“It’s always been this way,” Stella said, taking a swig of her orange juice. “Don’t get me wrong. Most people in Mistletoe would give you their last dollar, but the town hobby is gossip. Don’t you remember when we were kids there was a wild rumor about Miss Botts the nursery school teacher and Kyle Williams.” Stella made a tutting sound. “Poor Miss Botts was a wreck.”
Kyle was the owner of the Lobster Shack, one of the most popular restaurants in town. “I don’t remember that at all,” he said with a shake of his head. “I was too busy playing football and chasing girls.”
“Yeah,” Stella said with a smirk. “From what I remember, you caught an awful lot of them.”
Luke chuckled. “You’re right about that.” He narrowed his gaze as he looked at her. “Not you though. You stayed under the radar.”
“You can say it, Luke. I was a nerd. Braces, glasses, and Afro puffs.” She covered her face with her hand. “And I was woefully underdeveloped. This may be TMI but I wore a training bra well into high school.”
Luke had to bite his tongue so he didn’t tell her how she’d sure made up for it. She was stunning in every way imaginable. He had the feeling she didn’t even know how appealing she was. He figured the breakup with her ex had done a number on her self-esteem.
“Well, you certainly glowed up,” Luke said, his eyes roaming over her with deep appreciation.
“Thanks for saying so,” she said with a smirk. “When we were in high school, I would have swooned if you’d ever said that to me. I had a gigantic crush on you.”
“You did?” Luke asked, flabbergasted by Stella’s admission. Once again, he found himself wishing they’d been friends. He’d been stupid not to give her a passing look. But he’d been a popular jock back then with dreams of NFL glory emblazoned in his mind. How could he have failed to notice Stella’s warmth, kindness, and sense of humor? Hanging out with her would have added greatly to his life back then. Thankfully he’d evolved into a man who appreciated those qualities.
“I truly did, Luke. I even memorized your schedule so I could pass you in the halls.” Stella grimaced. “That sounds obsessive, but I promise you I was well meaning. Just a teenaged girl crushing on the hottest boy in school.” Luke heard a little sigh slip past her lips.
He raised an eyebrow. “You thought I was hot back then? Tell me more,” he said in a teasing voice. Luke knew he’d been in demand back in the day. No doubt all the attention had given him a big head. At the moment it gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling to know that someone as special as Stella had been crushing on him too.
“I think I’ve said more than enough.” Stella pushed her plate away from her and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “That really hit the spot, but if I eat another bite, you’ll have to roll me out of here.”
“We should probably just get the check,” Luke said, his eyes widening as he watched Dean come striding over to their table. “Incoming,” he muttered, trying his best to give Stella a heads-up. Dean was a nice guy, but he tended to be a bit loud and boisterous. And judging by the way he’d been eyeballing the two of them from behind the counter, Luke had a hunch Dean was on a fishing expedition.
“Luke Keegan!” Dean said in an exuberant voice as he clapped Luke on the shoulder. “It’s been a long time. It’s great to see you in one piece. I read all about your Medal of Honor award. And Nick has kept us all posted on your achievements. That’s one proud brother you’ve got there.”
“I feel the same way about him,” Luke said. As far as he was concerned, Nick was the true hero with his search and rescue career and raising Miles as a single father. But it was nice to hear his service was a source of pride for Nick. As the older brother it was his job to lead the way.
“Breakfast is on me,” Dean said, rapping his knuckles on the table.
“You don’t have to do that,” Luke protested. “We had a feast and it was excellent.”
“It’s my way of saying thank you for your service,” Dean said. “This town is mighty proud of you. It isn’t every day a hometown boy is honored with a Medal of Honor.” He looked over at Stella. “The two of you look good together. Not that it’s any of my business, but it’s nice seeing the younger generation pairing up. It’s a beautiful thing.” Dean winked at them before making his way back behind the counter.
“Something tells me Dean heard the rumors about us,” Stella quipped once he walked away.
Luke wanted to laugh at the look on Stella’s face, but he didn’t think she would appreciate it at the moment. “Yeah, it seems so. You know how fast the rumor mill works in this town.” Luke darted a glance around them. He beckoned to Miles to come back to the table.
“We should have corrected him,” Stella said in a low voice. “Now there’s one more person who is going to spread the news that we’re together.” She wrinkled her nose. “Trust me, I’ve been at this rodeo before. It’s just going to blow up.”
“So why didn’t you tell him?” Luke asked. “I was kind of waiting for you to set him straight.” Luke felt his lips twitching, but he managed to keep a straight face as her eyes widened. Stella was adorable and it would be easy to yank her chain.
Stella bit her lip. “Because I’m still trying to figure out whether or not to participate in this ruse.”
“Come on, Stella. Ruse sounds so…negative. We need to think of this as something positive.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “For both of us.”
“I suppose you’re right, but it’s so out of my comfort zone. But, at the same time, it’s actually perfect.” Stella appeared contemplative, and he had the feeling she was weighing the pros and cons. Was it possible she might change her mind?
“I should get Miles home,” Luke said. “He’s bouncing off the walls over there.” He cast another glance at his nephew. He was having a fork duel with Liam, and the boys were jousting a bit too enthusiastically. Luke smiled as his own childhood memories came into sharp focus. It was great to see Miles enjoying himself in such a carefree manner.
When he and Stella stood up to leave the diner, several pairs of eyes trailed their every move. Stella was probably not too happy about it, but a quick glance at her face showed a placid expression. Whatever she was feeling, Stella was keeping it under wraps. He wagered that it was the teacher in her—cool, calm, and collected under pressure. Unless of course she was fleeing a bridal salon.
Suddenly, Luke felt the pressure of Stella’s hand in his own. He looked over at her, shocked at the gesture. Stella knew that there were prying eyes throughout the restaurant. The bold move could only mean one thing, but he needed to hear it from her lips.
“Does this mean…?” he began, searching her eyes for an answer.
Stella leaned in toward him. “I’m down with the plan, Luke,” Stella said in a low voice, cutting him off. “I agree with you. This setup could really work for both of us. And if it means I’ll have a peaceful summer, I’m all in. I need that.” She reached up on her tippy toes and pressed a kiss against his cheek, causing a warm sensation to spread across his face. Her hand rested on his shoulder as she did so, making it feel all the more intimate.
