Twenty-Eight

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

After leaving Stevie's house yesterday morning, Stonehad put his spare time to good use. He started calling his cousins, requesting time to talk. Once he was able to nail that down, he'd put a few finishing touches on his business proposal.

While he focused on the critical task that would outline his future, he thought about Stevie and the conversation they'd had on Sunday night. Or rather, the heated words that had been exchanged. He wished more than anything that he could change the past so he didn't have to hear the venom spew from her beautiful mouth. She hated him. Deep down, he knew she did, but despite all his wishful thinking, he wasn't sure she could get past it. Maybe one day she would come around, but he got the feeling she was still pretending. Until she stopped doing that, progress may not even be an option.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to fix it, so he did what he usually did. He focused on what he could fix.

That was why he was in his truck, heading to the diner to meet Travis, Kaleb, and Sawyer. When he talked to him yesterday, Travis told him that a discussion wasn't necessary—he had Travis's blessing already—but Stone insisted on seeing him. Travis relented after a bit of persistence—something his cousin never would've done before the events that had changed his entire life.

As he was pulling into the diner parking lot, his phone rang. His caller ID flashed on the truck's navigation screen, and he nearly ran over the parking stone.

"Hey," he greeted, hitting the brake and putting the truck in park.

"Hey back," Stevie said, a smile in her voice. "Whatcha doin'?"

Stone tried to play it cool, to pretend he wasn't shocked as shit that she had called him. Or that she seemed to be in a chipper mood. Up to now, he'd been the one to initiate all their phone calls and texts.

"Meetin' my cousins for dinner. What're you doin'?"

"Takin' some sage advice and callin' you."

Stone smiled. He was sure it was the first real smile since their argument the other night. He'd been in a weird place since then, unsure how to move forward but unwilling to stop trying. This felt like an olive branch, and he wasn't about to pass it up.

"I'm glad you did."

"Really?"

The vulnerability he detected in her tone made his chest ache. "Yes, really. I miss you, Stevie."

A brief pause filled the truck with silence before Stevie finally said, "I miss you, too."

Stone stared at the diner. It was busy for a Tuesday night, but through the windows that lined the front, he could see several tables open.

"I'm gonna have dinner with Nico," Stevie said after another long pause. "After, I was wonderin' if I could come over."

"I don't know when I'll be done here, but yeah. I'd like that."

Another pause, followed by, "Stone, I want to spend the night. Just the two of us."

He swallowed hard and shifted his gaze to the screen as though he would be able to see her. His chest expanded and filled with a longing so powerful he was grateful he was sitting down.

"Stone?"

"I'm here." His voice was rougher than before. "And I'd love for you to spend the night."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

The smile in her voice returned. "Okay. I'll see you in a coupla hours?"

"I'll text you when I'm leavin' here so you'll know."

"See you in a bit."

Stone disconnected the call but didn't move for several minutes. Hope now flared hot and bright in his chest. It was almost enough to make him turn around and head home, but he forced himself to turn off the truck. Seeing Stevie was the only thing he wanted to do, but this was important. After all, this was the only way he could secure his future so that he could give Stevie and Nico everything they deserved.

The longing and hope he'd been feeling morphed into confidence as he walked into the restaurant. It wavered slightly when he saw Kaleb and Sawyer but not Travis.

"Look at you, boy," Sawyer greeted with a wide grin as he got to his feet. "All grown up and shit."

Stone couldn't remember ever seeing his wild-as-fuck cousin without one of those grins. Back in the day, Sawyer had been the troublemaker every wild boy in town wanted to be like.

Sawyer pulled him in for a back-jarring hug. When he stepped back, his grin widened.

Kaleb was standing now, holding out his hand. Stone shook it but ended up in another brotherly embrace.

"And you two," Stone said as he pulled out a chair. "All domesticated and shit."

Sawyer flashed a proud grin as he ran his hand down his shirt like he was showing off his new duds. "Looks good on me, huh?"

"It does, actually." Stone looked at Kaleb. "You don't look half bad either."

Kaleb snorted a laugh. "Thanks. I've got twice as many kids as he does. I expect to look a little more worn."

"How are those rugrats, anyway?"

