22. Stella
Chapter 22
Stella
“ F uck a duck!” I shout as powdered sugar flies everywhere.
“What is up with you and ducks?” I hear as a warm body wraps around me.
Wait, when the hell did Miles get home from his run?
“Hello to you, too,” I grumble, wiping sugar from my face.
It looks like a drug raid gone wrong in here.
It’s been hours of trying to hash this recipe out with Kenzie, and I’m still nowhere near close to having a signature dessert for the location in Nashville.
“How's the recipe coming along?”
“Still no closer to nailing it down, but I have a lot of recipes that are now on the fail list. I really thought the cherry almond would be good, but it just didn't hit the spot.”
“I'm sure you'll come up with something. Just have to find your inspiration,” he whispers into my hair.
Turning around in his hold, I wrap my arms around him and lift on my toes to kiss him, powdered sugar be damned.
“I thought I wasn't going to see you before I went to hang out with Sawyer to plan.”
“I wasn’t planning on swinging by, but I talked a little shit to Trevor before our run and he made sure I regretted it. I just need to go shower before he and I meet up to go run some errands. What are you and Sawyer doing?” he asks as I go back to wiping up the sugar I’ve spread all over the counters.
“She wants to start planning their engagement party. It’ll be at the bakery, so we’re going to start going over the menu and what they want to have. I don’t have a ton of time to do it since we’ve also nailed down the opening for Nashville,” I tell Miles before looking back at the clock.
Fuck. I was supposed to be leaving right now.
“That’s so exciting. We will celebrate later; you just go have fun…but not too much fun. We don’t need tipsy Stella spilling our secrets, right?” Miles says, and I can’t quite tell if he’s joking or if he’s actually afraid I’ll say something.
It almost…it almost hurts me.
Is he hiding me? Ashamed of me? Or is he really just that stressed out that my brother is going to react horribly to this news?
“I won’t say anything, Miles. Besides, Rex won’t even be there,” I tell him with a smile before turning to grab the cupcakes I made to bring over with me—plain chocolate because Sawyer loves them. “I’m going to get going though. I don’t want to be late. I know we have a lot to plan.
“Okay, Trouble. Have fun, and I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Are you telling me that you don't want an actual full meal prepared for everyone?” I ask as I sit across from Sawyer, each of us with a glass of wine in hand as we look over the list of ideas that we have come up with.
“I mean…yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying. Full meals are boring.”
“Full meals are not boring if they are planned out correctly,” I say as I pull up my idea board online. I've been saving ideas for every possible occasion, and I'm sure I've saved an appetizer themed party before.
“Yeah, they are. After two or three bites I'm usually bored of whatever I'm eating, so with appetizers, I can have plenty of options and then I'll never be bored of the food. It's a dream come true.”
“You're insane.”
“Why are you saying that like it's new information?” Sawyer says with a straight face, and we both bust out laughing.
“My brother figured it out and he still put a ring on it; he just likes a little crazy.” I smirk as Sawyer beams.
“I still can't believe we're going to be getting married.”
“I can’t get over that my brother was able to pick out that ring by himself,” I tell her, looking down at the emerald cut diamond with a halo of mini diamonds surrounding it. It’s easily the most perfect ring for her.
“He did an amazing job, didn’t he?” She smiles as she looks down at the ring, the light twinkling off the diamond, and I’m just reminded of how happy I am that she found my brother.
When they met a few years ago, Rex was just coming out of a rough patch in his life when he had to give up professional hockey long before he was hoping to. Between Sawyer and his daughter Rory, they gave my brother the spark and the drive to live life to the fullest again, and I'm so happy they found each other.
“Ooh! Look at these!” I say, turning my phone for Sawyer to see as I keep scrolling through different ideas online, landing on a huge assortment of appetizers, all laid out on a crisp white tablecloth with flowers and greenery everywhere.
It's gorgeous, elegant, but also down to earth like they are.
“Everything there looks delicious. And the way it's arranged? Oh my gosh, Stella, it's perfect. But I want mini grilled cheese too. Pleeease?” Sawyer begs, and who would I be to tell the bride no when it comes to her engagement party.
Well, it’s my brother’s celebration too, but I’m smart enough to know that he’s going to go along with anything Sawyer comes up with, so I might as well just agree now.
“Obviously,” I tell her, adding these ideas to the list we’ve been keeping.
“What are all these pictures saved for?” she asks, pointing to the folder titled Nashville.
Motherfucker.
“Uh, those are just some ideas that I had for a bakery down in Nashville if I opened a location there.”
Sawyer looks surprised.
“I didn’t know that you were thinking about opening a second location…you’re not thinking about moving, are you? Rory would be so sad, and we would miss you too much.”
“No, no, I’m not moving. I love New York. But I have always had a special place in my heart for Nashville, and it has always been a little dream of mine to have another location down there.”
“Is this something you've thought about doing, like actually doing?” Sawyer asks as she turns to face me, but she looks excited.
“I mean, I, uh, yeah…it is…that's actually why I was down in Nashville,” I tell her, refusing to make eye contact, afraid she will somehow learn every one of my secrets in that one moment.
I've heard she has that ability, and tonight is not the night I want to test it out.
“Stella. What do you mean that was why you were down in Nashville? Is this what Miles was helping you with? I really thought it was actually just a spicy vacay because girl you deserve that,” Sawyer says, her face serious, but she's not upset.
