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This news surprised him in a way that probably shouldn’t have been so enjoyable. If he was any other guy, he might use this moment to fuel that jealousy. But he knew better. Relationships that lasted needed to be built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect. “The woman I was speaking with is the daughter of a family who has an apartment over their garage. I was discussing the possibility of renting it.”
Dianna’s eyes widened and she bit back an embarrassed laugh. “Really?”
He squeezed her hand. “Really. I told you. I will wait as long as it takes for you to be ready. And when you are, I’m going to ask you to marry me so fast it’s going to make your head spin.”
That was probably too much information for the moment. But it was out in the open now. She knew his intentions and for the time being, she couldn’t use any more excuses. She either wanted him, or she didn’t.
Tristan had a good feeling about it now. The way Dianna would meet his gaze. The way she smiled at him.
Her confession.
All of those hints were enough to build up his confidence. If he had to, he’d return to the cabin tonight without so much as a promise to see her again.
That was how much he trusted her after this conversation.
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” Dianna grinned.
Tristan laughed and effortlessly picked her up, swinging her in the air before he set her on her feet. Words would never be enough to express the way he felt at this very moment. So instead of a long flowery speech, Tristan slipped his hands around the nape of her neck and pulled her closer. All the kisses they’d shared before paled in comparison to this next one.
When his mouth closed in over hers, he made sure every single nuance regarding how he felt about her would seep into her core. He kissed her sweetly, softly, then with a more fevered passion. This kiss had to show her everything that was in his heart and more. She needed to trust that he was giving his whole self to her—mind, body and soul.
Her hands pushed into his hair, and her eyes fluttered closed. She came alive beneath his touch, refreshing the memory of their first kiss and every single one since.
He had hope for a life together with Dianna.
30
Dianna
Dianna had invited Tristan and Mathew over to her family’s home for Christmas Day celebrations. All her sisters had adored Mathew, and he was spoiled by their attention. It only took a few hours for him to warm up to them, which had surprised both Dianna and Tristan.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, she spent nearly every waking moment with them. The funny thing was that the more time she was in their company, the more it simply felt right.
All her fears and concerns had managed to disappear. She couldn’t figure out why exactly, but she was definitely more relaxed about everything. Occasionally, she berated herself for the silly reasons she’d had when she broke up with him in the first place. While she would never admit that she was one-hundred-percent wrong, she could see now that her overreactions hadn’t been necessary.
The funny thing was that her new outlook seemed to help her work with Mathew even more successfully. While he worked on one of his drawings, she sat beside him with her own paper and pencil, sketching out his studious features. He hadn’t noticed who she was drawing yet as he kept his focus zeroed in on his own paper.
The cabin was quiet but cozy. A roaring, crackling flame danced in the fireplace. Snow had started falling about an hour ago. This was shaping up to be a wonderful New Year’s Eve, and she couldn’t wait for tonight when she could ring in the new year in Tristan’s arms.
Mathew glanced up and his eyes zeroed in on her picture. His eyes widened and bounced up to meet hers. “Is that me?”
“Sure is, kiddo.”
“Do I get to keep it?”
She laughed. “If you’d like to.”
He nodded vigorously. “I want to hang it up in my room.”
Dianna continued sketching. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
They were silent for a few more minutes. Tristan had gone outside to find more firewood so they were completely alone. Mathew shifted in his seat and put his pencil down. “Are you going to marry my dad?”
She froze. Besides Tristan’s long speech the other week regarding how much he cared about her, they hadn’t really discussed the future all that much. She could assume that was where this relationship was going, but that could turn into a grave mistake. It was best to sit back and let nature take its course.
But this was Mathew she was talking to. He wasn’t known for his patience.
Dianna didn’t meet his eyes as she used her thumb to smudge a part of his hair. “I don’t know.” It was an honest answer, and it shouldn’t have caused her any grief whatsoever. And yet it did. The pain was only a twinge. And it wouldn’t do her any good to linger on it. Besides, after what she put Tristan through, she couldn’t expect him to throw caution to the wind and ask her to marry him. He probably thought she’d turn him down and leave him high and dry just like his ex had done. It didn’t matter if she’d never shown signs of such betrayal. Tristan was allowed to err on the side of caution. But that didn’t stop her from hoping one day he would ask her to be his for the rest of their lives.
