Stella blinked a few times in rapid succession, her telltale sign of annoyance. Then she nodded, like a queen greeting a commoner. “How nice to meet you.”
“Stella?” Suzy’s brow wrinkled underneath her teased bangs. “Are you from around here?”
“She grew up in Bellsview.” I didn’t mean to speak for my mother, but Stella looked like she wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
“Stella.” Suzy said my mother’s name like she was trying to work out where she’d heard it before. “Is Stone your maiden name?”
“It’s my only name.” Stella regained her composure and polished off her drink. “We don’t want to keep you.”
“I’m not in a hurry. It’s card night over at Helmut’s. Those boys will be grateful if I’m a little late. None of them know I taught myself how to count cards, so I always end up coming home with the jackpot.”
Stella reached for her glass and sucked the rest of her drink through the stirrer straw. A loud slurping noise made me turn to look at my mother. Her eyes were wide, and her cheeks had gone white.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Stella reached for my wine and downed it in one gulp. It was so out of character, I just sat there, frozen in place. I’d never seen my mother so unnerved before.
“Gardner, that’s right.” Suzy’s face lit up like she’d just won the lottery. “I tell you, my mind doesn’t hold on to information like it used to. Why, just the other day I was telling Helmut?—”
Stella closed her eyes, her hand shaking so hard that the wineglass clattered as she set it down on the table.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Oh.” Suzy’s eyes widened. Her eyebrows shot up so high they disappeared under her bangs. “I’d better be going. It was so nice to see you. And nice to meet you, Estelle.”
“It’s Stella,” I corrected Suzy, thinking I must have misheard her say Stella’s name the first time.
Suzy gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Sorry. Nice to meet you, Stella.” Then she turned and fled toward the door.
My gaze bounced from Suzy’s hasty retreat to my mother, whose face had taken on the same color as the light gray tablecloth. “Do you know her?”
“Darling, it’s been a long day. Can you ask them to change our order to takeout? I’m not feeling well, and I’d really like to get back to the motel so I can lie down.”
“Of course.” I flagged down the server as Stella casually made her way toward the door. While I waited for the food, I pulled out my phone and skimmed through the pictures I’d taken since I’d been in Ido. Jasper and me at the kickoff celebration. Jasper watching the movie at the barn. The two of us catching butterflies. If I ever needed a reason to stand up to my mother, maybe this was it.
The server brought our food, and I slid my phone back into my purse. Stella and I needed to have a talk. My mother wouldn’t take it well, but it was time to set some boundaries. I had every intention of doing just that when I got to the truck. But Stella wasn’t inside.
“Stella?” I set the bag in the truck and turned to scan the parking lot.
An old El Camino sat a few spaces away. The windows were fogged and the person sitting in the driver’s seat was waving his or her hands around. Other than that, the parking lot was quiet. I was about to return to the restaurant to see if Stella had gone back in to use the restroom. But then the passenger door of the El Camino opened. Stella got out, her eyes wild, her cheeks full of smeared mascara.
“Mom. What’s going on?” I rushed toward my mother as the car reversed out of the spot and pulled away. “Who were you talking to?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Stella gripped her arm. “Let’s go.”
“Not until you tell me what’s happening. Was that Suzy?”
“Yes.” Stella wiped at her cheek. “We actually knew each other once upon a time.”
CHAPTER 18
JASPER
After I’d droppedDelilah off at the trailer, I went for a drive. I felt like I was at a crossroads. I either needed to shut down what was going on with Delilah and me and focus on saving the family farm or give my all to convince her we belonged together. My desire to have something for myself for a change battled with my lifelong habit of putting my family first. And with Colin back in the picture, how could I turn my back on the people who’d raised me? The people who’d loved me through thick and thin?
I couldn’t.
If it came down to making a choice, and I prayed it wouldn’t, I couldn’t set the needs of my family aside. So, I drove back to the big house, grateful Delilah’s truck wasn’t parked in the drive. It was time to get serious about turning up the romance in Ido. And lucky for me, I had access to four committed helpers.
