by Heather Lyn
“Oh, it looks so pretty,” she gushes, seeing the hanging annuals I bought for my mom. The flowers have all bloomed, and my mom has done a fine job of keeping them alive.
“You should have heard how mad she was that I just dropped it off without seeing her. Momma ’bout gave me a damn ass whooping for that.”
“I like her already,” Stella says with a wink.
Shaking my head at her, I push the front door open and usher her inside.
“We’re here!” I shout, walking Stella toward the back of the house where the giant kitchen sits, finding my parents and Drew sitting at the table. Drew hops up from his seat and rushes to give Stella a huge hug.
“Watch it, bro,” I growl at him, and he just rolls his eyes.
“You know she isn’t my type, right?”
“Don’t care.”
“Oh chillax, Jace.” Drew holds a hand out, and we give each other a half hug. I make sure to smack him extra hard on the back before releasing him, then sling my arm over Stella’s shoulders as my parents stand to greet her.
“Mom, Dad, this is Stella Cole. Stella, these are my parents, Anna and Clint.”
Stella stretches her arm out to shake Dad’s hand and he kisses the back of it, but Mom just grabs her for a quick hug.
“Sweetheart, we’re thrilled you’re here with us. We’ve heard so much about you from Jace.” Mom smiles over at me, and I lean down to kiss her cheek.
Stella hands the container of brownies to Dad, and he immediately opens it up to take a whiff.
“Jace said you liked them with walnuts, so I put in extra.”
“You need to marry this one, son. She’s perfect.” Dad pulls a brownie out and takes a bite from it, Mom slapping him on the arm.
“Stella, can I give you a tour?” Mom asks, and when Stella nods, they link arms and walk out of the room, my girl blowing a kiss in my direction.
Drew and I both wait till they’re safely far enough away, and then we each grab a brownie of our own.
“Fuck, man. Dad’s right. Marry her. Now,” Drew mumbles around a mouthful of food.
“She’s the best,” I say, groaning when I get a bite of the chocolate goodness she baked.
“You know Mom is probably in the living room showing your girl all the embarrassing baby photos of you, right?” Drew jokes, brushes his hands on his shorts.
Shrugging, I walk over to the fridge and pull the door open, looking for a beer. My dad seems to know what I’m doing, and he comes over to set the brownies on the island.
“Come with me, bud.”
Drew and I look at each other with our eyebrows raised and follow dad out onto the porch. As soon as we’re outside, we see exactly what’s going on.
“Holy shit!” Drew shouts, and I whistle. Next to the huge inground pool they’ve had for decades is a brand-new state-of-the-art outdoor grill. Set in stones and concrete, there’s a four-burner gas grill and a mini fridge on the other side with an attached sink.
“Damn. Someone upgraded, huh?” I say, running my hand along the top of it. Drew reaches into the fridge and pulls out three beers, twisting the tops off them and handing one each to me and Dad. We all hold them up and clink them together.
“About time you got this, Pop. You’ve wanted it forever.”
“Your mother has been saving since before retirement for this, and she just surprised me with it yesterday morning. You’re lucky your dad’s still standing.” Dad takes a sip of his beer, and I walk over toward the pool. It seems they also got a bigger patio set. We all take a seat around the table, and Drew kicks his bare feet up onto it. Dad knocks his legs off a second later, and we laugh when we realize it’s because Mom and Stella are on their way over to us.
Stella sits down next to me, and I kiss her on the cheek. “So, how many childhood photos did you get to see?” I joke. She holds up her thumb and pointer finger before putting her arms out wide. “Thanks, Momma.”
“You’re welcome, Jace,” Mom teases me. I just shake my head before taking a pull from my bottle. She motions to my dad, and he excuses himself and then follows after her.
“How’s work, Stella?” Drew asks.
She leans back in her seat, and I drape my arm over the back of her chair. Resting her hand on my leg, she smiles.
“It’s been good. Closed a few cases, opened one. A lot of long days, but it’s the only way these kids get the best possible chance at a better life.”
