Chapter 5Stella
Chapter Five
Stella
The bell above Sweet Dreams’ door chimed as I pushed through the entrance, the rich scents of freshly ground coffee beans and cinnamon wrapping around me like a warm embrace. The bakery was bustling with the morning regulars, the clatter of cups and the murmur of conversation creating a lively atmosphere.
“Stella, over here!” Grace’s voice cut through the hum of activity. I spotted her in our usual corner, her smile as big as the blueberry muffin on her plate.
“Hey,” I greeted, dropping my bag onto the chair. Grace stood up for a quick hug, her presence a reminder of simpler times. She had ash-blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and maybe the contrast was what had drawn us together all those years ago. We’d been friends as long as either of us could remember, making sure to keep in touch even when we lived on separate keys.
“Long time no see,” she teased, though it had only been a couple of weeks since our last coffee date. “So did you run ten miles this morning so you could eat a guilt-free donut? ”
“Only two. I wanted some extra time to tend to my orchids.” Smiling, I glanced at the counter. Liv was manning the register today, her apron dusted with flour, her long, curly hair pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail. She caught my eye and waved me over.
“Morning, Stella,” Liv said as I approached, her smile easy and genuine. “The usual?”
“Please.” I dug for my wallet. “How are the early mornings treating you?”
“Better than your late nights, at least for me.” The baker laughed, ringing me up. She lived with my brother, Evan, in a first-floor suite of the Big House. “Though I do like the solitude when I get up so early.”
“I know what you mean,” I agreed, handing over my card. “I feel the same way when I get off in the wee hours. Hardly a trace of people in the house.”
“Speaking of which, Evan’s been asking when you’ll get together with us. He says he hardly sees you since you’ve been home. Maybe lunch or dinner?”
I laughed at that. “He’s inside Orchid’s kitchen almost every day! But we’ll figure something out.” I gave her a smile as thoughts of Hunter flashed through my mind. A simple invitation was never simple when he was included. And I hated that. “Thanks, Liv.”
“Anytime,” she replied before attending to the next customer.
Back at our table, Grace sipped her latte, eyes curious. “So how are things at the Big House?”
“Chaotic sometimes and silent others.” I stirred the foam on my coffee. “But it’s home, you know?”
“Always has been, no matter where you were,” she spoke softly, understanding the unspoken words. The Big House was more than just a structure. It was where my roots dug deepest.
“Enough about me.” I refocused on her. “How’s school?”
“I love my class this year!” Grace beamed. She was an elementary school teacher here on Dove Key. “If you didn’t dislike kids so much, I’d invite you to come see my new decorations. ”
I shrugged and took a sip of coffee. “I don’t hate kids. I love my two nieces. I’ve just never felt the urge to be around them twenty-four seven.” Unbidden, the unrealized future I’d had with Aiden all those years ago filled my mind, and my happy mood dimmed. “Maybe I should come see your cheery classroom. I could use a bit of beauty in my day.”
“Why is that?” Grace asked.
With a deep sigh that weighed a thousand pounds, I told her the story of meeting Aiden again. The words started slowly, then picked up steam as they carried every awful detail.
Her eyes got wider with the telling. “Gawd! What an awful way to reunite. I’m sorry.” Wincing in sympathy, she reached over and patted my hand. “So you didn’t do any type of catching up, I take it?”
“I literally shoved him out the door, then redressed and ran out of the clinic.”
“So that’s the end? You have no interest in seeing him again? I agree, that wasn’t the most auspicious beginning, but a lot of time has passed, Stel. What did he look like?”
My fingers traced the rim of my coffee cup. “He looked… well, he looked gorgeous. Not that it matters,” I added quickly, feeling heat rush to my cheeks as my heart fluttered traitorously.
His hair was still dark blond, but now was cut short and professional, and his warm blue eyes hadn’t changed either. He had a handsome, ruddy face as if he spent much of his time off outdoors. He’d always loved boats… I swallowed as I remembered the feel of his very firm chest under my palm.
“You sure about that?” Grace asked quietly.
I recalled the restless nights I’d spent since that appointment, tossing and turning with his image haunting me. When he’d first entered my exam room, there had been hesitation in his eyes—as if he was pleased to see me but was afraid of how I’d receive him. But I hadn’t glimpsed any shock. Not like what I’d experienced. In hindsight, it made sense since he’d mentioned that he thought I knew he was the new doctor in town. “I’m not sure of anything where he’s concerned.”
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re allowed to think he’s hot.” Grace leaned forward, her tone serious despite the playful twinkle in her eye. “I’ve heard there’s a new doctor everyone’s swooning over,” she said, trying to sound indifferent. “Now I know who it is.”
“Yeah, Aiden Mitchell.”
“And the reason they’re swooning is because he’s Dove Key’s most eligible bachelor…” she said with a pointed look.
