Page 85 of Heart of Stone
“I knew you would be. Now, tell me about your holiday. The last I saw you, you and Reid were getting cozy on a golf cart leaving the Christmas Eve party.”
Tucking my chin toward my chest, I batted my eyelashes. “Well, you weren’t the only one who didn’t spend Christmas Eve alone. Only I didn’t spend the night with Reid at his cabin. He stayed with me.”
Her jaw fell open. “Did you two…”
“We did. And it was the most amazing night of my life.”
Sitting back in her seat, she said, “I honestly don’t know who has the bigger news today. Because while the engagement is huge news, we can’t discount what’s happened with you. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to know you’ve found a way to move on from all that you’ve been through to find something so special.”
Fidgeting with my hands, I dropped my gaze to my plate. “Yeah. Me, too.”
The silence stretched between us for a moment. “Why does it seem like you’re trying to convince yourself that’s the case?”
I took a deep swallow and let out a long breath. “Don’t misunderstand me, I’m so happy with Reid. Really, I am. He’s been so wonderful, and we’ve had such a great time together these last few weeks.”
Curiosity and concern marred her features. “So, what’s the problem?”
“I think I’m falling in love with him.”
“Now, I’m really confused. Isn’t that a good thing?”
I forced a small smile onto my face. “It is, if he’s going to stay.”
That’s when it clicked for her. “And this was only supposed to be a temporary position for him while Sylvia heals.”
I nodded to confirm before I shook my head with such disappointment. “What… What have I done, Danielle? Every other thing between us is great. And I fear I’ve set myself up for worse heartbreak than I’ve ever experienced.”
“Well, what does he say about it?”
Nibbling on my lip, I wondered the same thing. I’d been asking it for days now. Because I knew this was a problem from the very beginning, and somehow, I refused to stop myself from making such a big mistake.
“He hasn’t said anything about it,” I revealed.
“So, you haven’t said anything to him about it?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what to say. What could I say?Hey, Reid, I know this probably isn’t what you wanted or expected, but I’ve fallen in love with you and now I’m terrified you’re going to be leaving to head back to Pennsylvania in four months.”
She studied me for a long time. “What would be wrong with that?”
How my eyes didn’t fall out of my head, I didn’t know. “Are you nuts?”
“No. That’s what you told me to do.”
“What?”
Reaching across the table, Danielle grabbed hold of my hand. “With Stephen asking me to move in. I was worried that I was being unreasonable or that I’d be making a mistake if I declined moving in with him, because he’s such a great guy. And you encouraged me to talk to him and tell him the truth about how I felt. If you hadn’t done that, if I hadn’t taken your advice, I might not be sitting here with an engagement ring on my finger. That’s what happens when you have a great guy, Nat. And I think Reid is a wonderful man. You won’t know how he feels about the situation unless you talk to him about it. I’m sure it’s crossed his mind once or twice already, anyway.”
I guess this was a situation where I should have been able to take my own advice. If what was upsetting me had been on Reid’s mind, he hadn’t given me any indication of it. And when I thought about the second Christmas gift he’d given me—the streetboard—he’d made it clear he would teach me how to use it when the weather was nice again.
“But you and Stephen were together for a long time, and he asked you to move in,” I argued. “I’m not sure Reid and I are there after only knowing each other for two months, the first few weeks of which were rather tense between us.”
“Does he make you happy?”
I inclined my head. “Very.”
“Then talk to him. Tell him you’re afraid. If he’s the guy I think he is, he’ll do what’s necessary to reassure you. And be honest with yourself, Nat. If he wasn’t that guy, you wouldn’t have fallen for him.”
Her words had me reconsidering.
