Page 108 of The Merry Matchmaker

“I hope one of you girls is next,” Adele said to her daughters.

“Don’t hold your breath for me,” Stef said, opening the silverware drawer. “I really think I’m through with men. Let’s get the table set and eat.”

“I’ll help you,” said Mario, and opened the dish cupboard.

“He sure knows his way around your kitchen,” Frankie said to her mom as the other two went to the dining room table. “Good thing he had honorable intentions.”

“Don’t get smart,” Adele scolded. “And speaking of intentions, what do you intend to do about your future? Did you figure out the symbolism of my dream?”

“Mom, even Freud couldn’t figure out the symbolism of your dreams.”

“I think this one is pretty easy,” Adele said softly, and gave Frankie’s arm an encouraging rub. “It’s time to quit stalling and get on the ride. If Ike were here, he’d say, ‘What are you waiting for?’”

“A guarantee?” Frankie ventured. Although, look where that had gotten her. Mitch was now pub crawling with someone else.

“You know there’s no such thing. Stop worrying about what might happen down the road and let something good happen right now. When a certain someone comes over tonight to watch that cop show, get out some handcuffs and go for it.”

“Mom! As if I have any.”

Adele shrugged. “I don’t have any, either. I guess you’ll have to improvise. Seriously, daughter dear, you two are natural together. The man’s crazy about you. Don’t wait around. He might get sane and go looking somewhere else.”

Frankie got the message. It was her turn to hostCop Stop, so after they ate, she hurried home, then got busy lighting candles, turning on her tree lights and setting out Mitch’s favorite Chex Mix munchies. And redoing her makeup and hair and spritzing on that perfume she hadn’t worn in a long time.

At ten to eight, she was perched on the couch, trying not to watch out the window for his truck. At five till, she was looking out the door to see if she could spot it coming down the street. No sign of him. Where was he?

She grabbed her phone and texted.Almost Cop Time. Where are you?

There came the dancing bubbles. Hopefully, he was letting her know he was on his way.

Words appeared.Sorry. Something came up.

Nothing ever came up onCop Stopnight.What???she texted.

Got drop-in company.

Company! OnCop Stopnight? Who trumpedCop Stopnight?

Anybody I know?

Elinor.

Elinor and her brownies!

Catch you tomorrow?he texted.

Not even an invitation to come over and join them.

Clobber you tomorrow.But Frankie deleted her reply before she sent it. She threw her phone onto the sofa with a growl, then marched to the kitchen and dumped the Chex Mix in the garbage.

Then she returned to the sofa, grabbed the phone and called her mother. “Elinor’s over at his place.”

“Well, Frankiestein, what are you going to do about it?”

What, indeed?

17

Since the shop was closed on Monday, it was the perfect time to invite Mitch out to lunch and get to the bottom of what was going on with Elinor. She’d better have tied him to the couch and held him captive. It was the only excuse Frankie would accept for standing her up.

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