“She’s incredible,” I tell my brother, and Stella squeezes my leg.
Drew smirks. “She puts up with your ass, so she must be.”
“Shut the hell up.”
Drew just laughs and gets up from the table, heading back toward the grill. Coming back over to us, he hands Stella a beer and she thanks him, taking a sip from it.
“Look at you, being all gentlemanly and shit. Who would have thought?” I say, laughing when Drew chucks his beer cap toward me.
“How old are you guys?” Stella asks with an eye roll.
I wave her off. “Oh please, babe. We’re grown-ups.”
“More like grown-up babies,” Stella cracks, and Drew scoffs at her.
I just shake my head at the two of them and drink my beer. My parents come back outside a few minutes later, Mom holding a platter and bowl. When she sets down her homemade guacamole and a plate of chips, my stomach growls, and Stella laughs at me.
“Are you ever not hungry?”
“What’s that?” She rolls her eyes at me, and I steal a quick kiss from her, causing Drew to pretend to gag.
“Boys, knock it off,” Mom scolds us. Drew apologizes, but we all know it’s just in fun. Drew and I have never been able to be together without giving the other one shit the whole time. It’s just the way our relationship works, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Stella holds out a chip loaded with some guac and I take it from her, popping it in my mouth with a groan. Mom and Dad take a seat at the other end of the table, and Dad turns his attention to Stella.
“So, we never got the story from Jace, but how did you two meet again?”
And with that, we all settle down to enjoy the afternoon.
§
“She’s a great girl, Jace. I’m happy for you kids.” Mom pulls me down to kiss my cheek, and I squeeze her tight to my side. Standing in the kitchen, I’m helping her clean up from dinner and she’s watching the others through the window above the sink.
“Thanks, Momma. I have to say, I agree.”
“You told us about that case, with the little girl? How’s Stella doing with everything?”
“She’s doing good. It was a tough one, and she’s not the only person who struggled. Stella just… she feels things in a different way than others. She’s so damn tough, Mom, but she’s got this heart that’s so big.”
Turning the sink on, she starts washing the dishes, and I pull open one of the large drawers in the island for a drying towel. Taking the clean plate from her, I dry it and finish my thoughts.
“Stella has a history that’s not pretty. But it’s why she works so hard, and she’s honest to God one of the best people I have ever met.”
“Sounds to me like you’re falling in love, Jace.”
Looking out the window, I watch Stella throw her head back and laugh at something my brother said, her long hair blowing in the breeze.
“I think so.”
“So, I wanted to ask, and if I overstep, please tell me.” Handing me a glass, she turns to look at me, resting her hands on the edge of the basin. “Does she know about the accident?”
Shaking my head, I place the clean glass in the cabinet above me. “No, I haven’t told her yet. For so long I couldn’t talk about it, and then it was that I wouldn’t talk about it. It’s never felt like the right time or place.” I have to swallow the lump in my throat, not accustomed to just speaking so freely about that night.
“If you think she’s someone who you could be really serious about, you need to.”
“I
know that.”
“You still carry the guilt, Jace, and it’s something that breaks my heart. None of you boys were at fault for what happened, and I think the more you believe that, you’ll realize it’s okay to talk about them and to miss them. It was almost fifteen years ago. Don’t you think it’s time to let them go?”
Mom hands me the last plate and shuts off the water, giving me a kiss on the cheek before walking out of the room. Finishing the last dish, I set it with the others and close the cabinet, my mind racing with her words.
The guilt has felt like a boulder every single day. It’s never lessened. But the more I let Stella into my heart, the more she heals that wound, showing me it’s okay to live life and move past the responsibility of being the survivor. To be more than that.
Walking across the kitchen, I’m stepping onto the back deck when I hear a loud scream and look up just in time to see Drew with Stella over his shoulder before throwing her into the pool. Laughing, I jog down to the pool, stepping up to the edge as she comes spluttering back up, her wet hair in her face.
