Stella’s heart sank. “Oh no, Patsy. It’s not what you think. He’s just a friend,” Stella said, eager to correct Patsy’s misassumption. Shoot. Her imagination had probably run amok seeing a shirtless Luke hanging out with Stella on the patio. From where Patsy had been standing it had probably looked very intimate between them.Good grief.
Patsy shook her head. “Whatever you say, Stella. All I know is I’d sure like a friend who looks like that in a tiny pair of shorts.”
Stella’s jaw dropped as Patsy turned on her heel and went back inside her house. There wasn’t a single doubt in Stella’s mind that her neighbor would spend the rest of the day calling all of her girlfriends and gossiping about seeing her and Luke together. There was no telling how salacious the details might be. Patsy had a vivid imagination and a talent for embellishment. She really knew how to spin a juicy tale. Stella wasn’t sure if she should walk over and set Patsy straight face-to-face. But, if she did, it might look as if she was trying too hard to snuff out any potential rumors. Playing it cool might be her best option. Hopefully luck would be on her side, and nothing would come of it.
She groaned. All she could do was wait and see how things unfolded. Stella hoped that there were other stories brewing in Mistletoe that might distract the residents from any unfounded gossip about her and Luke. She’d already been at the center of town chatter when Rafe had called off their wedding and reunited with his childhood sweetheart. It had been humiliating to be the object of the town’s pity when Rafe had gotten married so quickly. Then Tabitha had gotten pregnant and the rumor mill had revved up again. Throughout that painful period, she’d held her head up high and pretended it didn’t crush her. As a teacher in the district, Stella hadn’t wanted to be the talk of the town for such an awful reason.
All she wanted was to be able to move past the entire Rafe fiasco and not be an object of pity. There was a lot to be said about living peacefully with no dark clouds hanging over her head.
Last winter Lucy and Dante had been the subject of numerous rumors involving their whirlwind romance. Considering he was a famous actor, it was understandable. He’d blown into town to film a movie and had quickly become the focus of everyone’s romantic fantasies. Getting engaged to a hometown girl had endeared him to everyone in Mistletoe. The fact that they were getting married in their hometown was the icing on the cake. Everyone loved a happy ending.
Stella bit her lip. Maybe Patsy wouldn’t say anything about seeing her and Luke together. Perhaps for once she would keep her mouth shut. Who was she kidding? Patsy’s flapping lips were tantamount to a runaway train barreling off the tracks. And having a gorgeous Navy SEAL land in Mistletoe added a juicy element to the story.
Stella had the feeling her and Luke’s names would soon be on the tongues of town gossips, and there wasn’t a single thing she could do to stop it.
Chapter Four
Mistletoe had really come a long way in the past few years, Luke thought as he made his way back to Nick’s house. A coffeehouse called the Coffee Bean had sprung up in the Main Street area, as well as a small independently run bookstore called the Bookworm. Over by the marina he’d spotted a dozen or so artist shanties doing a brisk business with loads of customers, some of whom he presumed were out-of-town tourists. He made a mental note to make a coffee run later on today so he could check the new place out. It was one of the major things he’d missed out in Afghanistan—his favorite java.
By the time Luke made it back to the house, his right leg felt as if it were on fire. He knew he’d been pushing himself, but he wanted so badly to be better. The doctor had warned him to avoid straining his leg or run the risk of backsliding. It was frustrating to be in this situation six months after he’d been wounded. He just wanted his body to go back to normal and for the residual pain to subside. Being classified by the Navy as permanently disabled still made him angry. He was merely bent, not broken.
Shame roared through him. He had no right to complain. Not when two members of his team hadn’t made it back home. Not when two families were grieving the loss of their loved ones. Normal had flown out the window the day his SEAL team had come under attack. Everything had fallen apart in an instant. He shuddered as painful memories crashed over him like a tsunami. Heat. Fire. Chaos. Searing pain. As always, his mind prevented him from going too deep.
Crossing paths with Stella had been a sweet surprise. She wasn’t just easy on the eyes. Stella was funny and sweet natured and smart. She was the type of woman his mother called “the whole package.” If he was even remotely interested in dating anyone in Mistletoe, pursuing the stunning teacher would be a no-brainer. But he couldn’t go there. He wasn’t in any shape emotionally to invest in another person. Rebuilding his life and mapping out his future would take every ounce of strength he possessed. He’d already taken a first step by positioning himself as a support system for Nick and Miles. Meeting with the families of his two team members who’d died in the explosion would be trickier. Now might not be the right time, but he was determined to see it through.
