“Lisa invited us to go out to Portage to spend the holiday with her and her mom. I was hoping to head out after I finish work on Christmas Eve and come back on Boxing Day.” Shayna paused as a thought occurred to her. “If it’s okay for me to use your car to go that far. I doubt I’ll have a new car in place before then.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Tristan waved his hand dismissively. “You’ll find it drives really nice on the highway.”
“Thank you. We’ve missed Lisa a lot, so it will be nice to be able to spend Christmas with her like we have in the past.” She took a sip of her drink. “Do you have big plans for Christmas? Does your family spend it all together?”
“Yep, though I’m waiting for the day when we outgrow my parents’ home. Each year our family is growing bigger and bigger. My parents have always had a ‘more the merrier’ type of approach to all holidays. Some of my sisters-in-law bring their parents and siblings. It means we can all celebrate together.”
“Sounds like a houseful,” Shayna said, wondering what that might be like.
“It certainly is, and we usually have a party on New Year’s Eve too,” Tristan said. “It would be great if you and Timothy could join us.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude on a family gathering,” Shayna said, even as Timothy made an excited sound.
“You wouldn’t be. On New Year’s Eve, my parents’ open their home to more than just family. We include lots of friends as well. Actually, we also have a gathering on Boxing Day that you’d be welcome to join if you were around.”
“Maybe we could come back early, Maman,” Timothy suggested quickly.
“I’m sorry.” Tristan gave her an apologetic look even though she hadn’t said a word. “I know better than to suggest things in the presence of children.”
“It’s okay.” She couldn’t really get mad at him though, because, to date, he’d been pretty good about not suggesting things that she might not want—or be able—to say yes to.
“It’s important to do as your mom says,” Tristan said, turning his attention fully to Timothy. “I think Lisa probably needs your company for the holiday. It’s probably been a difficult holiday season for her since her mom was hurt. Think about how it would be for her. I bet just having you there will make her Christmas happier.”
Timothy was clearly torn, glancing between his mom and Tristan, his brow slightly furrowed beneath his dark bangs. Finally, he gave a quick nod. “It’s too bad she couldn’t just come with us.”
“You know that’s not possible. She can’t even stay the night when she comes to visit.”
Timothy shrugged then took another bite of his pancakes. Grateful that the matter was settled for the time being, Shayna also returned her attention to the last of her salad. After they had finished, Tristan offered them dessert, but Shayna turned it down. More sugar was the last thing Timothy needed, plus, she wanted to be home well before Eva showed up.
Once Tristan settled the bill, they left the warmth of the restaurant and ventured into the clear, cold afternoon. It was supposed to warm up closer to Christmas, but even if it didn’t, she was grateful to have a more reliable vehicle with excellent heat for the hour or so drive to Lisa’s place.
As they reached the SUV, Tristan opened the back door so Timothy could clamber up into his booster seat. After he was inside, Tristan closed the door and turned to her. Though he gripped the handle of the driver’s door, he didn’t open it. After a glance at the back window where Timothy sat, Tristan met her gaze.
“Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?”
“Dinner?” She wasn’t sure how to take his question given how he was acting.
“Yes. I’d like to take you out for dinner.” He hesitated then added, “Just the two of us. I’ll bring one of the girls to babysit Timothy for the evening.”
Well, that certainly made his intentions clear. A date, it would seem. And now she had a decision to make. Given her thoughts of late, she should have had a more immediate response, but she didn’t.
Tristan obviously took her hesitation for what it was. “You don’t need to answer me right now. Just let me know when you’ve decided.”
With that, he pulled open the door and moved back to allow her to get in. She took the out he gave her and nodded as she climbed behind the wheel. “Thank you for lunch.”
“You’re welcome.” The smile he gave her didn’t seem to hold her reluctance to answer his invitation against her. “Let me know how things go with Eva this afternoon. I’ll be praying that it works out for both of you.”
Before she could respond, he closed the door and stepped away. He waited until she’d pulled out of her parking space before going to his vehicle. She glanced in her mirror as she stopped at the exit to the parking lot. Tristan stood next to the truck he’d driven to the restaurant, his hand resting on the side of it.
Had she made a mistake not answering him right away? Did he regret having asked her because she’d hesitated? And why had she not given him an answer? Part of her—a large part—had wanted to refuse him outright. But there was another part—much smaller, true, but still there—that had wanted to grab his hand and say yes!
The thought made her a little queasy, so she looked away from the image of Tristan in her mirror and turned out of the parking lot onto the street that would take her home. At some point, she’d answer him, but at that moment, she had no idea what her answer would be.
Tristan sat in his truck, steering wheel gripped in his hands as he stared blankly through the windshield. That hadn’t gone exactly as he’d hoped. His feelings for Shayna had slowly changed over the three months he’d know her and Timothy. He’d been thinking about asking her out but hadn’t planned to do it like that.