“You freaking psycho,” she screeches, coughing as she stands up in the shallow end.
Drew laughs, and I look over to see Mom and Dad trying to keep a straight face.
“The hell are you two doing?” I ask, hands on my hips.
“Well, brother dearest, your girlfriend here told me that I didn’t have any balls when I told her I didn’t like roller coasters, so I was just showing her how big they actually are.”
“Drew,” I groan, laughing at him when he holds his hands up in protest.
“Yeah, you got balls all right. But what if I didn’t know how to swim? You could have killed me, you jerk!” Stella crosses her arms, and remorse takes over Drew’s features.
“Shit. I’m sorry, Stella.” Walking over to where she is, he reaches out a hand to help her. After a second, she takes it, and then a huge smile spreads over her face as she yanks my brother into the pool with her.
“Thatta girl, Stell!” I cheer, clapping when Drew springs to the surface, surprise all over his face. Stella giggles at him, and he splashes her.
“You motherfucker.” Her eyes widen and she turns to my parents, who have moved to stand next to me. “That was so rude. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, sweetheart,” Dad says with a laugh. “Drew really is a motherfucker.”
“Real nice, Dad,” Drew grumbles, then goes back to antagonizing Stella, the two of them splashing each other until I can’t take it anymore. Kicking off my shoes, I yank my T-shirt over my head and jump in next to them, helping my girl take down my pain-in-the-ass little brother. I hear my mom yelling at us to stop being children, but we both ignore her.
After all, boys will be boys, right?
§
A couple hours later, Stella and I make our way out of my parents’ house. Mom got Stella a change of clothes while she threw the wet ones into their dryer earlier, and we all hung out outside while we waited for them. Stella’s hair has mostly dried, and she’s since thrown it up in a messy bun on top of her head.
As we step out onto the front porch, she hugs my parents extra tight, and when she gets to Drew, she smacks his arm before tugging him in for his own hug. Drew laughs at something she says, and when they pull apart, she kisses his cheek. Shaking Dad’s hand, I give my mom a kiss and a half hug to my brother, all of us saying goodbye.
Hand in hand, Stella and I walk to my car. When we’re both settled, I look over and give her a wink that makes her beam at me.
The drive is silent, and I notice the smile hasn’t left her face. When I pull into her driveway and kill the engine, I look over at her again.
“What?” I ask, running my hand up and down her bare thigh.
“Thank you for bringing me tonight. I had so much fun, and your family…. Your family is beautiful. I hope you know that.” Her voice is soft, and I reach out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, running my thumb down the side of her face.
“You’re beautiful,” I admit, leaning over my console to give her a chaste kiss. “And my family loved you.”
“Do you want to come in?” she whispers, and I nod against her lips.
“I’d like nothing more.”
The words are nothing but the truth, and I hope she knows that.
CHAPTER TEN
STELLA
“Drew, it’s Stella. How are you?” I ask, crossing my legs and grabbing my to-go cup of coffee from my desk.
“Hey, Stella. What’s up?”
“Listen, I have a favor to ask.”
“No, I can’t make Jace cool. I’ve never been able to.”
Laughing, I look up when I see Ashley walk into the room, sitting down with a huff next to me. I hold a finger up to her and turn back to my call. “So, the reason I’m calling.”
“What do you need?”
“Jace’s birthday is Sunday. You know this, obviously. I want to throw him a party, but I can’t figure out what to do.”
“You called the right person, don’t you worry. Best thing to do is to surprise him. He’s a cop, so it’s hard to throw him off his game, but we’ll do it. What time do you take your lunch?” he asks, and I look down at my watch.
“I don’t really have a regular time, but I don’t have any set appointments today, so why don’t you swing by the office at one? We can go out somewhere close by.”
“Text me the address and I’m there.”
Ending the call, I look over at Ashley and toss my cell on my desk. “You okay, girl?”
“If finding my boyfriend in bed with another girl is the definition of okay, then I’m peachy.” She drops her head into her hand with a groan.
