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It wouldn’t hurt to ask, though.
Would it?
Somehow he didn’t think that Dianna would make things awkward between them if she turned him down. He certainly wouldn’t. Mathew’s experiences here were too important.
But maybe he’d give it a few more days.
If he could wait that long.
12
Dianna
“I’m so sorry. My truck is broken down and I’m going to be a little late. Do you think you could have Sean or someone else help the Woods with Molasses? Mathew needs his practice this morning. It’s part of his routine.”
“Of course. Thanks for letting me know,” Shane hung up without saying goodbye.
Dianna stared at her phone, a sense of trepidation flooding her chest. She wasn’t able to track down anyone to check her truck to see what might have happened to it. Already her anxiety had elevated with the change in her schedule, but even worse than her own emotions was how Mathew would cope with her being late.
She grimaced as she hurried toward the house. Adeline, Constance, and Brielle were all gone. And the rest of her sisters were busy. The only option she could see was to saddle a horse, but she’d bereallylate if she did that.
Dianna burst through the front door and kicked off her tennis shoes. She headed for the storage closet so she could get a decent pair of boots, nearly bumping into Grace. Her youngest sister let out a yelp and her eyes widened.
“Geez, Dianna. Where’s the fire?”
“Are you doing anything right now?” Dianna asked, putting her boots on.
“I was gonna—”
“My truck won’t start. I think it’s too cold. Can you take me to the country club?”
“I mean, I guess I could.”
“Great.” She grabbed Grace’s wrist and tugged her toward the front door. “I’ll get a ride home. I’m late for my shift and that little boy I’ve been working with isn’t going to like that I’m not there.”
Grace shuffled behind her, nearly tripping over her feet. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“You don’t get it. He needs me. More than anyone will understand.” Of course Mathew’s father would understand. But besides him, Dianna knew deep in her gut that Mathew relied on her and if she wasn’t there, he might really upset him.
“You said this kid was seven?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he’s gotten along just fine so far. Do you really think that you’re the only one who can help him? His father is there. We don’t have to rush. Let me at least get some shoes on.”
Dianna looked down at her sister’s feet and huffed. “Well, hurry up. I need to get out there. It’s not just about him. This is my job, and I—”
“And Shane doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who wouldn’t understand when your car has problems. It’s gonna be just fine.”
Dianna sighed with exasperation. This was one of the many instances when people didn’t understand her or what was important. She’d long since realized that this wasn’t something she’d ever be able to explain.
She hurried outside. While she stood beside her sister’s truck, she shifted her weight, hopping from one foot to the other. Dianna checked her phone, gaining only a small amount of relief from the fact that neither Shane nor Tristan had called her. Not yet, anyway.
When Grace emerged from the house, Dianna had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from yelling at her sister to pick up the pace. It wouldn’t do any good. It never did.
The whole way there, she attempted to remain calm. Yes, what Grace had said was true. Mathew had done just fine before they had met. He had coping skills and his father to advocate for him.
So why couldn’t she shake her nerves? He wasn’t her son. For all intents and purposes, she shouldn’t care until she was on the clock.
