Chapter 4
STELLA
“How are you feeling?” I ask Camila, who is absolutely glowing. It’s still early in her pregnancy, but she looks fantastic. There is something in her gaze and the way she holds herself that she’s never had before, and it might make me sound terrible, but I envy it.
She’s happy.
Truly and fully.
Content yet excited.
“I’m good. Morning sickness hits right when I wake up, but all the books say it should go away in a couple of weeks,” she shares as I nod. I don’t know the first thing about pregnancy, but whatever I can do to help her, I will.
“Good!” I squeeze her hand. “I’ll look up things that might help, and we could make sure you have them close to you in bed when you get up to try to prevent it.” She smiles and leans her body into mine.
“Reed has bought up all the ginger candies and saltines available in a forty-minute radius.” She laughs.
I chuckle because that sounds like her guy.
I don’t know him all that well, but I have met him on video chats with Cam here and there.
“So…” Her eyes are full of mischief, and if I’m not wrong a little bit of concern is swirled in.
“So, what?”
“What happened?” I knew it was coming. I was praying she wouldn’t say anything in front of Eli, and somehow, she didn’t.
“Jake turned out to be…” My words drift off to nothing as I sigh.
“Fake?” she guesses, and I smile because my bestie knows me too well.
“Yeah, you can say that.” I shake my head. “I don’t know how I could have been so wrong about him. Hmm…. He was super sweet at the beginning. I told you.”
“You did.”
“And then… I don’t know,” I sigh, trying to think of why I didn’t see it as it happened. “I let things just pass. Little comments or faces he’d make, and then, three weeks ago…” I look down at our hands in my lap, and she squeezes them.
“Did he…”
“No.” I shake my head. “He was over, and we started making out, like we usually did. But when he tried to, you know, go further, it didn’t feel right.
” My face starts to get hot. “He wanted to take off my shirt. I told him no and…” My words drift off to nothing for a moment.
She gives me time. “He started yelling, then yelling turned into throwing stuff, and that’s when Tracie came over and asked him to leave.
” My eyes are still on my lap. I hate that he did that, yet I’m the one feeling shame for it.
Am I prude and a tease for not going through with it and just doing it?
Millions of people have sex regularly. There’s nothing wrong with the act.
I just want my first time to mean something with someone I at least care about.
And I knew Jake wasn’t it.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.” My eyes met hers, and that’s when I see it.
Guilt.
Guilt is eating at my beautiful best friend, and if that doesn’t make me love her even more.
“It wasn’t your fault,” I try to reassure her.
“Just like I know it wasn’t mine.” I glance away and worry my lower lip.
“Jake… He kept calling after that, showing up and knocking at the door. He didn’t want to end things, but I was done.
Am done. I needed the change, and, well, when you offered to rent your cabin to me, I took it. ”
“Good.” Her arms wrap around my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, Stella-kins.” I laugh at the old silly cutesy nickname.
“Me too, Camila-boo,” I whisper back. And as I sit on the couch of my best friend’s new home, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
I might not be sure how long I want to stay in Moonlit Pines, but from everything I’ve seen so far, I’m not leaving anytime soon.
Especially not with my bestie living across the street.
“You’re the closest thing I have to family,” she reminds me, and even though I smile, I shrug.
“I don’t know about that. Doesn’t your guy have a handful of siblings and a mom who loves you like her own?”
“He does and they do… but you’re my sister. That hasn’t changed. We’ve been through so much. It has always been you and me against the world, you know that, yeah?”
“I do.” I smile. “And vice versa,” I add, and she smiles.
“Duh.” She winks, and I laugh.
“Let me guess, Tracie called you?” I ask, and she winces.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve such sweet friends, but I am thankful.
” After that, we change the subject, and she tells me all about living in Moonlit Pines.
The places she wants us to check out together and where to eat if I want to get take-away.
“So… I know this thing with Jake just kinda happened, but is there any chance you noticed the way Eli couldn’t seem to look away from you?” she sneaks in. I roll my eyes, but there’s no way I can ignore my face getting red.
“He asked me to dinner tonight,” I confess, and her eyes widen.
“Shut up! He did?” she squeals, and I know what’s going through her head. Me hooking up with her future brother-in-law makes me her officially family.
“Is that crazy?”
“Why would him asking you out be crazy? You’re amazing, and I’m glad the man sees that. I always knew he was a smart cookie!”
“Is it crazy I said yes? I shouldn’t, right? I mean, I just moved here and—"
“Breathe, honey,” she orders. I do as she says, calming my overanxious heart down.
“He’s a good guy, Stell,” she shares. “Both my future brothers-in-law are great. I mean, Owen is a little quiet, but they’re amazing.
Sweet and caring. Genuine.” I chew on my lower lip as I let her words process in my head.
“And from what I have seen and Reed has shared, they would never play with a woman’s heart. Their mom would kill them if they did.”
“I just… I’m me, you know?” She blinks, waiting for me to elaborate. I roll my eyes. “I’m nothing special, Cam. I mean, not in the big picture of things. Tu sabes, I’m just… you know. I’m just me.”
“Stella.” My name is said in a soft tone I know is filled with nothing but love as she shifts on the couch to hold my hand. “We both know you’re amazing.”
“You have to say that.” I smile. “You’re my best friend.”
“I am. But that also means I know the best of you and the worst, and even then, I can tell you any man would be very lucky to have you by their side.” I lean into her.
“You’re really sweet, Cam, but Eli… he’s like…. Wow.” I try to elaborate, but I can’t find the correct words.
“What I’d tell you? They grow them different here. Am I right?” Her eyes are wide as her head bounces.
“You were not kidding.” We both break out into a fit of giggles, and when we grow quiet, we look at one another, and I know she’s about to say something that’s going to shake up my world.
