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  “You’re going to stay and help?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve done my fair share of work with plants.” After all, his father owned an enormous farm and invented new technology for farmers that made it possible for his family to be financially secure for life. That didn’t mean anyone in his family was just coasting through life. Piper had caught the inventor gene from their dad, only she invented things having to do with nanotechnology. Dylan didn’t. He was more like their Uncle Miles, but he got the drive to help people from their parents. He and his wife, Abby, did black ops at the order of the president to protect America and people around the world who needed to be freed from oppression. And then there was his younger sister, Cassidy.

  Cassidy was quick to pick up languages and incredibly compassionate. She used her skills to help nonprofits apply for grants. She offered free translations for them when she wasn’t working for the Rahmi royal family. Cassidy frequently traveled to Washington, D.C., New York City, London, and Germany at their request to interpret for them. The king trusted her to accompany him since Mo and Dani considered her practically family. She’d even been hired by Draven last summer.

  But right now she was home and working with their dad on an app for higher-quality interpretation and translation. Jace waited until Stella was busy and pulled out his phone.

  “Hey, Cass. I need a favor.” Jace turned and watched Stella talking to customers as he asked his little sister to grab some groceries for him.

  “You’re cooking for her?” Jace could swear he heard Cassidy logging in a bet on the Blossom Café betting app in the background. Winners got a share of the prize, but most of the money went to charity at the end of the year.

  “I think that’s pretty obvious, Cass. Do you mind putting it away in my kitchen? I’m going to stay here today.”

  “I heard about the ex-boyfriend. What a shame. I hate how overprotective y’all are of me, but I’ve never had to worry about my safety. I’ll run out now and grab this stuff. Let me know how it goes.”

  “Thanks, Cass.”

  Jace hung up and gave one last glance to make sure Stella was okay before he headed to the barn to start working.

  9

  Stella closed the gates to the garden center after the busiest day of her life. She was riding high on the excitement of success after years spent dreaming, planning, and then finally executing her dreams.

  Her phone vibrated, but when she read the text she almost dropped it.

  Rick Hudson: I can’t believe you called the cops on me. I was being kind offering you a chance to make up for breaking us up. I’ve never seen such a pathetic attempt to get my attention before. No more. It’s over, psycho.

  Stella didn’t hear Jace walking toward her and when his shadow fell over her phone, she jumped in surprise.

  “What is it?” Jace’s voice was cold as he looked down at the phone.

  Stella swallowed hard to force some of the dryness from her throat and handed him the phone.

  “That asshole.”

  “He didn’t admit to sending the texts and this is from his number instead of the unknown number,” Stella pointed out.

  “Don’t defend him. He doesn’t deserve it. I’ll send it to Andy.” Stella watched as Jace snapped a picture and texted it to Deputy Sharp. All the excitement from today instantly vanished.

  “Aunt Stell!” April yelled as she ran toward them. “Mommy is going to take us to your house while Daddy and Dr. Davies lock up here.”

  Stella watched Jace drop down to his knees so that he was level with April. “Can I ask a favor?” April’s pigtails swished as she nodded. “All my friends call me Jace. Can you do that?”

  April’s eyes went wide and Stella’s heart beat loudly as it filled with emotion. Her pigtails swished so much they hit Jace in the face as she turned around and began running back to where Eden was starting their car. “Mommy! Dr. Davies said I’m his friend and that I can call him Jace.”

  “That’s really nice of you,” Stella said as she suddenly calmed from the panic of the text message.

  “She’s a sweet kid. Now, go back and get ready for dinner while Karl and I take care of things here,” Jace insisted.

  Stella was torn. A shower sounded amazing, but this was her garden center and he’d already worked most of the day. “I can close up. You’ve done enough.”

  “I’d love for you to still be awake when I kiss you goodnight after our date. You have worked hard all day and now I want to treat you to a little celebration. So, will you do this for me?”

