You’re Still The One by Erika Kelly

Chapter Thirteen

His first nightin the new house had been miserable. Since it came furnished, he and his friends had only needed to bring in boxes and a few pieces of furniture from his apartment over the shop. Everything had gone smoothly.

No, the issue had been knowing Stella slept a few feet away in the carriage house. She’d kept the lights on all night—and he only knew that because he’d kept checking. He had a perfect view from his bedroom window.

What had kept her up all night?

He’d finally crashed around four, and now he was late for work and hurrying to get ready. Coming out of the bathroom, he heard female laughter downstairs and banged his shin on the dresser. “Dammit.”

So that’s how it’s going to be? She’s going to come and go as she pleases?

Yes, please.

What? No.That would be unbearable. He’d had a hard enough time agreeing to let her live in the guest house—he’d lose his mind if she were under his roof all the damn time. Grabbing jeans off the back of a chair and a clean T-shirt from the middle drawer, he tossed them on the bed.

He’d have to set some damn boundaries.

Ha. As if Stella paid attention to boundaries.

Which, of course, is one of the things I love about her.If he had to be honest, he sometimes felt caged by this constant state of…vigilance. And Stella was unencumbered. She was free.

But the last thing he needed was her scent lingering in the house or her laughter filling up his head because the constant reminder of her presence would wreck him.

Jesus, that afternoon in the cabin? The way her back had arched, the feel of her hand on his cock…fuck, he was getting hard just thinking about it.

Which is why I’m not giving her a key to the house.

Forget it. He couldn’t think about her right now. He had to get to the shop so he could be home when Austin got off the bus. If he had three fewer hours each day, he had to work harder and more efficiently with what he had.

Quickly pulling on his jeans, a long sleeve Boneyard T-shirt, and his black boots, he headed down the hallway. The whole place smelled like pancakes and syrup, coffee…and Stella. Music blasted, and he wanted to shout at her to turn it off. It was too damn early. But when he hit the dining room, he found Austin sitting at the table chewing and staring, mesmerized, into the kitchen.

He already knew what drew the boy’s attention, and he didn’t want to see it. Stella, shaking her ass as she sang along to the music, using the spatula as a microphone.

She’d danced for him plenty of times. Not to show-off. It was just what she did. She rocked out while she cooked, washed a truck, did laundry, or exercised.

She was fun, lively, and…

This isn’t going to work. They needed boundaries.

If Austin hadn’t called, interrupting them, Griffin would have made a huge mistake. She was his kryptonite, and being alone in a cabin with her?

Theircabin?

Just one taste of her, and he’d been a man possessed.

He breezed past Austin, catching a glance at his plate. “Morning.” Of course, they weren’t just plain pancakes. He saw the little specs of yellow—and by the scent, he knew she’d put lemon zest on them. “Are those lemon ricotta?” His mouth watered.

Austin shoved a forkful into his mouth and nodded, attention fixed on the kitchen.

And then Griffin did the one thing he shouldn’t have.

He looked. Stella stood at the stove, flipping a pancake, her ass shaking as she rocked out to a Kings of Leon song. Her dance involved a dramatic flip of her thick, glossy blonde hair, and when she came back up, it fell around her shoulders like a shampoo commercial.

And it sent him right back in time.

He’d been what? Nineteen? Yeah, because he’d just started working full time at the shop, and all he could think about was meeting Stella in an empty cottage at the Inn. But Mack had kept jawing with a customer, and Griffin couldn’t leave until he talked to him about the problem with a low boy someone had brought in.

By the time Griffin had gotten to their room, he’d been so worked up that when he’d opened the door and found her rocking out in nothing but pajama bottoms and one of his T-shirts, he’d lost it.

Jesus, even now, all these years later, the hunger slammed him.

He’d fucked her so hard they’d cracked the headboard.

And then, when they’d seen the damage, they’d laughed so hard they hadn’t been able to catch their breath.

Fuck, but he’d loved her.

