Page 27 of Enemy Crush
“So I told him,Son, if this girl is as special as you say she is, she’ll come around.I didn’t know what else to say. I never really thought it would happen. I mean, you were children. I never would’ve imagined that all these years later, my little prediction would come true.”
Stella smiles and she glances over at me, lovingly. “That’s sweet. See, maybe if I would’ve saw that side of you back then, we would’ve ended up together sooner.”
I shake my head, a little embarrassed. “Dad, did you hear about the store?” I ask, wanting to change the subject. “Stella is the one who saved it.”
Dad’s eyes move back to her. “Is that true?”
She waves us off. “It was nothing. It’s my job. I didn’t do anything that you couldn’t have done,” she says, looking over at me.
“Don’t cut yourself short, young lady.” Dad says, getting her attention. “That bookstore…” he shakes his head. “That was my late wife’s dream. She was always very smart and she loved reading. Anything. Everything. I came home from work one day to find her reading the manual to the oven,” he jokes, making us all laugh.
“Really?” Stella asks.
He nods with wide eyes. “Yes, and when I asked her why in the world she was reading it, she said because she’d already read everything we had in the house and everything the library had at the time. That’s when the idea struck me.” He straightens up in his chair. “We were doing okay at the time. In fact, we were doing better than ever. I had just gotten a promotion and it came with a rather large bonus. I took that money and I bought that building. Then I took the deed home to her and surprised her with it. At first, she was confused. She didn’t know why in the world I’d go and buy a building without talking to her about it. Then I explained what I wanted to do with it and she was so happy. I don’t think I’d ever seen her so happy, other than the day you were born of course,” he adds on like an afterthought, making me laugh.
I notice that he picks up his napkin and wipes his tears. Talking about Mom always gets Dad remembering the good times.
“She ran that store for years, decades even. When she fell ill,” he clears his throat. “We didn’t know what to do. We closed it up for a little while, thinking she would recover and be able to go back to work. However, that wasn’t the case. It finally came to the time when we needed to discuss plans and arrangements. I sat beside the bed while she gave me directions on how to do this and how to do that. Then lastly, she told me she wanted the store to stay in the family if at all possible. She was sure that her afterlife would be spent in the biggest library in all creation and she felt that if we surrounded ourselves with books too, it would almost be like we were together.” A stray tear falls and he wipes it away.
“I tried running that store for her and I know how hard it can be. It’s a tremendous amount of stress, just feeling like if you fail, you’re letting her down. The fact that you put so much work into that store, that tells me a lot about you. That’s something my wife did, and I know without a doubt that if she were here right now, she’d be thanking you. So, on her behalf, thank you for everything you’ve done and continued to do.”
Stella has a tear in her eye now, but she wipes it away quickly before anyone can notice. “Thank you for saying that. What a beautiful story.”
The waitress walks up to the table, nearly sweating with as busy as she is. “I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to get to you. I’ve already put in an order for a sampler platter on the house. Can I get you started with some drinks?”
Dinner goes smoothly and we sit and talk and laugh for what feels like hours. We don’t leave until the restaurant is closing, but I couldn’t pull Stella and my dad away from one another. One thing my dad loves to do is talk about the good old days and Stella is always more than happy to listen. She doesn’t just listen, she asks questions which only make the stories that much longer. I don’t rush them though and I give them plenty of time to get to know one another.
Finally, we load back up into the truck and I start driving us toward my place for the evening.
“Just so you know, if your dad was forty years younger, you may have some competition on your hands,” she jokes on the ride home.
Chapter Fifteen
Stella
Paxton and I have officially been together for six whole months. Every day with him is like living in a fairytale. He’s sweet, romantic, funny, and we always have a good time. It doesn’t matter if we’re sitting on the couch and watching TV or out and about doing something together. I feel like I’ve finally found my other half and I can’t believe it took me so long to see it. Several times I’ve wished that I wouldn’t have been so hardheaded when it came to him, that we could’ve gotten together sooner. But I stop those thoughts in their tracks because everything played out just like it was supposed to. Even though we haven’t talked about marriage and kids and all of that, I know that in the end, we’ll be together, happy and in love.
My workday flies by with all the local businesses reaching out after hearing and seeing what I managed to do with the bookstore and my evening will be just as busy because Paxton organized another signing at the store that I’ve promised to go and help. I have no idea who the author is this month, but he’s been making a big deal out of the whole thing. When I’d ask, he’d simply say it was a surprise and that I would love it.
I finish up work and head back to my place to shower and get ready for the signing. Usually, the signings are held earlier in the day, but this author had a prior engagement and this singing had to be pushed back until six o’clock, meaning the store will stay open late. I know we won’t get to bed on time, meaning tomorrow I’ll be tired and cranky but that’s what we do for people we love.
With winter being in full force now, it’s colder than ever in the evening. Driving home, a light snow swirls around my car as I drive down the road. The sun has long set even though it’s still early, and everything looks magical. I’ve always been a summer girl, but there’s something about a crisp winter night that just makes me want to fall in love all over again. These are the nights that I loved to curl up with hot tea and a good book.
I make it home and Bundy is in his cage. “Hi, cutie,” I tell him, moving over to open it up.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he says, something that Pax taught him. He jumps onto my finger and I pet his head and down his back.
“You want a shower?” I ask and he just bobs his head up and down like a little dance.
I laugh and walk through the house to the bathroom. Once inside, he flies off my hand and up to the tension rod that holds the shower curtain. I reach in and turn on the water to warm while I undress. I shower quickly but I hang out a little while longer, absorbing the heat since I feel like I’m chilled to the bone. Eventually, the water runs cold and I get out as quickly as possible.
I dry off, wrap myself in my oversize, fuzzy robe, and brush out my hair. I don’t bother with opening the door and letting the warmth out. I just grab my blow dryer and start drying my hair. The blow dryer adds softness and volume and it makes it easy to add in some curls. I do my usual light makeup look, and then I go to my room to get dressed.
Pax said he’d be busy setting everything up at the store, so I don’t plan on seeing him until I get there. Knowing how cold it is outside, I pull on a pair of skinny jeans, a white sweater, and my knee-high boots. I add my jewelry, my necklace that I always wear, my diamond earrings, and a couple of rings. I spray on my perfume and get my coat, scarf, and gloves. Lastly, I put Bundy back into his cage and head out the door.
I make the drive over to the store and the parking lot and each side of main street is covered in cars. I smile as I park and climb out. This is the biggest turn out yet. There isn’t a line on the sidewalk but it’s too cold for that. Everyone is waiting inside the store and from the window, they all look to be drinking and eating appetizers. I wonder how much Pax spent on this and hope that it pays off. While the store is doing great, there is no point in throwing money down the drain, especially this soon after getting on track.
I walk in and see a lot of familiar faces. Jackie is behind the counter, so I lean against it. “Where’s Pax?” I ask, louder than usual with the building being so crowded.
