Daphne was still sleeping when Niles pulled the car into the driveway that was completely surrounded by enormously tall evergreen trees.
They'd stopped for lunch briefly along the way, but Daphne seemed so exhausted that she never questioned where they were headed. And as soon as they resumed
their journey, sleep overtook her once more.
It was only when Niles returned to the car after signing in at the office that Daphne began to stir.
"Daphne?"
When she went back to sleep, he smiled and pulled the car into the parking space. He leaned over and gently caressed her cheek with his trembling hand, trying not to startle her.
Her eyes fluttered open and she focused on her surroundings.
"Wake up my ang-um... I mean, Daphne." He said, his face reddening
Oblivious to his slip of the tongue, she looked around in confusion.
"Wh-where are we?"
"Port Orford, on the Ore-gone coast."
"No... I mean..."
"Oh, this place? It's called Wildspring Resort. It was highly recommended in Sunset Magazine."
She looked around at the forest-like setting. "It's beautiful..."
Niles laughed nervously. "Who knew the forest could exist so close to the ocean."
They got out of the car and walked down the short trail that led to a group of cabins.
"Wonder which one is ours?" Niles asked, noticing that his hand was shaking as he glanced at the paperwork he was holding.
"O-ours?" Daphne asked.
Unable to think of a suitable answer, he offered her his hand. "Come on."
Their fingers entwined, he led her around the maze of cabins and stopped suddenly.
"Here we are; Cabin #5; Earthsea." He said, his hand still trembling as he unlocked the door.
"It looks like a miniature house!" Daphne observed.
Niles smiled at her grin which made her seem like an excited child on Christmas morning.
"You're right; Daphne, but the magazine described them as quite spacious."
He pushed the door open, gasping at what he found.
Before he could even speak, Daphne moved past him and looked around the tiny cabin.
"Oh Dr Crane... this is beautiful!"
The front door opened up to a tiny living room area; beautifully decorated with a plush sofa, chairs and antique furnishings such as a coffee table, end tables and a
bookshelf.
Directly in front of them was a bedroom not much larger than Frasier's kitchen, decorated with the same warm colors as the living room.
To the right of them was a spacious bathroom with a huge shower featuring a stone wall and stone floor.
And in the middle of the bedroom was a wrought iron queen sized bed.
When Daphne looked over at Niles, she was stunned to see anger in his eyes. He was on his cell phone, pacing back and forth in the tiny living room.
"Dr. Crane? What's wrong? Who are you calling?"
"I'm calling the inn keepers." He said; the anger apparent in his voice.
"I specifically asked them if this place had acceptable sleeping quarters! They assured me that there was ample space for two people! Does this look like ample space
to you? There's only one bed! It will barely hold the two of..."
When his voice trailed away, Daphne's heart beat faster at the unspoken words. Her cheeks were flushed with color and she found it hard to look at him.
"Well, that's all right. I'll just sleep on the couch."
"Daphne-."
"Now, Dr. Crane, this is your vacation and you've been much too kind already. You work hard, and you've been so worried about your brother. You deserve some rest
and relaxation."
"But Daphne, I can't allow you to sleep on that uncomfortable sofa."
"Nonsense, Dr. Crane. It looks perfectly fine. And look! There's even a blanket and pillow."
"That's ridiculous. You'd be so confined! How would you possibly sleep?"
Daphne smiled and touched his shoulder. "I'll be fine. Now why don't we go get a bite to eat and do some sightseeing?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Niles said. "I'll even buy you dinner."
Daphne hugged him fiercely. "You're much too kind, Dr. Crane. What would I ever do without you?"
As they left the cabin and headed to his car, Niles couldn't stop smiling; unaware that Daphne was feeling the same way.