She had to be going about this all wrong, thinking that being subtle would get his attention. She'd never made any overt romantic overtures toward him, although she had few opportunities to do so. At her request, he'd taken her home a couple of times when their small singles group met once a month to do community service activities. Those rides had been quiet. But nice too. She always enjoyed a good buggy ride.
She also assumed it was the man's place to get the romance ball rolling. That's what her sisters said when they met their husbands. Her cousin Grace had mentioned the same thing in the letters she wrote to Daisy after she met her fiancé, Kyle. She could ask her brother, Nathan, if that were true for all men. He was also married, but talking about romantic stuff with him seemed kind of icky. He was almost ten years older than her, and they weren't exactly close.
Maynard was a bit different from other men she knew. What if he was waiting on her to make the first move? His shyness had to be getting in the way of moving their relationship forward. I should have realized that before now.
Time to test the waters. Wiping her damp palms on her dress, she said, "Uh, Maynard—"
"Now this is interesting." He tapped the paper. "They're calling for an extra-hot summer this year. Probably a record breaker."
"Maynard—"
"Then again, they've always predicted record-breaking winters, and we've had normal ones for the past five years."
"Would you... um..." She swallowed. Talking about love was harder than she thought. "Um..."
He glanced at the clock on the wall, then frowned. "It's that late?" She looked at the time. Barely seven o'clock.
He folded the paper and put it on the coffee table. She jumped from the sofa. "You're leaving already?"
His brows furrowed, as if she were speaking a foreign language. "It's past seven, Daisy," he said as he stood up.
"But you just got here!"
Maynard adjusted his glasses. "You know I like to be in bed by eight."
She couldn't let him leave now, not when she was mustering the courage to tell him they needed to take their relationship to the next level. And pronto.
True love was worth the wait, but she was getting tired of waiting.
"How are things going?" Mamm came into the living room, a tight smile on her face. Daed appeared right behind her.
"I was just telling Daisy that I have an early morning tomorrow."
Daisy pinched her lips together. There was no point in trying to change his mind. He was resolute about his eight o'clock bedtime. Besides, her mother and father were looking at them strangely, making her suspect something might be amiss. In a last-ditch effort for some kind of connection, she purposely brushed her pinky finger against his.
"Danki for supper," he said to Mamm in his usual monotone voice. If he'd noticed Daisy had touched him, he didn't draw attention to it.
"Daisy made it all." Mamm's stressed look gave way to a genuine smile. "She's quite the cook."
He didn't acknowledge Mamm's compliment as he picked up his hat from the rack by the door and placed it on his mop of bright red hair.
"Drive home safe, Maynard." Daed tapped 'Mamm' on the shoulder and they went back to the kitchen.
Disappointed, Daisy walked with Maynard to the front door as he put on his coat. Despite it being early spring, the evenings were still cold. She took his scarf off the rack and handed it to him, watching for any kind of reaction to her secret pinky touch as he wrapped the navy blue flannel around his neck. Nothing. Maybe she had brushed his finger too lightly. She hadn't felt anything either.
"Good night, Daisy."
Their eyes easily met since they were the same height, around five six. "When will I see you again?" Ugh, she sounded desperate, but she couldn't help it. Soon. Please, make it soon.
"Depends on my work schedule." He opened the door, letting in a rush of cold air that instantly cooled her cheeks. "I'll let you know."
"Okay."
But he was already halfway down the porch steps. As she always did when he left her house, she watched him drive down the driveway. Only when he was out of her sight did she close the door and press her forehead against it. Why didn't anyone tell me love was so hard?
