Page 76 of Mechanic’s Christmas Match

And if she believed in him, then he knew that he could do it. He couldn’t wait to prove her right.

“Besides,” Ana added, her eyes twinkling. “You know how to fix things.”

He grinned back at her at that reference to Theo. The little boy’s interest in fixing things really tickled Rory.

“Hungry?” Ana asked.

“Yes,” Rory replied, finally taking in the delicious food that surrounded them. “I meant to cook when I got home this morning, but I just showered and fell into bed.”

“Well, we were both pretty excited, so my mom and I went a little wild,” Ana said. “There’s a lot here.”

“That’s my favorite serving size,” Rory teased. “A lot. But I’ll try to eat politely since we’re on a date.”

“It’s a picnic,” Ana laughed. “There’s no need for fancy manners. But I did have a question for you.”

“What’s that?” he asked, his mouth watering as he watched her load a plate with fried fish, rice and beans, salad, plantains, and a mountain of cut fruit.

“It’s about my family,” she said, handing him the plate.

“What about them?” he asked, willing himself to focus on what she was saying instead of inhaling the delicious meal.

“Would you like them to stop by to drop off dessert?” she asked. “It wasn’t ready yet when I came over to set up.”

“Can they come now?” he asked. “And eat with us?”

“Really?” she said.

“Of course,” he told her. “There’s so much food. And…”

He stopped himself, unsure he should say what else was on his mind.

“And?” Ana echoed.

“I’d like to start things off right with your mother,” he admitted.

“You already have her blessing,” Ana said, smiling and shaking her head.

“Can’t be too safe,” he said firmly.

“Fine, but only if you start eating now,” Ana told him. “Don’t let it get cold. You were out saving the town last night. I want to feed you.”

He wasn’t going to argue with that. As he took his first bite of the most delicious dinner he had ever eaten, he watched Ana, his Ana, call her mother and ask her to bring Theo over for dinner.

He ate while they waited, and before long, Rory’s stomach and heart were both full. He and Ana talked about everything that had happened during the time she was trying to set him up with Maggie, and they both laughed until they had tears in their eyes at what a complete catastrophe it had been.

“I mean, maybe not such a complete catastrophe,” Ana said. “You both wound up getting together with the person you cared about in the end.”

“We sure did,” Rory said, taking her hand. “I guess you’re a good matchmaker after all.”

“That wasn’t skill,” Ana said. “It was luck.”

“Here we come,” her mother called out from the staircase.

Rory dropped Ana’s hand like it was made of lava, and Ana laughed so hard he was afraid her mother would think there was something wrong.

Theo was the first one up the stairs and he yelled for Rory and barreled over to him.

“Hey, Theo,” Rory said. “You came to see me this time.”