"Wild and untamed," Kaleb teased.

"Mason's what? Ten now?"

"About to be. In a few days. He's countin' down."

"Double digits is a big deal," Stone joked.

"That's what they tell me."

"That makes Kellan what? Eight? Barrett seven and Gabe Six?"

"You do read those Christmas cards we send."

"I keep track as best I can." Stone looked at Sawyer. "Matthew's seven and Brody's five, right?"

"I'm impressed, Jameson."

"What? That I keep track? Or that I can count to ten?"

Sawyer barked a laugh, which drew the attention of several people.

Stone looked around, expecting Travis to walk up any second.

"He's not comin'," Kaleb finally said. "He doesn't leave the house much these days."

Stone knew his cousin had a lot going on, so he decided to leave it at that.

The waitress appeared, so the three of them rattled off their orders.

"He said to tell you to do whatever you want," Sawyer informed him when she was gone. "And just to ease your mind a bit, we're right there with him."

"Well, hell. I worked on a presentation and everything. I was gonna have the waitress bring out a projection screen. Got my laser pointer."

Kaleb looked at Sawyer. "I don't think he's kiddin'."

"Only half," Stone said. "I do have a presentation, and I'm happy to send it to you. It shows my intentions with the land."

"Is it gonna benefit the community?" Sawyer asked.

"It is, yes."

"Will it help the schools?" Kaleb inquired.

"Actually, yes," Stone said, meeting his gaze. "I made some changes yesterday. Donovan came by last week and mentioned Trey's lettin' the high school use some of his land for the Ag department."

"I heard that, too," Sawyer noted.

"Since I'm anglin' for a farmers' market, I thought it might benefit them if they could let some of the kids grow and sell their own produce. I've still gotta talk to the school, but I was gonna offer to oversee it."

"That's actually kinda brilliant." Kaleb sounded pleased. "You know how Home Depot has that kids' buildin' thing on the weekend? You could do that for the younger set."

Stone had no idea what Home Depot did, but he understood what Kaleb was getting at. "I'll definitely outline a plan for it."

Sawyer grinned. "When Pop told us what they were plannin', I'll admit, I was curious why they picked you."

"You're not the only one." Stone was unable to hide his confusion. He still wasn't sure why Curtis had picked him out of the lot, but what was the old saying? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Yeah. Stone was adopting that as his new mantra.

"I don't question Pop's motives," Kaleb said. "And since Mom's on board, I figure they know what they're doin'."

Stone only hoped their brothers felt the same.

***

Stevie watched as Nico moved around thekitchen.

"You sure you don't want me to do that?"

He peered at her over his shoulder. "Do what? Cook?" He grinned. "Nah. I've got it."

"I can cook," she told him.

"I know."

"Do you?"

Nico stopped and turned to face her. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were tryin' to pick a fight."

There was a good chance he was right, but Stevie didn't want to admit that. She also didn't want to admit that she was conflicted about what she wanted. More so about what she felt she deserved.

She'd spent the past two days feeling guilty about the things she said to Stone on Sunday night. The words had come from a dark, ugly place inside her. She was embarrassed to have been so cruel. It was one thing to harbor hurt feelings, another to make a blatant attempt to inflict that sort of pain on someone else.

Rather than explain it, she shrugged.

Nico came around to stand behind her, his hands sliding over her shoulders. He didn't stop there, though. His hands flattened on her chest, urging her back until she was leaning against him. His big hand cupped her throat, his thumb grazing her jaw in a gentle caress. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I think tonight'll be good for you and Stone," he said as his hands shifted, his skilled fingers massaging her shoulders.

"I don't."

"Why?"

"Because I feel myself caving," she admitted.

"Do you want to cave?"

"Yes." Stevie hated that it came out so quickly, but it was the truth. She wanted to trust Stone because, deep down, her love for him had never died. It felt like it had been compartmentalized all these years, kept safe and secure, waiting for him to return. Now that he was here, now that she had his attention again, she wanted to take it out and give it all back to him.

At the same time, she wanted to smack herself upside the head for wanting to be so reckless. He'd broken her heart once before. What if he did it again?

"I think you need this, Stevie. I think you both do."