Why on earth had he blurted out the question the way he had? What had happened to his normal way of evaluating a situation thoroughly before moving forward? It seemed that his usual way of approaching things had gone out the window when it came to dealing with Shayna.
Her hesitation had given him an answer even though her words had not. He would just have to try to not let it make things awkward between them. Because now that the two of them were in his life, Tristan couldn’t imagine it without them. And if that was strictly in the form of friends, then so be it.
There was nothing he could do at that point. Nothing would change the fact that he had asked the question, but he wouldn’t try to say or do anything to influence her answer. In fact, he’d tried to keep Timothy from hearing his invitation. He hadn’t wanted the boy to read something into a situation that his mother might not be prepared for.
For the time being, he’d wait. Thankfully, it was a good time to be faced with other distractions. There was a lot to be done in the lead up to Christmas. While he didn’t have much to do for himself—any Christmas shopping he’d been planning to do was already finished thanks to online shopping—he’d agreed to help his mom with anything she might need. Plus, he planned to be at the tiny home office for at least a couple of days.
Knowing that Shayna and Timothy would be heading out of town on Christmas Eve, he’d have to make time before then to drop off the small collection of gifts he’d gotten for them. Nothing too extravagant, even though he’d wanted to shower them with gifts, because he’d known Shayna would object. And she’d have that right.
Still, even knowing that, it had taken everything within him to not add a new tablet, with all the bells and whistles, to his cart. Two of them, in fact. Timothy had revealed that they had one that they shared between them. He’d wanted to buy a gaming system for Timothy. A new car for Shayna.
But he’d gotten none of those things. Instead, making use of Danica and Sierra’s knowledge of female sizes, he’d bought her a new warm winter coat, along with a new scarf. Timothy was getting new ski pants, and a jacket as well since Tristan had noticed that his was fraying at the cuffs. His gift also included a new scarf, mitts, boots, and a knit cap. Very practical, but he figured that would be a gift most easily accepted by Shayna.
But knowing that the boy might be disappointed by an entirely practical gift, Tristan hadn’t been able to resist picking up a science set that he knew he would have liked when he was Timothy’s age.
Instead of going to his apartment after leaving the restaurant, Tristan headed out to his folks’ place. He was sure there would be people around, and for once, he didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts.
As it turned out, Tristan’s week was busy enough to keep him from being able to stop by Shayna’s place until the night before they were to leave for Lisa’s. He’d wrapped their presents himself—and they definitely looked it. Before leaving for work, he’d put all the parcels in the truck. When he knew Shayna was finished work, he texted her to see if he could bring pizza for supper.
Tristan had prepared himself for her to reject his offer and was already mentally composing his request to stop by with the presents when her reply arrived.
Shayna: That sounds great. I hadn’t planned anything for supper yet.
Same types as last time?
Shayna: Yes. Thank you.
I’ll be there around five-thirty. Is that okay?
Shayna: Yep! That’s perfect.
Tristan smiled at his phone as he read her reply. She might not say yes to his other invitation, but at least she seemed willing to still allow him to be part of their lives. He logged onto the app to place the pizza order for pick up on his way to their place once he was done work.
The last couple of hours at work seemed to drag by, but soon enough, he was headed to the restaurant to pick up his pizza order before driving on to Shayna’s. The aroma of the pizza filled the interior of the truck, making his stomach rumble with hunger.
Once at the townhouse, he pulled the truck into the short driveway. Taking the pizza boxes, he left the gifts for the time being since they wouldn’t be hurt sitting in the cold. He’d barely reached the door before it was jerked wide open. Timothy stood there with a wide smile on his face.
“Pizza!”
“Cold pizza, if you make me wait outside.”
Timothy instantly danced back so that Tristan could step into the house. “What kind did you get me?”
“The same kind you asked for last time,” Tristan told him as he put the boxes on the stairs leading to the second floor. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind?”
“Nope. That’s still my favorite.”
Timothy leaned over and sniffed the boxes while Tristan peeled out of his coat. He laid it over the end of the stair railing as he toed off his boots. When he picked up the pizza, Timothy darted ahead of him up the stairs.
“Maman!” he shouted as he reached the top. “Tristan’s here!”
Shayna appeared, a smile on her face. “I know, Bug. That’s why I sent you down to open the door.”
As he neared them, Shayna took the boxes from him and led the way to the dining room table. “What would you like to drink?”
“Just water is fine for me,” Tristan said.
There were plates and glasses already on the table, one of which was filled with milk. Timothy had taken the seat in front of the glass of milk, but his gaze was on the boxes of pizza. Shayna came back to the table with a small pitcher of water which she used to fill the other glasses at the table. Once she was done, she gestured for Tristan to sit as she slid into her usual place.
