Before he could retaliate, Dirks set his fork down with a deliberate clink. “Mom? Dad? Dani? I have to tell you something.”
Jer and I turned to him at the same time.
“Luna is my girlfriend,” Dirks announced.
Oh shit. I am?
My fork hit the plate.
“I am?” I said aloud this time, eyes darting between him and the rest of the table.
Dirks gave a half smile. “Yeah, I know we never officially?—”
“No, of course, baby.” I leaned over to give him a quick kiss before anyone could see the flicker of panic behind my smile. “I love you.”
“That’s wonderful,” his mom said warmly.
“Good. Congrats,” his dad mumbled.
“Proud of you,” Dani chimed in.
“Yay, Uncle Dirks!” the kids shouted.
The sound made my chest ache. It reminded me of Scarlette and how she always called him “Dicks” just to make him groan. God, I missed her. I needed to see Nova more, but she was so busy with Ollie joining them Stateside and planning their wedding.
Dirks cleared his throat, dragging me back into the present. “That’s not all?—”
“That’s unnecessary.” Jeremy interrupted sharply, his eyes cutting into him.
“No, I want to—” Dirks started, but the scrape of Jeremy’s chair cut him off.
“I’m tired. I think I’m gonna head to the cabin. It’s out back, right?”
Dirks’s dad stood immediately, reading the room like only a father who’d raised a hockey player through countless fights could. “Here, let me point it out?—”
“Never mind,” Dirks said quickly, shaking his head.
I slipped my hand under the table, finding his leg and giving it a small squeeze, a silent plea to just let it go.
“So, Luna.” Dani cut in. “Dirks tells me you lived in London? You have to tell me everything. It’s my dream vacation spot.”
I laughed and rolled with Dani’s conversation, keeping it light until the plates were cleared and the kids were whisked away to bed. Eventually, we all drifted toward the living room, settling by the fire.
Dirks pulled me aside, his hand brushing against mine as we stepped into a quieter corner of the room.
“I feel bad,” he murmured. “I should’ve... I just thought after the car?—”
“It’s okay.” I offered him a small smile and pressed my lips to his, a kiss slow enough to make him know I meant it. “You did good.”
His shoulders eased a little, but I didn’t let go. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him tight, my cheek against his chest. “I love you so much. Thank you for introducing me to your family.”
He brought his arms around me. “Thanks for being you, Luna girl.”
I smiled against him, letting the quiet moment stretch before I finally pulled back. “I’m going to check on him.” I gave his hand one last squeeze, then turned back toward the living room.“Good night, everyone. Thank you for dinner. I think I’m going to crash. Long day.”
His mom gave me a warm smile. “Sleep well, sweetheart.”
Dani waved from the couch, curled up with a blanket. Even Tom gave me a polite nod.