She spun herself around so she could face him. He didn't move back, so he stood, towering over her, his eyes warm and kind. "What about you? This feels … weird."

When he cupped her face, she hooked her hands on his wrists.

"Like you're cheatin'?"

"No. Yes." She sighed. "I don't know."

It did feel like she was cheating, but it didn't. What she had with Nico … it was as new and confusing as what she had with Stone. The only difference was she was sleeping in Nico's bed every night. That was nice, though. Being close to him, having him there. But it still felt like something was missing, and she knew that Stone's absence weighed heavily on them. He'd only been back in town for a few weeks, but it felt like he never left, and she wanted to spend every spare minute with both of them. To make up for all that lost time.

Nico grinned, cupping her face. "Would it help if you knew I wanted the same thing?"

"Alone time with Stone?"

"Yeah."

That did help, actually. She wasn't sure why, nor did she care to overanalyze it, but it made her feel a little better for wanting this so badly.

"We're gonna make this work, I promise."

He sounded so confident it was difficult not to believe him.

An hour and a half later, Stevie was driving to Stone's house. He'd texted a little while ago to let her know he was home. As soon as she saw the message, her heart fluttered, and her body warmed. Considering how they'd left things the other night, it was an odd reaction. After their argument, they'd agreed to set it aside for the time being and to let things happen as they were meant to happen. She'd told herself she was going to make Stone work for it, that he would have to be the one to pursue her if he wanted anything from her. Now, here she was, making the first move, asking to spend the night.

It was what the old Stevie would've done. The girl she'd been before Stone broke her heart and shattered her dreams. She'd been steadfast in her desire to go after what she wanted. Back then, she'd wanted Stone. And after that night, she had wanted Stone and Nico. Only she never had the chance to tell Stone that because he up and left.

When she thought about a future with Stone, she was conflicted. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop and feared that was her permanent setting. He had broken something inside her when he left, and she didn't know if it was possible to repair it.

But she wanted to be able to say that she tried. If she didn't, she would always be left wondering, and that was no way to live.

She took a deep breath as she pulled down the Jamesons' driveway. The lights in the house were on, and she was taken back to years ago when she'd spent so many hours inside that house. Stevie had not only loved Stone back then, but she'd loved his entire family. She'd envied how close they were, and when Stone left, she'd lost that, too. It didn't help that her parents had been only a few years from divorce at the time, their relationship crumbling a little more each day.

Stevie parked her Bronco beside Stone's truck and turned off the engine. She sat there for a moment, staring at the barn that was no longer a barn. It was now a home. One that lacked the memories of old. Did Stone walk around inside, thinking about what had once been? Or was it so different that his memories had faded?

"Only one way to find out."

She grabbed her backpack and got out. She shifted it onto her shoulder as she made her way up the steps to the front door. She lifted her hand to knock but stopped when she saw Stone coming toward her.

How was it possible for the man to take her breath away like that? Just looking at him brought a rush of emotion—relief, fear, anger, desire, and, yes, love. It was all there.

"Hey," he greeted when he opened the door, his hazel eyes warm.

She smiled, unable to speak.

"Come in," he urged.

When she walked inside, she paused to take her boots off while he took her backpack. When she was finished, Stone took her hand, leading her deeper into the house. He set the bag on one of the barstools.

"Can I get you somethin' to drink? I've got pretty much everything."

"What're you havin'?"

He gestured to the highball glass on the counter. "Rum and Coke."

"I'll take one of those."

"Comin' right up."

While he poured her drink, Stevie went into the living room, admiring the space the same way she had the other night when she and Nico were there. What they'd done with the place was remarkable. Never in her wildest dreams could she imagine living in a barn, but they'd somehow turned this into something warm and cozy.

"Did they use any part of the old barn to make this place?"

"More than you think. It looks new, but it's not. Brady and Donovan managed to salvage a good portion of it."

Stone appeared at her side, passing her a glass.

"Thanks." She took the glass from him. "What about the loft?"

He glanced toward the stairs at the far end of the room. "Reilly's got some stuff up there right now, but it's mostly the same. They added stairs and replaced all the rotted wood, but it's still there."

