first time she mentioned setting the two of them up.
“Are you crazy? A guy like that? Interested in a girl like me? What are you, blind? Besides, Maddie, I think I may be falling in love with Jeff. He says, and I quote, he’s ‘crazy about me.’ Isn’t that incredible? And he writes the most romantic emails. I’ve saved every one of them. I’ve never met anyone quite like him.”
“That’s because you’ve never met him!” Maddie recognized the love-struck look in Lanie’s eyes, and it made her shudder. She wasn’t about to let her best friend fall for some nerd permanently affixed to his computer. “C’mon, Lanie, don’t be ridiculous. Online romances are a joke. Brad Chapman is the real deal. Not to mention the fact that he’s here, not off in cyberspace oblivion. I mean, c’mon, Lanie. Have you looked at the guy?”
Maddie knew best, if only Lanie would listen to her! She’d initiated several “coincidental” meetings between Lanie and Brad, inviting her to stop by on the way home from work knowing Brad would still be working. She’d insist they sit down for a cup of tea together before he left. His deep voice and quick sense of humor always made for a good time. Gradually, over the course of time, Lanie had warmed to the idea, responding to Brad’s good manners and easy laugh.
No overtures of romance yet, but that will come if I do my part. Her mind wandered along a similar path until it landed right across the street.
And then there’s the elusive Dr. Grant. There’s got to be someone I can send his way. Maddie hadn’t seen much of her new neighbor. Occasionally she’d wave as he left the house for the campus. He had traded his crutches for a cane, still limping as he made his way down the sidewalk. Sometimes he returned her wave, but most often not. She had ventured over to visit him a couple of times, but he’d maintained the same wall of defense. Several times she’d left a basket of cookies or muffins on his porch table. She would send him an invitation for her grand opening, but doubted seriously he would show up. Unless . . . unless I can find someone to accompany the stodgy professor?
Maddie snapped out of her musings and dried her hands on her apron, acknowledging the smile on her face. Her thoughts skipped back to Lanie and Brad, the vision of a candlelit dinner . . .
“You ’n me, God. We’re quite a team.”
Several weeks later, Maddie crossed the commons of the UT campus headed for Perry-CastañedaLibrary. In an hour she would meet with Lanie on her lunch break to go over advertising copy for the tea room. Until then, she hoped to do some research about Chawton to verify what she’d learned while touring Jane Austen’s quaint English cottage. Knowing the library’s layout, she quickly made her way to the sixth floor which housed the English literature section.
Browsing the familiar shelves, she found a couple of books then looked for a table. As she rounded the corner, she was startled to see her neighbor seated at a long table, pouring over a thick volume beneath a green desk light.
“Why, hello Ian,” she greeted nonchalantly. Depositing her books across from him, she pulled out a chair and sat down.
Deep in thought, he finally looked up. “Oh, yes well, hello.” His eyes darted around, much like those of a trapped animal, then back to his book. Maddie noticed a blush creeping up his face. He sighed impatiently then grunted, “What brings you here, Miss Cooper?”
He remembered my name . “Just doing some research for my tea room. I’ve decided to name it The Chawton Tea Room in honor of—”
“For your beloved Miss Austen’s home in Chawton, just outside of Alton, Hampshire.” He never looked up, tossing the comment at her like discarded change. “Big surprise there.”
Maddie wasn’t sure what to make of it. You’re not going to provoke me, Ian Grant. “Regardless, I wanted to tell you I’ll be sending you an invitation once
“Are you crazy? A guy like that? Interested in a girl like me? What are you, blind? Besides, Maddie, I think I may be falling in love with Jeff. He says, and I quote, he’s ‘crazy about me.’ Isn’t that incredible? And he writes the most romantic emails. I’ve saved every one of them. I’ve never met anyone quite like him.”
“That’s because you’ve never met him!” Maddie recognized the love-struck look in Lanie’s eyes, and it made her shudder. She wasn’t about to let her best friend fall for some nerd permanently affixed to his computer. “C’mon, Lanie, don’t be ridiculous. Online romances are a joke. Brad Chapman is the real deal. Not to mention the fact that he’s here, not off in cyberspace oblivion. I mean, c’mon, Lanie. Have you looked at the guy?”
Maddie knew best, if only Lanie would listen to her! She’d initiated several “coincidental” meetings between Lanie and Brad, inviting her to stop by on the way home from work knowing Brad would still be working. She’d insist they sit down for a cup of tea together before he left. His deep voice and quick sense of humor always made for a good time. Gradually, over the course of time, Lanie had warmed to the idea, responding to Brad’s good manners and easy laugh.
No overtures of romance yet, but that will come if I do my part. Her mind wandered along a similar path until it landed right across the street.
And then there’s the elusive Dr. Grant. There’s got to be someone I can send his way. Maddie hadn’t seen much of her new neighbor. Occasionally she’d wave as he left the house for the campus. He had traded his crutches for a cane, still limping as he made his way down the sidewalk. Sometimes he returned her wave, but most often not. She had ventured over to visit him a couple of times, but he’d maintained the same wall of defense. Several times she’d left a basket of cookies or muffins on his porch table. She would send him an invitation for her grand opening, but doubted seriously he would show up. Unless . . . unless I can find someone to accompany the stodgy professor?
Maddie snapped out of her musings and dried her hands on her apron, acknowledging the smile on her face. Her thoughts skipped back to Lanie and Brad, the vision of a candlelit dinner . . .
“You ’n me, God. We’re quite a team.”
Several weeks later, Maddie crossed the commons of the UT campus headed for Perry-CastañedaLibrary. In an hour she would meet with Lanie on her lunch break to go over advertising copy for the tea room. Until then, she hoped to do some research about Chawton to verify what she’d learned while touring Jane Austen’s quaint English cottage. Knowing the library’s layout, she quickly made her way to the sixth floor which housed the English literature section.
Browsing the familiar shelves, she found a couple of books then looked for a table. As she rounded the corner, she was startled to see her neighbor seated at a long table, pouring over a thick volume beneath a green desk light.
“Why, hello Ian,” she greeted nonchalantly. Depositing her books across from him, she pulled out a chair and sat down.
Deep in thought, he finally looked up. “Oh, yes well, hello.” His eyes darted around, much like those of a trapped animal, then back to his book. Maddie noticed a blush creeping up his face. He sighed impatiently then grunted, “What brings you here, Miss Cooper?”
He remembered my name . “Just doing some research for my tea room. I’ve decided to name it The Chawton Tea Room in honor of—”
“For your beloved Miss Austen’s home in Chawton, just outside of Alton, Hampshire.” He never looked up, tossing the comment at her like discarded change. “Big surprise there.”
Maddie wasn’t sure what to make of it. You’re not going to provoke me, Ian Grant. “Regardless, I wanted to tell you I’ll be sending you an invitation once
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