Author's Note:Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for helping me out w/ some Seattle details and for encouraging me to write/post this! Also thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for reading drafts! :)

"Morning, Dr. Crane!" Daphne exclaimed as she opened the door. "Breakfast is already on the table. Help yourself!"

Niles smiled. He loved how Daphne always treated him as if he were welcome here. It was a total contrast to the way his wife had been treating him lately. "Thank you," he replied. "You're looking lovely this morning!"

Daphne blushed at the compliment. She was still in her bathrobe, so it seemed a bit out of place, but it was probably just his way of being polite. She returned to her seat at the table. Since the older Dr. Crane had left for a meeting at the radio station, Daphne picked up the paper he'd left on the table. Mr. Crane had already taken out the sports page, since he knew no one else in the family wanted to read it. But Daphne flipped to the local section. She liked to read the stories about what was happening in the city. Her mother was always eager to hear about her only daughter's life in the States, and Daphne often satisfied her with stories from the newspaper. As she scanned the headlines, something caught her eye. "Best-Selling Author Richard Wilder Coming to Portland!" The man had written a string of highly successful romance novels. Daphne had read each and every one. If the picture on the back of the book was any indication, the man was certainly easy on the eyes! She wondered what it would be like to see him in person. But then she realized...Portland was in Oregon. "It figures!" she muttered to herself.

"What does, Daphne?" Niles asked. Up until this point, he'd been too mesmerized by watching Daphne to even eat a bite of breakfast.

"Oh, it's just this author who's coming to Oregon for a book signing this weekend. I'd love to go and see him, but it's three hours away! He's awfully handsome, though..." She let out a sigh as she thought of the picture she'd seen of him.

"Daph, you actually want to drive all the way to Portland, just to see some guy who wrote a bunch of sappy books?!" Martin asked.

"You wouldn't understand!" Daphne replied in frustration. "You think any book that doesn't have to do with bloody sports is worthless."

"Don't listen to Dad, Daphne," Niles said. "I understand how you feel. Frasier and I wanted so badly to meet a famous opera singer when we were young. But it was too far away."

Daphne let out a sigh. "I suppose I could drive over there. Although being by meself all that time would make for a lonely drive."

Niles' ears perked up. "If it's company you want, I'll be glad to go with you. I could even drive if you wanted!"

"You'd really do that, Dr. Crane?" Daphne asked in surprise.

"Of course," Niles replied immediately. "It sounds like fun!"