AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Morning, Stella,” Liv said as I approached, her smile easy and genuine. “The usual?”
“Please.” I dug for my wallet. “How are the early mornings treating you?”
“Better than your late nights, at least for me.” The baker laughed, ringing me up. She lived with my brother, Evan, in a first-floor suite of the Big House. “Though I do like the solitude when I get up so early.”
“I know what you mean,” I agreed, handing over my card. “I feel the same way when I get off in the wee hours. Hardly a trace of people in the house.”
“Speaking of which, Evan’s been asking when you’ll get together with us. He says he hardly sees you since you’ve been home. Maybe lunch or dinner?”
I laughed at that. “He’s inside Orchid’s kitchen almost every day! But we’ll figure something out.” I gave her a smile as thoughts of Hunter flashed through my mind. A simple invitation was never simple when he was included. And I hated that. “Thanks, Liv.”
“Anytime,” she replied before attending to the next customer.
Back at our table, Grace sipped her latte, eyes curious. “So how are things at the Big House?”
“Chaotic sometimes and silent others.” I stirred the foam on my coffee. “But it’s home, you know?”
“Always has been, no matter where you were,” she spoke softly, understanding the unspoken words. The Big House was more than just a structure. It was where my roots dug deepest.
“Enough about me.” I refocused on her. “How’s school?”
“I love my class this year!” Grace beamed. She was an elementary school teacher here on Dove Key. “If you didn’t dislike kids so much, I’d invite you to come see my new decorations.”
I shrugged and took a sip of coffee. “I don’t hate kids. I love my two nieces. I’ve just never felt the urge to be around them twenty-four seven.” Unbidden, the unrealized future I’d had with Aiden all those years ago filled my mind, and my happy mood dimmed. “Maybe I should come see your cheery classroom. I could use a bit of beauty in my day.”
“Why is that?” Grace asked.
With a deep sigh that weighed a thousand pounds, I told her the story of meeting Aiden again. The words started slowly, then picked up steam as they carried every awful detail.
Her eyes got wider with the telling. “Gawd! What an awful way to reunite. I’m sorry.” Wincing in sympathy, she reached over and patted my hand. “So you didn’t do any type of catching up, I take it?”
“I literally shoved him out the door, then redressed and ran out of the clinic.”
“So that’s the end? You have no interest in seeing him again? I agree, that wasn’t the most auspicious beginning, but a lot of time has passed, Stel. What did he look like?”
My fingers traced the rim of my coffee cup. “He looked… well, he looked gorgeous. Not that it matters,” I added quickly, feeling heat rush to my cheeks as my heart fluttered traitorously.
His hair was still dark blond, but now was cut short and professional, and his warm blue eyes hadn’t changed either. He had a handsome, ruddy face as if he spent much of his time off outdoors. He’d always loved boats… I swallowed as I remembered the feel of his very firm chest under my palm.
“You sure about that?” Grace asked quietly.
I recalled the restless nights I’d spent since that appointment, tossing and turning with his image haunting me. When he’d first entered my exam room, there had been hesitation in his eyes—as if he was pleased to see me but was afraid of how I’d receive him. But I hadn’t glimpsed any shock. Not like what I’d experienced. In hindsight, it made sense since he’d mentioned that he thought I knew he was the new doctor in town. “I’m not sure of anything where he’s concerned.”
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re allowed to think he’s hot.” Grace leaned forward, her tone serious despite the playful twinkle in her eye. “I’ve heard there’s a new doctor everyone’s swooning over,” she said, trying to sound indifferent. “Now I know who it is.”
“Yeah, Aiden Mitchell.”
“And the reason they’re swooning is because he’s Dove Key’s most eligible bachelor…” she said with a pointed look.
Which answered my silent question about his marital status. “I’m not planning on seeing him again.” A deep, secret part of me protested at the decision.
“Stella, why not? You’re both adults now. You’ve got nothing to lose by talking to him. Is your hesitation because of your appointment?”
I shook my head. “No. As humiliating as that little reunion was, that’s not what’s stopping me. It’s because…” I paused, the words catching in my throat. “I want to know what he’s been up to, yes. What kind of man he’s become. But it’s so difficult and convoluted.”
“Life’s convoluted,” Grace replied softly. “But sometimes it’s worth untangling the knots, don’t you think?”
“I’m not sure.” My gaze drifted back to the street where life in the small town continued, unhurried and peaceful. Yet inside, I felt anything but peace. Aiden’s return had stirred my calm waters, and now undercurrents were pulling me in directions I wasn’t sure I wanted to go.