Grab your keys and get out of here. He came into the kitchen so swiftly, she startled, pressing a hand to her chest. She touched the screen on her phone and killed the music. “You scared me.” She watched him pocket his keys. “Where are you going?”

“Work.”

“Uh, I don’t think so. Not today.”

“Have to.” If he didn’t keep to a schedule, the jobs would pile up like a big car crash. He couldn’t fall behind. Customers counted on him.

“I’ve got a stack of lemon ricotta pancakes with your name on them.” She handed the plate to him with an arch of her brow. “Eat first.”

He heard her unspoken message to sit and have breakfast with Austin. He accepted the plate. “Thank you.” Of course, he’d sit with the boy. “Hey, man.”

Austin gave him a chin nod.

“Smells good.” He pulled out a chair, swiped a napkin out of the basket Stella must’ve put on the table, and sat down. “Beats cold cereal.”

“Coffee?” Stella held up a mug.

“You’ve done enough. I can get it myself.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m standing right here.” As she set down two drinks, the sleeve of her silk kimono brushed over his arm, and he got a whiff of her expensive perfume. “Coffee and juice.”

Given the pulp, it looked fresh-squeezed. “This is good.”

“I know, right? One of my brides is having a brunch, so I had to meet with the chef at Wally’s.”

“Delilah?” he asked.

“You know her?”

“Yeah, she’s married to Will Bowie.”

“First, I can’t believe the Bowie brothers got married, but man, did they do well. Delilah’s gorgeous and unbelievably talented. Anyhow, so we were talking about the menu, and she told me about the hydroponic farm and greenhouse orchards she runs so she can have fresh produce for her restaurant all year round. I was so impressed that she put together a box of her fruit and vegetables for me. We should go check it out. Want to take a tour with me?”

Acting as though he couldn’t care less, Austin hunched a shoulder and dug into his pancakes, but the color flooding his cheeks showed how happy he was that she’d thought to include him in her plans. That she’d treated him like family.

It was then that Griffin noticed the boy wore pajama bottoms. “Hey, you’re going to miss the bus.”

“There’s no school.”

Griffin cut a look to Stella for confirmation.

“The teachers have meetings today.” She brought her own plate of pancakes over and sat down. “And we’ve got big plans.”

“Plans?”

“The winter market starts today, so we’re heading over to Wolff Village. We’re going ice skating and getting crepes and cocoa. Right, Austin?”

The boy kept his attention on his pancakes. “I’m not ice skating.”

“Wolff Village is magical in winter. They have lights and wreaths and the prettiest decorations you’ve ever seen. Carolers walk around the town square, and they have horse-drawn sleigh rides through the forest.”

Austin dragged the last forkful of pancake through syrup. “I’ll go to the village, but I’m not skating.”

“That’s fine.” She looked to Griffin. “You sure you won’t come with us? It’s going to be fun.”

“Can’t. I’ve got too much work to do.”

With a wool beanie on his head, gloves, and a parka, Griffin raced around the rink, laughing as Stella grabbed a handful of his coat to wing past him. That woman made everything fun.

He’d catch up on work later.

I’m a sucker for her.

With the rink this crowded, he had to slow down to avoid plowing into the families and kids all around him.

He skated to the wall and caught himself on the ledge. Nearby, people gathered to listen to the Christmas carolers, and the scent of warm crepes made his stomach grumble.

Stella came up beside him. “When he said he didn’t want to skate, I thought it was because he didn’t know how.”

They watched as Austin whizzed past them. She slid an arm through his, like they were an actual couple, and he liked it. He liked this whole morning. Everything from breakfast with the three of them sitting around the table, having a conversation full of jokes and ribbing, to the trip to the village—something he’d never have thought to do, even though it was a fifteen-minute drive from his shop.

His heart was just so damn full.

“Look at him go.” Stella stood back as Austin sped past them, as sure-footed as an Olympic speed skater. “He’s so much like you, he could be your son.”

“What does that mean?”

She gazed up at him, and just like that, the rink disappeared, his frozen nose turned warm, and a blanket of intimacy dropped over them, muffling the conversation and music. “You say no to everything. ‘Do you want to go out to dinner?’ ‘No.’” She lowered her voice to imitate him. “’You want to go skating?’ ‘No.’”

