I wanted to ask her for more, to tell me more about when she thought about him. But I kept the question in my mouth. I loved to push and push for more, but with something like this…. What she gave me was more than enough. It was a start. Or maybe if it wasn’t a start, it was something.

“I only want the best for you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’ve made so many mistakes, Diana. I know I have, and I don’t want you to repeat them. I haven’t always been the person you wanted me to be, and I’m sorry.”

Ugh. “Mom, you’re fine. I know I haven’t always been the person you wanted me to be either, but you’re kind of stuck with me and I’m stuck with you.” I gave her a squeeze. “I love you anyway.”

“Te quiero mucho, amor.” Her small fingers gave mine a squeeze that was a lot stronger than someone so little should be capable of. “Not everyone can marry a man like your cousin, I understand.”

I rolled my eyes so far back I wasn’t sure how they found their way forward again. God. I should have expected this from her. I wasn’t sure why I let her continue to shock me.

When she released my fingers and gave the back of my hand a pat, I decided to just let it go. “Okay, I’m fine now.” She didn’t turn around to look at me as she acted like nothing had happened. “You could have told me earlier there were more people coming. I could have worn a nicer dress.”

I gave her shoulders, not her neck, a squeeze as I took a step back. “Who are you trying to impress? You’re already married.”

That had her peeking one teary eye at me over her shoulder. “I don’t know where I went wrong with you.”

A knock came from the front door just as I said, “Me neither.”

I was 99 percent sure as I walked out of the kitchen that my mom threatened me with her shoe, but I was too relieved that we’d gotten that conversation over with to do anything but smile at the person standing on the other side of the door. Miss Pearl’s hair was a pale halo around her head and she’d put on a turtleneck with Christmas trees on it and cute dangling earrings with snowmen on them.

“Merry Christmas, Miss Pearl.”

The older woman gave me a smug smile. “It’s Christmas Eve, Diana, but Merry early Christmas.”

God help me. I laughed as I leaned forward to give her a gentle hug. “Come in. Come in,” I told her as I backed up to let her pass.

And that was when I finally took in the man who had been standing right behind her. In a soft gray flannel shirt with the top button undone was Dallas. He took a step forward. “Hello, light of my life.”

I scrunched up my nose. My heart was racing instantly from one beat to the next, from one blink of my eyes to the following one. Was this ever going to get old? I sure as hell hoped not. “Hi, Professor.” I reached up on my tippy-toes and felt him press his mouth against me, the kiss slow and sweet, a reminder to my heart of what we’d done in my bedroom three nights this last week. Of what I hoped we’d do in my bedroom, with the doors locked, tonight, too. He’d left to help Trip with something the day before so he hadn’t come over last night. I trusted him—both of them, really. I didn’t need to ask what they were up to.

“Thanks for having us.”

Rolling my eyes, I pecked his mouth again. “Don’t thank me.”

“Okay, you can thank me,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out something pink. Dallas reached up over my head so quickly, I couldn’t get a good look at it until his fingers grazed the sides of my face and something came down over my hair. His eyes flicked down to mine as he settled the pink material over the hair I’d left down and curled. “I made you a cap.”

And he smiled as he said it, his palms curving downward to cup my cheeks.

All I could do was blink.

“Pink like Princess Peach.”

I swallowed, hard. “If you’re trying to get laid, we have to wait until everyone leaves,” I whispered.

Dallas grinned and I did too.

“Thank you,” I told him. “I can’t believe you knit me one.”

“I told you I would.”

He had. He really had told me that. I took his hands from my face watching as he winced at the contact and looked down at the big palms and long fingers I was holding between us. The knuckles were a purple-ish red and two had the skin broken. I blinked. “What the hell did you do?”

There was no hesitation in his answer. “Stuff.”

I peered up at him, narrowing my eyes and ignoring the sneaky smile creeping at his cheeks. “Did you guys beat someone up?”

Trip, I could see getting into a fight for whatever reason. Dallas? It had to be a damn good reason. Maybe Trip had gotten into a fight and Dallas had stepped in—

His nonbruised hand came up to my cheek again and he flat-out grinned. “Yes. He deserved it.” Before I could react, he leaned forward and kissed my mouth softly.

Had he… Jeremy…? With his lips hovering just above mine, I asked slowly, “Where did you go?”

“Fort Worth.”

Holy shit.

Dallas pressed his lips to mine again. “It’s better if you don’t ask any more questions, hmm? Consider it one of your Christmas presents, baby.”

My heart seemed to swell about ten sizes larger than it originally was and in one of the rare occasions in my life, I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was draw his injured hand to my mouth and kiss the knuckles, snickering and laughing as his eyes met mine. I must have done something fucking awesome in another lifetime to deserve this man. And it was pretty damn easy to not ask any more questions about where he’d been and what he’d done. I was still grinning at him as I asked, “Are you still off the day after tomorrow?”

Dallas nodded, those green-brown-gold eyes focused in on mine.

I wasn’t surprised by how much my chest didn’t tighten or how my stomach didn’t ache as the question came out of my mouth. I’d thought about it last night while I lay in bed and decided to go for it. “Could you watch the boys for me for half the day? I have clients—”

“Sure,” he cut me off.

Did he look relieved or was I imagining it?

“You asked me for help.”

This funny feeling rolled around in my belly and I smirked at him. “So?”

“You really do love me.” His mouth was gaping. Ugh.

“Shut up,” I groaned. “You better get used to it. I’m not letting you get out of this one day because you get tired of me asking for help.”

Dallas shook his head. This giant smile that seemed like the greatest Christmas present in the world took over his mouth. “I won’t. Ever.”

I couldn’t help but eye him a little. “You said it.”

“I’ll get it to you in writing one day.”

“Uh-huh.” My face went hot so I changed the subject. There was only so much my heart could take in a day. Maybe one day I’d get used to him, but I hoped I didn’t. You stop appreciating things the moment they become a routine. “Did you get in touch with your brother by any chance?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “No. I left him a voice mail. Trip said he thought he saw him last week, but I don’t know.”