Chapter Fourteen

The following Sunday, Stella was awoken by two things simultaneously: her phone ringing, and the sound of her ride-on lawn mower. Blinking herself awake, she startled when she saw the clock said it was after nine. She never slept in. She didn’t even set an alarm because her busy brain always woke her by dawn.

Her phone kept ringing and she sat up, grabbing it off the charger beside her bed. It was Parker, Megan’s brother.

“Hey, Parker,” Stella said, her voice still rough and sleepy.

“Hey. You sleeping?” The surprise in his voice matched her own.

“Just woke up. How’s it going?” Stella threw back the covers and got out of bed. Walking to the window, she saw Zach on her mower, zigzagging around her overgrown yard. Nacho and Soda chased after him, and she smiled at their enthusiasm.

“Good. I wondered if you’d grabbed the steaks because I’m at the store and there’s a wicked sale,” he said.

Stella flipped through her memory and cringed. “Dammit. I didn’t. I forgot.” She hoped he thought she meant the steaks, but the truth was, it had slipped her mind that she’d invited Parker, his husband Garrett, Meg, Adam, and Charlie over for a BBQ.

“No worries. I’ll grab them. Six of us?”

Stella watched as Zach did circles on the lawn mower. She laughed when the dogs followed his path. “Seven, actually.”

“Oh yeah? I heard you’ve got a man in your life,” Parker said, his tone somewhere between teasing and big-brotherish.

“I hired someone to help out with my practice,” she replied, moving away from the window to grab some clothes.

“Uh-huh. I heard he’s pretty easy to look at.”

Stella rolled her eyes, wondering if it was Megan who’d told him. “He’s an excellent vet.”

“Okay. So, seven?”

She paused, thinking about Zach and the fact that he was outside mowing her lawn. And enjoying it. You slept in for the first time in years. Though she wasn’t normally impulsive, Stella went with her gut.

“Can we make it eleven?”

“How many men do you have there?”

Stella laughed. “I’m going to invite Zach’s mom and her boyfriend, and I figured we should invite Dec and Taylor, too.”

“We could make it an engagement party,” Parker suggested.

“Aw. You’re the sweetest big brother.”

“I consider myself yours, too, sweetheart, so you can fully expect me to grill more than the steaks tonight.”

“I’ll take care of the side dishes. See you later, Parks.”

“I mean it.”

Her heart smiled. “I know you do.”

Stella pushed down the emotions swamping her and texted Declan and Taylor before phoning Sheila and asking if she’d like to join them all for dinner. By the time she showered and made her way outside, two travel mugs of coffee in hand, Zach had finished half the lawn.

When he saw her, he cut the engine. “Morning, Doc.”

A zap of awareness traveled up her spine at the sound of his voice. Don’t complicate everything. When she got closer, she handed him a mug. “Morning. You’ve been busy.”

Nacho and Soda bounded over to give her some love. She set her coffee on the mower and bent to rub them. “Good morning to you guys, too.” When she straightened, Zach was staring at her. Despite the breeze whispering around her, heat suffused her body and she reminded herself, again, that she was finally able to breathe. She didn’t need to cut off her own supply of oxygen by blurring the lines she and Zach had drawn.

“What?” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear but refused to look away.

Zach continued to stare a moment. “Nothing. You’re just softer around the animals. It’s nice.”

Meaning what? She was hard at other times? Not hard. Guarded. Cautious. And rightfully so. Too many times, the proverbial rug had been ripped from under her feet, and she didn’t want to be left flat on her ass ever again.

“So, we’re kind of having an impromptu get together tonight. Well, I’d already invited people, but forgotten, and then Megan’s brother, Parker, called to ask me about steak and I remembered. I thought, since we’re already having people over, the more the merrier.” Was she rambling? She might have been. He was staring at her with a strange expression. “I invited Declan and my friend Taylor—you haven’t met her yet. And I invited your mom and Shane. Because I thought it would be nice. I hope I didn’t overstep. Also, it’s kind of an engagement party now. That was Parker’s suggestion.” What the hell was wrong with her?

Zach’s brows rose, his mouth lifting in a restrained smile, like he was trying not to laugh.

“Hopefully you don’t have plans.” She hadn’t thought of that. Shit.

Zach climbed off the mower, handing Stella her coffee before sipping his own. “Mm. Nothing better than coffee you don’t have to make yourself.”

Stella’s heartbeat was doing something funny. Jumping jacks or something, and she wondered if maybe she was having some sort of arrythmia. He watched her over his travel mug.

“Say something,” she blurted. Nacho barked excitedly.

“Anything I can do to help?”

That was it? Did he roll with everything so easily? “You don’t mind that I invited your mom?”

“I like my mom.”

Because she was feeling oddly like a school girl who had no idea how to talk to a man, Stella poked at him. “And her boyfriend?”

He scowled. “If he makes her happy, I’m sure I’ll like him, too. Thanks for inviting them.”

“Thanks for doing the lawn.”

They continued to stare at each other. She should offer to take over the mowing, but she knew he’d refuse. Besides that, he was clearly enjoying it.

“You’re welcome. Is there anything else you need done for company?”

Stella looked around the yard. They probably wouldn’t get too many more days of this late summer. “Why don’t we set up some lawn games? Charlie will love that. I’ll run into town later and get stuff for salads, and Taylor said she’d take care of bringing a cake. Dec will bring beer and wine.”

Zach set his cup on the mower and picked up a stick, tossing it for the dogs who gave chase. “You and Dec ever date?”

Stella frowned. “Uh, no. Why?”

Zach shrugged but didn’t look at her. “Just curious.”

