Stella threw her head back and chuckled. “I like Legos, but the flowers are perfect. I’m going to put them in that empty vase on my desk and then take them home with me. Thanks for thinking of me. I appreciate it.”
Other students began trickling into the classroom, and Miles moved away from her to join in on the last day of school revelry with his classmates. Laughter rang in the air as the children celebrated the start of summer vacation and no more homework. Normally, Stella would encourage the kids to settle down and sit at their desks before the morning assembly, but since today was a special day, she didn’t bother. It was nice to see the students in relaxation mode. They’d worked hard all year. They deserved to have fun and celebrate.
At nine a.m. sharp, Principal Whittaker came over the loudspeaker to announce it was time for the last assembly of the year. Stella led her students in single file as they made their way down the hall toward the gymnasium. Stella had to corral a few who seemed to have ants in their pants and refused to listen to her instructions. She was a firm believer that no student was ever bad, although they did have their moments.
As they filed into the room, Stella led her class to the bleachers where they completely filled out an entire row. Once the assembly began, students were called to the stage to celebrate their achievements. Honor roll students, top athletes, spelling bee and science fair winners. Some students even performed songs and skits they’d learned in choir and drama classes. Stella loved the supportive nature of the students as they cheered and clapped for their classmates.
“And now, to conclude our assembly, we have something very special lined up. Miles Keegan, can you come front and center?”
Stella looked over at Miles, who had a stunned expression on his face. She gave him an encouraging nod as everyone began enthusiastically clapping. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a tall figure snapping pictures on his cell phone. It was Nick Keegan, Miles’s dad. He’d been a friend of hers since middle school. What was Nick doing at the end-of-the-year assembly? Although parents weren’t prohibited from attending, it was pretty rare for one to show up. Something was definitely going on. Was Miles the student who had a special surprise in store for him?
Once Miles made his way to the front, Principal Whittaker placed his hand on Miles’s shoulder. “Are you looking forward to summer vacation?” he asked, speaking into a microphone. He placed the mic in front of Miles’s mouth. With all the attention focused on him, Miles looked slightly nervous. He placed both hands in his back pockets and rocked on the heels of his Converse sneakers. “Yes, I guess so,” he mumbled.
Principal Whittaker chuckled. “You don’t sound too sure about that, but I have a surprise for you that might bring a smile to your face. A present just for you. All the way from Afghanistan.”
Afghanistan?Before she could ponder what in the world was going on, a man strode into the gymnasium from a side entrance. She sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of him. He was wearing camo cargo pants and a short-sleeved olive-green T-shirt that showed off his sculpted arms. He was tall and muscular with a face chiseled by the archangels. His brown skin was a beautiful russet color, and he had a strong jawline. Suddenly, Stella felt a jolt of recognition. After all, who could forget Luke Keegan? He was all grown up now and incredibly handsome. And seriously, smolderingly sexy.
Being a Navy SEAL had given him a serious glow up. And that was saying something since he’d always been handsome. Nick talked about his brother all the time, so she knew Luke had worked really hard over the years to rise up in the ranks. From the sounds of it, he’d devoted his entire life to being a Navy SEAL. He’d even been injured in the line of duty, which had ended his career.
Miles let out a cry and ran toward his uncle. She couldn’t take her eyes off Luke as his powerful arms reached out and wrapped his nephew up in a huge bear hug. Miles clung to his uncle with complete abandon, his little legs wrapped around Luke’s waist as if he might never let go. Tears misted in Stella’s eyes at the emotional reunion between uncle and nephew. Miles had lost so much over the past few years; it was amazing to see him being gifted with his uncle’s presence. On more than one occasion, Miles had gushed about his uncle’s bravery and service to his country.
Stella loved these military surprises. She couldn’t remember one ever taking place at Mistletoe Elementary, but it was fitting that this special moment between Miles and his uncle had occurred on the last day before summer break. It was a feel-good event for the entire community. But especially Miles. A bunch of photographers stepped onstage and began snapping pictures of Miles and Luke. Stella had the feeling this surprise reunion would be featured on the local news and in dozens of newspapers around the region.
Luke Keegan was definitely the eye candy Mistletoe needed. Not that there weren’t good-looking men here in town, but most of them were either already coupled up or strictly in the friend zone. Stella wasn’t looking for a summer romance, but if she had been, Luke would have been at the top of her list.