  Stella’s eyes dropped to his lips. She couldn’t stop thinking about being kissed by them until Eden called out her name. Stella nodded and began to walk away, then stopped. “I think that kiss will depend on how good dinner is,” Stella shot back over her shoulder. She walked to the car as she listened to Jace’s laugh.

  “Goodness, you’re all flushed. Are you feeling okay?” Eden asked as Stella got into the car.

  “I’m great. Can you hurry? I need to take a shower. And shave. I don’t remember the last time I shaved. Do you have any perfume? I haven’t unpacked that box yet and I don’t know which one it is.”

  Eden grinned as she sped down the dirt road leading to the farmhouse. “Someone is going to get l-a-i-d tonight,” she sang as Stella’s mind went right to images of Jace naked.

  “I am not getting l-a-i-d, but I am hoping to get k-i-s-s-e-d.”

  “I’m pretty sure you could get l-a-i-d if you wanted. That man endured hard labor all day for you and now he’s going to cook you dinner. Name one man who has ever done that for you,” Eden whispered as she cranked up some kid song in the backseat speakers. “All I’m saying is that you might want to shave more than your legs.”

  “Then we need to hurry, because I have a lot to do in a little time if I don’t want to keep him waiting,” Stella called as she raced to the car. Tonight was going to be perfect.

  * * *

  “Stell!” Eden yelled from the door. “They’re almost done. Do you need some electric trimmers?”

  Stella flicked off her sister-in-law through the door as she maneuvered her other leg out the shower stall door. Shaving cream dripped on the floor, but at this point she was just happy she hadn’t cut a major artery.

  “I put out an outfit on your bed and will stall Jace while you finish getting ready.”

  “Thanks, Eden.” Maybe her sister-in-law wasn’t all bad despite the earlier teasing.

  Stella raced through getting ready. By the time she made it downstairs in the twirly, above-the-knee cornflower blue skirt and stretchy white V-neck shirt Eden had set out for her, she found her family talking with Jace in the living room.

  Stella took a moment to look at Jace as he laughed. He fit in seamlessly with her family. April had his hand in hers and was twirling around and around, Karl was laughing with him, and Eden was relaxed and joking with them all. Suddenly it hit her that Eden had been just like that with her. They’d become friends naturally because they both loved Karl. Eden and Karl certainly hadn’t been this relaxed and friendly with any of Stella’s other exes, even the ones before Rick. Were they desperate for Stella to find someone or did they not realize how much their demeanor was different from past boyfriends?

  “Spin me more, Jace!” April giggled wildly as Jace bent down and spun her around. No, this wasn’t an act. April was too innocent to know how to do that. They were comfortable around Jace because they liked him and that made Stella get the warm fuzzies because her little family meant everything to her.

  “Aunt Stell!” April called out as Jace put her down. The girl wobbled with three year old exaggeration as she stumbled to her dad. “You look pwetty!”

  “You look beautiful,” Jace said for her ears only after he walked to the bottom of the stairs to join her.

  “Thank you. Also thank you for closing up the garden center.”

  “Well, we’re off. Someone needs a bath and to get to bed.” Eden ruffled April’s hair, now held snugly i
n her father’s arms.

  “Goodnight, Aunt Stell. Goodnight, Jace.”

  “Goodnight, April,” they both said as they made their way outside.

  “You have a good family.”

  Stella flipped off all the lights and locked the front door behind them. “I think so. Based on everyone I’ve met, you do, too.”

  Jace laughed to himself as if he were remembering fond times. “I do. Now, how do you feel about pasta?”

  “I love it.”

  Stella enjoyed listening to stories about all the property owners they drove by on the way to Jace’s home. He drove down the small alley next to the practice and circled around back of Main Street in what looked to be a private parking area.

  “I’m living on the third floor for now,” Jace told her as he pointed up to the top floor of his office building. She followed him to the back door, and once inside, they walked up a back staircase that looked as if it were as old as the building. It was still in good condition, though. There were thick wooden stairs and banisters, only the banisters were much shorter than more modern versions.

