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“See? Isn’t that what caviar is? It’s an extravagant food and if you eat too much of it, you’ll go bankrupt.” Brielle’s face flushed. “So what if it isn’t an actual dish? It’s still food related. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Shane were the kind of guy who would buy all that fancy stuff and go bankrupt in the process.”
“Actually,” Dianna held up a finger, but Brielle’s irritated look was enough to put a stop to her explanation. Most billionaires were very stingy. They were careful with how they spent their money, and Shane fit the bill on that one. He was one of the more down-to-earth people she’d ever worked with. He used his money wisely and accounted for every dollar. She didn’t see him filling the country club with food that no one would eat. He probably wouldn’t serve deviled eggs either, but that was beside the point. Dianna shrugged. “Okay, so we’re set. You’ll come to the Christmas party as Shane’s blind date, and I’ll tell Tristan that I will go with him.”
Her heart fluttered slightly at the thought. To be with Tristan in a manner that didn’t involve his son triggered a new kind of anxiety in her chest. It didn’t necessarily feel bad. It was new. And being such, she had to figure out a new way to cope with it so it didn’t consume her mind for the next few days.
Brielle huffed and stormed from the room. “I don’t even know where you come up with these kinds of words.”
“I didn’t,” Dianna called after her. “Youdid. I just knew what it meant cuz I read a lot.”
Her statement fell on deaf ears. There was no way her sister would have heard the last part. At least their little interaction had brought some humor into Dianna’s evening.
15
Tristan
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Mr. Wood. I’m great with kids.” The young woman in front of Tristan couldn’t be more than sixteen years old. She was the younger sister of someone who worked the drink bar at the country club, and Shane swore she’d be a good fit.
Her sister would be working tonight’s party. With Tristan staying on site, he wasn’t too worried about any emergency occurring. Still, Mathew hadn’t come out of his room yet to meet her, and he wasn’t sure that his son would appreciate a new face.
He cleared his throat and glanced over his shoulder. “Mathew, the sitter is here.”
Mathew appeared in the hallway. He didn’t look upset, but he didn’t seem all that excited either. His eyes landed on Kimberly, then darted to Tristan. “I don’t want a babysitter. I’m not a baby.”
Tristan moved across the room toward his son and knelt down. “We talked about this. If there’s an emergency, I need to know that there is someone who can handle it.”
“I’m old enough to take care of myself,” he muttered.
Tristan bit back a smile. “You’re very smart, kiddo. But there are still a few things you have to learn before you can be in charge of yourself. Miss Dianna will be at the party. What do you say if I bring her here before you go to bed and she can read a book to you?” He hadn’t cleared it with her yet, but based on how often she’d read Mathew stories up until this point, he was sure she’d be up for the task.
Mathew’s demeanor brightened almost immediately and his eyes widened. He lowered his voice into a whisper. “Are you going to marry Miss Dianna?”
Tristan grimaced. He should have known better than to bring up Dianna when he was all dressed up and ready for a night out. Mathew was smart and more than attentive. He could figure out what was going on even if Tristan had done his best to hide it.
Standing, Tristan patted his son’s shoulder. “I don’t know.”
“But you’re going on a date with her.”
“Yes, and sometimes that just means we’re going to be friends.”
“But if you kiss her, then you get to marry her.”
He chuckled. “Just because you kiss someone doesn’t mean you get to marry them. There’s a lot that goes into a decision like that.” Sometimes it was hard to remember that Mathew was only seven years old, especially when he asked questions like that. “Now, you be good for Kimberly and remember to listen to what she says. You don’t have to go to sleep until nine, and I’ll make sure Dianna comes to read to you.”
Mathew offered him a small smile and glanced back at Kimberly, who stayed by the door. “Fine. But I’m not going to talk to her.”
“You’re in charge of your own destiny.”
Mathew rolled his eyes.
Tristan laughed. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to her. I already told her you may not be up for chatting much and she said she’s perfectly fine with that. I’ll see you in a few hours, bud.” He left the cabin and headed for his car. She’d offered to meet him at the country club, but he’d insisted that he wasn’t going to make her drive, especially since her truck was out of commission and at the shop. She’d offered the rebuttal that her sister was going to come and they could carpool together.
He’d put an end to that real quick when he told Shane he wasn’t to allow his blind date to drive herself to the party. Once Tristan picked up Shane, they could go get their dates and then be ready for when the guests began to arrive.
Shane was already waiting by Tristan’s car when he got to the parking lot. His friend glanced at his watch, then up to Tristan. “You’re late, which means I’m going to be late, and I’m never late.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” Tristan unlocked the car and they both climbed in.
“Okay, now that it’s the night of, are you allowed to tell me which sister Dianna is setting me up with? I’m guessing she’s not going to be one of the youngest sisters. Mr. Callahan would have my hide if I even looked at one of them.” He laughed, but it was strained. “The only one I can think of is Eloise. She’s the next one, right? They were named in alphabetical order so that has to be it.”
