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I picked up a yellow and white one that had a sturdy central stem. “What about this guy?”
Her smile made my heart pound. “Oh, Phalaenopsis! I love those! I didn’t see it there.”
“Sounds like fate, then. There’s a second one next to it.” I reached out with the flower.
“Thanks,” Stella said, accepting the pot. Her fingers brushed against mine, sending an unexpected jolt through me. The connection felt electric, a current that reignited old flames I hadn’t been sure were still there.
Guess that question is answered.
“Do you think the missing orchids are due to an over-inquisitive guest, or did someone actually steal them?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Well, there’s no proof pointing to anyone specific. But they certainly didn’t sprout legs and walk out on their own.”
I nodded, but the notion unsettled me. Calypso Key Resort had always been the premier venue in our neck of the woods and a very coveted place to work. Since returning, I’d learned that that hadn’t changed, so an employee was unlikely. A guest then? It seemed improbable and yet…
“Dr. Mitchell!” A familiar voice cut through my thoughts. I turned to see Mrs. Landon holding hands with her young daughter, who beamed up at me.
“Hey there.” I smiled down at Mandy, who looked much happier than the last time I’d seen her.
Mrs. Landon reached out to pat my shoulder. “I wanted to thank you. Those antibiotics cleared her strep throat right up. It’s like night and day!”
Mandy nodded emphatically. The interaction with them was warm and friendly, a reminder of why I’d chosen this path. I said something positive and reassuring before the pair wandered away. When I refocused on Stella, I found her observing me with an intensity that quickened my pulse.
“I’m sure you’re a really good doctor, Aiden.” Her voice was soft, like a warm blanket wrapping around me.
“Thank you,” I replied, tucking my hands into my pockets to keep from fidgeting. Compliments still made me awkward, especially from her. I wanted to tell her about medical school, but the words lodged in my throat.
“I imagine you had some explaining to do after I tore out of your office last week.”
In fact, when I’d emerged from the deserted room where I’d recovered from my shock, I’d met with a lot of curious faces. Especially the old timers, who knew my history with Stella. But I only mentioned something vague and noncommittal.
Now I shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t say anything. None of their business.” But my firm stance on keeping confidences created a different difficulty. I couldn’t very well ask my staff what Stella had been up to over the years. Where did she live? Where did she work?
But now she stood right before me.
My gaze lingered on her, taking in the highlights in her hair and the laugh lines around her eyes. The orchid in her hand paled in comparison. She stared back and the moment between us drew out.
Jerking her head away, Stella blinked. “I’m happy to see you became a doctor. It was what you always wanted.”
Not all that I wanted.
But I couldn’t say that out loud. Not if I didn’t want her to run away again. So I smiled instead. “I did. What about you?”
She straightened, a hint of steel in her spine now. “I just became the head chef at Orchid.”
My smile broadened, tempered with admiration now. “Congratulations. Looks like I’m not the only one who has realized a dream.”
That flush crept across her face again and her shoulders tensed. As if she’d been prepared for me to challenge her qualification to be a head chef. Like I ever would—that position was her destiny if anything was. So many mysteries here. I dropped my eyes to the orchid in her hands. “Now you get to work with food and orchids every day. Let’s hope that guy stays put.”
That earned me another smile. “Well, it better.” She bought two of the yellow and white orchids from the vendor. We lingered outside the stall as she adjusted them, cradling them against her body with one arm.
I stuck my hands back in my pockets and gave her a crooked smile. “I’m surprised you didn’t replace the missing ones with monkey-face orchids.”
Her hand paused mid-air, and she glanced up at me, surprise and delight flickering across her face. “You remember that?”
“That they’re your favorites?” I asked, my tone softening. “How could I forget? You gave a whole presentation on them in Mr. Calhoun’s biology class, junior year.”
Stella’s lips parted slightly, as if she was about to say something. But she just shook her head as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her gaze locked with mine, and for a long moment, neither of us said anything. Memories swirled inside me, carrying whispers of our shared past—the laughter, our first, fumbling attempts at sex together, and the dreams we once dared to dream. Together.