He cracked a grin. “As if I don’t wind up doing everything you want.”

“You do. That’s what makes it so funny. And now Austin’s doing it too.” She tracked the boy on the ice. “He’s a natural athlete, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he is. I’m glad you got him into boarding.”

Her lips softened, parted, and she looked at him like she wanted the same thing he did—a kiss, their bodies pressed together, hands roaming. Heat flashed through him.

Her skin looked so smooth he couldn’t resist touching it. Biting the finger of his glove, he pulled it off and brushed her cheek. “You’re cold.”

“I don’t feel cold right now.”

He could kiss her. Right here and now, in front of everyone. They were engaged, after all. His heart thundered, his breathing went shallow, and he leaned in.

Austin skated right up to them, shaving off a layer of ice that spattered Griffin’s jeans. “Can we go?”

“Sure.” Griffin lowered his arm, shoving his hand back into the glove.

“Ready for lunch?” Stella started off the rink.

“I can eat later. I don’t want to be late for my session.”

Griffin glanced at the clock tower in the center of the village. “It’s not for another hour and a half.”

“There might be traffic.”

“In Calamity?” he asked, but at the same time, Stella said, “Let’s get some warm food in your belly first, okay? When I was a kid, my dad used to take me to the creperie. It was our special thing.”

Griffin caught the affection in her tone. He knew that while her mom had been busy shuttling her sisters to auditions and cooking classes, Stella had often been left alone. She’d spent a lot of time with her dad. “Sounds good.”

“I don’t have time for a restaurant. Let’s just get something from one of those carts.”

“Sure.” Griffin wasn’t used to Austin taking a stand, so he wouldn’t deny his request. They collapsed onto benches to remove their skates. “Did you bring your gym bag?”

“Yeah. It’s in the truck.”

Focused on his laces, Austin didn’t look up, so he didn’t catch the knowing grin Griffin and Stella shared. To see him this interested in something…damn. It was good. He couldn’t wait to tell Peyton.

A shiver of fear ran through him. He needed to hear from his friend, needed the reassurance he was okay.

Of course, he is. I’ve known from the beginning there’d be pockets of time when we wouldn’t hear from him.

He’s fine.

After returning their skates to the rental counter, they headed for the crepe kiosk.

“Is there a reason you’re in such a hurry?” Stella asked.

“Last week, when you dropped me off early because you had an appointment, Fin Bowie saw me in the gym and started talking to me.” His voice was edged with wonder. “He gave me some suggestions that made everything make sense.”

“Yeah?” Griffin pulled his wallet from his pocket. “That’s really cool. Not everyone can teach. Would you rather get lessons from him?”

“No, I like Will. But I want to be around in case I can learn something else.”

“I get it.” He’d known this boy for most of his life, and he’d never seen him excited about anything. He reached for Stella’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Thank you.

As they neared the food cart, the scent of maple syrup and warm butter grew stronger. He didn’t care what he ordered, so he stepped aside, letting Austin get a better view of the chalkboard perched on a mound of hard-packed snow.

“You know what you want?” he asked Stella.

“Well, the menu’s changed since I was a little girl. It’s a lot fancier than when I used to get ham and cheese or strawberries and cream. Now, they have Nutella.”

“I don’t want dessert,” Austin said. “Fin told me about the kinds of food I need to eat to be a good snowboarder.”

“Look.” Stella pointed to the flyer taped to the cart. “There’s a special menu for athletes. The crepes are made with protein powder and egg whites.”

“I’ll get the one with spinach.”

As Austin placed his order, Stella said, “You should talk to his grandparents, so they don’t force him to eat pie or gravy or whatever. They have to respect his interest in nutrition.”

“I’ll talk to him about it, tell him it’s okay to stand his ground.”

Her eyes went wide. “You don’t think they’ll try to take away his snowboard, do you?”

“If they do, I’ll buy him a new one.”

She touched his arm. “He’s so lucky to have you.”

