Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel

by Melody Carlson

  “Don’t you want to see it? You don’t want to check out all the Mr. Rights in Appleton?”

  “Not particularly.” Daphne bent over, continuing to squeeze. “I can guess who’s on the list. And I can probably give you at least one good reason why every single guy you’ve listed there is not Mr. Right.”

  “Really?” Olivia sat down at the kitchen table. “We’ll see about that.” She started to read. Of course, she started with Ricardo, immediately asking what was wrong with him.

  “Nothing is wrong with him, Olivia. But Kellie has her eye on him and I’m not 100 percent sure Ricardo doesn’t have his eye on her as well. Have you ever watched the two of them talking at the diner? I’m not convinced something’s not brewing there.”

  Olivia tossed her a look. “Fine. How about Mick Foster, then? I’ve seen him looking at you.”

  “And I’ve seen him looking at Julianne. And he probably looks at other women too. Mick is a flirt and you know it. He likes all women and it seems all women like him. That, in my opinion, is not Mr. Right. Not for me.” Daphne turned the platter and continued filling.

  “What about Jake McPheeters? He seems interested in you.”

  “Jake is a good friend. But I’m not convinced he and Gwen aren’t getting back together.” Daphne had already confided to Olivia about what she’d heard Jenna saying. However, she had not confided about how disappointed she’d been to hear that.

  “I’d be surprised if that ever happened, Daphne. Those two seemed mismatched right from the start. Besides that, I heard that Gwen has been dating Frank Danson.”

  “Really?” Daphne tried not to appear overly interested.

  “So maybe you shouldn’t be too quick to take Jake off your list.”

  “You mean your list.”

  “I’m simply playing your secretary.”

  “Well, I hope you’re enjoying your little game.” Daphne wished Olivia would get this over and done with.

  “Then there’s Truman.” Olivia giggled. “And even though he’s a little young—”

  “He’s almost thirty,” Daphne told her.

  “Aha. So you’re defending his age?” Olivia grinned. “That gives me hope.”

  “Just stating the facts.” Daphne returned her attention to the eggs.

  “And there’s always Willie Troutman. I realize he’s older, but he sure does seem to like you.”

  “I like Willie too.” Daphne stood up straight. “But only as a friend.”

  “You are so picky.” Olivia read off a few other names, pointing out various qualities and attributes in men she felt had potential. But as quickly as Olivia tossed them out, Daphne continued to shoot them down. Mostly for the fun of it and to enjoy Olivia’s reaction. “You are hopeless,” Olivia finally said.

  “No, I’m not. I have great hopes. But it’s like I told you”—Daphne tore off some wax paper, laying it carefully over the deviled eggs—“I am going to trust God for my future. If I’m supposed to get married, Mr. Right will come along when the time is right. In the meantime, I’m not going to worry about it.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I remember . . . Pastor Andrew’s life-altering sermon. You’ve already told me all about it.” Olivia grabbed the pencil and scribbled something down on her list. “Which reminds me, I totally forgot to put Pastor Andrew on the list. You said he’s single, right?”

  “Right. But as much as I respect him, I don’t see myself with him.”

  “Just because he’s short and bald?”

  Daphne put the egg plate into the fridge and then turned around to give Olivia a warning look. “Okay, you’ve had your fun.”

  “Just trying to help.”

  “I know.” Daphne smiled and stuck out her hand. “So, may I have your list?”

  Olivia looked surprised. “Sure. You really want it?”

  Daphne nodded. “I promise to put it to good use.”

  Olivia blinked as she tore off the page and handed it to Daphne. “All right then. I’m glad to see you’re finally coming back to your senses.”

  “I’ve got to check something outside.” Daphne headed for the back door with the paper in hand. Olivia followed, still talking about her Mr. Right list and how Daphne should really study it carefully.

  “Maybe you could make columns next to each name,” Olivia told her. “You know to list their various qualities. You could have one for good looks. One for compatibility. One for job security and so on. Then you could score each guy, maybe give them one to five points. See who gets the most points.”

