21. Wanted Some Reassurance
WANTED SOME REASSURANCE
“ A re you working late to close up for the weekend or hoping to catch sight of your woman?” Poppy asked Abe on Friday afternoon.
The crew had cleaned up and taken off, but he was walking around to make sure there wasn’t anything dangerous lying on the ground.
He wasn’t in a rush to go home because he was just driving down the road to shower and have dinner with Daphne.
Since she was working tomorrow while Poppy and Reese were at a wedding, he knew they wouldn’t see each other.
“Checking out the grounds,” he said, grinning. “Then going to see Daphne. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is,” Poppy said. “I’ve known you most of my life. I even put a good word in for you.”
“Well, putting in a good word for me and having me spend time on your property outside of work are two different things.”
Not that he thought it was an issue, but for his own peace of mind he wanted it cleared up.
He knew Daphne had brought it up and was nervous, but he wanted it known that he cleared it too.
It was still Reese’s property and he’d honor what they’d say.
“It’s not like you are billing me for time with her,” Poppy said, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Don’t listen to my wife,” Reese said. “She’s jerking you around like she is known to do. Besides, our contract isn’t by hours; it’s by completed work. If it takes you ten hours or ten thousand hours, it’s the same price.”
He laughed. “Yes, it is,” he said. “But no way it’s taking ten thousand hours regardless of how much I’d like to stay around to see Daphne.”
“Isn’t that the sweetest thing ever?” Poppy asked, elbowing her husband. “How come you never say things like that to me?”
“Because I’m too busy cooking dinner for you,” Reese said. “But I can say nice things and you can cook if you want.”
“Dinner is always better over words,” he said.
Poppy rolled her eyes. “For a man. A woman likes the words.”
“We are going,” Reese said, playfully pulling his wife’s arm back into the house. “Abe can figure out his dating life on his own.”
“Flowers are nice too,” Poppy shouted before Reese shut the door.
He’d never been a romantic guy. Maybe he should do those things.
It’d been something women he’d dated in the past used to complain about.
His mother never did. Not that he could remember.
She always said actions meant more than words and props didn’t mean shit.
Flowers could be considered a prop in some people’s eyes.
Definitely in his.
Then why was he walking around looking at the ground for tools and other things that might have been left out thinking about if he had anything to give Daphne when he drove around the bend to see her?
He didn’t and going into town would be stupid when she knew he’d be there soon.
He walked back to his truck and made sure the doors to the equipment were locked. He had the keys with him to all the pieces left on the grounds out of the way.
After he got in his truck, he turned it on, hit the AC, and decided to call his mother.
He hadn’t told her about Daphne yet and maybe he wanted some reassurance that he wasn’t going to mess up a good thing.
Didn’t she tell him not to do that?
He hit the button and called his mother on speaker.
“Abe,” his mother said. “Why are you calling me on a Friday after work? You should be out trying to find someone, not talking to your mother.”
He laughed. “Maybe I found someone and wanted to talk to my mother about it.”
“What?” his mother asked, laughing. “You’re joking, right? You always joke about these things.”
“I’m not joking,” he said. “That’s why I’m calling. I’m on my way to see her now.”
“You’re serious?” his mother asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Tell me all about her before you get there. How much time do I have?”
“I’m two minutes away, if that,” he said.
“Abe! That’s the biggest tease there is. Why would you do that to me?”
He laughed. “I’m not even driving. I met her on the McGill Estate where I am right now. She’s their nanny and lives in the cabin at the back of the property. I’m going over there when I’m done talking to you.”
“Okay,” his mother said. “So you just got done working and are going straight to see her? What’s her name?”
“Daphne Allen. And yes, I am. Why?”
“Because you’ve never done that that I’m aware of. You always go home and shower for twenty minutes first.”
“I’m going to shower at her place,” he said.
“Make sure you clean it afterward,” his mother said sternly. “It’s the same as when you’re home.”
He rolled his eyes. “I will.”
His mother taught him to spray Clorox cleaner in the shower when he was done after work. This way it stopped grime from building up before he could scrub it down over the weekend.
“And since you’re showering at her place, that means it’s been going on for a while?”
No way he was telling his mother the same as he told Easton.
“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.
“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 think she feels?”
“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.”
She opened the door. “You don’t need to do that,” she said.
“Yes, I do,” he said. “It’s my mess. I’m not as neat as you, but I won’t leave a trail of dirt places either. It will only take a minute.”
She seemed to hesitate and then went to the hall and came back with a bottle of cleaner. “If you’re sure.”
“Positive. I don’t need a woman to clean up after me.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you for that.”
It was the soft way that she said it that told him his mother was right—find the thing that means the most—and the chaos in Daphne’s life was something she needed to break free of.