bears.”
Daria inspected the stuffed animals, but he could tell she was only being polite. Soon they were on to the next store and, by the time she finally found a little dollhouse for Natalie, he was beyond famished. Fortunately one didn’t have to wait long for a table at four o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.
They sat across from each other in a cozy booth at the Olive Garden. She sipped her coffee and picked at her salad. He wolfed down his salad and half a basket of breadsticks before he said, “What’s taking them so long to bring my lasagna?”
Daria laughed at him. “I guess I should have warned you that shopping with me is not a lunch-at-noon kind of event.”
“So I’ve discovered,” he mumbled over a hot bite of bread.
Finally, the empty spot in his belly satisfied, he leaned back in his chair, watching her. She looked especially beautiful today, her face flushed with excitement and the effects of the biting autumn air. He didn’t deserve to be so blessed. Immediately a shadow fell over his thoughts, reminding him that he had promised himself that today he would tell Daria the rest of the story about Bridgette. He’d waited too long already.
As though she’d read his thoughts, she looked up. “What are you looking so serious about, Cole. Is everything all right?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just sitting here thinking how beautiful you are.” That part, at least, was true. “But—”
“Oh, Cole,” she interrupted, blushing at his compliment. “You’re so sweet. Thank you.” Her pleased smile faded. “I’m sorry. I interrupted you. What were you going to say?”
“Just that there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
She leaned forward and put her elbows on the table, her eyes intent on him. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“No, not here,” he said, looking around the restaurant.
A troubled look crossed her face, and he felt terrible for having caused it. “It’s nothing to worry about, Daria,” he told her. “I just don’t want to talk here.”
Now curiosity sparked in her eyes, and she looked eager, as though she assumed that what he had to tell her was a surprise for her. He was completely blowing this.
Their server appeared at the table with his food just then. He didn’t think he’d ever been so happy to be interrupted by a waiter.
Later, when they got out to the parking lot, a fine sleet was coming down. At the first stop sign on Rock Road, he realized that the roads were quickly becoming slick. It was already beginning to get dark, and Cole maneuvered the car carefully through traffic, worrying about what condition the interstate would be in by the time they got there. The highway wasn’t quite as bad as he’d feared, but they drove in silence, Daria clutching the dashboard and nervously watching traffic for him.
When they arrived back in Bristol, she had either forgotten that he’d wanted to talk to her or had decided that this was not a good time to try to have a conversation. Either way, he felt he’d been given a reprieve. Once again he pushed the nagging thoughts to the back of his mind. At least he’d tried to talk with her. Maybe his timing hadn’t been the best anyway. Why spoil a day of Christmas shopping with something that was ancient history. Yes, Daria needed to know everything about him, but it didn’t have to be today.
Daria sifted through the stack of mail strewn across the tiny table in the dining area. She heaved some catalogs and fliers toward the trash can in the kitchen. Preoccupied and smiling to herself, she tried to sort the bills and other mail that needed to be dealt with further.
Oh, she thought, I’ve got to remember to call Mom and see if she can baby-sit tomorrow night. She and Cole had tickets to the symphony, and Jennifer had backed out at the last minute. Her coworker and favorite baby-sitter had started dating the star of the basketball team, and the Bearcats had made it to the playoffs of a big tournament. Daria could hardly blame Jennifer for canceling. Love should win out over a baby-sitting job any day.
Her smile grew as she thought of Cole. Their friendship had blossomed into something so deep and so precious that it almost scared her.
She pushed the mail aside and let out a sigh of satisfaction as she picked up the phone to call her mother.
“Mom? Hi, it’s me.”
She could hear the familiar whir of her