{"id":1001,"date":"2019-02-08T13:01:16","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T18:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.whitefire-publishing.com\/?p=1001"},"modified":"2019-10-29T07:57:45","modified_gmt":"2019-10-29T11:57:45","slug":"a-will-a-way-and-a-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/a-will-a-way-and-a-wedding\/","title":{"rendered":"A Will, a Way, and a Wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A Will, a Way, and a Wedding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

by Melody Carlson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Daphne begins making reluctant plans to let Aunt Dee\u2019s house and life go and pick up the pieces of her fractured life, the guy she\u2019s been dreaming about begins to change his tune. Of course, another huge obstacle pops up at about the same time, threatening to ruin what might finally be true love. Meanwhile, she continues writing the advice column, learning more about love and commitment than she ever thought possible. But will she cinch the deal in time?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Chapter 1<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

On the morning of her thirty-fifth birthday, Daphne\nBallinger found herself staring into the bathroom mirror with a mixture of\nfascination and deep anxiety. Searching her face for any trace of wrinkles, she\nvaguely wondered if she was about to be attacked by a terrorist. Oh, she knew\nthat she was being melodramatic, not to mention ridiculous, but that silly\nquote about a single thirty-five-year-old woman\u2019s pathetic odds of marriage was\nunsettling. But, then again, what was the likelihood of a terrorist attack in Appleton? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c` doing?\u201d Mabel asked from behind\nher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daphne turned to see the\neight-year-old, still in her rumpled Hello Kitty pajamas, blinking up with\nsleepy brown eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing much.\u201d Daphne smiled down\nat her. \u201cJust trying to see if I look any older today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mabel\u2019s brow creased as she studied\nDaphne more closely. \u201cNope. You still look just the same as yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daphne tousled her fingers through\nMabel\u2019s chestnut hair, making her short pixie haircut resemble a punk-rocker.\n\u201cGood to know, sweetie.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yeah!\u201d Mabel\u2019s eyes opened\nwide. \u201cIt\u2019s your birthday, Aunt Daphne! I almost forgot. Happy birthday<\/em>!\u201d She threw her arms around Daphne\u2019s waist, hugging\nher tightly as she sang the Happy Birthday song with gusto. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you, Mabel.\u201d Daphne hugged\nher back. Really, no birthday present could be better than her new role as\nMabel\u2019s guardian. That was truly the gift that would keep on giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait!\u201d Mabel released her. \u201cI got a\nbirthday present for you\u2014I almost forgot.\u201d And then she dashed off, her bare\nfeet pattering across the hardwood floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daphne bent down to pet the two\ncats who were now rubbing against her legs, purring loudly. \u201cYes, I\u2019m sure you\ngirls are here to tell me happy birthday too,\u201d she said wryly. \u201cUnless you\u2019re\njust begging for breakfast.\u201d Of course, it was the latter. \u201cCome on, girls.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Daphne led Ethel and Lucy from\nthe master bedroom, Mabel came bounding down the stairs. \u201cHere it is!\u201d She\nproudly held out a lumpy looking package wrapped in red and green Christmas\npaper and with a pale pink satin ribbon wrapped loosely around it. \u201cOpen it!\nOpen it now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait.\u201d Daphne took the gift\nfrom her. \u201cI wonder what it could be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI made it myself,\u201d Mabel declared.\n\u201cWith a little bit of help from Aunt Sabrina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daphne slowly peeled off the outer\nlayer of paper and more layers of crumpled pink tissue paper until she finally uncovered\nan oversized mug. Painted and glazed with colorful stripes and hearts and\nflowers, it declared Mabel Loves Daphne<\/em>\nin bold rainbow colored letters. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful!\u201d Daphne hugged Mabel. \u201cThank\nyou so much!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSabrina took me to The Potting\nShed,\u201d Mabel explained. \u201cIt\u2019s a new store in town where you make all kinds of\nstuff. At first this mug was all plain and white and boring, but then I got to paint\nit.\u201d Her mouth twisted to one side. \u201cIt didn\u2019t look real pretty when I got\ndone, but the lady there told me it would look better after it got cooked up. She\nput it in her big oven after we left and when we went back a few days later it\nlooked like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love<\/em> it.