Chapter 3

3

DIANNA

D ianna poured over the book she'd picked up from the county library. Shane might have given her a brief training to help Mathew with the horses, but she wasn't convinced that she was completely ready to help the boy get to where he needed to be.

All of this was new to her. She was good with kids. And her own experiences had helped her get a good idea of how to treat Mathew. It was probably just the way Tristan had stared at her like he wasn't sure she was going to be the best fit.

Dianna could walk away. In fact, she hadn't been sure she wanted to take on the responsibility of this new job. She was busy enough at Slate Rock Ranch; she didn't need the extra work.

Except Constance had insisted that it would be good for her. And right now, Constance was the happiest one in their family. Whether it was because she'd found a new purpose or she finally was able to get the guy she was interested in, Dianna couldn't be certain.

Adeline was happily married, Constance was engaged, and everyone else was excitedly looking forward to more freedom in the relationship department. Everyone but Dianna and Brielle.

She placed the book aside and picked up her notebook. Everything that she'd read in Mathew's paperwork focused on his ability to communicate his needs. She hadn't heard him say a word and everything his father had mentioned in the report stated Mathew was bright and actually ahead of grade level. He just didn't like to talk to people he didn't know.

Dianna grabbed her pen and nibbled on the end. If she could figure out a way to reach him without making him feel rushed, she might be more successful than anyone else who had worked with him. Most of the specialists who had worked with him before would have focused on that goal—expecting Mathew to perform. Trying to get him to talk. Offering him rewards to try to get him to interact more.

But Mathew wasn't a circus animal. He deserved to feel comfortable with her before she asked anything of him. That was part of the problem when she'd argued with Tristan yesterday.

"Whatcha got there?"

Constance wandered into their bedroom and plopped onto her bed. "Stuff for Shane ?" She said his name in a sing-song way, as if that would make Dianna more inclined to discuss her new boss with her sister.

"No." She lifted the book up to show Constance her reading material.

Constance tilted her head. " Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wished You Knew. " Her focus shifted to Dianna. "Is that for the kid?"

"Technically, it's for me. But yes. It's supposed to help me learn how to work with him better."

"I thought Shane had given you some training."

"He did. But it wasn't specific to autism. He taught me what to do to support the kid while working with horses. Most of the studies suggest that working with animals is therapeutic and the other stuff will come."

"So why are you researching? Don't you think you'll be able to work with him just fine?"

Dianna peeked at her sister. "I'm not worried about Mathew. I'm worried about his father."

That knowing smile appeared on Constance's face. " Oh ."

A sigh burst from Dianna's chest. " No . Don't even go there. He's here for his kid, and I'm here for his kid. There will be none of this ‘ oh' you're insinuating."

Constance shrugged. "I just figured since you finally had the opportunity to meet someone, you might take the chance."

Dianna ignored her sister's suggestion. They'd been down this road before. Dianna wasn't interested in dating anyone and probably wouldn't be for a while. Now that the pressure was off, she didn't feel compelled to even consider a relationship so that her younger sisters would have their chance. She was more like Brielle in that respect.

Her sister dropped down onto her stomach and rested her chin on folded arms. "How long do you get to work with these guys?" Once more, Constance was interrupting Dianna's quiet space. She almost wished they could go back to the time when Constance would sneak out to be with James. But since that wasn't happening anymore, it was as if her older sister had a one-track mind—a "let's ask Dianna a thousand questions and see if she snaps" kind of mind.

"I don't know. I think Shane said that this kind of therapy is usually a minimum of ten weeks. But Tristan probably has to get back to work, and I'm sure Mathew is missing all kinds of school."

"Maybe you could help him."

"That's the idea." She sighed. Honestly, for how smart Constance was, she could be really annoying.

"No. I mean, you were really good at school stuff and you love to read. I bet you could work something out where you help Mathew with his schoolwork while he does his therapy."

Dianna lifted her head and looked at Constance. "That's actually not a bad idea."

Constance beamed. "See? Sometimes I can be useful."

"But we'd have to clear it with his father and see about getting his records. I think it could really help him to do his homework in this kind of environment." Dianna snapped her book shut and got to her feet.

"Where are you going?"

"I have an appointment to get to with Mathew today. We're not supposed to start work until this afternoon, but I think I should bring this up to Shane."

"Tell him hi for me." Constance wiggled her eyebrows, garnering another exasperated sigh from Dianna.

The drive to the club wasn't bad. The recent snowfall hadn't stuck to the roads though they were due for a good dump of snow here in the next few weeks. It always snowed hardest right before the holidays.

Dianna pulled into the parking lot and gazed through the front window at the club, completely covered in Christmas decorations. When the sun went down, this place would probably be visible from the moon. And that was alright with Dianna. She loved Christmas and everything about the holiday: stories about baby Jesus, carols, classic Christmas movies, yummy cookies and warm hot chocolate, trimming the tree, and unboxing the Christmas decorations from the attic. Each year she looked forward to the family traditions.

She smiled to herself and shook her head as she climbed out of the car and headed for the club. Mathew would love seeing all the decorations. She couldn't remember, but she thought Shane was planning on doing an official lighting ceremony, including the tree in the main window.

Dianna entered the club, always taken aback by how quiet it was before the dinner rush. She headed toward Shane's office. Her time with Mathew wouldn't begin for another thirty minutes. That gave her plenty of time to speak to him about what Constance had suggested.

