The trip back to the townhouse seemed to take twice as long as going to the restaurant had, despite the traffic being even lighter than earlier. Shayna felt disappointment fill her as she realized this was likely the first and last time they’d go on a date. Even though she hadn’t been sure she should go out with Tristan in the first place, as the evening had progressed, she’d been so glad she had.
But now it might not happen again.
When tears pricked at her eyes, Shayna turned her head and blinked rapidly, not understanding at all what had brought them on.
After Tristan pulled to a stop in the driveway, Shayna once again—at his request—waited for him to open her door. They walked together to the townhouse, and once inside, Shayna touched Tristan’s arm as he headed for the stairs. He stopped then turned to face her, his expression serious but not closed off.
“Thank you for the evening,” she said, hoping he could read the sincerity of her words on her face. “I really enjoyed it.” She hesitated. “All of it.”
His brows drew together. “Even the awkward part?”
Shayna shrugged. “Even that. It won’t be what I remember when I think back on the evening.”
She hoped she wasn’t lying when she said that. Maybe, for the first little while, the awkwardness would be what came to mind along with the rest, but she hoped that in time, just the fun and enjoyable parts of the evening would remain in her memory.
“I hope so,” Tristan said. “I enjoyed the evening as well.”
She smiled at him. “Good.” She glanced up the stairs. “I’m sure Timothy is looking forward to hearing all about it.”
As if on cue, Timothy appeared at the top of the stairs. “Maman! Tristan!”
“We’ll be right up, Bug.” Shayna unbuttoned her coat and hung it up, but when she held out her hand for Tristan’s, he shook his head.
“I’d better head off soon. I would imagine that you both have an early morning tomorrow.”
“True,” Shayna said with a sigh. “My shift starts at seven, and Timothy is off to the babysitter’s again.”
“Are you off work on New Year’s Day?”
“Yes, though I do have to work my shift on New Year’s Eve.”
Tristan followed her up the stairs, and together, they found Danica and Sierra in the dining room with Timothy. Monopoly was spread out all over the table.
“I see you didn’t heed my warning,” Shayna said as she walked over to give Timothy a kiss. “Did he win?”
“Yeah,” Danica said as she slumped back in her chair. “This is our second game. Sierra and I are trying to redeem our first loss. He bankrupted us both.”
“You’re gluttons for punishment.” Shayna looked around, pleased to see that the girls had cleared up after their dinner. It made her like them even more.
“Or he’s quite good at convincing people to give him what he wants,” Sierra said with a smile. “He is also quite entertaining, I have to say.” She looked at Tristan. “You need to hire him to talk to people about tiny homes. I think he knows at least as much about them as you do.”
“He does,” Tristan said, reaching out to ruffle Timothy’s hair. “He and Shayna came by to see the display home not long after I started to teach him in our Sunday School class.”
“I still think we should move into one,” Timothy said as he began to clean up the game. He glanced at each of the girls then added, “I think we can say I won this game as well.”
Both of them eyed the game with varying levels of dislike, and Danica said, “I think we can say that with a fair amount of confidence. One of these days, I think we need to have him play Gabe. I would pay good money to watch Timothy beat him.”
Sierra and Tristan both started laughing, and the seriousness that had been on Tristan’s face since they’d left the restaurant faded away.
“Thank you so much for staying with him tonight,” Shayna said. “From the looks of things, he’s enjoyed himself very much.”
“Any time you need a babysitter, feel free to let us know.” Danica handed Timothy her meager stack of cash. “I can’t promise we’d always be available, but you never know.”
“Thank you for the offer. I’m sure Timothy will be finding all kinds of reasons why he needs me to go out without him.”
“Well, if you and…” Danica’s words faded as she looked at her brother. “Uh, well, you know, if you ever need a babysitter for anything.”
Shayna didn’t look at Tristan to see what it was on his face that had caused Danica to stumble over her offer. Instead, she fought to keep her expression from falling, even as the disappointment, which had eased a bit in the past few minutes, roared back to life.
“We should probably be going,” Danica said after another glance at her brother. “Let’s get this all cleaned up.”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that.” Shayna began to put the pieces into the little plastic bags. “We can finish putting it away.”
Suddenly, the uneasiness that had been with them in the truck permeated the air around them. It engulfed Danica and Sierra this time too, though Timothy seemed blissfully unaware of it all. The game was quickly packed away, and then they all made their way down to the front door.