\u201d Daphne held up the bright cup. \u201cI\u2019m going to use it for\ncoffee this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go start the coffee and feed\nthe cats.\u201d Daphne pointed at Mabel\u2019s bare feet. \u201cAnd you get on your slippers.\nIt\u2019s chilly in here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t I get dressed for\nschool?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday\u2019s Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yeah!\u201d Mabel let out a happy\nwhoop as she raced back up the stairs. \u201cLola and I are going skateboarding this\nmorning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Lucy and Ethel fed, Daphne\nstarted a pot of coffee. As the aroma of the freshly ground beans drifted through\nthe old fashioned kitchen, she told herself that she had a lot to be thankful\nfor on this milestone birthday. And to obsess over the stupid quote she\u2019d read\na few weeks ago was totally ludicrous. Thirty-five was not that old!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello? Y\u2019all here?\u201d A sweet\nsouthern voice hailed the house. \u201cAnybody home?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome in,\u201d Daphne called out. \u201cI\u2019m\nin the kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabrina Fontaine, her petite blonde\nneighbor, entered the kitchen with a large baking pan in her hands. \u201cHappy\nbirthday!\u201d she chirped. \u201cHot cinnamon rolls to celebrate your big day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYum!\u201d Daphne sniffed the gooey\nconfections. \u201cI just put on the coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabrina set the hot pan on top of\nthe stove, pointing to the colorful mug. \u201cLooks like Mabel already gave you her\ngift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it sweet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabrina nodded. \u201cYou have to wait\nfor my gift.\u201d And now she explained how she\u2019d made appointments for both of\nthem. \u201cTwo o\u2019clock. For\nmani-pedis and facials,\u201d she said cheerfully. \u201cAnd then we\u2019ll do a little\nshopping for something special\u2014for your big date with Jake tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd Jenna\u2019s coming to stay with me\nwhile you\u2019re with Sabrina,\u201d Mabel announced as she shuffled into the kitchen\nwith her fluffy pink slippers. \u201cJenna promised to help me finish up my valentines\ntoday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d Sabrina cut into\nthe cinnamon rolls, setting them on a platter. \u201cValentine\u2019s Day is Tuesday.\nThat\u2019s coming up real quick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd Mabel\u2019s only half done with\nher special homemade valentines.\u201d Daphne silently blessed Jenna as she poured\ncoffee. Mabel\u2019s idea to hand craft all those valentines was very sweet, but each\none took so long to make\u2026Daphne had been worried that Mabel might not get them\ndone by Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat time is your date with Jake?\u201d\nSabrina asked as she sat the rolls on the little plastic-topped kitchen table\nstraight out of the forties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s picking her up at\nsix-thirty,\u201d Mabel said importantly as she flopped into a chrome and vinyl chair.\n\u201cThey\u2019re going to The Zeppelin.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd Jenna\u2019s going to baby-sit\ntonight too?\u201d Sabrina asked Daphne as she sat down. \u201cBecause I could always\ncancel my date with Ricardo if you needed me to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJake said it was all set with\nJenna.\u201d Daphne set down Sabrina\u2019s coffee and a glass of milk for Mabel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYay!\u201d Mabel made a victorious fist\npump. \u201cI get to have Jenna today and<\/em>\ntonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank goodness for Jenna.\u201d Daphne set\na bowl of last night\u2019s fruit salad and some small dishes on the table and\nsmiled. \u201cThis looks like the perfect birthday breakfast.\u201d Daphne sat down.\n\u201cThanks for the cinnamon rolls, Sabrina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll say the blessing,\u201d Mabel\noffered eagerly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They bowed their heads, waiting as\nMabel said a short grateful prayer and a hearty amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeaking of Jenna, did you hear the\nlatest news about her step-daddy?\u201d Sabrina\u2019s brows arched mysteriously as she\nlooked at Daphne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Daphne shook her head. She\ndidn\u2019t really know that much about Frank Danson. Except that he was quite\nwealthy and that he\u2019d recently married Jake\u2019s ex-wife\u2014and that Jenna seemed to\nlike her new stepfather, which was a relief. \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabrina glanced at Mabel then\nshrugged. \u201cOh, nothing really.\u201d It sounded like she was backpedaling. \u201cI, uh, I\nthink he\u2019s going to open up a new business or something.