Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
I busy myself making another plate of eggs. “I think I’ll go by Declan’s shop today. Make sure everything is all set with Stella’s car.”
“She’s cute.”
I nod. She’s not just cute. Stella is a knockout with her long blonde hair and big blue eyes. And those legs of hers—yeah, cute is not the word I would use to describe her. Gorgeous, beautiful, and stunning are way better descriptions.
“She’s got a kid.”
“Yep.” Ada is adorable. She’s close in age to most of our nieces and nephews. She seemed to have a blast yesterday with my family. Soaking up all the attention we rained down on her. She’s a happy baby, and I’ll admit, when she snuggled up to me, it pulled at that invisible string in my heart.
“You going to see her again?” he asks, pushing his now-empty plate away from him.
“I’m sure. She’s living in Willow River.” That’s not what he’s asking me. We both know that I’m evading the question. One that I don’t have an answer to.
Am I attracted to Stella? Fuck yes. But it’s not just her. She’s a single mom. It’s more than just Stella and me if I were to pursue her.
“Avoidance.” Merrick grins, and I toss my napkin at him. His laughter fills the room. “Come on, man, you brought her to a family function.”
“She was stranded, and I was already late. I didn’t want to let Jordyn down.”
“Is that your story?” My twin gives me a knowing look.
“It’s not a story,” I defend. “Besides, I knew she was new in town. I thought it might be nice for her to meet some people. I’m pretty sure our sisters are going to be including her on some outings with the kids.”
“Our sisters hope that she’s going to be their sister.” He smirks.
“Fuck off.” I chuckle. “You’re making something out of nothing. I helped her out, drove her home, and that’s that.”
“Did you walk her to the door?”
“What?”
“You heard me. Did you walk her to the door?”
I roll my eyes. “You know I did. Mom would ream my ass if she found out otherwise.”
“Oh, so now we’re blaming this on our dear momma?” he asks, pretending to be appalled.
“Stop, Mer. You’re projecting, and it’s nothing.”
“I’m your twin, Mav. You know I can feel what you feel. I know we don’t talk about that shit much, but you can’t deny it. I know you better than I know myself. At least, that’s how it feels at times. I know you’re interested in her.”
“I never denied that.”
“Yes, you did!” he exclaims, a smile lighting up his face.
“I thought you were tired,” I grumble.
His shoulders shake with silent laughter. “I’m wide awake, brother.”
“Fine. Yes, I’m attracted to her. But there are millions of beautiful women in the world that I’m attracted to.”
He nods. “But none of them ended up at an event with our family. Stella did. Stella and her cute baby girl. Her cute baby girl, that, if my memory serves me correctly, was snuggled up to your chest as you carried her out of Kincaid Central yesterday.”
“I was just being polite and giving her a break. She’s a single mom doing it all on her own. You know how Dec struggled.”
“I do. I also know he did a damn good job, just as I’m sure Stella is as well. Ada is a happy, healthy baby. Stella was perfectly capable of carrying her sleeping daughter out to your truck.”
He’s not wrong, but I also don’t want to hear it. “Why the interrogation?”
“Just trying to get you to admit that you felt something different.” He taps his hand over his chest. “I felt it, Maverick. That’s why I made it a point to come over and introduce myself to her. My gut tells me she’s different.”
“What are your plans today?” I ask, changing the subject. I don’t want to talk about Stella anymore. Every time I hear her name there’s this unsettled feeling in my gut. It’s an annoyance that everyone thinks that I want her. I mean, they’re not wrong. In different circumstances, I’d have hit on her for sure, but this situation is different, and I was just being a nice guy.
“Laundry, probably. The pile in the corner of my room is getting out of control.”
“Yeah, I need to do that too. I’ll check the detergent and stuff before I leave and pick up more if we need it on my way home.”
“Thanks. I’ve got this. Go check on your girl’s car.”
“She’s not my girl,” I mumble, even though the sound of it lights something inside me. I head to my room and grab my wallet before slipping into my shoes and heading out the door.
The parking lot of Declan’s shop is packed. Seeing all the cars instantly puts a smile on my face. My brother is killing it. It makes me damn proud to see Declan thriving. Orrin is as well, and so is Palmer’s photography studio. I’m certain Jordyn’s boutique will do the same.