“Nothing but good things,” Dante said, dipping his head down and placing his lips on Lucy’s. It wasn’t long before they were full-on smooching. It had been a long time since Luke had been in the presence of a couple like Dante and Lucy. The sparks between them could start a blazing fire.
“Save some of this mushy stuff for later,” Stella said, tugging her sister’s arm and breaking up the kiss. “Unless you want to be on TMZ by tomorrow morning.”
“No thanks,” Lucy said. “That is literally the only downside to being engaged to a celebrity. Everyone wants a piece of him.”
Dante grabbed her hand. “But you’re the only one who has me.”
Luke made eye contact with Stella, who was rolling her eyes. “In case you’re wondering, yes they’re always this lovey-dovey.”
“We’re just making up for lost time,” Dante said. It was truly a testament to their love that they’d reunited after such a long time.
“We’re going to head over to Troy and Noelle’s chowder booth,” Dante said. “I promised to take some pics with a few of the hardware store’s customers.”
Troy was a few years younger than Luke, but they’d all hung out together and played on the same football team. He imagined Noelle was his wife or girlfriend, although he couldn’t recall Nick mentioning he’d gotten married.
“I’d love to say hello,” Luke said. He swung his gaze toward Stella. “Do you want to head over with them?” Meeting up with old friends was something he would never get tired of. He was beginning to realize that being back in his hometown grounded him in a way nothing else ever could. These folks reminded him that he’d had other dreams before he had become a Navy SEAL. That there was more to him than his years of service. Even though he still had a lot of things to figure out, Luke sensed he was in the right spot to begin putting those pieces together. Mistletoe might just be a place to plant roots after all.
“Sounds good to me,” Stella said. As they all began to walk together, Luke clasped Stella’s hand in his. At this point it simply felt like a reflex, which was a bit confusing. All he knew was that he wasn’t solely doing it for appearances. He couldn’t really put into words how he felt, but it was nice holding hands with Stella.
“By the way, Troy just got married to Noelle,” Stella explained. “She has a son named Jimmy from another relationship that they’re raising together. They make a really sweet couple.”
“It sounds like the whole town is getting hitched,” Luke said, shaking his head at how much things had changed over the years. He’d missed out on so many joyous occasions, and although he was proud of his service, it had cost him a lot. There hadn’t been much time spent with Miles, Kara, and Nick. His parents weren’t getting any younger either.
“Not the whole town,” she said in a soft voice. Immediately, Luke regretted his choice of words. It was like rubbing salt in a wound.
He stopped walking and slightly tugged on her hand. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry, Stella. I wasn’t thinking.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m just being overly sensitive. Believe it or not, I’m really happy for my sister and Dante and everyone else who’s found their path. It’s just that…”
“Sometimes you wish it was you.” He wanted to reach out and smooth away the worry lines on her forehead. He wished he could make her believe that everything would work out for her in the end. But he didn’t have a crystal ball and he knew she might not want to hear it from him.
Stella nodded. “I do. And I wish that I didn’t want the wedding and the white dress and the promise of forever, but if I’m being completely honest, I do. It’s right there in the deepest regions of my heart.” She pressed her palm against her chest.
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Stella. You deserve it all.” He tapped his finger to his chin. “Okay, so let’s think about this for a minute. I’m guessing it’s not too late to call up Rosie’s nephew. What was his name again? Teller? Tuttle?”
Stella burst out laughing. “Tucker.” He loved making her laugh. Just seeing her beautiful face crinkling up with joy caused a tightening sensation in his chest.
Luke snapped his fingers. “Oh yes, Tucker.” He quirked his mouth. “I’m guessing the ladies here in town aren’t lining up to couple up with him.”
“I highly doubt it,” she said, vigorously shaking her head.
“Well, Stella, in my humble opinion you deserve the very best.” He reached out for her hand, stroking her thumb with his own. “Waiting for the right man to become your other half is a smart move. Someone like you should never settle.”
Just putting on the white dress and getting married wouldn’t be enough for a woman like Stella. She wanted the whole thing—an authentic love story. And he didn’t blame her one bit. She deserved the very best this world had to offer.
Chapter Fourteen
Afew minutes later they caught up to Lucy and Dante at Troy’s booth, and Luke was able to meet Troy’s wife, Noelle, and reminisce about old times. He also bought a cup of corn and clam chowder from their booth, which he shared with Stella. At this rate, Luke would be stuffed when they left the event. But he certainly wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to taste as many chowders as his stomach would allow.
As they walked around the grounds, Luke was treated like a bona fide superstar. Although the wordherostill made him cringe, he had to admit it felt good to be welcomed back home with such love and enthusiasm. For so long he’d been MIA from this Maine haven. But now, he had to decide whether or not he could plant roots here and make a new life for himself. Could Mistletoe be his home base? Would he be happy here long-term?
He spotted a few members of his high school football team, and they reminisced about the glory days for a few minutes. Everyone seemed to know Stella and it was clear to him that she was beloved by all. Several of her students excitedly approached her and she handled each interaction with kindness and grace.
“There’s a cool jazz band playing—” Stella stopped midsentence.
All of a sudden she slid her hand in his and squeezed. It felt as if she was clinging to him like a lifeline. Luke had no idea what was going on, but he felt her stiffen up. “Rafe.” The name slipped past Stella’s lips. She was as frozen as a statue. Luke swung his gaze to where Stella was looking. A tall, dark-haired man was standing by the cotton candy booth with a woman. A baby stroller sat in front of them. They looked a little too perfect if you asked him, but he supposed some folks liked that granola vibe.
“You’re all right,” he reassured her in a low voice. “Hold my hand as tightly as you need to. I’m not going anywhere.”