“I found a place, only there were some challenges when it came to closing the deal, so we went down there to fix everything so it would go through, and he helped me get everything sorted out,” I tell her vaguely.
“With the bakery? Or something else?” Sawyer says with a knowing smirk, and I can tell she’s caught the scent of a secret.
Fuck me.
“Shut it,” I say as my cheeks heat, knowing damn well there’s no getting out of this now.
“I KNEW IT!” she yells, fist pumping the air.
“What the hell do you mean you knew it?”
“When Rex was telling me that he asked Miles to pick you up to go to the airport, and that you were both going to Nashville, I had this feeling that you guys were actually going there…together. Plus when I talked to you, I mean you basically told me but it’s still exciting hearing it. You two are totally fucking.”
“I mean…yeah. Shit, did you say anything to Rex?”
“Fuck no. If he wants to know the information, he can open his eyes and watch for himself like I did.”
“Dammit, Sawyer, can anything get past you?”
“Nope. Not usually. This almost did, but as soon as I realized it, everything made sense. There has always been tension between you two. I just used to think you didn’t know each other well enough and that’s why it seemed a little awkward. But…now I’m starting to wonder if it’s that you knew each other too well.” She giggles, doing her best to wink but she sucks at it.
“Well…how good are you at keeping secrets?” I ask nervously, not wanting to put my future sister-in-law in a weird place, but damn it’d be nice to talk to someone about this.
Her squeal is enough for me, but after she pinky promises to never tell my brother about this before we can, I tell her everything—starting from that first night all those years ago.
“You mean to tell me that you two met before knowing who the other really was, and you hit it off?”
“Yes.”
“And you let your brother stop you two from getting together again.”
“Basically. When I saw him at the game, I was going to talk to him, see if maybe he wanted to hang out again since I had to run off to go work on my recipe. It’s not my fault that kiss gave me all the inspiration I needed to make a banging recipe for the interview the next day. Only, when Rex introduced us to each other, he seemed like he had no memory of that night—it felt like he was actually meeting someone for the first time. I figured if it was that much of a forgettable night, I’d be an idiot to bring it up again.”
“I get that…but what about now? We’re all adults, so just talk to him?”
“I know. But it just feels like Miles is dragging his feet. Before he was just waiting until we got home, but now there’s so much going on he keeps pushing it off. He seems so nervous to tell him, and I don’t know if it’s because he’s afraid of what my brother will say, or maybe it’s because it’s not that serious for him. If it’s just casual, then I get it; I just wish he’d tell me so we could be on the same page.”
“But do you know how you’re feeling about him?” she asks, and before she can answer, the front door opens.
Rex walks in, and I can tell he’s been enjoying a couple of rounds while out with Max. They were doing some “planning” or at least that’s what he told Sawyer. We have no idea what they could be planning, so I’m pretty sure they were just out bullshitting and enjoying happy hour, at least based on the smell radiating from my brother.
“Hey, sis!” Rex says as he plops down right between Sawyer and me, squeezing himself into a space much too small for his wide self.
It’s not a dig, more of a compliment actually. My brother is strong. Even being a coach now, he still makes sure that he’s at his best, which includes doing the same workouts as the players. He’s usually working out with them, sometimes multiple times a day if they are working in different groups, so it’s not a surprise he’s in as good of a shape as he is.
But you wouldn’t expect someone of his size to act like a cat. The whole if I fitz I sitz bullshit only works if you’re pocket-sized or under fifteen pounds. Anything outside of those two categories requires both consent and adequate space—unless you’re Rex. Rex doesn't give a fuck, and it’s why I love my brother.
“Hey,” I say, before bumping his shoulder. “Scootch! You’re squishing me.”
“Shut up and take my love,” he says, wiggling in even further.
“You’re annoying,” I tell him, scooting over a bit, letting him snuggle up to Sawyer instead.
“No. My friends are annoying,” he grumbles, and I giggle. I haven’t seen my brother like this in a while, so happy and carefree, albeit buzzed.
“Huh?” Sawyer giggles. “Weren’t you out with my brother?”
“Yeah, but I tried to get Miles to come, and he wouldn’t answer his phone.”
“Oh? Maybe he was busy?” Sawyer says, glancing over at me with a smirk, and I feel my cheeks heat at the mention of his name.
“Probably busy somewhere getting his dick sucked by a bunny. That's usually the only time he doesn't answer his phone,” Rex grumbles as he snuggles into Sawyer, his words hitting me like a freight train. My heart starts racing until all I can hear is the whooshing sound rushing in my ears as the two of them talk in the distance.
“Or maybe, he's busy? In the shower? Working out? On the phone with someone who’s not you?” Sawyer snaps back, and I know she's trying to make me feel better.
He wouldn't do that to me…right? I have to mean more to him. Right? How could I be so wrong about our situation?
“Nah. But then when I tried to ask Trevor to come out, I overheard him grumbling to Miles about some girl, so chances are he brought her home,” Rex says, sitting up now.
I think it's time for me to go back home. Or to his place. What if he brought a girl home? In the bed you've slept in. Fuck.
I need to see for myself.
“Well, I'm going to leave you two to your bitching session. I have a lot to plan for your party menu, but I'll send final ideas tomorrow for you two, okay?”
“Deal,” Sawyer says with a soft smile.
She knows I'm upset.
“Love you, sis.”
“Love you too, bro,” I say, before grabbing my things and making my way home. Fingers crossed it’s to an empty apartment and that I can just go hide in my room by myself for the rest of the night.