Which answered my silent question about his marital status. “I’m not planning on seeing him again.” A deep, secret part of me protested at the decision.
“Stella, why not? You’re both adults now. You’ve got nothing to lose by talking to him. Is your hesitation because of your appointment?”
I shook my head. “No. As humiliating as that little reunion was, that’s not what’s stopping me. It’s because…” I paused, the words catching in my throat. “I want to know what he’s been up to, yes. What kind of man he’s become. But it’s so difficult and convoluted.”
“Life’s convoluted,” Grace replied softly. “But sometimes it’s worth untangling the knots, don’t you think?”
“I’m not sure.” My gaze drifted back to the street where life in the small town continued, unhurried and peaceful. Yet inside, I felt anything but peace. Aiden’s return had stirred my calm waters, and now undercurrents were pulling me in directions I wasn’t sure I wanted to go.
“Stella, talk to me,” Grace said gently, pulling me back from the scene outside. “You have circles under your eyes. Let me guess—you’ve been tossing around the last few nights?”
I took a sip of coffee before letting out a shaky breath. “Yeah, I have. Seeing Aiden again stirred up a lot of old feelings.”
“Understandable.” She leaned back in her chair, her expression open and attentive. “He was your first love, after all.”
“More than that.” The words spilled out as the dam of my emotions broke. “I thought we had a future together. Senior year was supposed to be our launchpad—not just for college, but for us. Forever.”
She nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. “I know. I was there, remember? You had it all planned out. Until he moved away.”
“That was bad enough.” I didn’t care about the bitterness tainting my tone. “But we had it worked out. We’d hold onto our relationship long-distance and see each other whenever we could. Except that’s not what happened. He completely ghosted me, Grace!”
“I know how much he hurt you. I’m still not sure you completely got over it.”
I scowled at her. “I’ve had boyfriends.”
“True. Casual relationships where you held the guy at arm’s length.”
“If the disaster with Aiden taught me anything, it’s that my career is what matters. Especially now. But I can’t deny that I’m reeling. I thought the wound had healed over, but now I’m not so sure. How am I supposed to trust someone who cut me off like I meant nothing?”
“Maybe he had his reasons?” she suggested, but her eyebrows knitted together as she quickly added, “Not that it excuses him.”
“Reasons that couldn’t include a phone call or a message? His family moved back to Michigan so he could go to college there where they had roots—and in-state tuition costs. I understood that part of it. Hell, I wanted him to chase his dream of becoming a doctor! But the rest? How could he just go radio silent?” I shook my head and laughed without humor. “Now he’s back, and part of me wants nothing to do with him. But a different part wants to ask why—why he left, and why he never reached out.”
“Are you going to?” Grace tilted her head, studying me.
I sighed, staring into the depths of my coffee as if it might hold answers. “I don’t know. Should I really dig up the past when I’m not sure I can forgive what he did? ”
“Only you can decide that, Stella. But whatever you choose, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks, Grace. I mean it.” I managed a half-smile. “It’s just hard to forget the dreams I had. All those plans that vanished when he did.”
“Sometimes, people come back into our lives for a reason.” Grace’s gaze drifted out the window. “Maybe this is a chance for closure. Or a new beginning.”
“Or a repeat heartbreak,” I countered, though her words ignited a flicker of hope I was afraid to acknowledge. “Even if we did meet up again, which seems likely given how little our two keys are, I couldn’t just pounce on him and demand answers. I need to think about this. All of it.”
As I drove back to Calypso Key, Liv’s comment about a family meal came back to me, and I placed the call on my Bluetooth.
“Stella.” Hunter’s deep voice was even yet cautious. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
I inhaled deeply, letting the cool air fill my lungs before exhaling. “I wanted to get back to you about your visit. How about lunch at the Big House? Like, soon?”
There was a pause, then a long sigh. “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.”
“Maybe so, but we have to start somewhere, right?” I watched a lone pelican dive into the ocean, resurfacing with its prize. “You and Evan. All of us. We’re family.”
“All right,” he said with quiet resolve in his voice. “I’ll come.”
“Good. I’ll figure out the details and let you know.” My heart lifted a fraction as I ended the call. One hurdle crossed.
I sent Evan a quick text next.
Stella: Dinner tonight during my break? Need to talk.
Evan: Sure. I can meet you at eight. Problem?
Stella: Nope. Just missing my little brother.
Evan: Okay, now I know there’s a problem.
I sent back a poo emoji and laughed. But as I parked in my usual spot in the voluminous garage of the Big House, it faded. Evan had agreed to meet Hunter, but that didn’t mean it would be easy. For any of us.
“Spit it out, Stel.” Evan’s impatience was evident as he drummed his fingers on the wooden surface. Despite the private ambiance of a table tucked away from Orchid’s main dining room, the tension between us felt thicker than the humid evening air. Now that the moment was here, I’d been hemming and hawing, chatting about nonsense. My brother’s handsome, clean-shaven face grew stonier, and finally, I jumped in.