“Griffin.” A big hand clapped on his shoulder.

He spun around to find his friend Declan surrounded by some of his former hockey players. “Hey. What the hell are you doing in town?”

But Declan’s gaze had slid over to Stella, and his face lit up. “No way.” He grabbed her and pulled her into a bear hug. “What the hell? You didn’t tell me you were hanging out with the prettiest girl in all of Wyoming.” Letting her go, he took her in. “How long are you in town?”

“It’s great to see you.” She pulled back. “I moved back home. I live here now.”

Declan shifted his attention to Griffin. “Why didn’t you say anything? This is big news.”

Austin joined them, handing Griffin the change, and when Stella reached for a napkin, her diamond glinted in the sunlight.

Declan grabbed her hand.

Shit. Griffin hadn’t told anyone at the shop, still hadn’t told his family. He’d put it off just in case they changed their minds…or something happened.

He’d wanted to handle it in the best way possible.

Not here and now.He didn’t want Austin to see him lying.

His friend’s expression turned to shock, and he looked between them. “You’re engaged?”

Griffin felt sick. How the hell was he supposed to look one of his oldest and closest friends in the eyes and lie? He felt queasy, and he wondered if he could tell Declan the truth. His friend could be trusted.

But the guys were standing there, listening. Word would spread fast.

I have to do it. If Austin moved in with the Pilsons, he wouldn’t be learning how to snowboard with the Bowies. He wouldn’t have guitar lessons with Gigi Cavanaugh. He wouldn’t be finding his voice.

And so, he smiled and said, “We are.”

He saw the disbelief in Declan’s eyes but appreciated the way his friend broke into a grin. “Best news ever.” He hauled Griffin in for a hug, giving him hearty pats on the back. “You’re full of shit, and we’re having a conversation later.” Releasing him, Declan moved onto Stella. “It’s not too late, you know. You and me. It could happen.” He held up her hand. “I could buy you a real ring. And you wouldn’t even need a magnifying glass to see the stone.”

“I’m good, thanks.” She wrapped her arm around Griffin. “I’m keeping the ring and the guy.”

As the two of them caught up, Griffin watched Austin dig into his crepe.

Am I doing the right thing?

Lies always come back to bite you in the ass.

When would his blow up in his face?

Pocketing his keys, Griffin climbed the mound of plowed snow bordering the parking lot and headed toward the bunny slope.

“You’re angry with me.” Somehow, Stella kept up with him in those stupid boots.

“I’m not.”

At the top of the hill, the kids clustered around their instructor who demonstrated a stance.

“And yet you’re not talking to me.”

“It’s not that I’m not talking to you.” He stopped in a stand of trees, so Austin wouldn’t see them creeping on him. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Okay, but I was there when you lied to Declan. I saw what it cost you.”

“And in a couple of days, I’ll be lying to my family. That doesn’t mean I’m angry with you. I chose to go along with this, but I don’t have to like it.”

“We can go inside, you know.” Stella tipped her chin to the training center. Crowding the window of the second floor, parents stood watching the kids.

“You can go in if you’re cold.”

“No, I’m good.” She huddled beside him.

“I’m sorry if I’m being quiet. Declan knows I’m lying, and he said he’s going to talk to me about it later. I have to figure out if I’m going to tell him what’s going on.”

“For God’s sake, Griff, you don’t have to deal with everything by yourself. You can talk to me.” And then, more softly, she said, “We’re in this together.”

She was right. As the oldest of seven, he tended to view himself as responsible for them—and not the other way around. “What do you think I should do?”

“Well, everything changes when you get that letter from Peyton’s attorney, so maybe just hold off until then. Your friends and family will forgive you once they understand why.”

“They will. And it’s not like anyone would question us being together.”

“True.”

“And if Declan pushes, I’ll at least be telling him the truth.” He grew hot under his leather jacket.

“What truth is that exactly?”

His chest tightened, making his heart feel too big. “That I’ve always loved you, that there’s never been another woman for me.”

She was silent beside him, and he didn’t dare look at her.

