Love Again
Copyright© 2025 by DB86
Chapter 13
Diana cradled a cup of iced tea as she gazed out the window, trying to mentally prepare herself for the first day of school.
A buzzer sounded from the kitchen—Laura was up, making breakfast for her guests. Diana grabbed her canvas bag full of books and stepped out of her room. She should’ve had one more bag, but late last night, she’d realized she had left it in Steve’s truck.
“Well, hi there,” Laura said cheerfully, sliding a stack of pancakes onto a platter. “Care for one? Fresh off the griddle.”
Diana set her bag on the counter. “You know what? I actually have a couple of extra minutes.”
She poured warm maple syrup over the pancakes and sat at the table. Laura joined her, sipping coffee.
“Did you sleep well? You look tired,” Laura asked gently.
“Perfect,” Diana thought. “Bags under my eyes on the first day of school.”
She’d stayed up way too late fine-tuning her lesson plan, nerves and doubt keeping her from rest.
“I had a lot on my mind. My life’s been kind of a mess lately,” Diana admitted.
Laura nodded knowingly. “We’re all in a mess, girl. That’s just life. You just need a good man at your side, like my Percy. He was my rock through some of the roughest patches. One day, I’ll tell you my story.”
Diana gave a polite smile, but the words landed with a thud. A “good man” hadn’t done her mother any favors. Especially not her father, who had cheated for years—with multiple women. Or Scott—her ex-fiancé—who’d betrayed her trust and shattered her belief in love just months before their wedding.
“Now look at that,” Laura said, peering out the window. “We’re talking about good men, and who should show up? If I were you, I’d keep my heart open to Steve.”
“No, thanks,” Diana replied lightly, smiling at the well-meaning woman.
Still, she couldn’t help herself. She peeked out the window too.
Steve was crossing the yard, freshly shaven, and somehow even more handsome than he’d been yesterday.
He stepped through the back door into the kitchen. “Morning, ladies.”
They greeted him in unison.
“What are you doing here, Steve? Shouldn’t you be at school?” Laura asked with a teasing grin.
“I came looking for Diana.”
“For me?” Diana inhaled at the wrong time and immediately began to choke on her pancake.
Steve flashed a boyish smile. “Need the Heimlich?”
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