“Hunter’s coming home for lunch,” I said abruptly, like ripping off a bandage.
Evan stopped drumming and leaned back in his chair, his expression becoming guarded. Unlike the rest of us, Evan took after our deceased mother in looks, with light-brown hair and blue eyes. “When?”
“Sometime next month. He agreed to it.” I cradled my iced tea, tracing the condensation on the glass. “We need to mend things, Evan.”
He smiled, a more natural expression for him. “Always the peacemaker, aren’t you?”
“We can’t choose our family. But we can choose to try to fix what’s broken.”
“Easy for you to say.” He glanced away, suddenly finding a gorgeous bright pink cymbidium orchid fascinating.
“I know it’s not easy for you,” I shot back. Frustration crept into my voice as he darted his eyes back to me. “I did you a favor by taking this position and starting immediately, remember? Now it’s your turn to help make this work.”
He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture one of exasperation more than concession. “I get it, Stella. You stepped up when I needed to sort out my own mess. It’s just…” Evan’s voice trailed off, his eyes dropping to the wooden tabletop as his jaw bulged.
“Hey.” I reached across, placing my hand over his in an unspoken plea for understanding. “We said we’d support each other, right? Hunter’s trying to reach out after all this time. We can’t just shut him out. And you need this as much as he does.”
Evan sighed heavily, and the fight drained out of him. “I know what I promised. Fine. I’ll sit down to a meal with Hunter and anyone else brave enough to come. But if the whole thing goes south, it’s on you.”
“Fair enough.” I nodded, even though my stomach twisted. “Just remember, we’re all adults here. We’ve changed.”
“Have we?” he asked pointedly.
“Only one way to find out.” I forced a smile, wishing I felt as confident as I sounded. “If things get tense, we’ll deal with it as a family.”
“Family,” he repeated, almost wistfully before giving me a resigned nod.
I withdrew my hand and took a sip of iced tea, the cool liquid doing little to calm my nerves. “There’s something else.” I glanced toward the window where the ocean brushed against the shore. At the unpleasant surprise that had greeted me upon entering for my shift. The empty spaces had jumped out and practically bitten me. “Two orchids are missing from the outdoor wall display. And Ben Coleridge?—”
“Ben?” Evan perked up, his interest piqued. “What about him? ”
“He’s part of the landscaping company doing the work installing new lines and sprucing up the grounds.” I hesitated, piecing together my thoughts. “I can’t help wondering if there’s a connection.”
Evan snorted. “He’s a damn Coleridge and the last person we need hanging around here. But we can’t tell the landscaping company who to hire, can we? Still, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye out. Thanks for the heads-up.”
The Markhams and Coleridges shared enmity that went back over a century. Hell, Gabe had gotten into a fist fight with Ben the first night he’d returned home to Calypso Key. Having a Coleridge around was never a good thing.
A server approached, refilling our glasses, and the momentary distraction allowed me to collect myself. My gaze lingered on Evan’s profile as he thanked her, the lines of worry etched into his forehead now smoothed out.
“Let’s just focus on getting through dinner with Hunter.” I forced cheerfulness into my tone. “A couple of orchids is no big deal. I’ll go to the farmer’s market and pick up more.”
“Spoken like a true Markham,” Evan joked, raising his glass in a mock toast.
“Thanks,” I said, grateful for his support. Evan was like the sun, always there and warming everything it touched. Except Hunter, anyway. “I just hate the thought of there being trouble in paradise, you know?”
“Paradise is where trouble often likes to vacation.” Evan broke into a broad smile, a gleam entering his eye that warned me something was coming. “Speaking of unexpected visitors, I heard Aiden Mitchell made quite the entrance back into town—and right into your path, no less.”
I rolled my eyes, huffing a sigh. “Isn’t anything a secret around here?”
“Come on, Stella.” His laugh sounded like the breeze whispering through the trees outside. “You know better than that. You told Maia . But hey—” Sobering, he leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “He’s not a high school boy anymore. He’s Dr. Aiden Mitchell now, and you’re not the same starry-eyed girl either. You going to see him again?”
“Maybe,” I conceded, my thoughts drifting to Aiden’s hesitant gaze when he walked in, the way my pulse now quickened despite my reservations. “But I’m not sure I want to.”
“Time changes people, Stella.” Evan’s voice softened, that old vulnerability peeking through. “You should give him a chance to explain. Who knows? Things might be very different this time.”
“Perhaps,” I murmured, then stared straight at Evan. “Just remember that when Hunter comes home. If Aiden deserves a second chance, so does our brother.”
Evan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his gaze turning toward the horizon where countless stars glittered like jewels. “I’ll try,” he promised quietly. “For you, I’ll try.”
“Try for you too.” As we raised our glasses, I hoped the tide was turning in our favor—that the storms of the past could give way to calmer waters ahead.
For all of us.