Danica and Sierra pulled on their jackets and boots then left after promising to keep in touch. Then it was just her, Tristan, and Timothy.
“I’ll see you next week,” Tristan said to Timothy. “We’re back on schedule for our Sunday School class.”
“Good!” Timothy held up his hand, and Tristan high-fived it.
Tristan turned to Shayna and gave her a small smile. “I hope you have a good week.”
“You too.” Shayna returned his smile, wondering if the sadness inside her was showing. “Thank you again for the evening. It was lovely.”
“You’re welcome.” He opened the door, and Shayna drew Timothy closer to her as the cold air swept in. With one last look in their direction, Tristan pulled the door shut behind him.
Shayna’s shoulders slumped as they stood there together. Though it had been just the two of them in the weeks since Lisa had had to leave, right then, she felt even more alone.
“Come on, Bug.” She turned them toward the stairs. “Let’s get ready for bed.”
Tristan was glad that neither of the girls had ridden home with him. It gave him time to focus on the evening and what had gone wrong. When he’d envisioned the date, having the conversation turn to her deceased husband hadn’t been part of his plan, but maybe it had been naïve of him to have not considered that. He had no idea if such a conversation was normal on the first date with someone who had lost their spouse.
Bennett had dated Grace after her husband had been killed, but their situation had been different. The whole family had known Franklin, so when they’d begun their relationship, he hadn’t been an unknown to Bennett the way Lorne was to Tristan. Memories Grace had of Franklin were, in a lot of cases, shared by all of them. Not the more intimate ones, of course, but at least Bennett had known what he was up against.
Tristan felt like he was in competition with a ghost, and he wasn’t sure if that was a normal way to feel when dating someone whose spouse had passed away. Maybe if this first date had gone more smoothly, without a conversation about Lorne, he’d feel more confident about moving forward.
It would have been a start of things just between them, but for a time, it had felt like there were three people at that small table, which, for Tristan, was one too many. It seemed that maybe Shayna wasn’t quite ready yet to move forward.
As he pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building, Tristan let out a sigh. It was apparent that he’d put a bit more stock into the outcome of the evening than he’d realized. Had he had unrealistic expectations for what it would be like to date a woman who had lost her husband? Tristan kind of felt that he had. But now it was time to move beyond that and try to go back to the friendship they had been building.
Even though the week ahead was a short one because of the holidays, Tristan decided to go to bed early. Jackson had texted him earlier in the day to say he wanted to chat, but Tristan had ignored his request and continued to ignore it as he got ready for bed. The last thing he needed was Jackson managing to pull the story out of him and then telling him all the ways he’d screwed things up. Tristan didn’t need that.
Thankfully, he managed to find enough work to hold his focus—for the most part—the next day. But he was still glad to head for home once the day was over. The solitude of the apartment was, at first, welcome, but as he prepared himself something to eat, it began to feel a bit oppressive.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to put Jackson off too much longer, Tristan set his laptop up on the table in front of his dinner plate and hit the button to place the Skype call. Jackson was quick to answer, his grinning face filling the laptop screen.
They chatted for awhile about the game’s latest numbers and the bug reports they’d received after the latest update. He’d finished his dinner and set his plate aside when his phone chirped a text alert. Listening to Jackson with one ear, Tristan picked up his phone then stared at the screen, not quite sure what to make of it.
Shayna: Does the invitation for New Year’s Eve still stand?
Tristan frowned, uncertain of how to respond. After how the date had gone, he’d been almost positive that Shayna would decline the invitation for the party on New Year’s Eve.
“Tristan!” Jerking his head up, he found Jackson watching him with raised brows. “What’s going on?”
“What?”
“Your phone. What’s happened? You look like you’ve discovered a problem you don’t have a solution to.”
He wasn’t that far from the truth of the matter, but Tristan wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to share that with his friend. A man who would most likely come back with a flippant response that would be no help at all.
“It’s nothing,” Tristan said, though the turmoil of his thoughts made that a lie.
Yes. Certainly! If you and Timothy would like to come, you’re more than welcome.