  Daphne opened the barbecue, where she’d already arranged the charcoal and applied some lighter fluid. Now she lit a match, crumpled Olivia’s Mr. Right list, and used the paper to light the charcoal. “Perfect.” She turned to grin at Olivia. “Just what I needed to light my fire.”

  Olivia frowned as she watched her list going up in flames. “Glad I could be of help.”

  Daphne hugged her. “I know you mean well, Olivia. But honestly I’m happy as I am. Today is Independence Day and I just want to enjoy my newfound freedom and celebrate with all my friends and neighbors and family. Is that too much to ask?”

  “No. If it makes you happy, I’ll give you a break about finding true love.” Olivia made a sheepish smile. “At least for today.”

  Daphne sighed. Maybe that was okay. Because really, that was all she could do anyway. All anyone could do was to live for today . . . and not worry about tomorrow. Because she truly believed that God was watching out for her. Perhaps Aunt Dee was keeping an eye on her too. Then as she closed the barbecue, she sensed someone else was watching her.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see Jake. Dressed casually in cargo shorts and a navy T-shirt, he was leaning against the back porch stair railing with an amused smile playing on his lips—almost as if he’d been studying her.

  “Hello, Daphne,” he said warmly. “I hope I’m not too early.”

  “No, no, I think you’re right on time.” She giggled nervously as she remembered the list she’d just lit on fire. Hopefully it was safely reduced to ashes by now. And perhaps Olivia had been right. Maybe there was a future with this guy after all. Time would tell.

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Daphne as much as I have. I love inventing characters whose lives are unfulfilling . . . or disappointing . . . or just plain stuck. I guess it’s because it gives me something to work with—all things can do is get better. Or at least we hope they will. Also, it’s a bit like real life. Because I think everyone gets stuck sometimes. And who hasn’t wanted a second chance at some point?

  Maybe that’s why I love fiction so much. I get to create characters and situations and challenges—and make it as messy as I like. And then, just like that, I can start to clean it up and straighten things out. Sure, it might take some time and some work, but eventually I can give my character a wonderful second chance.

  Now I realize (from personal experience) that life isn’t usually as simple as a lighthearted novel. Maybe that’s why fiction is so appealing. Because we all know that some of life’s challenges aren’t easily conquered. And occasionally a heartfelt prayer seems to take forever to be answered. Face it, sometimes life is just plain hard.

  Even so, I continue to believe that God is the real giver of the best second chances. And I believe that just as Daphne gets the opportunity to change the general direction of her life, if we remain tuned in to God, he will show us the better way to go.

  One of my favorite Scriptures is: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5–6 nkjv).

  Thank you for reading the beginning of the Dear Daphne series. I hope you’ll return to Appleton to see what’s coming Daphne’s way in the next installment. Unt
il then, I pray that you will trust God to bring the second chances you are longing for in your own life.

  I love to connect with my readers. Visit me on my website—www.melodycarlson.com.

  Blessings,

  Melody Carlson

  Discussion Questions

  1. Daphne had such high expectations for her life and her career in journalism. And yet at the beginning of the story, she seems to be stuck and discouraged. What do you think was the biggest reason for her state of hopelessness?

  2. Appleton seems like such a charming town, and yet Daphne hadn’t spent much time at home in past years. Why do you think she stayed away?

  3. Some people snap right back after a soured romance. Why do you think Daphne had such difficulty in getting over her own brokenheartedness?

  4. Daphne clearly needs people in her life, and yet she seems a little challenged in the area of relationships. Can you relate to this in any way? Explain.

  5. What childhood factors have impacted Daphne’s adult life the most dramatically?

  6. Daphne knows that to secure her inheritance, she must get married. But do you think it’s worth it? How would you react if you were in a similar situation?

  7. Aunt Dee’s true identity shocks Daphne and her father. Do you think Dee was right to keep her unwed motherhood a secret? Why or why not?

  8. Daphne’s experience with men is very limited (and somewhat jaded). If you were her good friend, what kind of advice would you give her in regard to dating and romance?

  9. It doesn’t take long for Daphne to have a short list of “available” men. Which guy do you think would be her best match? And why?

  10. Do you think it was fair for Aunt Dee to put her odd conditions in her will? Why or why not?