Page 32 of Mechanic’s Christmas Match

Ana nodded. Her dad was a teddy bear, a lot like Rory actually, now that she thought about it.

“That boy has feelings for you, you know?” her mother said softly.

“I don’t know,” Ana hedged, thinking of the way he’d been looking at her in the hallway.

“I do,” her mom said firmly. “Life is too short, my love. Don’t push him away.”

“I’m not pushing him away,” Ana said automatically.

Her mom gave her the look.

“He’s not right for me,” Ana said.

“He doesn’t have to be perfect,” her mom said. “And neither do you. You just have to care for each other and do your best.”

Ana sighed. She didn’t want to make her mom feel bad, but there were real, concrete reasons that things just wouldn’t work between the two of them.

“I don’t think he’s ready for a family yet,” Ana murmured.

“He half-raised that sister of his, didn’t he?” her mom asked. “I’d say he’s more ready than most.”

“How did you know about that?” Ana asked her.

“Oh, you think because I’m a little older than you that I don’t know what’s going on in this town?” her mom laughed.

“I didn’t say that at all,” Ana said. “You’re way more popular than I am. I just thought… well, the only reason I know is that people keep telling me stuff about him because they think we should be together.”

“And you really don’t agree?” her mom asked. “You don’t have feelings for him?”

Ana couldn’t argue. Her mother knew her through and through, better than anyone. She was the one person on earth Ana never wanted to lie to, even if she had to omit a detail or two.

“There was a time I thought, maybe,” Ana admitted, the words feeling like broken glass in her mouth. “But then when Theo came to us, Rory stopped coming around as much.”

“Oh, my love,” her mom murmured, reaching for her hand across the table and squeezing.

“It’s okay,” Ana said. “I wouldn’t trade Theo for a thousand boyfriends.”

Her mom nodded, but her eyes were so full of sympathy that it put a lump in Ana’s throat.

“And Theo needs stability,” Ana continued. “We can’t just give it a try. If I ever have a boyfriend now, he’ll have to be all-in.”

Her mom nodded again, respect in her eyes.

“Anyway,” Ana continued. “Rory’s interested in Maggie. And she’s a great girl. He wants me to set him up with her, so I will.”

“Even if it hurts you?” her mom asked softly.

“I really do want him to be happy,” Ana said. “Even if it’s not with me.”

Her mom squeezed her hand again, as if confirming wordlessly what Ana had already known.

She clearly had big feelings for Rory—big enough to hurt herself in order to bring him happiness.

“I’m going to call Maggie,” she told her mom.

“Your tea will get cold,” her mother said softly.

“I think I just need to get this over with,” Ana said, padding off to her room to make the call in private, without having to see her mother’s sad eyes.