Setting the phone down, he turned his attention back to Jackson. The conversation went back to the game issues—which, thankfully, weren’t too many—and then they discussed the items that the game developers had brought forth at their last meeting. All in all, it was a satisfactory meeting, though Tristan hoped he’d remember all that they’d discussed. His focus had been badly fractured—as had been the case, it seemed, ever since his heart and mind had zeroed in on Shayna.
“Talk to you later, man,” Jackson said. “I hope you bring your attention and focus to the next meeting. I’ve never seen you so distracted.” He hesitated, arching a brow. “It’s a woman, right? I mean, that’s the only possible reason I can think of for how you’ve been unable to keep your eyes off your phone.”
“Maybe I’ll tell you about it some day,” Tristan said, keeping his tone mild.
“I’ll hold you to that, so don’t think you’ll get away without giving me an explanation, bro.”
“One day.” Tristan made a show of looking at his watch—the one his family liked to tease him about wearing since it seemed few people wore them anymore. “I think it’s time for me to call it a night. I have lots to take care of tomorrow.”
“Are you going to fly down here for the next meeting?” Jackson asked. “I think it might be important for you to make a personal appearance.”
“I think I can make it. Just get me the information as soon as it’s finalized so I can book my flight.”
“Will do. Good night, bro.”
The connection ended with a blip. Tristan closed the laptop screen then picked up his phone to see if Shayna had replied.
Shayna: What time should we come? And is it still okay to bring something?
The party starts around eight. And for sure, you can bring anything you’d like. We usually have lots of finger foods. Feel free to add to it.
Shayna: Timothy is very excited at the idea. Will there be other children there?
Yes. Some younger and some older. I’m not sure if there will be any exactly his age, but even so, Danica and Sierra will make sure that he’s entertained.
Shayna: Good. We’ll see you then.
I can come by and pick the two of you up if you’d like and I can take you home afterward.
Shayna: I wouldn’t want you to have to go out of your way.
It’s not out of my way…okay, well, it is a bit out of the way, but I don’t mind driving around.
Shayna: I hesitate to take you up on your offer, but I must say, I’d appreciate it, so that I don’t have to find my way to a new place in the dark.
I’ll be by around seven-thirty then.
Shayna: We’ll be ready!
Tristan let out a puff of air as he leaned back in his chair. He crossed his arms and stared at his closed laptop, wondering exactly what New Year’s Eve might hold now that Shayna and Timothy were going to be there. No doubt, the hours between then and the party would give him plenty of time to sort through how he felt about it and how he thought he should act.
Shayna smoothed her hands down over her hips as she stood in front of the mirror, hoping she hadn’t made a mistake in deciding to go to the party with Timothy. The minute she sent the text asking about the state of the invitation, she’d begun to question her decision. She was rather surprised that Tristan seemed so welcoming of the idea.
She hoped this meant that perhaps all wasn’t lost after their rather awkward date. It was how she looked at that evening. Though she hoped that one day it would just be their “awkward first date” instead of their “awkward only date.”
Not knowing what she was walking into at the party, she’d changed her clothes three times before deciding on a pair of fitted black pants that she’d then paired with a long dark green sweater that ended mid-thigh and had a draped cowl neck. She hoped that even though it was comfortable, it was still something appropriate for her to wear.
The knock came on her door at the same time Timothy said, “Are you ready, Maman? I think Tristan will be here soon.”
“Come in, sweetie,” she called out as she reached for the earrings she’d chosen to wear with her outfit.
Timothy came bounding in and jumped up on the bed. “I like your green!”
Shayna turned to him with a smile. “And I like your blue.”
“I hope Benjie will be there tonight.”
It wasn’t the first time Timothy had mentioned the other boy, so Shayna hoped he was there as well since she would like to meet him. “I suppose Tristan might know, so you could ask him when he gets here.”
She lifted a necklace from her dresser and started to fasten it around her neck, but then paused. Not only was it not long enough, but it had also been a gift from Lorne on their first anniversary. It hadn’t been an expensive piece of jewelry, but at least it didn’t turn her neck green. She started to go ahead and fasten it with the intent of tucking it underneath the neckline of the sweater.
Instead, she lowered her hands, clutching the chain in her palm. With a sigh, she opened her top drawer and returned the necklace to its spot in the box that held her jewelry then searched for a longer necklace that would suit the style of the sweater. She found one that was definitely cheaper than the shorter one, and it would turn her neck green if she wore it against her skin. It had come in a bag of sale jewelry at one of the stores in the mall. Thankfully, because of its length, she was able to put it under the cowl neck which allowed it to hang almost to her waist.
