“Would you like to join us?” Luke asked, gesturing toward the table. “We’d love to have you.”
Miss Botts couldn’t contain her huge grin. “Thanks for asking, but I wouldn’t dare intrude on your date.” She winked at them. “The two of you make such a charming couple. Don’t forget to invite me to the wedding.” With a wave, Miss Botts walked away from them, leaving Luke with his mouth open.
“Seriously?” Luke muttered. “Folks are already walking us down the aisle.” It was laughable. He’d barely been back in town two weeks. Miss Botts meant well and clearly adored both of them, so he wasn’t bothered by her comment.
When Stella didn’t respond, he swung his attention toward her. Her pinched features and the grim set of her mouth spoke volumes.
“Are you all right? Your face looks a little funny.” Yikes. He instantly wanted to take back what he’d just said. It sounded like an insult. “I don’t mean strange,” he said, correcting himself. “You look upset.”
“It’s nothing,” she said in a clipped tone. She continued eating the chowder without looking at him.Uh oh.Usually when women said it was nothing it was a whole lot of something. And unless he fixed it, the rest of the night was going to be awkward, which was the last thing he wanted. So far, being in Stella’s presence had been a breath of fresh air even when she’d been in the throes of a minor meltdown outside Rosie’s shop.
“Is it me?” Luke pressed. “Because if I did something or said something to make you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I know that I was the one who twisted your arm about this situation, so—”
“I don’t want a bunch of speculation about us getting married.” She blew out a huff of air. “I’ve already been the subject of ditched-at-the-altar whispers.” She shuddered. “I can only imagine how they’ll spin this when our romance ends. And I know it’s just one comment from the sweetest woman in Mistletoe, but it brings up a lot of bad memories.”
Luke pushed his empty bowl away from him. He’d enjoyed every last spoonful. If he wasn’t on a “date” with Stella, he would definitely line up for seconds. But at the moment he needed to clear up something. “I can’t say that I know how you feel about that period in your life, but I can empathize with you. And I won’t bother telling you that people won’t put your name in their mouths again, but I’m going to make you a promise.” He placed his arms on the table and leaned forward, making sure his voice was low. “When we stage our breakup at the end of the summer, I’ll make sure everyone in Mistletoe knows that I was the one who got dumped. That way you won’t have to hear anypoor Stellatalk. We’ll have control over the narrative. How does that sound?”
“You would do that for me?” Stella asked, disbelief shimmering in her eyes. She reached out and touched his forearm, and he sucked in a deep breath at the skin-on-skin contact. He tried to shake off his reaction, but it was as if an electric current were passing through him. It was impossible to concentrate with Stella caressing his arm with such tenderness.
For a wild moment Luke wanted to make a believer out of Stella. He wanted to show her that he was a man of his word, and she would never have to question it. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. Her ex really had done a number on her, so much so that she didn’t seem to know her own worth. She was the type of woman who men brought home to their mothers. Stella Marshall was a babe—beautiful, articulate, bright, and eye catching. What more could Rafe have wanted in a woman?
As his friend Brando liked to say, Stella was wifey material. Just because her stupid ex hadn’t appreciated her special brand of wonderful didn’t mean the rest of the world couldn’t. Or wouldn’t.
“Yes, I would, Stella. In a heartbeat.” Their eyes locked and held for several beats. Luke couldn’t have looked away from the intensity radiating from Stella’s eyes for anything in this world. When Stella was happy, she simply glowed. It shimmered like the sun. Something in the air shifted and he could feel an electric pulse thrumming around them. He hadn’t felt anything quite like this in his life, so much so that he wondered if he was imagining it. Luke’s throat went tight, and he found himself unable to utter a single word. What was wrong with him?
Loud cries went up in the crowd, cutting through the tension that hovered in the air between them. It brought him out of the haze he’d been in. Stella seemed just as off-kilter. Maybe she’d felt it too.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he craned his neck to see what had caused the commotion. All he saw was a group of people milling around the gazebo area. Stella scrambled up on the table bench and looked out over the crowd. Luke moved quickly to her side of the table so he could spot her in case she stumbled. “It’s Dante and Lucy,” she said with a smile. “Even though he’s a hometown boy, the townsfolk still tend to treat him like a celebrity. He’s in town for a few weeks helping out with the wedding plans.”
