Stella parked her car and made her way across her pebbled driveway toward the front door of her cottage-style beach house. A soft glow from inside the front window greeted her, providing the warm atmosphere she’d tried to create in her home. The smell of the sea air washed over her, and she could hear the waves crashing against the shore in the distance. On certain summer nights Stella slept with her windows open and let the sea sounds lull her to slumber. It offered her a type of serenity nothing else ever could.
In the daylight her beautiful geraniums and rhododendrons were visible, gracing the area by the walkway. Although she didn’t have a green thumb, Stella had worked hard to cultivate these particular flowers. She paused for a moment to enjoy the spectacular supermoon lighting up the night sky. It was a champagne color and seemed to glow brighter and bigger than any moon she’d ever seen in her life.
All day Stella had been processing what she’d learned last night about the false rumor about her and Luke. She’d felt some stares and whispers during her yoga class, but no one had come right out and said anything.
She’d been wondering if she should reach out to Luke and apologize.No, that would be ridiculous.It wasn’t her fault that Mistletoe was filled with nosy residents who enjoyed stirring the pot. She hadn’t asked to be the subject of the town’s grapevine. And she certainly hadn’t done a single thing to put him in the line of fire other than giving him bottled water. Perhaps it was best to ignore the talk and try to ride it out until things died down.
“Stella.” The deep voice coming out of the shadows caused Stella to let out a high-pitched scream and practically jump out of her skin. A tall figure stepped forward, illuminated by her front porch light. Luke.
She pressed her palm against her chest. “Oh, man. You scared the life out of me.”
He winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I thought you would have seen my car parked there.”
She shook her head. Her heart was still racing. “I was distracted by the moon. It’s fairly magnificent tonight.”
He looked up at the sky and sighed. “You’re right. It’s amazing.”
“What brings you over here, Luke?” Stella experienced a flash of pure panic. Had he heard the rumors and come to her house to confront her? Did he think she had something to do with it? If that was the case, all she could do was tell him she was a victim just like he was.
Luke met her gaze. Looking into his eyes didn’t reveal anything about his reasons for stopping by her house, but it reinforced the fact that the man was gorgeous.Focus, Stella. It wasn’t the time or the place to ogle Luke, although he didn’t make it easy. His body alone was a thirst trap.
“I came by to talk to you,” Luke said. “It’s important.”
Oh no!He wanted to talk. And it was important. There really wasn’t much that he could possibly want to discuss other than the obvious.Yep.It stood to reason that he wanted to talk about the raging rumors he’d been dragged into.Dear God.Did he think she was responsible?
“I’m sorry, Luke. I know what you’re going to say, and I need you to know I had nothing to do with it.” The words tumbled out of her mouth, and she couldn’t seem to stop herself from babbling. “I’m so grateful for your helping me out the other day, so the fact that you might think I’m somehow at fault for this is not only awkward but it’s a tad bit hurtful.” Stella paused to take a breath.
Luke furrowed his brow as he looked at her. “Stella. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m not mad or annoyed with you. Can we go inside for some privacy?”
Lucy quickly opened the front door, then ushered him into her cozy living room. “Make yourself comfortable.” Luke sat down on her eggshell-colored love seat, making the room seem small with his larger-than-life presence. Suddenly her throat felt dry as he shrugged out of his thick sweatshirt. The muscles in his arms were on full display and his brown skin glistened. This man was fine! She dragged her gaze away, reminding herself not to stare. Or drool.
“Would you like a cold drink? A snack?” Stella asked. She would love to be in the kitchen for a few minutes taking calming breaths and putting a cool cloth on her face.
“No, I’m fine. Thanks.” Stella sat down in the seat across from him. She felt a bit uneasy as he locked gazes with her. “Let me get straight to the point. It seems that the good folks of Mistletoe think we’re involved…or hooking up or having a passionate affair.” He shrugged. “Something like that.”
“I know, Luke,” she said, unable to look him directly in the eye. She resisted the impulse to cover her face with her hands or sink into the floor. “I’m really sorry.”
“Really? I’m not.” A huge grin threatened to take over his entire face. His smile showcased white, even teeth and an impish attitude.
“Wait. What? You’re not upset?” Stella asked, relief flooding her entire body. She felt like doing a jig on her hardwood floors. She’d been bracing herself to be on the receiving end of a few choice words from Luke. As usual she’d jumped to conclusions. She really needed to have more faith in people.
“Upset? Of course not.” He frowned at her. “Why? Are you?”
“Honestly, yes. I hate town gossip, especially when my name is part of it.” She didn’t want to tell him that she was sensitive to rumors due to the wild stories that had circulated after Rafe called off their wedding. It wasn’t something she liked to think about. After all this time the whispers still hurt.
“I agree that gossip can be annoying and at times damaging, but in this instance it might serve both our purposes. If we let it.” Luke folded his sculpted arms across his chest and looked at her with a satisfied expression on his face.
Stella frowned. “I’m not following. What are you talking about?”
“Think about it, Stella. It would make a lot of sense for both of us to have people believe we’re an item. Guys like Rosie’s nephew wouldn’t pester you. And your parents would stop trying to fix you up. Your ex-fiancé will see you’ve moved on. I can’t speak for you, but I’ll be able to breathe better without having so many people trying to orchestrate my life.”
Stella was completely blown away. Luke wanted to turn the rumors on their head and engage in a showmance. Even though he’d made some stellar points, it was still fairly shocking. The idea of pretending to date Luke Keegan had its appeal, but there were also a host of drawbacks. For starters, she had the world’s worst poker face, so it would be a challenge to play her part without messing things up. Secondly, what if everyone found out they were only pretending to be a couple? That would be embarrassing and hard to justify. As a teacher, Stella always stressed the value of honesty to her students. Would this make her a total hypocrite?
“I definitely feel what you’re saying. I’d like to be able to process my romantic future on my own terms without anyone pressuring me to couple up with someone new.” Stella knew people might find it strange that she was still stuck in limbo, but she thought it spoke to her commitment to the future that had been snatched away from her. Was there really a timetable for moving on?
There was no getting around the fact that it would be nice to not feel as if she was constantly being suggested as a candidate forThe BacheloretteorLove Island. Truthfully, she wasn’t so sure if she felt the same way anymore about love, but she imagined that someday her heart would heal. She just needed to be patient and give it time. And being pushed into the dating world wasn’t going to make her fall in love again. It just made her feel smothered and confused.
Stella immediately pictured Tucker’s face. He was still calling her and leaving messages. Clearly she hadn’t been very convincing that day at the salon about having a boyfriend. If she went along with Luke’s idea it would take care of the big fib she’d told about dating someone. Luke would be the perfect fake boyfriend. Just for a moment she allowed herself to imagine the looks on certain people’s faces if she walked around holding hands with Luke Keegan. The very thought of it made her want to puff out her chest.
