Page 4 of Daddy’s Little Christmas Wish

"You really have been gone a long time," he commented as he watched me closely. "Her parents died in a car accident last year before she graduated high school. Considering the fact that she was only seventeen at the time, a lot of families in town tried to take her in because of how much they liked her family. She turned eighteen only a month later, but that didn't stop everybody from looking out for her best interest." I took a moment to consider this before shaking my head.

"You think the town would approve if I tried to win her over?" I asked. He seemed to lose himself in thought for a while before finally answering the question. By then, my hopes were already dashed.

"All I know is that absolutely no one would do anything to hurt her," he informed me. "That means that they will also be looking out for her best interests no matter what." He leaned forward with his hands in his pockets. "That means that they're going to be watching any form of romantic relationships very closely. If I were you, I would decide whether or not I was serious about pursuing her before going to that dinner tonight."

CHAPTER FIVE

Bella

When six o'clock finally rolled around, I walked down Main Street all the way to Sally's Diner. It was the only diner in town, and Sally had been running the diner for well over twenty years. Nothing had ever come close to running it out of business, not even Moe's Coffee Hut. I remembered how, as a kid, Mother and Father used to take me there all the time for special occasions, and it had always been a friendly place where everyone was welcome.

When I arrived at Sally's Diner, I immediately felt as though all eyes were on me. I couldn't figure out why everybody would be watching me, but, as I looked around, I saw several people staring at me from around the diner. Before I could change my mind, Diana, Sally's head hostess, came up to see me.

"Good evening, Bella," she said with a good natured grin. "Will it be just you tonight?" Despite the uncomfortable feeling I had that something was wrong, I smiled at her and shook my head.

"Actually, it'll be two tonight," I informed her proudly. She raised an eyebrow at me as she looked around at the dining room.

"Well, that's a bit of a surprise," she commented as she took inventory of available tables. "Does that mean that Kara changed her mind and decided to join you?" Despite my better judgment, I shook my head once again.

"Actually," I began, "I'm meeting with somebody else tonight." When she still stared at me in confusion, I continued. "Do you know Mrs. Calvert's son, Joel?" She raised an eyebrow at me as she stared at me in shock and disbelief.

"Mrs. Calvert has a son?" she asked. When I nodded in response, she looked confused. "I thought it was just something that she said during one of her…" She paused as she looked around, seeming to be looking for a proper word in order to describe Mrs. Calvert's condition. "I thought it was just something that she said. I never knew it was true." I gave her a comforting smile and patted her on the shoulder.

"You and me both, my friend," I told her. "I met him today, and he said that he wanted to treat me to dinner as a thank you for taking care of his mother." Immediately, the realization dawned on her, and she nodded her head in response as her eyes widened.

"Oh, now I get it," she replied as she smiled at me. "So, it's not a date or anything like everybody else is saying?" Caught off guard by what she said, I frowned in confusion at her.

"Whoever said it was a date?" I asked. "No one ever said anything about a date." Diana shook her head as she stared at me sympathetically.

"That's not the rumors I heard," she informed me, and I realized what she meant.

Mrs. Crane must have told people about how Joel asked me to join him for dinner, assuming that it was for a date. If there was one thing that I hated about the small town we lived in, it was how quickly a rumor could become town news. Immediately, I shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm not quite sure if it is a date," I admitted to her softly, keeping my voice slow when I realized that more people were watching us. "While I'll admit he's handsome, I don't think he's into me like that. Also, he's almost as old as my dad was when he…" I paused again halfway through my sentence, and she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I can see where that would be an issue," she agreed, looking around the diner. She thought for a moment. "I'll go ahead and set you up at a table for two. However, if anything happens, ask me about your grandma." Confused, I frowned at her.

"My grandma?" I asked. "Why would I ask about my grandma? She's been dead for several years now." Diana tapped the side of her nose as she nodded in agreement.

"Exactly," she told me. "Use it as a safe phrase. If he tries anything that you don't feel comfortable with, let me know by asking about your grandma. That way, I'll know to get you out of the situation without making a scene and spare you any embarrassment." I considered this a moment before shaking my head.

"Thanks for the concern," I told her, genuinely grateful for how she, as well as everybody else, looked after me. "However, I don't think it'll be necessary. I have a pretty good feeling about this date." She raised an eyebrow at me as she crossed her arms.

"I thought you said this wasn't a date,' she remarked, and I realized where I had messed up.

"Well, I don't know if it is a date," I reminded her. "For all I know, it's just a thank you dinner like he said." She didn't look convinced as she stared at me, but, after a moment she shrugged.

"I guess you're right," she agreed. "Let me take you to your table." Following her across the dining room, I took a moment to survey the dining room.

The regular dinner crowd for a weekday was here, and most people had already gone back to their conversations. However, I did see several people who were still watching me closely, and I started to wonder what exactly they thought was going on. Did they think I was here because he had tricked me? Or did they know that I was here of my own free will and curious as to what was going to happen? Neither of the two seemed like a good option, and I started to wonder if I had made a terrible mistake by agreeing to this.

"I'll be right back with your menus and some water," Diana informed me. "Let me know if you need anything." With that, she retreated to the kitchen, and I was left alone with the entire town watching me.

CHAPTER SIX

Joel

As soon as I arrived at the diner, I stopped just outside the front door and looked in already. She was sitting at one of the many booths, and I couldn't help but stare for a moment before going into the diner. There was so much I wanted to say to her, and the fact that the diner was a lot more packed than I had anticipated had me more worried than I had expected.