Fifteen minutes later, after saying his goodbyes and promising to get them the information they requested, Stone left Curtis and Lorrie’s.
His head was swimming, and he wasn’t sure what he was feeling—surprise, anxiety, hope, or maybe a mixture of all of it. He felt as though he was outside his body, watching himself. It was surreal.
And there was only one thing he wanted to do.
As he was heading back toward town, he passed D & S Landscape Solutions. As soon as he did, he hit the brakes. A second passed before he found himself backing up and taking a turn down the narrow drive that led to their office. He wanted to talk to Stevie, so he figured it was a good place to start. His conversation with his aunt and uncle had given him an idea.
As he pulled up to the D & S office, it started to rain harder—a mixture of rain and sleet, to be more specific.
Figuring it wasn’t going to get any better, he hopped out of his truck and bounded up the steps. He thought for sure the door was going to be locked, so he stumbled forward when it opened.
He took off his hat when he walked in, once again encountering no one at the reception desk.
“Anyone here?” he called out. The last thing he wanted to do was overhear a conversation like the last one. He’d spent the better part of two weeks being pissed off at himself for making Stevie hate him so much she wasn’t willing to have dinner with him.
Not that he didn’t deserve it. He’d done her wrong, promising he would come back and that he would call her. He never did because he hadn’t meant the words he’d told her. When he left, he did so with the sole intention of moving on and letting her do the same.
Now, here he was years later, regretting that he’d been so stupid.
He looked toward the offices. “Nico? Stevie?”
Stone heard mumbling, but he didn’t move from his spot.
A second later, Nico appeared, holding his cell phone to his ear and motioning for Stone to come to his office.
Nico continued his conversation, gesturing toward the empty guest chair. “Yeah. I hear ya. We’re dealin’ with the same.”
Stone took a seat and peered around the space. It was much nicer than he’d expected it to be. On the wall were several framed certificates. On a shelf nearby were some small glass statues. They looked like awards of some sort.
The desk was free of clutter. It held a laptop and a small lamp. A black leather cup holder held several pens and more than a dozen pencils.
He wondered whether Nico was as neat and tidy all the time. Was his house the same? Or was this an exception because he didn’t want his customers to think he was a slob? He had at least two dozen more similar questions because the truth was, Stone didn’t know Nico all that well, and most of it was hearsay. Back in the day, Nico had been dating Chelsea, so Stone only knew what she’d shared with the rest of the family. Which, like most teenagers, revolved around how good-looking he was.
“Sorry about that,” Nico said, drawing Stone out of his thoughts. “Did you need somethin’?”
“I came by to see if Stevie was here.”
Nico’s forehead creased, and Stone could tell he wasn’t exactly pleased by that revelation, but he didn’t ask why Stone wanted to see her. However, the question lingered in his eyes, so Stone opted to enlighten him.
“It’s business-related,” he explained. “I saw her at the nursery a coupla weeks ago. She was talkin’ to Byron.”
Nico still didn’t prompt him to continue, but Stone didn’t want him to think he was there trying to poach the woman.
“I just came from my aunt and uncle’s—Lorrie and Curtis. I’m workin’ on a business plan. For some of his land. I was wonderin’ if she could answer a few questions for me. Regardin’ greenhouses.”
It wasn’t exactly the full truth, but it was close enough.
Nico nodded, steepling his fingers, his wrists resting on his flat stomach as he leaned back in his chair. “I sent her home. The weather’s supposed to get worse. I didn’t want her drivin’ in it.”
Stone nodded and got to his feet. “Then I guess I’ll stop by another time.”
“You could go by the house,” Nico said, also standing.
Stone was surprised by the suggestion. “I’m not sure she’ll be thrilled with me showin’ up on your doorstep.”
Nico sighed. “You hurt her, Stone. When you left. What do you expect?”
“I know.” Stone looked down at his boots. “I’d like the chance to apologize, but I know it’ll never be enough.”
