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He let out an audible huff just as they arrived at the front of a small A-frame cabin. The structure was probably only big enough to have one bedroom—maybe a loft area. There were at least six already built and what appeared to be space for another dozen. They had a large window at the top of the structure and two more small windows on either side of the door.
Dianna pulled out a keycard from her pocket and held it up so Mathew could see. “Do you want to do the honors?”
Mathew smiled from ear to ear and accepted the keycard without hesitation. His boots crunched against the salted sidewalk as he hurried toward the cabin and pressed the card against the reader.
Dianna followed him, her steps quick and sure. Tristan didn’t have a chance to catch up with her to—what? He didn’t feel like he needed to apologize, but there was a definite tension in the air that he wanted to clear. He knew he’d been tired and cranky acting earlier.
Mathew opened the door to the cabin without difficulty, then promptly returned the keycard to Dianna. Tristan leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb, watching as Dianna followed Mathew to different parts of their new home for the next few weeks. He wandered to the small living room that would only fit about four people. There was a small fireplace in the corner and shelves with books. Surrounding a coffee table was a loveseat and two chairs.
Next, his son explored the kitchen. The table was incorporated into a nook with a wrap-around bench for seating. There was a fridge, microwave, and oven, but very little storage space in the way of cabinets and counter space. Mathew hustled down the hall, and Tristan heard Dianna’s laughter as she followed him.
Tristan pushed against the doorjamb, ready to shut the door to keep all the cold air out, when he heard the sound of boots crunching behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to find Shane headed toward them with what could only be a gift basket.
Smiling in spite of himself, Tristan reached for the offered gift and nodded toward the cabin. “When you said you’d have lodging, I thought you meant some kind of motel. This is too much.”
“Nonsense. This is what they were built for. No one wants to go through weeks of therapy and have to stay in a hotel. It’s small, but I figured you wouldn’t need the additional space.” Shane glanced over Tristan’s shoulder to the interior of the building. “How is Dianna doing?”
Tristan nearly choked on his laugh. “She’s—interesting.”
Shane’s eyes darted back to Tristan. “What happened?”
“Oh, nothing I can’t handle.”
“It’s okay to tell me. She’s new. But I needed to find someone local who could accommodate your schedule. Is something wrong?”
Tristan chuckled. “She’s very blunt. Let’s put it that way.” He looked over his shoulder, making sure no one would overhear them. “Honestly, she said some things that I probably needed to hear.”
“That doesn’t sound good. If I need to have a word with her—”
“It’s fine, really. She’s not here to impress me or get on my good side. She’s here to help Mathew. And it looks like she knows what she’s doing.”
Shane didn’t appear convinced, but he didn’t argue. “Well, if there’s anything you need from here on out and she can’t get it for you, let me know. You’re my guests, and I want this experience to be a good one.”
Tristan nodded. “Thank you.”
His friend turned and headed back the way he’d come. Tristan brought the gift basket into the cabin, kicked the door shut behind him, and placed the basket on the counter. Mathew and Dianna weren’t back in the main area yet, but he could hear Dianna’s voice. He followed the sound around to the back of the structure where there was a ladder leading to the highest point of the cabin.
Tristan quietly climbed up the ladder and poked his head over the edge to find a second, smaller bedroom with a twin bed on the far side. Dianna and Mathew were sitting in front of a small window cross-legged, with Dianna pointing outside.
“That’s where we’re going to exercise Molasses,” she said, “before we learn riding techniques. And over there are where the trails go. I’m not sure if we’re going to go riding out that way; it’s really cold right now. That’s the big stadium. Wemightbe able to take Molasses there and teach you some tricks like jumps. We’ll just see how it goes and what you’re comfortable with.”
Every so often Mathew would meet Dianna’s gaze and smile. The boy seemed perfectly content to listen to her talk, and he couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. Tristan moved to head back down the ladder, but his foot slipped and he thunked his head on the edge of the floor.
Dianna and Mathew glanced in his direction. From where he stood on the ladder, it appeared he’d given Dianna some form of amusement.
Mathew scrambled to his feet and hurried over to him and whispered, “Do we get to go riding tomorrow?”
Tristan’s focus flitted to Dianna, who had gotten to her feet as well. She appeared more settled than when they were in the barn, which was probably a good thing. He nodded to Mathew. “I’ll have to ask your teacher first. But I think so. How about we climb down and get our things from the car.”
He nodded, and Tristan met Dianna’s eyes once more before he headed down the ladder. As soon as Mathew was within reach, he was able to pull him from the ladder and set him on his feet. They waited for Dianna to make it to the bottom before heading toward the front of the cabin.
She held out the keycard and offered him a smile. “I suppose you’ll be needing this.”
“Thank you,” he said, reaching for it. His fingers grazed hers, and he was surprised to find they were warm.
The moment was fleeting and she shoved her hands into her pockets. “I don’t believe there’s anything else you’ll need from me today. I’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll spend most of our time getting to know Molasses better. I’m sure Mathew will do great. Do you have any questions?”
He itched to bring up their previous conversation. But he wasn’t sure how to go about it. The things she’d said were true. Society needed to be more flexible, but that wasn’t how the world worked. The way he saw it, one day Mathew would need something, and he wouldn’t have the tools to get it, not unless he learned how to communicate better.
