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She took in a deep breath and let it out. “I know I’m not an easy person to—”
“Hey,” he whispered. “No one is. People don’t fall in love and stay together because it’s easy. They stay together because it’s worth it.”
Her expression faltered.
And his heart stumbled.
What had he said that caused her to react that way? He went over the words in his head but couldn’t figure out what might have triggered her current concerned expression. “What did I say?”
“You said love.”
“Yeah?”
Dianna didn’t move away from him. That was one good sign. But she did break eye contact. “Are you saying you’re falling in love?”
He could say no. But deep down he knew that was a lie, and he wasn’t about to get caught in something like that. The truth of the matter was that his feelings were stronger than he’d expected them to be. Maybe he was a fool for allowing his heart to go rogue. Or maybe his instincts were right on. Only time would tell, and he wasn’t willing to risk losing the possibility of finding someone as perfect as Dianna. He took a moment to study her, making sure he’d be able to see even the slightest change in her demeanor. “Yes.”
He’d always thought that the phrase “time stood still” was a ridiculous analogy. How could time stop? There were always other things going on. Never would there be complete silence.
But that isexactlywhat happened. He couldn’t hear his pulse roaring in his ears. He didn’t feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. She didn’t move. Everything around him faded away as he waited for her response.
Then she blinked. That was the first indication that he hadn’t taken them through some kind of wormhole.
“Is that okay?” he asked, his voice catching.
“Your steak. You should probably flip it over.”
The sizzling on the stove reached his ears before the smell of his charred steak. He spun around and flipped his steak over, then chuckled when he met her shocked expression. “You didn’t answer me.”
“What?” She blinked again.
Tristan let out a groan. “You’re not going to make me ask again, are you?”
She looked away and her cheeks filled with a pastel pink color before she met his gaze again. For a minute he thought she still wasn’t going to respond. She worried her lower lip, then nodded. “I think I’m okay with it.”
A grin stole over his face once more. “I think I’m okay with it, too.”
The skillet popped and sizzled and his eyes widened as he turned comically toward the food. He’d be lucky if their dinner didn’t end up in the trash for being too burnt to consume.
Dianna moved closer, leaning against the fridge as he cooked. She glanced over to Mathew and lowered her voice. “How do you think he’s going to handle it?”
Tristan glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. “Remember when he drew that picture of us?” He chuckled as he put together that memory with what had occurred last night and then this morning. “I think he’s going to be very excited.”
Her gaze darted over to Mathew again. It was small, like the flutter of dragonfly wings, but he noticed something shift in her countenance. She was pleased with the idea of Mathew caring enough to want her in his life. When her eyes cut to Tristan’s once more, she moved closer. He nearly didn’t hear her whisper. “You don’t think he’s going to think I’m replacing his mom, do you?”
Tristan was almost certain that Mathew thought that. Granted, he didn’t know much about his mother as it was. He would only be able to recognize her due to the handful of pictures Tristan still had lying around.
The problem with telling Dianna any of this was that this could be the one thing that scared her off again. The relationship was still too fresh for any talk of marriage. It was natural for her to worry about him though. He rubbed the back of his neck and focused on the food. “I think Mathew likes you well enough that he’s not going to be thinking about that all too much. You’re still Miss Dianna.”
She seemed to accept that explanation. “Do you mind if I go over there and draw with him while you finish up here?”
“Go for it. The food will be done in a little bit. But I’m sure he’d love to have the extra attention. In fact, you probably spoil him more than you realize.”
Dianna snickered. “Well, it’s Christmas. He deserves to be spoiled.” She leaned up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck before she placed a firm kiss on his lips. Her touch sparked the fire inside him once again. He didn’t have much of an opportunity to react to her. And when she released him to wander across the room, his eyes followed her with awe.
No matter how he spun it, she was exactly what he’d been praying for. If he had put all his preferences on a list, he wouldn’t have been able to find a more perfect option. It was funny how things like that worked out just when he needed them to.
Once the food was done, they shared their meal. Clean-up was quick, mostly because Mathew wanted to get right to Christmas cookie decorating. Dianna taught them how to mix the dough just right so it was the best consistency for soft cookies. Then, while they cooled, she prepared the frosting.
