“I love it,” he answered, almost surprising himself. “Not the hours, and the never-ending work, but the animals, the seasons, working outside doing the same thing my father did and his father before him.”
She sighed and then looked out towards the amazing view he’d lived with his entire life. “Corinne always told me she loved it. I don’t know how she would have made it through the divorce if she hadn’t had all this to come home to. And you.”
“What about you? Do you like your job?” He felt like a heel but he didn’t want to talk about Corinne just now.
Stella Fairchild lit up at his question. “I do. I mean, I really do. It’s as much about entertainment as it is about advertising. Although I’m not handling the creative side myself anymore, I still manage my favorite accounts. It can be fun keeping them in front of their markets.” She looked a little sheepish when she stopped talking.
Her passion almost pulled him in.
Almost.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’m never gonna look at that Facebook thing.” He did what he needed online to keep the business going. Other than that, he considered most of it a waste of time.
But she seemed to be doing okay for herself. Last time he’d looked, Audi’s didn’t come cheap.
“Can I tell you a secret?” She shifted on the ground. Red had cuddled right up to her, his head resting in her lap. Peyton watched Stella’s fingers absentmindedly stroke some long hairs on the back of the dog’s neck.
She didn’t wait for him to answer. “I love going to the post office.”
Now she lost him. “Okay, I give. Why would anybody love going to the post office?”
“I love that it’s the same as it was when I was little. People hand deliver their packages to other people. Person to person. It’s real. It’s touchable. Sometimes I’m online so much that I feel like the people I talk to, the pictures I post, don’t really exist. I feel like they’re all just a product of technology.
Peyton absorbed her words. “It’s not like that here. Everything is so real that it callouses your hands, tires the muscles in your back, wakes you up at night.”
They sat quietly for a minute and then she laughed self-consciously. The sun had dipped below the horizon and a few stars already flickered in the sky. “I suppose I ought to go inside and check on Corinne.” She unfolded her legs and went to stand. Red came alert at once.
Peyton jumped to help her up.
With Red dashing around in circles now, Stella brushed the dirt off her jeans. “This was nice.” Peyton stood a mere few inches from her, his hand still on her arm. It had been nice.
And he’d not planned it– not in a million years would he have planned this– but this was one of those moments when you leaned in and kissed the girl. He knew she felt it too when she just stood there.
Holding her gaze Peyton again marveled at her eyes. “You know your eyes are almost the color of moonlight?” He’d spoken the first words that came to mind. They sounded like romantic drivel. Oh, hell, where was he going with this?
She slowly shook her head and then licked her lips.
“Peyton?” The question in her voice halted him from leaning in. “I remember once– right after Corinne and I met.” She sounded almost apologetic. “She found out that one of her friends was dating you and she was livid. She told me she felt betrayed. I don’t know if she’d still feel this way, but I don’t think this is the right time to find out… As much as I’d like to…” She trailed off.
Peyton ran his hand along her arm. Part of him wanted to argue with her but deep inside he agreed. He remembered the occasion Stella mentioned. After he’d broken up with… hell he couldn’t even remember her name. But after they broke up Corinne and the girl’s friendship had ended.
And Corinne needed Stella. Now more than ever before.
Stella stepped away from him but she wasn’t done. “And I think we need to keep in mind that maybe this chemo is gonna work. Let’s not give up hope, okay?”
She’d picked up on that, too. “Right.” And then, “Stella? How long do you plan on staying?”
She didn’t hesitate to answer. “As long as it takes.” It sounded as though she was in for the long haul.
Peyton put one hand on the small of her back and guided her back into the house. Earlier today he’d considered her something of a nightmare but now– now he was only too glad not to have to handle all of this alone.
She bade him goodnight and disappeared upstairs.
CHAPTER FIVE
Guilt clawed atStella as she climbed the stairs to look for Corinne. God, she’d wanted him to kiss her. She’d almost leaned in, raised her hands to his shoulders.
“Corinne?” She called out softly. Her room was right next to Stella’s. She didn’t want to wake her friend up though, if she was already asleep.