Timothy said his prayer for the food in a rush, no doubt fueled by the smell of the pizza that now filled the small house. Once done, Tristan waited as Shayna helped Timothy put a couple of pieces on his plate. It was a bit awkward dealing with the boxes at the table, but it didn’t take long before they’d each made a dent in their preferred pizza.
In between bites, Timothy managed to recount the horrible day he’d had at the babysitter’s. Tristan had managed to hide his smile as Timothy went on and on about how bad it had been. When he glanced at Shayna, he saw that she, too, had a smile playing on her face. Their gazes met for a moment, and Tristan expected her to look away, but instead, her smile widened. It gave him much more hope than he’d had so far that she might agree to his request for a date.
Since this evening was the three of them, conversation flowed mainly around Timothy, but Tristan didn’t mind. Shayna seemed happiest when dealing with Timothy. Her face lit up as they interacted, and it warmed Tristan that he was allowed to see it. He had the feeling that not many did.
Tristan didn’t stay too late since he knew that Shayna still had work early the next day before the drive out to spend the holiday with Lisa. When he finally made a reluctant move to leave, Timothy disappeared into the living room as Tristan and Shayna made their way downstairs to the garage.
Once at the door, Tristan shoved his feet into his boots and pulled on his coat. “I just need to get something from the truck before I go. I’ll be right back.”
When Tristan stepped back into the house a couple minutes later, Timothy had joined his mother, a gift bag in his hand. The boy’s eyes widened as he took in the gifts Tristan held.
“Are those for us?” Timothy asked before his mother shushed him.
“They are, indeed,” Tristan said, holding them out to Shayna.
She hesitated before taking them from him. “You didn’t need to.”
“I know.” Tristan smiled at her. “That’s what makes giving them all the more enjoyable.”
“Thank you.” Shayna glanced at Timothy, whose gaze was tight on the presents. “Timothy?”
“What?” He glanced up at her then said, “Oh right!”
He lifted the hand holding the gift bag toward Tristan. “This is for you.”
“Thank you,” Tristan said as he took the bag. “You didn’t have to get me…” His words trailed off as he saw a small smile lift one corner of Shayna’s mouth. He returned her smile with a laugh as he realized he’d pretty much echoed her earlier words.
“I hope the two of you have a wonderful Christmas with Lisa.” He rested a hand on Timothy’s shoulder. “I look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.”
As he walked to his truck, he couldn’t help but smile. The gift had been totally unexpected, and it didn’t matter what the gift bag contained. Just the thought that they’d taken the time to find something for him warmed him in the cold evening air. He wanted to look in the bag as soon as he got in the truck, but instead, he waited until he got home to place the bag beneath the small tree he’d put up on a whim a couple of weeks earlier.
It was the only present under the tree, and as far as Tristan was concerned, it was the best present he would receive that Christmas. There was no way any other gift would hold as much meaning. He would open the present before heading to his folks’ place for Christmas Eve. As many as possible of the family would be staying the night, which included Tristan, but he didn’t really want to open the gift in the midst of all of them.
He went to bed right around eleven after he’d finished a Skype call with Jackson. As usual, it had started out as a perfectly fine conversation, but he’d ended up rather frustrated by his partner. Jackson had been in fine form, needling him about his lack of a love life. Jackson enjoyed serial dating, and he couldn’t understand having only one girlfriend. Or none…as was the case with Tristan.
By morning, he’d managed to quell his irritation and was able to focus on the day ahead. He went to the C&M office for the day instead of the tiny village one. As the afternoon slipped by, his attention kept wandering to the clock in the corner of his monitor. As it neared four—the time he knew Shayna would be heading out of the city—Tristan found himself praying for their safety.
The SUV was a sturdy vehicle and handled well on the highway, even if the roads weren’t in the best shape. However, Tristan was aware that a lot of semis drove the stretch between Winnipeg and Portage, and the SUV would be no match should one of those go out of control.
He wasn’t one to worry, for the most part. After all, he knew the statistics about road accidents, even for that stretch. The likelihood of something happening to them on their journey was slim to none, and yet, worry ate at him. He wished he’d asked Shayna to text him once they’d arrived.
He could still do that, he supposed. Picking up his phone, Tristan quickly tapped out the message and sent it before he could reconsider. Hopefully, she would humor him.
Tristan was the last one to leave the office that afternoon since the office had actually closed at noon, so that those who wanted to leave early, could. Though Tristan had set himself a goal for the day, his worry over Shayna and Timothy’s trip had kept him from his usual focus, so he’d stayed longer than all the others.
It had been nice actually. The quiet of the office was only broken by the instrumental Christmas carols piped over the building’s PA system. Usually, he had to put his earbuds in to block out all the other noise so that he could focus on what he needed to.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the distractions in the office that day that had kept him from reaching his goal. No, that had been because of his own distraction with Shayna and Timothy.