“Follow your heart, Stella. Follow your heart when it comes to Eli. He is a really good guy.”
“What if my gut’s wrong?” I whisper, feeling seriously exposed and vulnerable in a way I only ever felt comfortable being around Cami. “What if he…” I shake my head and look away. “Jake was a dork. A goober. And look what happened there! Eli is in a whole other league. Way out of my—"
“Don’t,” she clips seriously. “Don’t go down that road, Stella Marie Torres. Do not go there. You cannot cut yourself down and make someone else bigger than they are.”
“I’m not. He’s literally a jolly red giant,” I sass, trying to lighten the mood, not that she will let me.
“I’m being serious. You have a lot to offer, and you’re beautiful, way more than you give yourself credit for. And what’s this about you being boring? I never laugh more than when I’m around you,” she points out, and I shrug, looking away.
“No one has ever…”
“Has ever what?” I look at my sister from another mister and press my lips together. Her brows bunch up. “No has ever what?” she repeats, pushing me to finish my thought.
“No one’s ever just laid it out like he did.”
“Laid what out?” she whispers loudly as she leans in closer.
“He asked me to dinner, and I suggested I’d pay as a thank-you for helping me find my way here because I got all turned around, and he said he didn’t want me to get it twisted. That he wanted me to be clear about his intentions.”
“What?! Shut up! Intentions?” she squeals, covering her mouth with her hands. I could feel her excitement. “He said that? Intentions?”
“Yeah.” I nod. Her excitement is contagious.
“What did you say?”
“I said yeah. We’re having dinner together.”
“Oh my god! Stella!” She jumps up, and I follow as she walks around. “This is HUGE!”
“Why?”
“Eli’s quiet.”
“Quiet?”
“Well, you know, he doesn’t do that!” She waves at me, and I scowl.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Do what?”
“No!” She shakes her head and comes back to sit next to me on her way too comfortable couch. “He’s not about stating his intentions and stuff. He’s usually super easy going and casual about dating.”
“I’m reading too much into it.” I sigh.
“No! You’re not.” She smiles like she knows something I don’t. “He’s a Woodman man. Reed, when he finally got his head out of his ass about being too old for me, went after me like a man possessed.”
“Hence the bun in the oven,” I point out, and she laughs.
“Haha. Funny! But these men, the Woodman men, they’re a whole different species, especially compared to the men we’re used to.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. Just… trust your heart. Your heart will never ever let you down. Remember that’s what my mom would tell us all the time.”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “I miss her. I can’t even imagine how much you do.”
“Every day… but somehow, I am right where I’m supposed to be. Just like I have a feeling you are.”
“You think so, or is this your hippie-dippy life is great, and I fart sunshine and rainbows talking?”
“You’re hilarious today! Just wait and see, you will be telling me I was right before you know it.” Somehow, her warning doesn’t frighten me. If anything, it makes me a little hopeful she will be right.
As if timed, we hear the sound of Reed’s truck rumble up the driveway, and we both turn to the front door as it opens and in walk two giant mountain men.
Side by side, I can see the similarities between the brothers.
Reed might be an inch taller, but he’s slimmer and older.
Eli is bulkier, his shoulders wider. And probably about a good foot, if not more than that, taller than me.
But his hair is a ruddy red instead of dark like his older brother.
Their eyes are different too. Eli’s are a amber brown. Almost golden.
“Got your car,” Eli breaks the silence. I can feel Camila staring at me. Not that I can manage looking away from the handsome man who seems to have put a spell on me.
“Thank you.” I stand. “I should go and unpack some stuff.”
“You sure?” Cam asks. “You could spend the night here and start in the morning,” she suggests despite knowing Eli asked me to dinner. Or knowing Cam, she probably suggested that on purpose.
“Cam—"
“I’ll help her,” Eli offers, and all three of us look at him.
“What about the bakery?” Reed asks. I can’t seem to look away from Eli. His amber eyes are on me.
“Tessa is closing,” he shares, and I groan inwardly. Man, I’ve probably made a mess of his workday. And that’s when I remember. “Shoot! I forgot, Cam. I brought you something!” I tell Camila, and her eyes light up.
“From his bakery?” she asks, and I swear I can almost make out her stomach growling. Camila always had a sweet tooth, and it looks like baby does, too.
“Yes!”
“Damn banana bread,” Reed mutters under his breath, but Cam hears it and laughs. It makes me wonder what that’s about, not that I’d ask him. We’ve spoken once or twice, but he’s still very intimidating to me.
“I’ll go get it.” I walk toward the door, right past Reed and then Eli. But he reaches for me as if he’s reached for me a million times.
His hands touch mine but then fall to hold my hips in place, and the moment our eyes connect, it’s like something inside me shifts and rights itself. Like something has been askew before, and all of a sudden, he corrected it.
With just a simple touch.
“I’ll get the banana bread from my truck.
Why don’t you get the keys and look at the place?
I’ll help move your stuff in.” Wow, mountain guys are sure friendly.
“We both will. Right, Reed?” he says, and we both turn to look at Reed, who is now scowling.
Camila starts to laugh, patting his shoulder.
He looks down at her with nothing but adoration.
“Payback, big guy,” she mumbles. His face softens further. That small moment feels private somehow, so I turn to look at Eli, whose attention is completely on me.
“Come on, I’ll walk you to my truck.” My lips twitch because there’s no missing either of their trucks and the idea I need help finding it is hilarious. But still, I follow him.
I have a feeling I would follow him anywhere.
“Thanks,” I whisper, but I know he hears me as his hand falls from my hip only to take mine in his, tangling our fingers as we walk together.
And boy, oh boy, do I like holding his hand.