Frankie clicked her screen off, tucked the device into the back pocket of her handbag, and jogged out to the car.
“Sorry for holding you up.” She buckled her seat belt. “I had a message from Gemma.”
“Oh?”
“She said to wish you luck.”
“That girl is too good to me. I owe her a box of chocolates. Maybe some flowers too.”
“Her favorites are pink peonies and chocolate mints.” Frankie clicked the blinker and turned out of the parking lot. “She’ll be Stateside in two months. I was thinking we could invite her to visit.”
“By all means. It would be wonderful to see her cheery face in person, instead of over a computer screen.”
From the corner of her eye, Frankie saw her dad fidgeting in his seat. He was nervous. She had to keep the conversation flowing.
“Remind me again . . . what do you know about Suzy?”
His lips curved. “Suzy is a former nurse and widower about my age. She’s lived on the outskirts of Lake Wakahanra for the last two decades with her older son’s family.”
“And what attracted you to her profile?”
“She’s the one who made the first move.” Dad chuckled.
I don’t remember him telling me that.
“We’ve only exchanged e-mails a handful of times, but we both share a fondness for crossword puzzles and watching reality TV shows likeCupid’s Arrow.”
“She sounds like a good match for you.”
“I hope so, but the book Gemma sent me said not to set the bar too high. Online profiles can be misleading. Did you know that more than half of people who use dating sites digitally alter their profile photos?”
“I didn’t. You learn something new every day.”
She drove into the parking lot of Norma’s and parked in the disabled parking spot near the restaurant’s entrance.
Turning off the engine, she pivoted toward her father. “Dad, you’ll do great, but I’m available if you need me to serve as your wingman or to swoop in and rescue you. Just send me a text message.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t you have plans today?”
Her body warmed. “Charlie and I are going to go for a hike up toward King’s Summit, but he knows you always come first.”
“You and Mr. Blanks are getting awfully chummy. You’re always spending time with him.”
Frankie knew Charlie would never be interested in her romantically. She wasn’t his type. At least, she didn’t think she was his type. He was the type of man who could date a model, not a shorty like her.
“Dad, I promise our relationship is strictly professional. I, um . . . we . . . what I mean to say is that we’ve been skating together. If everything keeps going well, I’m going to take my Senior Pairs’ test in a couple months.”
Her father’s face was neutral. “Where did this come from?”
She blinked twice. “It just sort of happened.”
“How long have you been keeping this a secret?”
“Not long.” She felt as if she were a child caught doing something she shouldn’t have. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Three weeks?”
“Is he a good partner?”
“Charlie is probably the most talented man I’ve ever worked with. He brings so much experience to the ice, not just as a skater, but also as a coach too. We’ve picked up a lot of pairs elements quickly.”
