point of view concerning his date with Didi would be a big help, and Lori was always a good sounding board. She might be five years younger, but she’d had more dating experience than he had.

Since Friday, Didi’s sweet smile and soft, hazel eyes had whizzed around his brain nonstop, but he was hesitant to ask her out again too soon. He was close to certain she’d had a good time despite his leaving her on her doorstep drenched in wine. But now what?

He had no idea what dating people did these days. Most of the boys he’d gone to college with had their own set of rules. His friends had refused to call a girl until at least three days after a date. It had something to do with not appearing too eager, but Jake had grown up since then. This morning, he’d checked several Internet dating sites—just to get a feel for the current conventions—but now he was more confused than ever. Conflicting opinions existed on dating etiquette, and many outspoken females had views quite different from those of his college buddies.

More than ready for some physical activity to help clear his mind, Jake dug out his keys and headed for the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucy alight on the windowsill, ears pointed toward a growing herd of deer. “See, I told you it was fun.”

She ignored him, swiveled her head away, and stared in the other direction. Lucy hated to be wrong.

* * *

After three quick sets, Lori called it quits. “For a man who hasn’t touched a racket in six months, you sure know how to send those balls streaking past me.”

“What? You think Maryland gave me a scholarship for nothing?”

“No, dear brother. Nor can I forget that you made the top one hundred list before you shattered your ankle.” Lori ruffled her damp red and white tennis shirt and shook her head. “What a terrible way to start your sophomore year.”

“Yep, it was a ghastly year, but at least I can say I made it all the way to number ninety-eight. I’m still rather proud of that.” Jake buffed his nails on his shirt and smirked at his sister.

With his ankle broken in several places and all dreams of becoming a tennis pro crushed, he’d lost his scholarship and switched his major to education. With money tight, he’d taken a full-time job. It had taken him five years to get through college. Because of a drunken tumble down a flight of stairs, his life had taken a completely different turn. The first time he’d ever tried tequila straight up had been his last.

As the two plodded off the tennis court, Lori placed a hand on his shoulder. “Okay, so why did you really want to see me? At 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, it wasn’t for my tennis ability. I only won a paltry three games, and you haven’t broken a sweat. If you’d wanted a real workout, you’d have called your buddy Brian. You guys used to play all the time.”

“I know. I should give him a call. Hey, you up for a hike?”

“No, I’m not up for a hike. You just creamed me, and I’m tired. Can’t we sit and have a conversation like two normal people? Do we have to exercise our derrières off every time you want to pick my brain?” Lori fisted her hands on her hips and angled her head.

Jake sighed. His sister knew him too well. “Okay, I guess we can do that. Why don’t I buy you a salad at Mickey D’s, and we’ll talk there? I’m way too grubby for a high-class restaurant.”

“Perfect. Then maybe you’ll tell me what’s on your mind.”

As they sat in the crowded fast-food joint, Jake told Lori how he’d met Didi and went over the highlights of his date on Friday night. As his story came to a close, Lori laughed over the wine disaster. “She sounds like some girl. I like her already. So, what’s your problem?”

“I skipped the part about her breaking up with her fiancé last weekend,” Jake mumbled as he chomped on a fistful of French fries.

Lori whistled. “She what? Last weekend? You mean, like seven measly days ago? You did say fiancé, right?”

Jake laughed at his sister’s sour expression and sipped his coke. “Yep, and there’s my dilemma.”

“Okay.” Lori’s forehead furrowed. “Tell me everything you know. When, why, and how did they break up?”

Jake related everything he could call to mind, and Lori listened with rapt attention. “What do you say now? I know this may be crazy, but I really like her, and I want to see her again.”

“Okay, but playing devil’s advocate here, this girl can’t possibly be ready to date yet. She could go wacko on you. And what if you’re the rebound guy? You could get hurt.” Lori’s eyes narrowed, and she gave him the once-over. “I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, am I? Why is this girl so special you’d consider it?”

Jake chewed his Big Mac. How should he respond? “When she mentioned Kevin, her ex, sure I was leery, but I was also intrigued. Didi was so open and upfront. She told me about the breakup on the phone before we went out. Honesty has to count for something, right?”

“I’m sure it does, but there are lots of honest women out there who don’t have so much of a recent past.” Furrows wrinkled Lori’s forehead. “Why this girl?”

Jake paused and reached deep inside to find an answer to her question. “It’s not only a physical attraction, although the chemistry is definitely there. It’s more than that. There’s something warm, and kind, and beautiful about her. Even covered with wine, she kept a smile on her face. She told our waiter it wasn’t his fault and not to feel bad. When I left her at the door, she kissed me on the cheek. It was all I could do not to wrap my arms around her and hold her tight.”

“Aww. Why didn’t you?” Lori cupped her chin in her hand and didn’t take her eyes off her brother.

“Didn’t you hear the part about her being covered in wine?” Jake laughed at his own joke. “No, seriously, almost before I realized it, she was inside. It’s been less than two days, and I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“Hmmm.” Lori finished her salad and rocketed to her feet to throw out the plastic tray. “Hold that thought. I need ice cream. Want a sundae?”