She knocked quietly on the door, then pushed it open when she heard Shane's voice call out to enter.

"It's just me. I thought I'd—" Dianna stopped suddenly and her heart slammed against her chest. Tristan shifted in his seat, turning to see who had entered the room, and his reaction mirrored her own.

Shane's head lifted from where he was studying a piece of paperwork. "Dianna. Just the person I wanted to see." He wasn't smiling and based on the way Tristan was seated in front of him, Dianna could only assume they were discussing her and their first meeting yesterday.

She edged into the room, her hands behind her back. "I suppose it's a good thing I came early." Her gaze darted to Tristan and then back to Shane.

He gestured for her to take a seat. "We were just talking about how your first meeting with Mathew went."

"I can explain. I wasn't?—"

"Mathew couldn't stop talking about you." Tristan's low voice cut her off.

Her head whipped around so she could gauge whether he was telling the truth. Though they'd ended things on a decent note yesterday, the particular conversation she was worried about hadn't really been settled. "Really?"

Shane tossed his document on his desk, a smile filling his face. "You made quite the impression on him."

"He really likes you," Tristan interjected.

The knots in her stomach relaxed, unraveling and allowing her to be more at ease. "I like him too." She locked eyes with Tristan, not quite sure why this meeting even needed her here if Mathew was happy with their experience yesterday.

Unless .

Unless Tristan wasn't.

A lump formed in her throat. She wasn't going to apologize for what she'd said—at least not the overall concept. She could have been more eloquent with her words. It had only taken one day for her to make a connection with the little guy. She wanted to help him see that he could trust people. He didn't have to shy away from anyone. Dianna swallowed hard.

"Is there something you needed from me?" she asked.

Shane glanced at Tristan, then back to Dianna. She expected him to take the lead with this conversation, but it was Tristan who spoke next.

"We were only supposed to be here for the month of December, but Shane seems to think we should stay here longer." His voice was flat, as if he wasn't completely sold on the idea. "But I was trying to tell him that Mathew can't miss that much school. We're struggling to keep up on the work he needs to complete while we're here."

"And I was saying there might be a way we can figure that out." Shane chuckled. "I'm not in the business of throwing in the towel just because something seems difficult. Ultimately, it's up to you, Tristan. This program is free of charge. You have to decide if you're going to see it through to the end."

Tristan took in a deep breath. He looked as though he was being put on the spot and hated it. Dianna knew that feeling, and it was the one thing she tried to avoid. Right now she had a solution, but she wasn't sure Tristan would appreciate being told in front of Shane if he wasn't prepared to stay.

She almost got the feeling that Shane was influencing Tristan's decision. Dianna glanced toward Shane. "What did you need me for?"

He clasped his hands together and leaned on the desk. "I wanted your opinion. After visiting with Mathew yesterday, what would you suggest?"

Dianna froze. This wasn't her decision to make. He shouldn't be putting her on the spot like this either. She'd had a solution if Tristan wanted to make it work, but that was only if he had his heart set on staying. "Oh, I don't think I'm equipped to make any recommendations. I'm just here to help facilitate his therapy with the horses."

"But you have a connection with him. That's been established."

She shook her head. "With all due respect, this is a decision only his father can make." There went her plan to tell Shane about her idea. He shouldn't be pushing Tristan into anything he wasn't prepared for. She could feel Tristan's eyes on her, and once again, her chest tightened. He was probably making more judgments about her regarding her responses. Dianna shot another look toward Tristan. "Ultimately, you need to do what's best for you and Mathew. If you want to stay, I've got some ideas on how to make it easier."

Dianna got to her feet. "You can let me know if you decide that you'd like to stay. But if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Mathew. I assume he's around here somewhere?"

Tristan nodded. "I had him set up in a booth with a book."

She offered Tristan a small smile, then glanced at Shane who appeared to be on the edge of his seat—probably curious about the ideas she'd mentioned. Neither one of them stopped her from leaving.

The moment she was out of that office, she felt like she could breathe easier. She shook out her hands as she strode down the hallway toward the main area of the club. Her focus scanned the room and landed immediately on a little tuft of black hair barely visible behind the booth chair.

Dianna strode across the room and slid into the booth across from Mathew. He startled, his eyes flying up to meet hers. A small smile touched his lips before he dipped his focus once again to his book.

She craned her neck around and stared at the pages. Bright, detailed, and colorful images of horses filled the pages. There was tiny print in small paragraphs all over the pictures. Dianna grinned. "When I was little, I liked looking at pictures of horses, too. I'd even draw them sometimes." She got up and walked around the booth. "Is it okay if I sit here?"

He nodded, not looking up at her.

The leather seat creaked as she settled beside him and pointed at the picture on the page. "That's an appaloosa. They're Idaho's state horse, and most of the time, they're spotted. Sometimes they even have striped hooves." She grinned at Mathew. "Their spots are actually a genetic mutation. Isn't that crazy?" She pointed to another picture and read the description beneath it. Then another and another until a figure approached their booth.

Dianna lifted her gaze, but she already knew who had approached. There was something about Tristan that she could sense before he even got into her line of vision. He set his gray eyes on her and she squirmed as if she had been pinned by it.

"Looks like your dad is ready to take you to your first lesson." She faced Mathew and gestured toward the book. "Let's gather your things so we can get out to the barn. I bet Molasses can't wait to see you."