On New Year's Eve, Tom rolled over to enjoy another round of Tong's snores. At least sleeping would slow the young man's endless barrage of questions about Emma, who had captivated the poor guy. Despite his interest, Tom suspected she had no intention of pursuing him beyond flirting for attention. He could only hope that Maria wasn't doing something similar. But he was fairly confident she wouldn't lead him on with no intent to follow through with a relationship.

He smiled at the moments they'd experienced so far, from waking up with her on the bus, to seeing her thrive in this warm family home despite speaking maybe twenty words of Thai, to that memory at the waterfall that still made his heart race.

Tonight, he would see if she shared his feelings and possibly kiss her. They kept exchanging smiles, and she was no stranger to holding his hand or wrapping her arms around him in those amazing hugs.

After the roosters crowed for what felt like the thousandth time, he grabbed his sweater and warm socks before heading to the terrace that faced the sunrise. A head of long, dark hair poked out from a wooden lounge chair. A smile grew on his lips until he noticed she had a thinner, more delicate frame than the woman who occupied his thoughts. Still, the young woman sat with a relaxed expression, no wrinkled forehead like she'd had the past few days, especially when her brother was around. She had a peaceful beauty to her.

"Good Morning, Prae," Tom said softly.

She turned around, grinning. "Good morning. I hope you slept well, and that Tong was not..." Her smile faded.

"I slept wonderfully, thank you."

"Maria is not up yet." Prae sat up straighter and adjusted her sweater collar. "But if you want coffee or tea—"

"I didn't come here to put you to work." Tom sat in the chair next to her. "Just relax, pretend I'm not here if it helps."

Prae shook her head, and they turned to enjoy with no other interruptions. Steam rose off the tea she'd set on the bamboo side table.

"I fear this visit has been boring for you three."

"It has been anything but. Maria might learn to speak in Thai after this trip, not to mention she and I think your family is the sweetest. Emma is happy if she has someone around to boost give her attention."

"And you? You have hardly seen any of the area as I imagine you desired."

"I love seeing how close and supportive your family is. They are wonderful. Plus, this is an experience few people have."

"But we are stuck in the house."

Tom nodded. "Yeah, but we go for our little walks."

Prae bit her lip and stared into the distance with a furrowed brow. The sky was pink with a purple line of haze supporting it. "I think we can borrow the motorbikes today. There is a place we can visit, not too far, but beautiful."

"If it's an inconvenience, we don't have to, but it sounds lovely if it's something you wanted to do. A secret local spot?"

Prae nodded. "I go there sometimes to clear my mind."

"That sounds perfect."

She sat up and slipped on her shoes.

"Where are you going?"

"To ask my father."

"Don't you know it's rude to leave your guests?" he teased.

Prae's face went red, and she bowed her head.

"I'm teasing you, Prae. Don't worry about asking straight away. The girls aren't even awake yet. Enjoy your morning and stop worrying about us."

"Thank you, Tom. You are a very kind person. Maria is very lucky."

Tom wasn't sure what to say. He and Maria were flirting. That was no secret, but neither of them considered it a relationship yet. He'd made that clear. But his heart warmed, like the rising sun's rays, as people imagined them as a couple.

***

Maria clung to Tom's back as they hugged the road's curve on Prae's family's motorbikes. He had some experience with them in Canada, but not enough to drive at the speeds the locals did. Prae was almost out of sight, but with Maria on the bike, Tom took zero reckless chances. He also didn't mind extra time so close to her. The road rose, fell, and twisted down the mountain until they reached a cove with a small gravel patch just large enough for both bikes.

Prae led them down a quick path that ended at a rock wall. On closer inspection, a narrow path continued to ascend along the wall and led up toward a bit of a cave outlook about fifteen feet above them. Tom stayed close to Maria, offering her a supportive hand whenever he could, but she didn't always take it.

The cave overlooked the valley below, a mix of stunning forests, villages, and rice terraces. Unlike Doi Inthanon, there were no tourists or large vehicles racing by to spoil the view or atmosphere. The four of them fit on the ledge without issue. Maria kept glancing down at the road below and scooting back further.

He wrapped an arm around her tense body. "I'll help you down, don't worry."

She gave him a tentative smile and nodded. When he rubbed a hand along her back, she relaxed and leaned into him.