Timothy joined her in front of the full-length mirror that was propped against the wall. He reached out to touch the necklace. “That’s pretty, Maman.”
Shayna hoped that Timothy would always find the beauty in things, regardless of how much they cost. If he began to see only the dollar value of things, he’d miss out on the simple pleasures of life.
Gripping the chain in her hand, she let it run through her fist. “It is pretty, isn’t it?”
“Here. Put this on.” Timothy shoved a small bottle of perfume into her hands. “It’s my favorite.”
Shayna smiled down at him as she dabbed some behind her ears and on the inside of her wrists. “Mine, too.”
It had been the perfume of hers that Lorne had liked best too. And while that likely should have meant she shouldn’t wear it for that evening, its scent was comforting to her. Giving her a boost of confidence going into an unknown setting and facing a host of strangers. All of whom would be wondering who she was and what she was doing there.
“I’m going to see if Tristan’s here yet,” Timothy said as he headed out of the room.
Shayna took one last look at herself, smoothing a hand over the wisps that had escaped the twist she had pulled her hair back into. She let out a puff of air and pressed a hand to her stomach to try to quiet the nerves that were slowly building up inside of her.
Knowing that hanging around upstairs wouldn’t do anything to stop the nerves, Shayna left her room. She had just found Timothy in the living room, peering out the window when he turned away from it with a grin.
“Tristan’s here?” Shayna guessed.
Timothy nodded as he headed for the stairs. “I’m going to get my jacket.”
This was the first time she’d seen Tristan since their awkward date, and she really hoped that this didn’t turn into an awkward evening. She wanted to get things back to where they’d been. If it meant not speaking about Lorne for the evening, she could do that. Not speaking about him didn’t mean she’d banished him from her thoughts. Or her heart.
Shayna made her way down the stairs, reaching the bottom just as Tristan stepped into the house through the door Timothy held open. He looked up and smiled as their gazes met. The butterflies’ wings slowed their mad flapping ever so slightly. Maybe all wasn’t lost.
“Happy New Year’s Eve,” Tristan said with a smile.
Yes, things might just be okay. “Happy New Year’s Eve to you too.”
“Are you ready to go? Or do you need a few more minutes?”
“We’re ready,” Timothy answered for her as he went to the closet and pulled her coat out.
When he went to give it to her, Tristan held out his hand. “Here. Let me help your mom with that.”
Timothy gave it to him without hesitation. Tristan held it by the shoulders, waiting as Shayna turned her back to him and slid her arms into the sleeves. After Tristan had lifted it onto her shoulders, Shayna began to button it up. Once it was buttoned, she grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around her neck while Timothy zipped up his own jacket.
“Shall we go?” Tristan asked once their jackets were all in place. “I’ve left the truck running so it’s nice and warm.”
“We just have to get Timothy’s booster from the car,” Shayna said as she opened the door to the garage.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Tristan said. “I have a seat for him in the truck.”
Shayna paused and turned to look at him. “That’s great. I’ll just grab the food I made. I put it in here earlier since it needed to stay cool, and my fridge didn’t have enough room.”
“Let me help you carry that,” Tristan said when she reappeared with the container that held the treats she and Timothy had worked on earlier.
Shayna relinquished the container. “Thank you.”
“Do you want to know what it is?” Timothy asked as he opened the door so they could leave the house.
“Sure.” Tristan went through the door. “Though I’m guessing it’s going to be delicious no matter what it is.”
While Timothy excitedly told Tristan about the white, dark, and milk chocolate dipped strawberries they’d made, Shayna locked the door then followed them to the truck that sat in the driveway. When she’d asked Timothy what he thought they should make for the evening, he’d immediately insisted upon the strawberries. Remembering that Tristan had bought the ingredients for them before and how much Timothy had enjoyed making them with her, she hadn’t had it in her heart to say no, even though it had been a bit pricey to buy all the ingredients.
Tristan opened the door for Timothy and then opened the door for Shayna. Once she was in and buckled, he gave her the container of strawberries and shut her door and then Timothy’s. Some of the warmth had escaped the truck, but it warmed up again as soon as Tristan was inside and driving them away from the townhouse.