“That I’m happy with her.”

“I’m happy with us, too.”

Warmth hit like whiskey, spreading through him, making his blood heat.

Stella. My Stella.

“Do you regret what we did in the cabin?” she asked quietly.

They still hadn’t talked about it. And not just because they both worked so much, but because when they were together, Austin was around. “Fuck, no. You know I have feelings for you. I’m attracted to you.” I want you. “But it’s complicated. My focus has to be on Austin.”

“I agree.”

“You do?”

“Of course. He’s the priority.”

“So, what’re you saying? You think it should be a one-time thing?”

“Oh, my God, Griffin, the two things don’t connect. Because Austin’s a priority, you can’t have love in your life? You can’t date? You can’t have pleasure?” She nudged him. “Look. It’s his turn.”

In his snow pants, parka, and helmet, Austin stood at the top of the bunny slope, all of the other kids watching.

“You realize if he wipes out, Uncle Griffin can’t charge over there and help him up, right?”

“I’d never do that.” He pretended to be outraged at the suggestion.

“Well, if you try, I’ll trip you, and when you land on your face in the snow, I’m going to sit on your back and make sure you can’t get up.”

He fought a smile at the visual. “Okay, Stella. I’m just watching his first attempt to snowboard. I wouldn’t embarrass him by running over there to ‘save’ him.”

“Good. Because it’s a bunny slope. He’s not going to break his femur.”

He cut her a sharp look, remembering what had happened to Booker.

But she was riveted on Austin, her excitement making her eyes sparkle. “He’s going, he’s going. Oh, my God, look.”

The instructor stepped back, and Austin bobbed, gearing up for his run. Griffin felt a swell of pride. “I should film this for Peyton.”

“You totally should.”

He pulled out his phone, his frozen fingers fumbling with the camera app.

“Hurry.” Stella tipped her chin to the slope. “There he goes.”

For a kid who showed coordination and balance on the ice, he sure didn’t have confidence on his board. He held both arms out like he was surfing, and his hips jerked back and forth and sideways.

Bend your knees.

Austin seemed stiff, intense, like everything was riding on getting it right. He wavered, arms pinwheeling.

Come on, Austin, find your center.

But his body twisted, and he landed face-first in the snow.

Griffin bolted, but he didn’t even get three steps out before he felt a tug of resistance. Stella had a grip on his jacket. He looked at her like she was nuts until he realized what he’d been about to do.

Embarrass the hell out of Austin. And then, just as he shoved his phone back into his pocket, she jerked hard, sending him flying. With quick reflexes, he grabbed her arm and took her down with him.

Stella shrieked, scrambling onto her knees, straddling him, and pinning his wrists.

Her nose was red, her blonde hair hung down, the tips brushing his chin, and Stella laughing was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. She glanced up. “The teacher’s got him.”

A hand on her lower back, he jackknifed upright to find the instructor reaching out to Austin. The boy wavered, but the woman had a good grip on him.

“He’s fine. He didn’t get hurt.”

His ass turned numb in the snow, but he’d sit there forever if it meant he got to be this close to Stella. “I just don’t want him to quit because it’s hard, or because he got embarrassed. I don’t want him going back to Cheetos and video games.”

Stella got to her feet, swiping snow off her knees. She reached out a hand, and he took it, standing up. They watched as Austin stared toward the bottom of the slope, doing that knee-bobbing thing again. And then, with a flick of his hips, he continued down.

“What makes you think he’ll quit just because he fell?”

“That’s what he does. He got hit in the head with a soccer ball and quit the team. A bunch of kids piled on him in a game of flag football, and he never went back to camp. And he bailed on karate before he got his yellow belt.”

“That’s because he didn’t like soccer or flag football. He told me he hated karate. This, he likes. He’s not giving up.”

They watched as Austin reached the base of the slope. He squatted and popped off the bindings. Picking up his board, he looked over at them.

“Oh, shit. He saw us.”

He broke into a huge grin before turning around and heading back up the hill.

Griffin watched him with pride and relief. “It’s going to be all right.”

“It really is.”