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voice. “You should hear Mom’s version of how you two met.”
    â€œMore noodles?” Dianne said, shoving the bowl toward her son.
    Jill looked confused. “But didn’t you smile at Mom and say she’s perfect just the way she is?”
    Steve took a moment to compose his thoughts while he buttered his third dinner roll. Dianne recognized that he was doing a balancing act between her two children. If he said he’d commented on the low-cal frozen dinners and her figure, then he risked offending Jason, who seemed to think no man in his right mind would say something like that. On the other hand, if he claimed otherwise, he might wound Jill’s romantic little heart.
    â€œI’d be interested in knowing that myself,” Martha added, looking pleased that Steve had taken a second helping of her stroganoff. “Dianne’s terribly closemouthed about these things. She didn’t even mention you until the other night.”
    â€œTo be honest,” Steve said, sitting back in his chair, “I don’t exactly recall what I said to Dianne. I remember being irritated with her for hogging the aisle, but when I asked her to move, she apologized and immediately pushed her cart out of the way.”
    Jason nodded, appeased.
    â€œBut when I got a good look at her, I couldn’t help thinking she was the most beautiful woman I’d seen in a long while.”
    Jill sighed, mollified.
    â€œI don’t recall any of that,” Dianne said, reaching for another roll. She tore it apart with a vengeance and smeared butter on both halves before she realized she had an untouched roll balanced on the edge of her plate.
    â€œI was thinking that after dinner I’d take Jason out for a ride in the truck,” Steve said when a few minutes had passed.
    â€œYou’d do that?” Jason nearly leapt from his chair in his eagerness.
    â€œI was planning to all along,” Steve explained. “I thought you’d be more interested in seeing how all the gears worked than in any gift I could bring you.”
    â€œI am.” Jason was so excited he could barely sit still.
    â€œWhen Jason and I come back, I’ll take you out for a spin, Dianne.”
    She shook her head. “I’m not interested, thanks.”
    Three pairs of accusing eyes flashed in her direction. It was as if she’d committed an act of treason.
    â€œI’m sure my daughter didn’t mean that,” Martha said, smiling sweetly at Steve. “She’s been very tired lately and not quite herself.”
    Bewildered, Dianne stared at her mother.
    â€œCan we go now?” Jason asked, already standing.
    â€œIf your mother says it’s okay,” Steve said, with a glance at Dianne. She nodded, and Steve finished the last of his roll and stood.
    â€œI’ll have apple pie ready for you when you get back,” Martha promised, quickly ushering the two out the front door.
    As soon as her mother returned to the kitchen, Dianne asked, “What was all that about?”
    â€œWhat?” her mother demanded, feigning ignorance.
    â€œThat I’ve been very tired and not myself lately?”
    â€œOh, that,” Martha said, clearing the table. “Steve wants to spend a few minutes alone with you. It’s only natural. So I had to make some excuse for you.”
    â€œYes, but—”
    â€œYour behavior, my dear, was just short of rude. When a gentleman makes it clear he wants to spend some uninterrupted time in your company, you should welcome the opportunity.”
    â€œMother, I seem to recall your saying Steve was a spawn of the devil, remember?”
    â€œNow that I’ve met him, I’ve had a change of heart.”
    â€œWhat about Jerome, the butcher? I thought you were convinced he was the one for me.”
    â€œI like Steve better. I can tell he’s a good man, and you’d be a fool to let him slip through your fingers by pretending to be