The sight of Nick playing catch in the side yard with Miles greeted him as he walked past the front gate. From the outside, Nick’s house resembled a storybook New England home with its white façade and black shutters. A hanging flowerpot filled with bright red flowers hung from the ceiling of the wraparound porch. He couldn’t remember the name of the flowers, but they’d always graced his own home growing up, courtesy of their mother. Zora Keegan was now cruising the Mediterranean on a thirty-day cruise with their dad, Curtis. Although his parents had offered to cut the cruise short in order to come back to Mistletoe for his return, Luke had quickly rejected the idea. After retiring from their thirty-five-year careers in medicine, they both deserved some rest and relaxation. It also gave him a chance to get his game face on before his mother gave him the once-over and began worrying about him. It was the last thing he wanted—to have his parents lose a moment of sleep over him.
“How was your run?” Miles asked, dropping the ball and running toward him at breakneck speed. Luke opened his arms for a hug, catching Miles as he vaulted into his arms.
“Whoa!” Luke said, laughing at the impact his small nephew made as he crashed into his body. “For a little dude, you’re pretty strong.”
“Thanks,” Miles said, beaming at the compliment. It felt nice to see his nephew smiling despite the various issues he’d been dealing with since his mother’s death. Seeing Nick bring up his son in the aftermath of tragedy made him Luke’s own personal hero. He always thought of his son’s needs before anything else, and he’d done a bang-up job of raising him.
“Easy there. Don’t break your uncle,” Nick said, bending down to collect the baseball. “Why don’t we head inside for a water break?”
“Race you,” Miles said, issuing the challenge to Luke. Before he could agree, Miles took off running toward the house. Luke shook his head and followed behind his nephew. Once they were inside the house, Nick pulled out three bottled waters from the fridge and placed them on the counter. Miles dipped his hand into a cookie jar and pulled out a chocolate chip cookie.
“Can I go watch TV in the playroom?” Miles asked, a hopeful expression on his face. Before Nick could even answer, Miles was halfway down the hall. Luke and Nick both chuckled as they watched him disappear.
“Thanks again for letting me stay.” Luke hadn’t had time to find a place in Mistletoe before heading back home from Afghanistan. Truthfully, he wasn’t even sure if he would remain permanently in his hometown. For most of his adult life, he’d been stationed in various hotspots around the world or undergoing rigorous training to be a member of an elite SEAL team. Planting roots in this quaint Maine town might prove to be challenging. He wasn’t sure if he would fit into this laidback place as an adult. He was still trying to figure out what he was going to do with himself for the rest of his life. He’d been an exemplary Navy SEAL. There weren’t many other things he was good at.
“No problem. We love having you stay with us,” Nick said. “It’s like old times. It’s been awfully quiet around here without Kara.” The longing in his brother’s voice gutted him. Luke had never loved any woman enough to feel the pain Nick was going through, although he still empathized with him. Sometimes when he thought about Nick and Kara’s love story he wondered if he was even emotionally capable of experiencing a love like that. The realization that he might not be made him feel empty inside.
Luke looked around the spacious, all-white kitchen. It had been Kara’s pride and joy, the place where she’d cooked meals from the heart to nurture her family. Luke remembered when they’d first bought this home and created the nursery for the child they’d dreamed of having. Kara, with her warm smiles and vivacious personality, had been the heart and soul of their home, as well as a beloved member of the Mistletoe community. There had just been something about his sister-in-law that had made loving her the easiest thing he’d ever done. He’d always wanted a sister, and Kara had been the perfect addition to the Keegan family.
“I know how hard it’s been to try and move forward without her. She was your rock. Your true north.” His throat tightened with emotion. The wounds were still fresh for all of them. If it was this hard for him to talk about Kara, he could only imagine how badly Nick struggled to deal with it all. She’d been the perfect partner for his brother with her sweet, giving personality. Kara had nurtured everyone in her world, especially Miles and Nick. And him. How many care packages had she sent him through the years.Packaged with love.That’s how she’d always signed the letters inside.
Pain passed over Nick’s face. “I try to be strong for Miles, but some days are tougher than others. It still seems so unimaginable that she’s gone. Everyone says it gets better, but I still feel stuck in the weeds.”
Listening to Nick’s heartfelt words made Luke feel as if his heart might crack wide open. His brother had been so strong ever since his life had been torn apart. He’d needed to hold it together for Miles so his son’s life would still be filled with sunshine and rainbows and Batman figurines.
“So, on a lighter note,” Nick said, “it seems that your presence here in town is causing quite a stir.” A huge grin broke out on his brother’s face. His deep brown eyes twinkled with mirth. Luke knew this look like the back of his hand. His brother was trying to play it cool, but something was up.
“Really? Why?” he asked, playing along. Something told him he might not want to know the answer, but he wasn’t going to leave Nick hanging when he was clearly enjoying himself.
Nick went into full-on smirk mode. “It seems that you’ve been given the title of Most Eligible Bachelor in Mistletoe.”
Luke spit out his water. It sprayed in Nick’s direction. “Me? You’ve got to be kidding.”