“He’s one hot soldier,” Carolina said in a hushed voice as she leaned over and poked Stella in the shoulder. Carolina began fanning herself with her hand in an exaggerated way.
“Even hotter than when we were in high school,” Stella murmured. “And that’s saying something.”
“You went to high school with him?” Carolina asked in a raised voice, her eyes widening.
Stella put her finger to her lips and made a shushing sound. The last thing either of them needed was for their students to overhear their conversation and take it home with them. “I sure did,” she confirmed in a low whisper, turning her head to make eye contact. Stella didn’t want to get into it with Carolina, but Luke had been voted as the senior most likely to get a girl in the back seat of his car. He’d been hot stuff. Girls had practically lined up to get with him. Stella had crushed on him from afar since they hadn’t hung out in the same circles.
“And Dante West as well? What’s in the water in Mistletoe? This place is full of gorgeous men.” Carolina wrinkled her nose. “Not sure why I’m still single though. I’ve got to step up my game.” She patted her hips. “I need to lose a few pounds.”
“Don’t you dare,” Stella objected. “You have curves in all the right places. You’ll find someone special before you know it. And you don’t have to lose a single ounce to make that happen.” It was easy to see Carolina coupled up with a wonderful partner. She was smart and vivacious with a killer sense of humor. And she was way more confident than Stella herself was. She let out a little sigh. If only she could be a little bit bolder, a little bit braver. If only her romantic past with Rafe hadn’t sucked all the life out of her. Why was it so much easier to imagine Carolina finding herself coupled up with someone than herself? Rafe had really done a number on her. He’d stomped all over her heart and left her incredibly jaded.
“Be careful. You’re drooling,” Carolina whispered in Stella’s ear.
“I am not,” she said, trying to keep her composure. “It’s not like I’ve never seen a hot guy before.”
“He’s not just any guy. The whole Navy SEAL thing is pretty awesome. And he is just as smoldering as Idris. Maybe even more so.”
“Well, I’m not looking to date anytime soon, so he’s all yours,” Stella said. Her heart twinged when she said it. Seeing her friend with her former crush would be slightly difficult to bear.
Stella didn’t need to turn around to see her friend rolling her eyes at her. Carolina, along with half of Mistletoe, had tried on many occasions to set her up on dates. Even though it had been almost two years since Rafe had informed her that she wasn’t his soulmate, the very thought of someone hurting her again was still terrifying.
The sight of Luke Keegan standing in the middle of the gymnasium was a nice visual to get her mind off her own problems. A girl could at least dream, couldn’t she? He’d developed into a fine-looking man, and there was something very appealing about a guy who put his life on the line for others.
Seeing him again after all these years was a shock to the system. He was all grown up now and smoking hot. Was it her imagination or had it suddenly gotten warm in the gymnasium? She was feeling a bit flushed. It brought her back to the days when she’d had a gigantic crush on him. Stella had been one year below Luke in school, and although they’d known each other since they were little, there had never been a friendship or any type of rapport between them. Not that Stella wouldn’t have moved heaven and earth to make it happen, but Luke had gazed straight through her. It was a little bit painful to remember how she’d been so enthralled by a boy who hadn’t even noticed her. She couldn’t really blame him though. He’d always been highly sought after by all the girls in town, and she’d been on the shy side with her nose always stuck in a book. There had been zero chance of them getting together back then.
And even though she’d outgrown her awkward teenaged years, Stella still felt like the younger version of herself on the inside. Luke was still way out of her league. Smoking hot Navy SEALs could generally get any woman they pleased. And if she knew the ladies in town like she thought she did, not a single one would say no to Luke Keegan.
She wondered how long he was staying in Mistletoe. And just how long would it take for all the women in town to make a beeline in his direction?
Chapter Two
Luke Keegan stood in the middle of the basketball court in the gymnasium of his former elementary school and looked out at the audience composed of students and faculty members. His gaze swept over the packed room, searching for his younger brother. His chest tightened as he spotted Nick waving in his direction as the crowd headed out of the assembly. Nick couldn’t hide the raw emotion from showing on his expressive face. He had always worn his heart on his sleeve, while Luke tended to be more stoic, keeping it all on the inside. It had served him well as a Navy SEAL, but he wasn’t certain it had benefited him in his personal life. While Nick had been destined to settle down with the love of his life, Luke was the poster boy for failed relationships.