  “How old is this building?” Stella asked as Jace unlocked his apartment door and held it open for her. There was a mudroom area to hang coats and leave boots that blocked off everything except for an arched entryway. Going through the arch, she found herself in a narrow hallway with several archways to the left and doors to the right.

  “It was built in 1825. The first floor has had the most remodeling, but the second and third floors have quite a few original details still in them. The first door on your right is a guest room. This one is a bathroom. Then my room is in the front right corner.”

  Along the front wall were three enormous rectangular windows with half circles on the top. The windows started about a foot from the floor and looked to be almost ten feet tall.

  Stella immediately went to them and looked out over Main Street. “I love this view.”

  “That’s why I put the seating area there instead of a large dining room. I like to sit there at night and read,” Jace told her, and she could picture him doing just that.

  “Oh, and your kitchen. I like how they didn’t cover the third window.” Stella walked into the kitchen and ran her hand over the marble countertop. To the left of the window was a wet bar and to the right was the beginning of the countertop.

  Jace opened the built-in wine refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of red wine. “Is this good?”

  “Yes, it’s wonderful.” Wine would help her nerves. She wasn’t nervous because she was afraid. She was almost bouncing with excitement. If she didn’t calm down, she was pretty sure she’d jump Jace, especially after him promising a goodnight kiss. It was nighttime now, right? Why wait?

  Jace poured a glass and handed it to her. “Take a seat and relax. I’m going to jump in the shower and then we can get to dinner.” Well, that wasn’t going to help her lust-filled nerves.

  Jace headed into his bedroom and Stella took a seat by the windows overlooking downtown Keeneston. However, her mind was not on the people walking down the street, the shops closing, or the cars slowly driving by. Even the Hummer with a gigantic grill couldn’t take her mind from the imagery of Jace in the shower. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. What am I, fifteen?”

  Stella finished her wine and took a deep breath. She was a grown woman who had dated plenty in her life. She could remain calm, cool, and collected. That was the plan until Jace walked out in jeans and a tight black T-shirt with his wet hair finger-combed back from his face that was still rough with a five-o’clock shadow. Lust easily won out.

  10

  The date had been perfect. Stella was funny, witty, and kind. Jace was more interested than he’d ever been in any other woman. His family had always said that “when you know, you know.” What Jace knew was that he did not want the date to end.

  Dinner had been relaxed as they got to know each other better. There was an ease between them that was so natural, even when they weren’t talking, the silence was companionable and not awkward.

  Jace placed his arm along the back of the couch as the movie started and got that feeling that was a combination of exhilaration, pride, and satisfaction when Stella moved to snuggle against his side. She curled her feet to the side on the couch and rested her head on the curve of his chest where it met his shoulder before he moved his hand to rest on her shoulder.

  They didn’t speak much as the movie played. Instead they let their hands talk for them. He traced his fingers down the vertebrae in her neck. She placed her hand on his thigh and squeezed. Jace pulled her nearer. Stella moved her hand to his chest as she snuggled closer.

  Jace looked down at her face. Her eyes were dark with anticipation and his heart beat wildly as he lowered his lips toward her. The phone rang and Stella jerked back in surprise to the sudden interruption.

  “I’m sorry,” Jace said, leaning forward to grab his phone. “It’s an emergency call.” His clinic had an after-hours answering service that would take messages and send them to Sarah’s email. If it were a true emergency, they’d forward it to Jace’s cell phone. He had a special ring tone for that and knew whatever the problem was, tonight’s date was most likely over.

  “This is Dr. Davies,” he said, answering the phone.

  “You weren’t answering your cell,” Colton yelled into the phone. Jace heard sirens in the background as well as shouting.

  “What’s going on?” Jace asked. Stella could hear Colton yelling and leaned away to give him privacy.

