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“Exactly. That’s the surprise—the joy in those small moments. They’ve… fulfilled me in a way I never anticipated when I first set sail on this path. As a surgeon, your interaction with patients is often fleeting.” My chest swelled with pride, not for accolades or accomplishments, but for the genuine connections I’d woven into the fabric of Dove Key.
The room was silent save for our breathing and the distant sound of waves crashing against the bluff. I held Stella close, her heartbeat a rhythm that had become essential to my own. I traced the line of her collarbone with my fingertip. “So tell me about Orchid. About being a chef there.”
She settled down on her side again, her hair spilling over her shoulder. “It’s been a whirlwind. Being a chef is part passion, part madness. I’m always chasing flavors, textures—the perfect balance.”
“Sounds exhilarating.” I loved watching the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about her craft. It reminded me of how I felt when I figured out exactly what was bothering a patient.
“It is,” she agreed, “but it’s also long hours and endless pressure. There’s this dance in the kitchen, fast-paced and precise. Every service is a performance.”
“And I’m sure you handle it with grace.”
“It’s what I was born to do. I really believe that.” Stella sat up, drawing the sheet around her as if it were a protective barrier. Her expression grew solemn, her eyes searching mine. “Aiden, I need to be honest with you. I care about you. And reconnecting has been like finding something I thought I’d lost. But I can’t make any promises about where this is going between us.” Her voice was firm, resolute.
I nodded slowly, my heart sinking a fraction. “I understand. We’re both starting over, in a sense.”
“Exactly. And Orchid—it’s not just a job for me either. It’s my shot at proving myself. Here, where everyone knows your story before you’ve lived it.” She glanced out the window, where the silhouettes of trees swayed. “I belong here, in Calypso Key. And I’m going to make it as head chef. That has to be my focus.”
I brushed the hair off her forehead, smiling. “Your ambition is one of the things I love—respect—about you.” I corrected myself quickly, though the truth of my feelings threatened to spill over. “I’m sure we can work out any scheduling conflicts that might come up.”
She gave me a soft smile. “Thank you for understanding.”
I set the alarm on my watch, trying not to wince at the hour and how soon morning would come. We settled together, and letting out a long, contented sigh, she relaxed immediately. But as I held Stella close once more, a ripple of disquiet butted into my contentment. I stared at the ceiling, the shadows now moving with the fickle breeze—nothing was ever truly still. I wanted her, and I wanted to dive into the depths of her world again. Except a part of me wondered if the surface was all she’d allow me to explore. And that could be a problem.
Was she truly wanting to focus on her career? Or was that an excuse to guard her heart from me?
As my body relaxed, I held onto the warmth of her body, the gentle sound of her even breaths. I was falling fast and hard for her without a lifeline in sight. I understood that she needed time to fully trust me again, and I was willing to take whatever she could give. But a nagging thought made my eyes pop open again.
Would that be enough?
Chapter Eighteen
Stella
As golden light poured through my window, I stretched luxuriously. Over the past two weeks, Aiden and I had spent as much time together as our dissimilar schedules would allow. He mentioned implementing evening hours at his clinic one day a week to give him an extra morning off, and I’d been incredibly touched.
He just shrugged in that self-effacing way he had. “It’s good for patients too. Lots of people struggle to make daytime appointments. I’ll look into it some more.” Then he closed the distance between us, his mouth so close to mine I could feel his breath. “If changing up clinic hours gives us more time together, I’m not complaining.”
Grinning, I turned on my side and stared at the empty spot next to me. He’d left before dawn. Now it was after 8:00 a.m., and still languid from his embrace, I stretched beneath the cool sheets, reliving the way he had explored me, assured and incredibly in tune with what I wanted. What made me bite my lip to keep from screaming. My skin still tingled from where his lips had wandered. I sighed into the new day, reluctant to leave the bed, but the thought of coffee finally lured me downstairs.
I received a distraction as soon as I walked into the kitchen, where Dad was eating breakfast. I’d barely smiled a greeting at him when a smoke gray cat with vivid green eyes padded up to me and rubbed against my legs. “Pilar! You’re back from the whorehouse. Well done.”
I laughed and scooped up our cat as Dad looked up from his plate, frowning. “I would hardly call the Hemingway House a brothel.”
Still grinning, I stroked her head as she purred in my arms. “Did you just get back with her?”
He nodded. “Yes, yesterday evening. I got confirmation the deed had been accomplished multiple times and I could collect her again. Hopefully, we’ll have more Hemingway kittens in two to three months.”
One of our Markham ancestors had been friends with the great writer and been gifted one of his famous six-toed felines. We’d kept up the bloodline ever since, breeding our cats with those located at the Key West estate to keep bloodlines fresh. And now hopefully Pilar would carry on the tradition. I gently deposited her on the wooden floor, and she padded out of the room.
“Oh, how exciting! I love kittens.” I fetched a mug from the cabinet, throwing a smile at chef Martin, who was already preparing my oatmeal and fresh fruit. I filled my cup and took a seat adjacent to Dad. “I’m surprised you’re still here. No fishing charter to lead this morning?”
“No, I scheduled myself a day off.” He shrugged, putting his fork down and giving me his full attention. “I’ll head down to the fishing shed and tie some flies soon.”
He looked years younger since he’d started leading our fishing charters, releasing the mantle of resort leadership to my brother. “Gabe had a great idea with the fishing charters. Though I hardly get to see you anymore.”
“I’m always around anytime you need me.” His eyes gleamed with the same adventurous spirit that mirrored my own.
“I know you are. You always have been.”
