All of a sudden, Stella felt tongue-tied. It wasn’t as if she could tell him the cold, hard truth—she’d rather have a root canal than go out with him again. She’d been avoiding Tucker like nobody’s business ever since their disastrous coffee date. Mistletoe was a quintessential small town that made such efforts nearly impossible. Yet, somehow, Stella had managed to pull it off like a pro. “I’ve just been so busy with work and my sister’s upcoming wedding. I’m the maid of honor so I’m up to my elbows in planning.”
Tucker winked at her. “You know what they say about bridesmaids? You’ll be the next one walking down the aisle. So don’t worry about it.”
Hmm. Kind of an inconsiderate comment considering she’d been dumped right beforeherwedding. She couldn’t miss Rosie jabbing her nephew in the side.
“I’m not worried,” Stella said, trying not to show her annoyance at Tucker. Why did people always say things like that to the sister of the bride, as if she was staying up at night fretting over her single status? She would bet her last dollar that no one ever made comments like this to the best man. Or any man for that matter!
“Good,” Tucker said with a grin, seemingly oblivious to her irritation. “Now how about we pick up where we left off? I’d love to take you out to dinner. Maybe I’ll add in a movie if you play your cards right.” He winked at her in an exaggerated fashion.
Rosie rolled her eyes and shook her head. Even she seemed to know that Tucker was a fool.
“So let’s make a date,” he said. His expression reflected his eagerness. He was practically panting. He reminded her of Bucky, the St. Bernard her family had owned during her childhood.
“I-I can’t, Tucker. I’m actually seeing someone,” she fibbed. Other than sheer desperation, Stella didn’t know why that humongous lie had come out of her mouth. In a small town it was unlikely that people wouldn’t know if she was dating somebody. Now that she’d stepped into it, Stella didn’t know how to get herself out of the sticky situation she’d created. Why hadn’t she just told him the truth?Tucker, I’m just not that into you.
Tucker’s face fell. A frown replaced his over-the-top smile. “What do you mean? How is that possible?”
Stella sputtered. “Excuse me. What is that supposed to mean? You want to go out with me, so why wouldn’t someone else want to date me?”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that, Stella,” Rosie interjected, sounding apologetic. She jabbed her nephew again in the side. Stella felt a sense of satisfaction when this time he grunted.
Tucker shrugged. “Word around town is that you’ve been single ever since Rafe dumped you at the altar. That’s why I’m surprised.”
Rosie moaned and put her head in her hands. Stella opened her mouth to check him, but other than being a rude jerk, he hadn’t told any lies.
“So who is he?” Tucker asked. He’d quickly transformed from happy-go-lucky to angry. Red splotches colored his cheeks, and his hands were tightly clenched at his sides.
“Tucker, this is a relatively new relationship, so for now we’re keeping it under wraps,” Stella said, hoping she wasn’t going up in flames for telling such a whopper.
“So you’re not even going to give me that courtesy?” Tucker asked. By this time, he was pacing back and forth in front of Stella and looking more upset by the minute.
“I really can’t,” Stella murmured. At least this was the truth! She couldn’t name someone who didn’t exist. Ha!
In response, Tucker stormed out of the room, his footsteps loud and clunky.
“I’m sorry. He’s always been a bit of a hothead,” Rosie apologized. “Let me talk to him for a minute. Then I’ll come right back.”
Stella slapped her palm against her forehead. She really needed to get going. This trip to the bridal salon was becoming an all-day affair. And even though she was relieved that Tucker would no longer be pursuing her, she still felt nervous that her lie would unravel.
She could hear more footsteps, the opening and closing of a door, then a mixture of voices. One sounded low and masculine. She sincerely hoped Tucker hadn’t returned to grill her about her mystery man. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold up against any further interrogation. She might fold like a deck of cards.
“We’re actually looking for a baby’s christening gown.” The deep gravelly voice drifted into the room where she was waiting. It was one Stella knew as well as her own, and her entire body tensed up at the sound of it.
“Can you believe Lily is almost four months old?” a female voice rang out. She knew it must be Rafe’s wife, Tabitha. To Stella it sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Stella felt as if her heart might jump out of her chest. She pressed her eyes closed and pinched herself.No way! This cannot be happening.Not on the heels of being blindsided by Tucker. Not when she was standing in the same bridal salon where she’d been fitted for her own breathtakingly gorgeous gown. Not when the man standing in the next room with his wife and baby had turned her entire world upside down a few days before their wedding. Sheer panic seized her, and she began taking shallow breaths to calm herself down.
“Oh, she’s lovely. What a perfect name.” Rosie’s voice sounded a bit muffled as if she didn’t want Stella to overhear her.
Stella battled against feelings of anger toward Rosie. She knew it didn’t make any sense, but it hurt to think her friend was praising Rafe and his family. Everything he now had in his life had come about due to his decision to call off their wedding. He had broken Stella’s heart in the process and made her a laughingstock in Mistletoe. The only thing he deserved was a swift kick in the rear.
She didn’t want Rafe or his wife to see her. And she really didn’t want to come face-to-face with them or their baby. Especially the baby! Laying eyes on her ex-fiancé would bring up too many emotions she wouldn’t be able to stuff down. And she wasn’t going to give Rafe the satisfaction of seeing her crumble right before his eyes. Grabbing her purse from the sofa, Stella scoured the room for a way to exit the salon without entering the hallway. There was literally no way out.
Stella eyeballed the window. No, she couldn’t. What if someone saw her? Even when she wasn’t on the clock, she tried her best to comport herself as a professional. Just then the sound of Rafe’s laughter drifted into the salon room. Desperate times called for desperate measures. With a huge sigh, Stella leaned forward and began tugging at the window frame. After a few attempts, it lifted so that she could easily push up the screen. She bent forward and catapulted herself onto the ground, landing on a mound of pink peonies. She crouched down low in case of any passersby, then jumped to her feet and partially closed the window behind her just as Rosie came into view. Stella quickly moved to the side of the building where traffic was traveling past at a trickle. She smoothed down her hair and wiped dirt off her slacks as her brain tried to catch up with her actions. If she circled back to the lot, Rosie, Rafe, and his wife might spot her. If that happened, the ground might just open up and swallow her with mortification.
The honking sound of a slow approaching vehicle unnerved her. Had someone seen her climbing through the window? Goodness! Could this day get any more humiliating? The navy-blue truck slowed down and came to a stop beside her. The passenger-side window rolled down and Luke’s gorgeous face was peering out at her. “Hey. Are you okay? You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin,” he called out. As usual, Luke radiated the kind of raw sex appeal that made her knees go weak. She barely had time for that thought to register before dread washed over her.
“I need to make a quick getaway,” Stella said, advancing toward the vehicle. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she wrenched open the passenger-side door and jumped inside. “Get me out of here, Luke,” she said in a trembling voice. “Now!”
