A Decent Proposal by Teresa Southwick Page A

were occupied, but a quick glance at the men and women told her none of them were the friend she was meeting.
    She scanned the booths lining the exterior then spotted a woman waving. Maggie Potter was sitting at a bistro table in the far corner and Syd headed that way.
    She hoisted herself up onto the chair across from her friend. “Hi.”
    â€œHey, yourself.” The pretty, dark-eyed brunette smiled.
    â€œSorry I’m late. Have you been here long?”
    â€œJust a few minutes. Long enough to order our usual.”
    White wine. This was a standing date for them and nine times out of ten a glass of Chardonnay was involved along with something to eat. The food was different from the diner, which was a more family-oriented place. Bar None had a happy-hour menu that suited Syd and Maggie, two single ladies on the town.
    â€œSo, where’s that adorable little girl of yours tonight?”
    A tender expression settled on Maggie’s face. “She’s staying with Uncle Brady and her soon-to-be-official Aunt Olivia. Just between you and me, I think they want to start a family soon and are practicing on Danielle.”
    â€œHave they set a date?”
    â€œNo. All we get are a lot of maybe Christmas. Or Valentine’s Day. I think it will be spur-of-the-moment. And small.”
    â€œSounds nice.”
    Maggie nodded. “In the meantime I’m happy to let them dote on my little girl. I love Danielle more than anything, but I do so enjoy a break from her.”
    Syd figured that was because her friend was both mother and father to the child. Maggie’s husband had been a soldier and died in Afghanistan before his daughter was born.
    She thought about Burke, a single father who thought he was doing a bad job of parenting. She didn’t believe that. The reality was that sometimes kids got dealt a lousy hand but that didn’t mean they couldn’t thrive in spite of it.
    Just then the owner of the establishment carried over two glasses of wine. Delanie Carlson was somewhere in her twenties, a curvy, blue-eyed redhead. She’d inherited Bar None when her father passed away last year. Syd knew that she’d gone through some rough times financially and was one of the Blackwater Lake business owners who would benefit from the resort being built. To make ends meet, she’d rented out rooms over the bar, but there was bound to be a spike in revenue during construction as well as when the visitor count jumped after opening.
    â€œHere you go, ladies.” Delanie put a wineglass in front of each of them. “Are you ready to order or do you need another minute?”
    Syd glanced at her unopened menu. “I haven’t had a chance to look over the choices.”
    Dee grinned. “It hasn’t changed since last week. Or the week before that. Or—”
    â€œAre you implying I should know it by heart?”
    â€œ
Implying
would be more diplomatic than saying straight out that surely you have it memorized by now. So I guess you could say I’m just implying.”
    Syd laughed. “It’s a good thing we’re friends or I could take that the wrong way.”
    â€œOkay. Enjoy the wine. I’ll be back.”
    Maggie watched the bar owner walk away, then said, “Speaking of friends...I heard you and Violet ran into each other at the park dedication. How did that go?”
    â€œIf it hadn’t been civilized, you wouldn’t have to ask.” She took a sip of her wine and savored the crisp, cold liquid. “Coincidentally, I saw her today at the shop. She brought her car in for service.”
    Maggie’s dark eyes widened. “Wow. Is there anything I should know?”
    â€œWe talked. She apologized, which wasn’t necessary since she already did a long time ago. I just wasn’t ready to listen then.” She shrugged. “They’re happy and have a beautiful family.”
    â€œAnd you’re envious,” her friend