Neither of them needed to be curious. If she let herself indulge in the memory, Stella could still taste his lips on hers. She could still feel his fingers digging into her skin as he kissed her senseless. So, she didn’t indulge. Because they both knew there was something more important at stake here.

“I don’t exactly have a lot of time to date. Free time hasn’t really been in huge supply.”

The dogs came back, Soda carrying the stick. Zach took it and threw it long again. Stella did her best not to stare at his arms and the way his muscles bunched as he whipped the stick ten times farther than she ever could.

“You’ve got more time now,” he said.

She smiled. “You’re right. I do. Thanks to you, I have some space in my schedule. Which means I can make time for things I enjoy.”

Zach turned, and his gaze burned into hers. “Awesome.”

Why she wanted to mess with him was beyond her. Except that she was feeling lighter and happier than she had in a long while. Stepping closer, she looked up at him. God, he was tall and built and smelled so good she wanted to bury her face in his neck. Which was exactly why she should find a date. Find someone to distract her from the feelings Zach brought out. Feelings she didn’t want. There might be time in her schedule for a fling, but there was no room in her heart for anything more.

“You know what I haven’t had in forever?”

Zach looked at her lips, licked his own. Stella’s belly tightened. His voice came out rough when he asked, “What?”

She breathed in, deep and slow. “A good, long, hard ride.”

His jaw dropped, and his eyes darkened to an almost feral shade. “Is that so?”

Stella nodded. “It is. Would you mind?”

His hands went to his hair and he tunneled his fingers through it. So he didn’t touch her? “Doc,” he said, his voice low and needy.

She bit her lip. “I’ll only be about a half hour once I get Chocolate Chip saddled up. When I get back, I’ll take care of setting up some of the lawn games. I think I have bocce and ladder ball.”

Zach scowled, realizing she’d been messing with him. He leaned down so they were eye to eye. “You’re a bit evil.” He tried to fight the amused quiver of his lips but lost.

She poked him in the belly. Which was rock hard. “You’re a big boy. You can handle it.”

“Payback is a bitch, Doc.”

She took her coffee and turned, shooting him a sassy smirk back at him over her shoulder. “I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

With a smile on her face and some free time on her hands, Stella headed for the barn.

…

With the evening growing dark, the lights Zach had hung around the back porch resembled stars close enough to touch. Stella tossed the two balls held together by a thin rope toward the ladder. When it looped around the rung she wanted, Charlie jumped up and down then came to give her a high five.

“We win,” he said.

Stella high-fived him. “Yeah we did.”

“Because Stella cheats,” Declan said, glaring at her.

“You’re just a poor sport,” Stella returned.

“This does not count as a sport,” Declan said.

Taylor laughed, going to retrieve the bolas. “I think you’re both lousy winners and losers,” she said.

Declan pointed at her. “See? That attitude there is why we lost.”

Taylor laughed harder and shook her head. “No way. We lost because you missed three shots entirely.”

From the wide, refinished porch, Megan, Adam, Sheila, and Garrett watched, amused expressions on all their faces. Parks was manning the BBQ, and Zach had gone to show Shane around the clinic and property. Stella’s heart felt oddly full as she laughed along with her friends.

“She’s got you there, Dec,” Garrett said, saluting him with his beer before taking a long pull.

“Steaks will be done soon. You want to grab the salads, Stell?” Parker asked.

“Rematch after dinner,” Declan said.

Taylor handed him the bolas. “Maybe you should practice while we eat,” she said.

Charlie laughed, and Declan zeroed in on him. “You think that’s funny, squirt?” He picked him up, making Charlie squeal in delight. “Next time, it’s you and me against the girls.”

Still laughing upside down, Charlie looked at Stella. “Okay. I don’t mind losing to girls.”

Shane and Zach were on their way back when Stella took the steps up to the porch. She was still laughing as she walked toward the back door. Sheila followed behind her.

“Let me help you with the salads, hon,” she said.

In the kitchen, Stella couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She pulled out the potato and pasta salads from the fridge.

“These look delicious. Thank you for inviting us to join you,” Sheila said.

“My pleasure. I’m glad you guys could come.”

Sheila grabbed the green salad while Stella pulled a few bags of chips out of the pantry.

“It’s good to see my boy so happy,” Sheila said as Stella grabbed napkins and paper plates.

She looked up and saw Zach’s mom was watching her. “He’s been a huge help. I didn’t want to admit I needed it, but he kept pushing and I’m glad he did.”

“Your dad would be so proud of you, Stella.”

Tears pushed against the happiness bursting inside of her chest. “I hope so. I’d like to think he’d approve of Zach being here. That maybe he’d have done the same thing.”

Sheila nodded. “Until he left for the army, Zach didn’t have a lot of great male role models. I know your dad mattered to him. Thank you for letting him be part of this.”

Stella knew she should be the one thanking him. “I know he’s happy to be home. I’m glad the timing worked out so well.”

“There’s nothing a parent wants more than to see their child happy.”

Nodding, Stella ignored the tightness in her chest. Her dad had seen her happy. He’d seen her get her degree, her license, and he’d helped her through her broken engagement. It didn’t feel like enough, and she knew she’d never stop being angry he’d been taken too soon, but she found comfort in Sheila’s words. If nothing else, he’d known she was home and happy.

“I’ll take these out,” Sheila said, stacking one salad on top of the other and heading for the door.

Stella took a deep breath and let it out. He’d be happy with the choices she made.

“You okay, Doc?” Zach asked from behind her. He was too quiet for such a big man.

Sniffling just a little, she turned. “I am.” And though Stella believed in the second shoe dropping more than glass slippers, she really was.