Luke wondered if it was hard for Stella to see Lucy get married after her own wedding fiasco. All he could see on her face was happiness for the engaged couple. It said a lot about Stella that she was so supportive of her sister’s plans. He didn’t imagine it was easy though. If her ex hadn’t called things off, Stella would be a married woman right now. And he wouldn’t have the pleasure of her sweet company, getting up close and personal with the stunning teacher. Rafe’s loss was definitely his gain. Even though he and Stella were only pretending to be involved, Luke was feeling a deeper connection with her as each day passed.
When Stella moved to get down from the bench, Luke stepped forward and picked her up by the waist, then gently deposited her on the ground. Stella’s eyes were filled with surprise as she looked up at him. Just having her in such close proximity caused all of his senses to be on high alert. Stella fit perfectly in his arms. “Can’t have you falling, can we?” he asked.
“That wouldn’t be good,” she acknowledged with a nervous laugh. “I certainly don’t want to spend my summer vacation in a cast.” Avoiding eye contact with him, she turned toward the commotion. Stella called out to her sister and beckoned her to their table. Looking relieved, Lucy headed right toward them with Dante following behind her. “I can’t wait till Mistletoe gets sick of my famous fiancé,” Lucy said the moment she reached them, sounding out of breath.
“If it isn’t Lucy Marshall,” Luke said in an upbeat tone that matched his ear-to-ear grin.
A smile lit up her face the moment Lucy spotted him. “Luke! I can’t believe you’re back in Mistletoe. It’s so great to see you,” she said, reaching out for a hug. With her heart-shaped face and striking features, Lucy hadn’t changed all that much. “Nick has been filling us in on all your exploits. Not to mention your adorable nephew who can’t stop talking about Uncle Luke. He’s taken out a few library books on Navy SEALs.”
The idea of Miles conducting this type of research hit him smack dab in the center of his heart. “That kid is something else. I’m not sure I deserve his hero worship, but he’s the president of my fan club,” Luke said. “It makes me feel ten feet tall.”
Dante reached out and clapped Luke on the shoulder. “Luke Keegan. You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“Dante. It’s been a long time, man,” Luke said as they went in for a hug. Frankly, he couldn’t remember the last time they’d seen each other. Probably right around the time he’d enlisted and Dante headed off to Hollywood. Many years stood between them. The memories they’d shared had been epic. From Friday night lights on the football field to double dating at the drive-in, they’d spent endless hours in each other’s company.
Dante stepped back. “Look at you. You’re ripped. Must be all that Navy SEAL training. You put the Rock and Jason Statham to shame. If you ever want to get into the stunt double business give me a call.”
Luke laughed. He wasn’t sure he was cut out to be a stuntman, but he appreciated the compliment from his old friend. “Congratulations on your engagement. Nick told me all about it.” As one of Dante’s closest friends, Nick knew all the intimate details of the reunion romance between Lucy and Dante. From what Luke had been told the couple had been put through a few challenges on their road to a happy ending. “And you’ve gotten famous since we were trying to win state championships,” he said with a chuckle. Back then they’d been all about girls and football. “It’s pretty amazing.”
“Thanks,” Dante said, looking over at his fiancée with an expression Luke could only describe as lovestruck. “I came back home to film my movie and to make amends with my family…and Lucy.” He chuckled. “I ended up reconnecting with the love of my life. All during the Christmas holidays.”
Luke couldn’t imagine how everything had fallen in place so perfectly for Lucy and Dante since life usually didn’t work that way, but he was happy for them. Although he’d never been lucky in love himself, he believed in it. He’d seen it up close and personal with his parents and with Nick and Kara. He could only hope that one day it found him, although he wasn’t banking on it. However his love life worked out in the long run, he would be content simply being Uncle Luke.
“I’m happy for you, Dante. Sounds like you’re living the dream.” What must it be like, he wondered, to have your life tied up in a neat little bow? He envied Dante having such a certain future while his own seemed so unsettled.Dig deep.His own words to his SEAL team surfaced, reminding him that he needed to work on himself so he could get his life in order. A new life wasn’t just going to materialize for him.
“I heard about you and Stella,” Dante said, arching his eyebrows. Luke wasn’t sure if Dante knew they were fake dating or if he thought they were the real deal. Dante wasn’t giving away any clues. “Watch yourself. These Marshall women are a handful.” Dante began chuckling and Luke joined along with him. Stella had definitely showed him her unpredictable side. Never could he have pictured her fleeing a bridal salon by way of vaulting herself out of a window.
“Our ears are burning,” Lucy said, looping her arm around her fiancé’s waist and leaning into him. “What were you saying about us?”