“Sure. Extra chocolate fudge, no peanuts. Here’s two bucks.”

“Thanks, big spender.”

His sister jogged back with two sundaes, two spoons, and extra napkins. “You can’t stop thinking about her, and you want to go out with her again. What are you waiting for?”

Jake shrugged. “I’m not sure how to do this dating thing anymore. I don’t want to call too soon and scare her off.” That last part was surely true. When Didi had told him about Kevin, she’d seemed very vulnerable. He didn’t want to rush her and send her running for the hills. But he also sensed that deep inside of her dwelt a core of steel. That depth of character would serve her well, but if he moved too fast, she might raise a protective wall. “It’s not easy figuring out what you ladies are thinking.”

Lori flipped her spoonful of ice cream back in the cup with a plop. “Oh, my gosh. You can be such a guy. Would you like to know what women want?”

“What guy doesn’t want to know that? Yes, Lori. Since I’ve come to the expert for advice, tell me. What do women want?”

Lori took a deep breath and stage-whispered, “Women want men to call. Really. If you had a good time with Didi, call her.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” Jake rewarded his sister with a smile. “I’ll think it over.”

Lori wiped a speck of caramel from the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “Hey, bro, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“When you first met Victoria, you two seemed to get along well enough, but if truth be told, you weren’t head over heels about her.”

“No, I wasn’t. Not at first. But there was something sweet and defenseless about her, and the relationship grew. I enjoyed being with her. I thought she had potential and we’d be okay.” Jake scraped the last bit of chocolate from his sundae cup and sat back. He glanced at his sister, his shoulder muscles bunching. “I know you never were all that wild about her, but you didn’t know her like I did.”

“I was warming up to her. Really, I was. I just didn’t think she was your type. When you were with her, you never held hands or sat close. That’s not like you.”

“She was…well, distant sometimes, and she didn’t like public displays of affection.” Jake shifted in his chair and drummed his fingers on the table.

Lori leaned in and smiled. “What was it about Victoria that made you love her?”

“Lena, therapist extraordinaire, asked me that same question. We’ve talked quite a bit about Victoria, as you might have guessed. After I got to know her, I found out she didn’t have much dating experience. She wanted love, but she didn’t quite know how to go about it.”

“Uh-huh. And you, being the big, strong guy, you wanted to teach her the facts of life?”

Jake knocked his empty ice cream cup over and sucked in a deep, cleansing breath. “I suppose you could say that, although not in a physical way. Something about her made me want to protect her. There were days when she seemed so fragile. I guess I thought she needed me, and I went into rescue mode. I did love her, though, even if we did have some…difficulties.” Jake had never shared all of their troubles with anyone—even Lena.

Lori folded her arms and looked him straight in the eye. The big interrogation was coming. “Is that what you’re doing with Didi? Do you want her to need you, too?”

And there it was. The $64,000 question. He was pleased he had a ready answer, because he’d been mulling over that very possibility since yesterday. Her laughter still rang in his ears and brought a light to his eyes. “Good question, dear sister. Glad to see your psych degree isn’t going to waste.” His sister could be a know-it-all sometimes, but he loved her anyway.

“What can I say? I’m good.” Lori lifted her hands in mock modesty.

“Since I paid those thousands of dollars for a top-notch counselor, it has crossed my mind to wonder what I like about Didi. Despite the fact that she’s going to need a great deal of handholding and time to sort through her emotions, she’s fun to be with and has a light-hearted approach to life. She’s smart, she’s funny, and best of all, she makes me smile. She’s not like Victoria at all.”

“She does sound like a sweetie.” Lori grinned wide and poked her brother in the arm.

Jake wavered, but he confided in his sister. “Yep. That makes me want to make her smile. I think I’m the one that might need her. It’s been too long since I laughed and recognized the joy in life. Do you want to know what Lena told me about first dates?”

“Sure. What did she say?”

“The purpose of a first date is to see if you want to go on a second date.” Jake steepled his fingers and nodded his head sagely.

“And let me guess. The purpose of a second date is to see if you want to go on a third?” Lori snickered. “You clearly want to ask Didi out again, and it sounds like she might be good for you. Call her. I’ll wait.”

“Now? With you sitting here? You’re kidding.” There were limits to how much he was going to share with Lori.

“No time like the present.” Lori tossed their accumulated trash in the nearby can.

“Why don’t I take you home and call her later? I have two slices of tiramisu we got from the restaurant. She left hers in my SUV. How’s that for a lame excuse to get together?”

“Works for me, but I’m sure you can think of something better than that.”

As they left the restaurant, a plan formed in Jake’s mind. After he dropped Lori off, he swung around the corner and reached for his phone.

Screwing up his courage, Jake went over what he was going to say as he dialed Didi’s cell. His heart raced like a frightened cheetah’s in a full sprint when she answered after the second ring.

“Hello. Didi here.”

“Hi, Didi. It’s Jake. I know it’s not much notice, but are you free this evening?”