  “Bonfire gone wrong. The idiots used gasoline to start it. They tossed a match on it and sent up a fireball that burned several people. I have a helicopter coming for the one in critical condition. Flint and Conley are driving another one into Lexington right now, but I have six less critical patients here that need more treatment that I can give them.”

  “Okay, bring them in.”

  “Jack and I are loading them up now. See you in ten.”

  Jace hung up the phone and cursed to himself. “I’m sorry. I have six emergencies coming in.”

  “How can I help?” Stella asked as she stood up and slipped her shoes back on.

  Jace sent a text to Molly and Sarah to see if they could come in and then looked up. “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not. What can I do?”

  “There are six burn victims. I need to get supplies from the second floor to the exam rooms. Let me change and I’ll show you.”

  Jace rushed from the room and called for Stella.

  “Yes?” she asked, peering around into his room.

  “They might be big, but put them on.” He tossed her a pair of his scrubs. “I didn’t want any loose fibers getting into burn wounds.”

  “Got it,” Stella said, all business as she vanished from view. Jace didn’t bother shutting the door. He didn’t have time as he stripped and pulled on the scrubs. By the time he made it back to the living room, Stella was pulling her hair back into a tight bun.

  “I’m all ready. Show me what you need.”

  Jace grabbed his keys and together they jogged down to the second floor. He unlocked the multiple locks protecting the medications, supplies, and files on the floor. He then had to enter a code on a steel door to get into the medications room. “I need six tubes of this. Can you put two in each exam room?” he asked, pointing to the ointments. “Here’s the key for the first floor. Then come back up.”

  Stella grabbed six tubes, snagged his key, and ran off as he made his way to pain relievers and counted them out.

  “What’s next?”

  “Come with me,” he said, taking the keys back and heading to the supply room. “I need this, this, and this,” he said, pointing to various antiseptic supplies, gauzes, and wraps. He grabbed what he could and heard the siren from the fire truck in the distance. “Can you get the rest?”

  “No problem,” Stella said calmly.

  “Keep the keys. If you don’t mind helping out, I’ll have you running up here to get suppl
ies as needed.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Thanks, Stell. This isn’t how I’d hope tonight would go, but this also might be my last chance for the night so . . .” Jace leaned forward and kissed her. It was rushed, but it still sent electricity shooting through his body as their lips met. Stella moaned and pressed against him. The horn of a fire truck broke them apart.

  Jace raced downstairs, threw the lock open to the front door, and turned on the lights. Colton was driving someone’s SUV and Jack had two people in the fire truck with him.

  In Jace’s peripheral vision, he caught glimpses of Stella until she was there next to him. “I got the rooms all stocked and the lights on. You can put them in order of emergency and I can get them into rooms and do anything you need me to do out here.”

  Jace had been around enough emergencies involving civilians to know they either kept calm or freaked out. He was so relieved Stella was not the freaking-out kind.

  “That would be a big help. Sarah and Molly should be here in the next ten minutes or so. Until then, I’ll need you to handle things both out here and then get anything Jack, Colton, or I yell for. Thanks, Stell. I mean it. I know this isn’t the romantic date—”

  “Stop. This is important. You helped me when I needed it. Now I can help you.”

  “Jace,” Colton yelled, and he and Stella rushed out to the street. “Twenty-one year old intoxicated male with burns to the face, chest, and hands. Patient two is a twenty-one year old female with burns to the back of the head and neck who’d had just one drink at the time. Patients three and four are twenty-two year old intoxicated males with burns to the hands and arms and minor burns to the face. Five and six are females with minor arm burns.”

  With a quick glance at the two females Jack was helping down from the fire truck, Jace knew the order he needed to see them. “Stella, this male and those two females are to stay in the lobby. Colton, take the woman to room two. Jack!” Jace yelled as Stella rushed over to help lead the girls to the waiting room after assisting the male through the door and to the nearest chair.