You’re not meant for the long haul.To this day, those words rang in Luke’s ears, courtesy of his ex-girlfriend, Allison Teague. It hadn’t hurt at the time, but in the past few years the insult had been festering inside of him. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had been right. Was he meant to be alone for the rest of his days?
Luke shoved those emotions down and reminded himself to savor this moment with his nephew. He was miles away from covert missions and stealth operations, instead standing next to Miles, who he’d missed like crazy, in his old stomping grounds. When he’d been a student here, the building had seemed gigantic. He couldn’t help but feel stunned at the reality. It was actually pretty small. Perspective was a funny thing.
Ever since he’d arrived in Mistletoe last night, Luke had been in full nostalgia mode. After being in the Middle East for the better part of six years, his hometown felt like paradise. He hadn’t even realized how much he’d needed to be back in Maine and experience some normalcy after living the military life for so long. Although he loved having proudly served his country, Luke knew his time was up. He needed to move on with something else. It was both nerve-racking and exciting to create a new life for himself.
Once a Navy SEAL, always a Navy SEAL. It would forever be a part of his identity if not his reality. Medal of Honor. He wished this distinction could trump the bomb blast that had ended his career and killed two of his SEAL team members.
“I want you to meet my teacher, Miss Marshall.” His nephew’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. Miles tugged at Luke’s hand and began to pull him forcefully toward the bleachers. For a little kid, Miles sure had some super strength going on.He must be eating his Wheaties, Luke thought with a chuckle.
“Sure thing, buddy. Slow down. What’s the rush?” Luke asked. His nephew’s excitement was contagious. Seeing such joy in a pint-sized version of his brother lifted him up to the stratosphere. It was thrilling to know they’d be in the same zip code for the foreseeable future. He had so much to catch up on in both Miles’s and Nick’s lives.
The woman standing before him was nothing short of spectacular. Luke dragged in a ragged breath. It had been a long time since he’d been in the presence of a woman who looked like his nephew’s teacher. Miss Marshall had big, brown eyes framed by thick black lashes. Her skin was mocha colored. A heart-shaped face with full ruby lips and gorgeous cheekbones put her in the category of absolutely gorgeous. He had to remind himself to pick his jaw up off the ground.
Back when he’d been a student in this very building, Luke hadn’t had a single teacher who looked like Miss Marshall. It had probably been a blessing in disguise. He wouldn’t have been able to focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic if the teacher at the front of the classroom had been as stunning as this woman.
“Miss Marshall. This is my uncle, Luke.” Miles craned his neck looking up at him, wonder etched on his face. “He came all the way from Afghanistan to see me.” Luke’s heart cracked open a little at the pride emanating from Miles’s voice. Every time Luke talked to Nick, his brother told him how much his nephew looked up to him. He couldn’t even put into words how Miles’s hero worship made him feel. Planning this surprise reunion had been Luke’s way of creating a special experience for him.
Miss Marshall’s grin caused Luke’s chest to painfully tighten. He wasn’t used to being so affected by a woman’s smile or her close proximity. There was something slightly familiar about his nephew’s teacher, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Hi there, Luke. Nice to see you again.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Stella. Stella Marshall. We grew up together in Mistletoe.”
Stella Marshall?The name came out of nowhere, surprising him in the process. He had a vague recollection of a gangly girl with long legs and an overbite. Surely this couldn’t be the same person. Miles’s teacher was a knockout. Stella had been in his brother Nick’s circle of friends, and she’d been quiet and studious—the type of girl who’d never walked on the wild side. It was strange how he remembered those details and yet he hadn’t recognized her at first.
Luke slid his hand into hers. “Stella! Of course. You were the grade below me, right?” They hadn’t been friends, but in a small town like Mistletoe, everybody knew everybody on some level.
She nodded. “Yes. You might remember my sister Lucy as well.”
He grinned back at her. “Of course I do. I recall reading a headline not too long ago about Dante West getting engaged to a certain hometown librarian named Lucy Marshall. Dante and I used to play football together. Do you still hang out with Nick?”
“We do. A group of us do dinner and a movie when he can get a sitter,” Stella acknowledged. “Nick is a good friend.”
“She was friends with my mom too,” Miles said in a quiet voice. Luke looked down and placed his arm around his nephew’s shoulder. There had been a little hitch in Miles’s voice when he said the wordmom. Although Luke knew grief didn’t have a timetable, he found himself wishing for his nephew to be completely healed. Losing a parent was the single most devastating thing that a child could endure. Most times, it stayed with a person throughout their lives. One of his objectives was to be a support system for both Miles and his brother while he was in town. Help them with their grief in any way he could.
“I always tell Miles that his mother was the best dancer in town, maybe in all of Maine,” Stella said. “She put the rest of us to shame with her moves. I seem to remember her being a big Rihanna fan.” Her eyes seemed to warm up to a lighter shade of brown when she smiled.
A huge grin began to break out over Miles’s face at the mention of his beloved mother. Clearly, Stella had developed quite a rapport with his nephew. Their relationship was a special one. Luke could tell by the way his nephew responded to her that they had a tight bond. And Stella was gazing down at Miles as if he’d hung the moon.
Luke felt a clapping sensation on his back, and his brother’s voice washed over him. “Hey, guys,” Nick said. Miles was the spitting image of his dad, sharing the same features and warm brown complexion, as well as similar mannerisms. All of the Keegan males tended to resemble each other, including their father.
“Daddy!” Miles said in an excited voice. His face lit up with happiness at the sight of his dad.
“Hey there,” Nick said, raising his hand up to Miles in a high-five gesture. “Great job up there. You were as cool as a cucumber.” Miles high-fived him back with gusto, slapping Nick’s hand extra hard. Nick muttered an “ouch” that made his son giggle.
“Did you know Uncle Luke was going to show up today?” Miles asked.
“I may have known a little something,” Nick said in a teasing voice. “But I was sworn to secrecy.” He made a twisting motion against his lips as if he were turning a key. “Life isn’t any fun without surprises.”
“It was a great surprise.” Miles threw himself against Luke’s chest. “I can’t wait to show you my classroom.” He looked over at Stella. “Is it okay if Uncle Luke comes back with us?”
Stella nodded enthusiastically. “Of course it is. We love having guests.” She turned toward Luke and locked gazes with him. “We’re actually having a little end-of-the-year celebration with punch and cupcakes. You’re welcome to come. You too, Nick.”
“You made me an offer I can’t refuse,” Nick said, glancing at his watch. “I don’t have to be back at the office for a bit.”
“I’ll never say no to cupcakes,” Luke said. “Or spending time with my chill nephew.”
“Excuse me. I’m going to head back to the classroom. My students are under the watch of another teacher at the moment, but they look like they’re itching to get the party started,” Stella said. She looked at Miles. “Why don’t you follow behind us with your dad and uncle? I’ll see you shortly.” Luke’s gaze trailed after Stella as she organized her class in single file, then led them out of the gymnasium and into the hallway. The woman looked just as good walking away from him as she had face-to-face. Stella Marshall was seriously messing with his decision to stay away from the ladies in Mistletoe. Dating was a distraction he couldn’t afford.
Luke thought his heart might explode the moment Miles reached for his hand to hold as they left the gymnasium. Luke could have sworn he saw tears misting in Nick’s eyes before his brother turned his head in another direction. He knew what this moment meant to him. Losing his beautiful wife, Kara, had devastated Nick and turned his world upside down. They’d been high school sweethearts who had never wavered in their love for each other. They’d built a beautiful family with Miles at the center, and it had all been taken away in a matter of seconds due to a drunk driver. Luke still couldn’t wrap his head around it.
