32. Stella

Chapter Thirty-Two

STELLA

My brother studied me from across the table at Firehouse Café. “So you’re telling me how it’s gonna be then?”

“Yes. I appreciate that you care enough to be protective, but please don’t make it awkward. This is my life.”

My brother’s eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile. “I won’t make it awkward. It’s just I know Hudson. And?—”

“He told me the whole story,” I interrupted.

“He did?” Parker’s brows rose high.

“That you two met in detention. Everyone makes mistakes. You know my mom and our dad are back together.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m happy for them, really, I am. But she didn’t have the best judgment before, and neither did your dad. People grow and change, and we all learn. Just like I don’t judge you, or my mom, or your dad, I don’t judge Hudson. I know the man he is now.”

Parker was quiet for several beats before he eventually tipped his head to the side. “Hudson’s one of the best friends I ever had. We lost touch because it’s kind of strange when you meet under the circumstances that we did. It was also before cell phones became ubiquitous. Even though we both spent time in Fireweed Harbor, it’s not what I would call a hometown for either one of us, so we didn’t cross paths after that.”

“It’s not really home for me either,” I interjected. “My mom is there now, but we lived all over Alaska. She followed whatever guy she thought was going to give her the best life at the time. Are you worried about this?” I asked just as Janet arrived at our table with a tray. She picked up the empty plate from my finished croissant.

“About what?” Janet asked, glancing between us.

Parker eyed me uncertainly.

I decided to take the blunt approach. “Look, I’m not keeping it a secret. Hudson and I are seeing each other and Parker’s my half-brother. I’m sure you’ve heard that from Tiffany or somebody,” I said to Janet. At her nod, I continued, “He’s worried about me and Hudson and wants to be protective.”

Janet smiled warmly between us. “I knew all of that, except the part about Parker knowing about you and Hudson.” She waggled her brows. “Stella can take care of herself, and she has plenty of friends here. We’ll make sure that Hudson takes good care of her. It’s sweet that you’re being all older brother-ish though,” she teased.

Parker sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t know I had a sister until recently, so maybe I’m overreacting.”

“You and Hudson are good friends, you should know he’s a good guy,” Janet pointed out.

“I do,” Parker muttered. “I don’t even know how to explain this.”

Janet reached out, squeezing his shoulder. “You care about Stella and so do we all.” Her gaze bounced to me. “I’m glad about you and Hudson. I knew he had a thing for you.”

My cheeks heated as I looked up. I was relieved when Tiffany arrived, immediately making a beeline for our table. “Are you ready to meet Biscuit?”

Janet chuckled as she moved on to check on another table.

Tiffany looked so expectant and cheerful, I couldn’t help but laugh. “You really want me to meet Biscuit.”

She nodded vigorously, giving me a saucy grin. “I do. I mean, obviously, I love animals. I am the office manager at a vet clinic after all, and the rescue program is one of the things I love the most about Wes.”

“Is that how you two met?” I asked.

“I’ll fill you in, but we need to get going. I have a schedule,” she explained. She and Parker chatted for a minute while I got my jacket on and stood. Waving goodbye to Parker, I left with her.

Outside in the parking lot, I angled toward my car, but Tiffany caught me by the elbow. “Ride with me. I’ll drop you back off here.”

As she drove, I repeated my question. “Is that how you and Wes met? At the rescue program?”

Tiffany snorted. “It’s much more complicated than that. To make a very long story short, one of my best friends and one of his best friends got married after college. Wes and I never met until they both died in an accident. We were named joint guardians of their son.”

When she stopped at an intersection, I glanced over, my eyes wide. “I’m really sorry about your friends.”

Her eyes were sad. “I am too. And, thank you.” She took a quick breath before continuing, “So, we became joint parents basically. We’ve since adopted Ross, along with the dog Wes was fostering at the time. Conveniently, we actually love each other. Wes is not a hard sell. He’s totally hot.”

I burst out laughing. “I’m glad you think so.”

She glanced to the side. “While I don’t want you to lust after my husband, surely you agree he’s hot?”

I sputtered a laugh as I nodded.

“Hotshot firefighters are pretty hot in general,” she added.

My mind instantly spun to Hudson. While I had an objective appreciation for Wes’s looks, that was it.

“Speaking of hotshots, what’s the scoop with you and Hudson?”

I contemplated her question for a few seconds. I could deny it, but we’d already had this conversation about being public. “I guess we’re sort of dating. I don’t know.” My cheeks were burning up.

“You’re roommates. I’ve been in that rental. Paisley and Russell used to live there. It’s kind of one of those places.” She circled her hand in the air.

“One of those places?” I prompted.

Tiffany slowed, her blinker clicking as she turned onto a side road. “Where you can maybe fall in love.” She waggled her brows suggestively when she glanced over.

I let out a sigh. “I can’t fall in love.”

“Why not? It’s great for your mental health if it’s with the right person. Hudson seems totally solid.”

I thumped my head against the back of the seat. “He does, but I have a terrible track record with relationships. I can’t fall in love.”

“Let’s break this down,” she began. She slowed to park in front of the large building straight ahead. She turned the car off and looked over at me. “Why can’t you fall in love?”

I contemplated that before quickly summarizing, “I just want stability. It seems best if I find it by myself. I love my mom, a lot, but she’s totally a flake and we bounced around a lot. And now, she’s back with my dad and is waxing poetic about how we can all bond as a family. She texted me this morning that they want to come visit.”

Tiffany’s gaze was warm and understanding. “You know the story I told you about my brother discovering the other half of his family?” I nodded, wondering where this was going. “I’ll keep it brief, but none of us were surprised our mom lied about Chase’s father. Our mom was a nightmare. I’ve had years of therapy over it. She was toxic and hurtful to both of us. It doesn’t sound like your mom was like that, but instability can make childhood painful. We had our dad, and he made up for everything our mom wasn’t. He was and is my rock. Maybe the details are really different for you and me, but I definitely understand that what happened in your childhood might lead you to think that love won’t be worth it. It is. Life can surprise you. People can surprise you. If there’s one thing I figured out in my collision course with Wes, it’s that you can’t really tell your heart what to do. Sometimes things sneak up on you.”

As I held Tiffany’s gaze, tears stung my eyes. I was startled at the rush of emotion. I wasn’t ready to say it out loud, or even really to admit it to myself, but a tiny part of my mind knew I was already in love with Hudson. I just didn’t know how to keep my heart safe. I blinked and looked away.

Tiffany was gracious enough not to push. When I looked back at her, I asked, “But what if Hudson doesn’t feel the same way?”

Tiffany’s confidence was remarkable. “If it’s right, he will.”

I rolled my eyes. “That sounds a little woo-woo.”

She leaned across the console and gave me a quick hug. “Maybe it is woo-woo,” she said as she leaned back. “But I believe we find the right people that way. Now, let’s go meet a cat. Biscuit will show you what true love is.”

Tiffany turned out to be right on that. Biscuit was the color of a baked biscuit, a light creamy color with darker hints of gold. She was fluffy like a lioness and all she wanted was to snuggle. She curled up in my arms and began purring.

“Obviously, I’m taking her home,” I announced.