\u201d As Mabel dished out\nsome fruit salad, Sabrina tossed Daphne a tell-you-later look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese rolls are delicious,\u201d Daphne\ntold Sabrina, now curious as to what her friend was keeping to herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three of them made cheerful\nsmall talk about their favorite birthday memories. Of course, Mabel\u2019s favorite\nbirthday was the one she\u2019d had before Christmas. \u201cThat was the best birthday\nparty ever!\u201d She beamed up at Daphne. \u201cYou wanna have a party like that too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo thanks,\u201d Daphne told her. \u201cI\nlike small, quiet celebrations like this better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Before long Mabel was finished and trotting\noff to get dressed in the anticipation of skateboarding around the neighborhood\nwith Lola. But as soon as she was out of earshot, Daphne inquired about Frank\nDanson. \u201cWhy are you being so mysterious?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t think before I\nspoke. I shouldn\u2019t have said a word in front of Mabel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause I know how she adores\nJenna\u2014and it\u2019s possible that Jenna will have to move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMove?\u201d Daphne felt a wave of\nconcern. \u201cWhy<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt sounds like Frank has acquired\na large real estate firm in Miami and plans to relocate there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMiami?\u201d Daphne frowned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. That\u2019s what Ricardo told me\nyesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you really think he\u2019ll move\nJenna and Gwen there? I can\u2019t imagine that Jenna would want to leave her school\nand her friends\u2026not to mention her dad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, but I didn\u2019t want to\nsay anything in front of Mabel. She\u2019ll be devastated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJake will be devastated too.\u201d\nDaphne solemnly shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s just a silly rumor,\u201d\nSabrina suggested. \u201cYou know how people love to gossip in this town. And\nRicardo catches bits and pieces at the diner. I\u2019ll bet it\u2019s not even true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI sure hope you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnyway, I won\u2019t mention it to\nMabel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d Daphne sipped her\ncoffee. Mabel would certainly be saddened by this news, but what about poor Jake?\nMiami was a\nlong way from Appleton.\nHe would be lost if his sixteen-year-old daughter moved that far away. And Daphne\nknew that Jenna was the reason Jake had kept his law practice in this small\ntown for all these years. Especially when he knew he could work in much larger\ncities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wonder if Jake knows\u2026?\u201d Sabrina\nsaid absently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf he does know, he hasn\u2019t mentioned\nit to me. But he was away on that business trip last week.\u201d Daphne frowned. If\nthe rumor was true and if Jake had heard about it, it would put a definite\ndamper on their evening. And she wouldn\u2019t even blame him for feeling blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Sabrina said suddenly.\n\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have mentioned it to you. I can see it\u2019s making you unhappy.\nPlease, don\u2019t think about it anymore. It\u2019s probably just a small town rumor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019m sure it is. I don\u2019t know\nJake\u2019s ex that well, but I know Gwen loves Jenna. I can\u2019t imagine she\u2019d agree\nto uproot her from high school and her friends\u2026and her dad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d Sabrina got up,\ncarrying her dishes to the sink. \u201cSo\u2026I\u2019ll pick you up a little before two, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daphne forced a smile. She knew how\nmuch Sabrina loved being pampered in a fancy spa, but the truth was Daphne\ncould take it or leave it. Still, she wanted to be a good sport\u2014especially\nsince it was all arranged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be fun,\u201d Sabrina assured her\nas if reading Daphne\u2019s doubtful thoughts. \u201cAnd when we\u2019re done, you\u2019ll feel\nlike a new woman, Daph. Trust me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daphne patted her petite friend\u2019s\nshoulder. \u201cYou know that I trust you, Sabrina. I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll enjoy it. Thank\nyou for setting it up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet as Sabrina left, Daphne wasn\u2019t\nso sure she could trust her good friend. More specifically, she didn\u2019t want<\/em> to trust her\u2014at least not in regard\nto the rumor she\u2019d just shared. Because if Frank and Gwen were truly moving\nJenna to Miami,\nJake McPheeters would have no reason to remain in Appleton. And Daphne wasn\u2019t sure that she was\nready to tell him goodbye.<\/p>\n\n\n