Luke thought he might have to pick his jaw up off the floor. A kiss had been the last thing he’d expected from Stella. He was also blown away by her agreeing to his idea that they become a fake couple. Luke had honestly thought Stella would continue to be reluctant. Miles looked at their entwined hands and grinned from ear to ear as he observed Stella’s gesture. The wheels were definitely turning in his young head. As they left the diner as a threesome, Luke could feel the heat of numerous stares focused on them like laser beams. He couldn’t be certain, but out of the corner of his eye he thought Saffron might have been making a rude gesture with her finger.
Once Stella, Luke, and Miles left the Starlight Diner, they walked down Main Street, passing by the town’s unique shops and the Free Library of Mistletoe, where Lucy worked. After a bit of window-shopping, they cut through the town green. Luke had always loved this part of Mistletoe’s downtown area. The huge expanse of lawn was a rich emerald-green color, and a profusion of cherry trees were in full bloom. June in Maine was spectacular. Luke had been all over the world and there wasn’t anything quite like his picturesque hometown. Even though he hadn’t wanted to be disability retired at the age of thirty-two, Mistletoe was a nice place to lay his head while he figured things out. With each and every day it was growing on him until he was starting to feel like he was part of the town’s fabric.
“I’m going to run over to the gazebo. Time me, Uncle Luke. My record is fifty-six seconds.” Miles put one leg out and bent his opposite leg as he readied himself for the countdown.
“Okay. Ready. Set. Go,” Luke called out, and they watched Miles fly like the wind across the town green.
“He’s really fast. You might have a future track star on your hands,” Stella said with a knowing smile. “Look at his form. You can’t teach that at his age.”
Stella was right. He was really focused on pumping his arms and legs. Luke planned to mention it to Nick so he could ask Miles if he wanted to get involved in a track program this summer. When Miles reached the gazebo, he let out a triumphant cry. Luke looked down at his watch. He had a feeling Miles was about to celebrate.
“Fifty-three seconds,” Luke called out to him. Miles let out a loud hoot and began dancing the way football players did in the end zone after scoring a touchdown. His exuberance was contagious. Stella and Luke whooped and hollered right along with him.
Luke cast a glance at Stella. Her expression was one of pure joy. If he had his Nikon camera, he could capture her for all time. Her beauty and grace. The tinkling sound of her laughter. The way she lit up from the inside. Her warm brown skin made even more dazzling by sunlight.
Easy there, Cool Hand.His team members had given him the Paul Newman–inspired nickname because of his calm demeanor under pressure.
There was no question Stella was an exceptional woman, but he wasn’t going to let things get messy between them by pursuing her. There was an attraction buzzing between them, and he had the feeling she felt it too. He couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t tempted by Stella, but he would have to push that to the background in order to make this thing work.
Chapter Ten
As they walked down Main Street, Stella kept her hand encased in Luke’s. She had to admit it felt good, even though it was just for show. Holding hands was such a simple act, yet Stella had always loved this way of connecting with another person.
“Way to keep me on my toes back there, Marshall,” Luke said, grinning as he turned toward her. “You blew me away with that handholding gesture in the diner. I totally wasn’t expecting it.”
“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision,” Stella admitted. She bit her lip. One thing was really worrying her. “I don’t want to hurt Miles in the process. In case you didn’t notice, he was mesmerized by us holding hands. He might be disappointed when our summer showmance ends.” Miles had a tender soul and Stella didn’t want to do anything to confuse him.
“Don’t worry about Miles. I plan to tell him we’re good friends so he doesn’t think we’re settling down together or anything.” Luke quirked his mouth. “Who knows? He might be relieved that I’m not poaching his girl.” The twinkle in Luke’s eyes made him even more attractive. She didn’t remember him being this playful back in high school, although their interactions had been few and far between. Stella had admired him from a distance for years, casting him as the star in all her romantic fantasies. She’d even dreamed of Luke asking her to prom, which had been as unlikely as being struck by lightning.
What am I doing?Was this a smart move on her part? She couldn’t deny the fact that she was attracted to Luke. And she’d had an intense crush on him at one time. Yes, the crush had lasted throughout high school, but who was counting?
Would she really be able to play this role without crossing any lines? What if those feelings came roaring back to life? The very idea of falling for someone again made her palms sweat with nervousness. The whole point of this arrangement was to give Stella time to heal without being forced into another relationship. It would be a huge step in taking control of her personal life and moving forward. She didn’t need to get tangled up with a too-handsome-for-his-own-good Navy SEAL along the way.
“Your timing is excellent by the way. My aunt Hattie showed up on Nick’s doorstep this morning with matchmaking on her mind.” Luke visibly shuddered as he mentioned Hattie. His great-aunt had always terrified Stella, so she felt his pain. At five two and one hundred pounds soaking wet, Hattie Jackson was a force to be reckoned with. Miss Hattie had led the youth choir and she’d acted like a drill sergeant. To this day Stella got nervous in her presence.
“No offense, but Miss Hattie is like a human version of a pit bull.”
Luke chuckled. “But her bark is just as bad as her bite. From what Nick said, Miles is scared to death of her so she’s not a great babysitting option.” Stella joined in on the laughter. There was something ridiculously funny about Miss Hattie Jackson trying to set up her gorgeous nephew on dates.
“So what made you change your mind?” Luke’s eyes were focused on her like laser beams. It wasn’t exactly unpleasant to be the center of his attention. It had been ages since a man had looked at her with such intensity. She missed it badly.
“You made a lot of sense with your fake-dating pitch. It will benefit both of our objectives. As long as we keep things platonic.” Ugh. Her voice sounded so prim and proper. Why had she just said that? Luke was a bona fide stud muffin who had women literally chasing him around Mistletoe. She’d made it sound like she was drawing a line in the sand in case he wanted to get with her. That hadn’t been her intention at all. What was it about this man that made her lose her bearings? She had a serious case of foot-in-mouth disease.
Luke threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh. “A-are you serious? Stella, the last thing I want is a relationship. That’s the whole reason I came up with this plan. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not secretly trying to get close to you, although I do think you’re pretty cute.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Heat flushed Stella’s cheeks and it had nothing to do with the June weather. Embarrassment washed over her. She’d just blurted out her thoughts and made herself look foolish. “I-I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that I wanted to make sure—”
“That you wouldn’t have to contend with another admirer?” Luke asked, smirking. “Don’t worry, Stella. I’m in this for the same reasons as you. And it’s not to get a girlfriend.”
“Okay. Good to know,” she said, trying to shake off her humiliation. “I’m going to head over to the library to see Lucy. She’s probably getting ready to open up.” Stella wanted to flee this awkward scene as fast as possible. Luke seemed to be savoring it, judging by his grin, no doubt enjoying her discomfort.
“Well, tell Lucy I said hello,” he responded. “And remind her to keep our situation on the down low.”
Stella wondered what Lucy would say about their arrangement. She spoke to her sister several times a day and they were best friends. She couldn’t make it one day without blurting it out.
“Bye, Miles,” she shouted, waving her hand wildly in his direction across the green. Before she knew it, he was sprinting back toward her and wrapping his arms around her waist. Suddenly, it felt as if her heart were cracking wide open. She tried so hard not to have favorite students or to get too attached to any one of them. But having Miles Keegan resting his precious little head against her midsection, letting her know she mattered to him, made her feel as if all was right with her world.
Miles let go of her and said, “Bye, Miss Marshall. If you want to come over to my house, you have an open invitation.” He flashed her a wild grin. “Uncle Luke will be there.”
