Grams started to open her mouth but Daphne’s phone buzzed with a text message. She glanced down and noticed that it was from Anna.
“Lunch at Patty’s at 12:30?”
Daphne quickly responded with a “yes”. She hadn’t been to Patty’s in a long time and she was curious to see how the diner was doing. The owner, Lois, had given her the first job she'd ever had and it would be good to see how she was doing. But she had a lot to get done before then, even if it was only 8 a.m.
"I'm sorry Grams. Do you mind if we catch up later? Anna just texted me about lunch and I have a bunch of errands to run today. Maybe we can do dinner or something?" Daphne felt a twinge of guilt, but Grams must have seen it and waved it away.
"Magnolia, you are not here to cater to me and I am fully aware of that. Go, have fun with Anna, and take care of whatever you need to. You are staying here so I know I'll be seeing you around. We can finish our discussion later." After wiping her hands dry on a paper towel, she patted Daphne's cheek.
Daphne gave Grams a kiss on the cheek and a soft smile before she headed up stairs to change for a quick run.
When she walked into her room she shook her head. She still couldn’t believe that it had stayed the same after all of these years. The walls were still painted the same lavender color and the bed was still made up with the same sheet set that she had picked out when she was fifteen. Shaking her head again, she gathered some clothes from her suitcase before changing and then jogging back down the stairs.
She waved at Grams who had now picked up her sewing in the living room, and then she headed out the front door. She paused for a moment on the front porch to stretch before she headed down the stairs and started jogging down the driveway.
Her Grams only had a few neighbors, each having between ten and thirty acres. A dirt road ran through the middle of the 5 properties that led back out to the highway. The ‘neighborhood’ was about a 15 minute drive from town.
Instead of heading toward the main road, which was pavement, she turned right onto the dirt road. It was well–maintained and flat so it was easy to run on. Daphne concentrated on her breathing and her pace just like her trainer had taught her. Her heart beat increased and she could feel her blood pumping as her muscles stretched and strained. She hadn’t run in a few days and she felt guilty about it. She knew she needed to stick to her routine. She hated running but she loved how it made her feel.
About a mile up the road, she noticed a house being built where she remembered an old white farm house being. She had heard from Grams that one of the neighbors had died, but she wasn't really sure whose house it had been so she wasn't sure who had passed. Apparently, someone had purchased the property though, it had a sold sign in the front lawn and it was clearly being remodeled.
The house was mostly up but around the second floor the outside paneling wasn’t quite finished. It looked like a cross between an old Victorian and a country home with a wraparound porch. It was mostly white, but since it wasn't done she couldn't be sure what it would look like when it was finished. There were a lot of windows and she could only imagine the amount of natural light that would be in the house. The roof was steep and black with lots of angles. There was a large oak tree in the front yard and Daphne felt a breeze rush past her and goose bumps rise on her flesh. She stopped to admire it for a moment. It would be a gorgeous home once it was done.
Daphne heard the rumble of an engine sound behind her and she stepped out of the way to let it pass. It was a black Chevy truck that looked new. She couldn’t see inside but she was curious. The truck sped passed her, and then pulled into the driveway in front of the new house. She checked her watch, and although she would need to meet Anna soon, her curiosity was piqued. So she jogged up the driveway.
She stopped dead in her tracks when a pair of long, lean male legs slid out of the driver side. His legs were encased in a pair of worn, pale denim that had a rip in the knee and looked like they would be butter against his skin. When he turned to grab something from inside his truck she was given the view of a butt so fine it should be illegal. As her gaze traveled up the strangers back, she got a look at the muscles there as they moved underneath a thin black t-shirt. Daphne’s mouth was watering by the time he turned around. And then all moisture left her mouth in an instant.
Trent smiled like the cat who ate the damn canary. “Hello, Daphne.” It felt like she had followed him up to the house, and walked right into a damn trap.
“Trent.” She could barely breathe let alone speak through her clenched teeth. This man always caused that sort of reaction in her, especially back in high school. All it took was one sentence and she turned into a babbling idiot.