8. Stella
EIGHT
stella
Rounding the kitchen corner, a woman with a pixie-like appearance emerged, Charlie in her arms. Perfectly content being carried, she sat propped on her hip, gripping her long, black hair, chubby hands gently twisting the strands.
The girl extricated her hair from Charlie’s grasp and pinched her cheeks, causing her to let out a boisterous giggle. This girl definitely wasn’t shy around babies.
I stifled the urge to reach over and rescue my daughter from the stranger’s arms, but she seemed perfectly at ease in her presence.
“You know, Wade, I knew all those one-night stands would eventually catch up with you,” she joked as she patted him gently on the arm.
“Ain’t mine, sunshine” he countered proudly, a wide grin taking over his face, confidence radiating from him in waves.
I got the notion that Wade was the more promiscuous Daniels’ brother and thanked whatever higher power above that he hadn’t been the one to rescue me .
The raven-haired pixie, her eyes widening in surprise, looked over at Max. Her gathering of facts was clearly leading somewhere, and I could see the cogs turning in her mind as she formed conclusions based on what she had learned.
Instead of letting her create her own stories, ones that may or may not include my child being fathered by the hot cowboy standing beside me, I walked towards her and put my hands out to take Charlie.
“She’s mine.” I said as I lifted her from her arms and tucked her into my side while nuzzling her chubby neck. The sound of her giggles caused the biggest, most genuine smile to spread across my face.
Her radiant joy was a warm sunbeam that chased away the shadows, leaving me in a tranquil state of blissful contentment. In an attempt to ease my worries, I kept focusing on the fact that she was young and wouldn’t remember all the struggle we’d been dealing with.
“I got that much,” the girl said as she gave me a once-over. It wasn’t intended to be negative; rather, it was meant to be protective and cautious. Her gaze was sharp and calculating as she surveyed the scene, and I felt the weight of her appraisal like a brand on my skin.
I could instantly tell that she was fiercely protective of these men. Her eyes narrowed and her stance was unwavering. The familiarity in her eyes suggested she’d known them for years, perhaps even decades.
“Nice to meet you...” she prompted.
“Stella, and the baby you rescued from her great escape to find something to chew on is Charlie.” I held Charlie’s hand up and waved for her. She giggled and attempted to repeat the motion after I’d let her hand go .
“I’m Ray - short for Rayna Cortez.”
“Aka, Sunshine.” Wade interrupted as he gazed at her with a sly smile. He looked at her with a familiarity that reeked of long-time secrets.
I wondered what their story was. It wasn’t often girls and guys could be friends without one falling for the other. I reminded myself that it wasn’t my concern, and that respecting others’ privacy was the key to protecting my own.
Ray leaned over and smacked the back of her hand into Wade’s gut. He let out a pained grunt and clutched his stomach in exaggeration.
“Wade’s the only one who calls me that. Everyone else just calls me Ray.”
“Noted.” I said with a slight nod.
“So, welcome to small town USA, Stella. Who’s the pappy of cutie pie Charlie here?”
She reached over and tweaked Charlie’s cheek again, causing her to let out another string of giggles. I hesitated for a second too long and Max answered for me, sensing my unease.
“He’s not in the picture. Stella needs somewhere to stay short term, so I offered her one of the rooms here.”
A look of curious confusion washed over Ray’s face as her eyes flickered between Max and me. I could hear the gears turning as she tried once again to work out the dynamic between us. She was intuitive, I could sense that about her.
“Stop trying to see into their souls, Sunshine.” Wade piped up and took a step back to avoid being hit in the gut again.
“You don’t find this weird?” she asked him, gesturing between Max and I.
Wade shrugged and went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He handed one to Max, one to Ray, and offered one to me with a slight head nod. I took the bottle with an appreciative smile.
“I mean, sure. It’s weird - but it’s also not my fucking business why Stella needs somewhere to stay. If Max offered a place, he has good reason, and I trust him.”
A wave of relief washed over Ray; I could visibly see her relax, a subtle smile playing on her lips. It was as if her and Wade’s feelings were in tune. If he was okay with the situation, she could be too.
I again found myself wondering about their dynamic. They seemed to bicker like brother and sister, but the looks I had caught Wade shooting in her direction were definitely not of the platonic variety.