Stevie found herself staring up at the section of the space with a second floor. It felt smaller than she remembered.

"We can go up there if you'd like."

She cut her gaze to his. "I … uh … Nah. I'm good."

He gestured toward the couch.

With her drink in hand, she took a seat. She was nervous, and she didn't know how to hide it, so she did what she usually did: she addressed it.

"This feels weird."

"Bein' here?" Stone asked. "Or bein' with me?"

Stevie heard the uncertainty in his tone and stalled by taking a large gulp of her drink before admitting the truth. "Both."

"A lot's changed, Stevie."

That was an understatement. For one, they'd both grown up. She'd made something of herself, and up until a week and a half ago, she'd been content with the direction her life was going. Stone, on the other hand, seemed to be starting over, and for some insane reason, she was thinking about coming along for the ride.

Rather than fidgeting in the silence, Stevie filled it. "How'd it go with your cousins?"

His smile returned, and it reached his eyes this time. "Good. Travis, Sawyer, and Kaleb gave me their nod of approval."

"That's great. Only four more to go?"

"Yeah."

"You meetin' with them soon?"

"Not as soon as I'd like. I'm seein' Braydon and Brendon on Monday at Moonshiners—Brendon's out of town until Sunday. And I'm meetin' with Ethan and Beau next Thursday. They invited me over for dinner."

"That sounds positive."

"I'm hopin'."

"That leaves one?" she asked.

"Yeah. Zane." He chewed on his lower lip briefly. "I've reached out but haven't heard back from him."

Stevie detected a hint of worry in his tone, but she didn't push him on it.

"What happens once they all sign off?"

"I'll go over the plan with my aunt and uncle, get their input."

She nodded.

"But I can't do that until I get yours."

Stevie wanted to leave him hanging for a bit longer but couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd spent every waking moment thinking about his plan. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was excited by the prospect. More so than she ever was about the landscaping business. Not that she would admit that.

"But you'll have to look at it again," Stone said. "I … umm…" He took a heavy inhale, and she swore he was nervous. "I added somethin' to the plan. Nothin' major. I just thought it might benefit the school if we could do somethin' to give back."

She eyed him curiously. "Like?"

"Since I'm movin' forward with the farmers' market idea, I thought it might help if we sectioned off an area and let the school use it to grow their own produce so they could sell it."

Her heart slammed into her ribs. That was very generous on his part. Not to mention wildly attractive. The fact that he was thinking about people other than himself…

Stevie took another drink, set the glass on the coffee table, and turned to face him more fully.

"I'm in."

His expression was priceless. He obviously wasn't expecting that.

"But there are some conditions," she added.

"Of course."

"If we're goin' into business together, we've got to outline it accordingly. It has to remain separate from…" She waved her hand between them. "I need to know I'll be protected if this doesn't work."

"The paperwork's all drawn up. For you and Nico."

It was her turn to be surprised.

"This isn't a rash decision on my part, Stevie. I've thought long and hard about it." He put his glass on the table and scooted closer. "But I need you to know, I'm not givin' up on us."

She swallowed hard, meeting his gaze.

"What I want from you and Nico has nothin' to do with business. I want that because I think we'll make a good team, and if that's all I get, I'll find a way to be happy. At least I'll have you in my life, Stevie."

She hated that he sounded so sincere. Keeping the hard shell around her heart was much easier when she doubted him. She feared she had no resistance to this man, the one whose heart was on his sleeve.

"But I want more. I want a life with you. I've missed you for so long," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips gently caressing her cheek. "I never stopped thinkin' about you."

Tears formed, but she fought them back.

"And I've never stopped lovin' you."

"I'm a sure thing tonight, Stone." She swallowed the lump of emotion clogging her throat. "You don't have to seduce me."

He pulled back and met her stare. "I'm not. I'm tellin' the truth."

She detected no dishonesty, and her attempt to hold back the tears became futile.

"I want so much more than tonight, Stevie. I want the rest of our lives."

She was a goner. The tears began to fall as she threw her arms around his neck, crushing her lips to his. She let his heat consume her, his strength reassure her.

"I want that, too," she whispered, ensuring her words were too soft for him to hear.