"What's this?"
He continued to watch her for a few seconds more before rising to his feet in one fluid motion. "Do you need some help, Daphne?"
Her hand was still on the object and she struggled to reach it. "No thanks, I think I've got it."
"What have you found?" He couldn't help noticing the way she was carefully holding onto the edge of her sweater, as though she'd sensed that he'd seen her bare skin. She pulled the box down and examined the cover. "It's a puzzle."
"Not really." He replied, answering her unasked question. "I mean, considering that you are so…" When he saw her perplexed expression and the object in her hands, he suddenly realized… "Oh right, the puzzle! I'd forgotten all about that."
She smiled and looked at the box once more. "His Last Term as Governor, a Crime Scene Mystery." she read as she sat next to him on the sofa. "How interesting. I've never seen anything like this before."
Forgetting all about his book, he marked his place in it and laid it on the end table to give her his undivided attention. "Yes, I thought it was a rather interesting concept myself. I bought it for Dad last year so that he'd have something to do in the cabin if the weather got too cold. I haven't had a chance to put it together yet, but according to the instructions, the object is to complete the puzzle and the finished puzzle gives you clues with which to solve the mystery."
She laughed, causing his eyebrows to rise. "Too cold?"
"I-I'm sorry?"
"Your father complains if the temperature falls below sixty or if a single raindrop falls from the sky during his daily walks with Eddie. And yet, buy him a fishing rod and he'll gladly sit on a block of ice in the middle of a frozen lake!"
Niles threw his head back and laughed. And it felt wonderful. "You're right about that. He certainly enjoyed himself on that trip. And you know, despite all of the problems that we encountered that weekend, Frasier and I enjoyed ourselves as well."
She smiled and took his hand, causing him to shiver at her touch. "It certainly was nice of you and your brother to go with him, Dr. Crane. I know that ice fishing isn't exactly your cup of tea. But I also know that your father appreciated it very much; the way you went to so much trouble to prepare for it."
Niles smiled, remembering his impromptu shopping spree for ice fishing gear at stores like Eddie Bauer, Timberland and Polo; places that only a week before, he'd never even heard of. It certainly showed when he'd entered each store, feeling more out of place than if he'd walked into a pet store. Luckily the sales staff sympathized with his plight and went out of their way to make him feel welcome. And he showed his gratitude by way of his credit cards.
But something else jarred his memory….
"We said I love you for the first time on that trip."
When he looked up she was smiling. And then he noticed that she was still holding his hand. He'd spoken the words aloud, but he found that it felt wonderful to do so.