He retrieved his best Egyptian cotton towels from the linen closet and then hurried into the bathroom. There he sat on the edge of the enormous tub and filled it with cool water, as she'd requested. On impulse he grabbed a bottle of scented bubble bath from underneath the sink.
It was a housewarming gift from his strange neighbor who lived down the hall. Despite his attempts to explain his marital status, Margret simply refused to believe that he was unattached. So when she'd arrived on his doorstep with a gift basket of bath products, he felt obligated to accept it.
There was no denying that he was slightly hurt by Margret's assumption of his being single since he still stung from his recent divorce. And so to rid himself of any additional pain, he'd stashed the basket away, never dreaming in a million years that he'd find a use for it.
Now he found that he was eternally grateful to Margret for her generosity. He opened the bottle and almost instantaneously the scent of mint and lavender filled the room, sending his mind reeling as he poured a generous portion under running water. The bubbles began to rise until the tub was almost overflowing.
A few lit candles and some soft music completed the task. But as he looked around at what he'd created he feared that he'd made a terrible mistake. And his heart began to race.
Dear God, what had he done?
The flickering candlelight and soothing music combined with the scented bubble bath had all the makings of a romantic interlude. And while the idea made his heart soar, the thought of coaxing Daphne into the tub in such fashion never entered his mind.
Not at that moment anyway.
He simply wanted to make her as comfortable and as happy as possible.
He hurried down the stairs, smiling when he saw her sitting on the fainting couch eating a piece of fruit.
"Daphne, your bath is ready."
She rose at once to face him, taking his breath away once more.
"Thank you, Dr. Crane. You have no idea how much this means to me. I feel terrible imposing on you because I'm sure you had better things to do than to take care of me and listen to me rambling on about Sherry."
"There's nothing I love more than listening to you, Daphne. And that goes for anything you have to say. You're welcome here anytime you like."
Daphne smiled and hugged him. "That's so sweet. Thank you, Dr. Crane."
He stared at her for several seconds, aware that his face was flushed.
"Um... why don't you take your bath now? I took the liberty of laying out some Egyptian cotton towels for you. They'll be gentler on your skin."
He was rewarded with a smile and a kiss on his cheek as his heart warmed.
"You're such a good friend. You're always thinking of me."
As she moved past him and made her way upstairs, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
You have no idea...