"I'm glad somebody is getting what they wanted out of this holiday," Emma said with a sly grin not directed at Tom.

Maria bit her lip and looked away. His palms sweated, and he wiped one on his shorts instead of Maria's soft shirt. Was Emma talking about Maria? Emma and Tom hadn't talked too much about his feelings for Maria lately like they had in the past.

"What about your guy, Prae?" Emma asked.

Tom gave Prae a curious look. Not that it was surprising someone would be interested in her—she was caring and attractive—but she'd never given off the impression that she had a partner when they chatted at school.

"Oh, he and his family are coming to dinner tonight."

"Yay!" Emma rubbed her palms together.

"Please do not say anything to him," Prae said.

Emma smiled.

Prae huffed. "I'm serious!"

She must have really liked the guy, so Tom understood her fear. "How could he not like you, Prae?" he said. Prae's posture straightened, and she met his gaze. "You're sweet, kind, selfless, pretty."

"And an amazing cook and person, not to mention a super teacher," Maria added.

"You're worried about nothing. He's lucky to have someone like you," Tom said.

"You are too generous," Prae said, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Could she not see her strengths? They were clear as day to him. "Not nearly enough."

***

Tom sat with Emma as Maria bustled around the room with Prae, helping to refill water and wine glasses at both tables. Maria was spending far less time telling anyone who spoke to her in Thai that she didn't speak it and more time trying to learn words from them. Nok and the older uncles loved to tease and laugh at the pronunciations with her. She took it all in stride.

She looked stunning in her dress that fell just past her knees. Lace flowed from her neck to the top curve of her breasts, where the material darkened to a solid, rich burnt orange. He'd run his hands over the fabric enough to know the dress was soft.

Prae's family's expected guests had arrived with gifts and a warm welcome. The tall, thin Thai man had greeted her without a hug and sat with his family. Prae's shoulders had tensed, and she'd broadened her smile then rushed to attend to other family members. He didn't strike Tom as a guy Prae would want to date, but perhaps he was just stand-offish in this setting.

Prae's sister took over drink duty so Maria could settle in next to Tom.

"As much fun as it is watching you flutter around the room in this dress, I'm glad you're back."

Maria leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. "You like the dress?"

"You look stunning."

"Thanks," she said and returned to surveying the crowd.

What did she expect him to say? That wasn't the response she wanted. Did she want him to be more direct? To whisper something lewd like Mitch might? If he spoke quietly, there wouldn't be much harm in trying it. The worst she would do in this setting would be to ignore or ditch him, and the best? His pulse raced at the scenario, not that he had any plans now, especially not as invited guests in Prae's family home.

"But I'm sure what's underneath is even more breathtaking." The words felt awkward as they left his lips.

Maria tensed and regret set in until she leaned in closer, pressing her body against his. "If you play your cards right..." she whispered in his ear.

It was his turn to tense, both at her hot breath on his skin and at what he'd just inadvertently implied. He wanted to be intimate with her, but he hadn't meant now, not before they dated and had stronger feelings for each other. What was he supposed to do? Would she be disappointed if she didn't get more than a kiss tonight? What had he done?

Maria smiled and laughed. "It's fun watching you squirm."

He let out a slow breath. So she had been just playing along. "You had me for a minute there. I suppose I deserved that."

"You are so critical of guys who act like that that it was weird to hear from you."

"Did you like it?"

Maria looked away and ran a hand through her dark hair. He exhaled a breath of relief.

"I guess, I kind of did."

"Oh?"

"If it's not you, don't force it."

His nerves were still tense from earlier, and he felt like a creep, but that was before they talked. If she liked it and wanted it, then he was just respecting what she wanted. Was this how Mitch rationalized his lifestyle? Tom tried to shake off the unsettled energy.

"Hey, don't stress. What you said first was sweet."

But Tom knew that a woman would tire of compromising and seek what she desired from the next guy she found. Mackenzie had and showed no remorse in doing so.

"You don't need to lie. If you want something, just tell me."

Maria smoothed her hands over her dress and looked Tom up and down. "I want..." She surveyed the room again. "Another glass of rice wine, a serving of that delicious fish, please, and..."

He stood up and waited for her final statement. She just looked at him then smiled. "That's all?" he asked.

Maria nodded. He laughed, setting out toward the smaller indoor kitchen. Parts of an argument in English became clearer as he grew closer.