Page 162 of The Dixon Rule

As I switch to a nine iron so I can work on my shorter game, I grin at the sight of Diana hyping Blake up. “You got this, Blakey. I think you can add an extra five yards to your next drive.”

“God, you’re such a cheerleader,” Blake says dryly.

“I can’t help it.” Diana bounces on her heels. “I just want people to do well.” When she wanders back to me, genuine excitement dances in her green eyes. “This is so much fun. Thanks for bringing us.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” I say thickly.

Whatever she sees on my face has a smile tugging on her lips. “Is that so?”

“It is so. And I’m glad you’re actually having fun.”

“I’m having a blast. I think next time we should play a whole game.”

I swallow the sudden obstruction in my throat. “Yeah, we should. It’s, uh, really cool having you here.”

It’s hard to articulate how I feel right now. It’s almost a bit ridiculous, feeling this level of joy and tenderness over something as silly as a woman showing enthusiasm for one of my hobbies.

Diana frowns, and I know she’s reading my mind. “Did Lynsey hate golf or something? What, did her family die in a tragic golfing accident and she can never play the game again?”

“No, her family is alive and well.” I shrug. “She came golfing on my birthday if I asked her to, but that’s about it. She didn’t show much interest in the things I was into.”

“And I bet you attended all her dance competitions and sat in the front row holding a huge sign that said dance baby dance.”

“I mean, no, there were no signs involved.” I snicker. “But yes, of course I went to her performances.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but…” Her tone is careful. “This relationship sounds like it was very one-sided.”

I glance over at Blake, who’s checking her phone several feet away. Then I lower my voice. “What does that mean?”

“It means it sounds like you did all the heavy lifting. Or rather, all the heavy bending.”

“That’s not true.”

Diana goes quiet for a moment. When she speaks, it’s with a chord of hurt. “Remember on the way to your parents’ house, how you told me to tone myself down? When we were talking in the car?”

Her indictment evokes a spark of guilt. Shit. I don’t even remember saying that. But I apologize nonetheless.

“I’m sorry. That was a crappy thing to say.”

“Yes, it was. And Percy did the same thing sometimes, telling me I needed to change something about myself.” Diana cringes at the sound of his name, as if it’s painful leaving her mouth. “But that’s not my point. What I’m trying to say is—from what I’ve seen and heard, you’re the one toning yourself down.”

“What do you mean?” I ask warily.

“Pardon the super-cheesy expression, but it’s like Lynsey dims some of your light.”

A frown twists my lips.

“It seems like you were trying really hard to impress her or something.”

“Okay, that sounds pathetic.”

“It’s not. It’s only natural to want to make the person you’re with happy. You do want to impress them. But it sounds like you made all the compromises. It had to be your birthday for her to do an activity you enjoyed. What did she do to support you? Did she come to your hockey games?”

I shift in discomfort. “She was busy with rehearsals.”

Diana doesn’t comment on that, but her expression says, I rest my case.

She falls silent again, then lets out a breath. “I just get the sense that this relationship might not have been as magical as you remember. Because from an outsider’s perspective, it doesn’t seem like the healthiest.” She shrugs. “And I suspect I’m not the only one who thinks that.”

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