Hmm, interesting.
“My plan isn’t to stay here long term. I need a job to earn enough money for a deposit on a downtown apartment, then once I have that saved up, I’ll be out of your hair,” I said shyly.
Receiving handouts, particularly from strangers, was something I detested. For so long, the only person I could rely on was myself. I wasn’t used to having a ‘village’, so to speak.
“You can stay as long as you need to.” Max reiterated.
The front door clicked open, and another set of boots stomped into the kitchen. The weathered cowboy standing in the entry looked around with a confused expression.
“Didn’t know y’all were having a party over here.” He said as he walked over to Max and slapped him playfully on the shoulder.
“Pops, this is Stella and her daughter Charlie. They’re going to be taking one of the guest rooms here for a while. ”
The older gentleman rounded the kitchen island and held out a hand in introduction. I shook it, noticing how his palms were full of rough callouses - clearly from years of working on the ranch.
“It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“No sir needed, darlin’,” he grumped. “Hank, if you’re feeling formal, but most of these hooligans call me Pops- Ray Charles over there, included.” He hooked a thumb in Ray’s direction and she cocked a quizzical eyebrow.
“Ray Charles?” she questioned.
“You’ve gotta be blind to be hanging out with that ugly fucker over there every day.” He said, hooking the same thumb over in Wade’s direction.
My hand went over my mouth to stifle the laugh. I didn’t know this family well enough yet to be laughing at their expense, but you could clearly tell they picked on each other out of love.
I missed having friends that I could joke with. It had been so long since I’d seen any of my family, and my friends all but abandoned me the longer that Dean and I stayed together.
I should have noticed the red flags that Dean was throwing - but ignorance is bliss.
“Hey, this ugly fucker takes offense to that statement.” Wade huffed in mock annoyance.
“Anyway, welcome to the family, Stella and Charlie.” Hank said, attempting to turn the conversation back to the original topic at hand.
Family . We had instantly gone from being on our own to having a makeshift family. They had so easily welcomed us into their fold. I wasn’t sure how to appreciate all they were doing for us, but I’d make sure we pulled our weight while we were here .
“Thank you, Hank.” I responded quietly.
“How old is little Charlie here?” He asked, changing the subject. “Been awhile since I’ve been around little ones, but I’m happy to help in any way I can. I’ll have her riding, shooting, and shotgunning beers in no time.”
I chuckled, having no doubt that Hank would make an excellent grandpa to some babies in the future. “She’s ten months. It turns out she shares a birthday with the twins.” I said with a sly smile in Max’s direction.
I had left that out at the coffee shop after looking at his license. Although some might dismiss it as mere coincidence, I saw it as a sign of good faith, a subtle nod of approval from the universe.
Max gave me a small smile back as he reached for Charlie.
It hit me at that moment that I’d never seen her held by so many other people.
She didn’t have aunts and uncles and I kept a low profile with a small friend group.
Dean was truly a father in name only. I don’t think I’d often seen him hold her, change a diaper, or show her much affection for that matter.
A line of dampness threatened to spill over my bottom lashes, and I bent my head to quell them from falling. I turned to the fridge to busy myself- after all, this was now my home as well. I didn’t want them seeing me cry over something as silly as people showing my child affection.
I reached in and grabbed a bottle of water, giving myself the time I needed to pull my emotions into line. I turned and set it on the counter beside the other bottle I’d been given.
As Wade took note of the pair of untouched water bottles remaining on the kitchen counter, a gentle nod conveyed his understanding of how uncomfortable this situation was for me .
Slightly embarrassed, I slowly twisted off the bottle cap, a warmth spreading across my cheeks; I paused a moment to quell the blush before bringing the bottle’s opening to my lips.
“Well, there, little one, you can be our third amigo,” Max said and tickled her belly. A joyous peal of laughter burst from her lips as she playfully wriggled, a giggle shaking her whole body in his embrace.
The grin that plastered on Max’s face melted some of the ice around my heart. How had this stranger taken a liking to my daughter faster than her own father had?
I pushed the thoughts away. It didn’t matter anymore. His presence would quickly fade from memory. Maybe someday, I’d meet someone willing to take on the baggage of a single mom with an almost one-year-old baby, no place to live, and no family to call her own.