“He did not,” I seethe, hurrying to give her a hard hug, heartbroken for her when I see the tears swimming in her eyes.
“He did.” She sighs, brushing at her eyes with the back of her hand. “It’s not like I thought I’d found happily ever after with him or anything.” I can tell she’s trying to be strong, but she’s hurting and it kills me. She’s my best friend.
“I have just the thing to get your mind off ole what’s his name.”
“What’s that?”
“Drew is coming over this afternoon to help me set up a surprise birthday party for Jace on Sunday. You wanna come?”
Ashley gives me the faintest smile and nods. Taking her hand, I squeeze it tight and smile at her.
She makes her way over to the break room to get her own coffee, and I turn back to my work, needing to get a few things done before lunch.
§
“So, the easiest way to get him is to have it at a bar or restaurant. If you tell him you’re going out for his birthday, he won’t suspect anything, but if you tell him you have a surprise, he’ll instantly know something’s up.”
Drew sits across from Ashley and me at a local diner, where we’re eating burgers and fries. She’s in much better spirits, and she gets along well with him.
“What about Walker’s? That seems to be one of his favorites.”
“Good idea. Let me call Brody and see if he wants to help out.”
“Tell him I’ll pay extra if he needs,” I say, and Drew presses his phone to his ear with a wave.
“Please, his older brother is Jace’s best friend. He won’t take your money…. Brody. Hey, man, what’s up?”
I take a sip of my Diet Coke as Ashley and I watch his conversation. In just a few brief minutes, he ends the call, sliding his phone back into his pocket.
“We’re good. He’ll keep a space empty for us, and he said beer is on the house until seven.”
My eyes widen. “I can’t let him do that.”
“Already done, sweet thing.” Drew winks, and I jump out of my seat and go around the booth to kiss his cheek, laughing when he rolls his eyes at me.
“Now, the real question is what do I get him for a present?”
“A new personality?”
I throw a French fry at his face as we all laugh. I re
ach into my purse for a pad of paper, and Drew helps me come up with a small group of people to invite, then tells me he’ll have a list of phone numbers by the end of the night.
§
Jace: I miss you. How are Mason and Jules?
Smiling at my cell phone, I type out a response.
Stella: They’re good. Miss you, handsome.
“Auntie Stella, do I get to come to the birthday party too?” Jules asks, helping me roll out the dough for our cookies.
“Actually, you and your daddy are invited to the party.”
“Jules, it’s your mom’s time with you this weekend, kiddo,” Mason says from the kitchen table where he’s working on something for work.
“Aw, Dad! That’s not fair.” Her bottom lip juts out, and her big blue eyes fill with tears.
Mason sighs and rubs his forehead. “I’ll ask your mom if it’s okay if I take you, but you aren’t skipping your weekend. I’ll bring you back to her house after the party.”
“Okay!” All traces of her momentary sadness are gone as she sprinkles chocolate chips over the dough.
“I’m in so much trouble with her,” Mason grumbles, and I just grin.
“You’re just now figuring that out, Mase?”
“Not funny, little sister.”
“I’m hilarious, thank you very much.” Grabbing my cell phone from my back pocket, I attach it to the Bluetooth speakers and hit Play on my country playlist. Carrie Underwood begins singing through the speakers, and Jules and I sing along, dancing to the music.
“So how long has it been, Stell? A little over two months?” Mason asks as he walks into the kitchen and reaches into the fridge for a beer.
“Since what?”
“You and Jace.”
“Two and a half. But who’s counting?”
“Happiness looks real good on you. Have I ever told you?” Mason squeezes me into his side and kisses the top of my head.
“Thanks, Mase. Love you.”
“Love you way more.”
He makes his way over to Jules and grabs her hands to dance with her. Watching my brother and his little girl dance around the kitchen warms my heart, and I look over at my phone, the background lit up. Jace and me on one of our first dates. His gorgeous smile stands out the most in the photo.