"Jo?" Teddy asked with surprise as he opened the door to see his old friend standing there.

"Hi, Teddy," said Jo.

"Oh - come in, come in." Teddy stepped aside so she could enter the house. "It's been so long I almost didn't recognize you."

"It has been awhile." Jo stepped inside. "I apologize for that. I haven't been much of a friend lately, have I?"

"S'all right." Teddy jerked his head in the direction of the bar. "Would you like a drink?"

"No, thanks." Jo followed him into the den, where they sat together on the sofa. "I can't stay that long. I just wanted to let you know that I told this girl in one of my classes about you, and she wants to meet you."

Teddy's lips parted slightly.

"You mean to tell me - you want to set me up on a blind date?"

"She's a nice girl, Teddy." Jo leaned closer to her friend. "She's in my philosophy class, and she was also at Professor Horton's lecture."

Teddy snorted.

"Ah, that's all I needed to know."

"I really think you'd like her, Teddy. She's blonde and very friendly. You do like blondes, don't you?"

"Hmph." Teddy ran his fingers through Jo's chestnut-brown hair.

"Well, do you want me to set something up or not?" asked Jo.

Teddy shrugged.

"Sure, I'll give her a chance. What have I got to lose?"

Jo was on her way to class the next day when Sybil caught up with her.

"Hey, what about that guy?" the blonde wanted to know.

"His name's Teddy, and he said he'd be glad to meet you," Jo told her.

"Cool!" said Sybil.

"Fritz is taking me out to dinner this Friday night," said Jo. "I'll ask if we can make it a double date with Teddy."

"You mean Professor Bhaer, right?"

Jo nodded.

"You mean you're actually dating him?"

Jo smiled and nodded again.

"Wow! How cool is that?"

Jo looked for Fritz at lunchtime but couldn't find him. She called him but only got his voice mail. Disappointed, she ate lunch alone and then spent the rest of the day wondering where he was.

She returned home to find Beth babysitting Adam.

"Fritz had to pick Daniel up from the child care center," Beth explained. "He was horsing around with some other boys and hurt his little finger. Fritz took him to the hospital to have it X-rayed."

"Poor little guy!" said Jo. "I hope it isn't broken!"

"So do I," said Beth.

Jo debated whether or not she should try to call Fritz again and, in the end, decided to just wait until he returned to collect Adam. Beth got Adam involved in playing Roblox while Jo went into her bedroom and got started on her algebra homework.

She was deeply entrenched in one of the most challenging problems when she heard the doorbell ring and suddenly remembered where she was and what was going on.

She followed Beth and Adam into the living room and watched as Beth opened the door and Fritz and Daniel entered the house. Daniel had a splint on his finger and a glum look on his face.

"My finger's broke," he muttered.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry!" Beth reached to hug the little boy and, after a moment's hesitation, he let her.

"He has to wear the splint for six weeks," Fritz explained. "Then he will have a follow up exam, at which time, the physician will determine whether or not his finger has healed."

"I don't have to wear it when I take a bath," Daniel pointed out.

Fritz chuckled and ruffled his nephew's hair.

"Of course you do not."

Fritz had already left with his nephews before Jo realized that, with all the excitement, she'd forgotten to mention her idea of double dating with Teddy and Sybil. I'll take care of it tomorrow, she promised herself as she drifted off to sleep.

The next day, she got to class a little late so didn't talk to Sybil. At lunchtime, she saw Fritz sitting by himself. When he saw her, he smiled and waved her over.

"Hi, Fritz!" she said as she sat down across from him.

"Hello, Josephine. How are you today?"

"Great! How's Daniel?"

"Overall, he has adjusted well to the splint, although it gets in his way at times."

"That's good. You've met my friend Teddy, right? Well, there's this girl in my class, Sybil, who wants to meet him, and I was wondering, would it be OK if they double dated with you and me on Friday?"

Fritz smiled indulgently.

"Of course, Josephine. You may invite whomever you want to come along."

Teddy rode to the restaurant with Jo and Fritz. Sybil met them there twenty minutes later.

"Sorry I'm late," she told the others. "I messed up on my hair and had to do it over."

"Your hair looks fine to me," said Teddy.

"Thanks," said Sybil. "You must be Teddy. I'm Sybil."

Teddy nodded.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you as well."

The waitress came to take their orders, then left them to finish getting acquainted.

"So, have you always lived her?" Sybil asked Teddy.

"No, I grew up in Italy," he told her. "When my parents were killed in an accident, I came to Concord to live with my grandfather."

"I'm sorry about your parents," said Sybil.

"That's all right," said Teddy. "I have a good life. Grandpa and I live in that big house on Juniper Lane."

"Oh, I've been by there!" said Sybil. "Wow! Do you really live there?"

Teddy grinned.

"Since I was six years old."

The waitress brought their food then.