toolbox she hadn’t even needed in the end. She needed to be careful around Aidan, or she’d let her guard slip. And the last time that had happened?
She’d wound up frenching the guy in broad daylight on Blackberry Lane!
“You know it’s the big festival this weekend?” she blurted, searching for a safe, non-sexy topic.
“You can’t really miss it,” he said wryly.
“We don’t exactly go for ‘subtle’ here,” she agreed. “But it’ll be fun. Music, and food, and Bert’s famous punch. You should come,” she added, following him to the door.
But Aidan froze at her friendly invitation, a look of panic on his face. “You mean, like a date?” he asked.
What?
“No!” Stella exclaimed, aghast. “I didn’t—”
“It’s… very nice of you to ask,” Aidan spoke over her, oh-so formal. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea—”
“Of course it’s not, because I wasn’t! Asking you out, I mean,” Stella insisted, flushing. “I was just being neighborly.”
But Aidan looked unconvinced, and she realized to her horror that he didn’t believe her. He thought she was hitting on him… And he was trying to let her down gently!
Oh God.
Stella gulped, blushing furiously. “Really. I wasn’t… I mean, I didn’t…” But it was clear, nothing she said would take back this misunderstanding. So, before she could humiliate herself any further, she turned on her heel and walked away.
Straight into a plate-glass window.
“What must he think of me?” she wailed later that night, gathered at Lila’s cottage with her friends. She buried her face in her hands, reliving the embarrassment – and rubbing the bruise on her forehead – all over again. “I can’t believe I humiliated myself like that.”
“Come on, it can’t have been that bad.” Jenny said, pouring glasses of wine, and delivering one right into Stella’s eager hands with the expertise of a life-long waitress.
“He was probably flattered,” Mackenzie agreed. “Who wouldn’t want to be asked out by a gorgeous, smart, capable woman?”
“That’s sweet of you to say… But I wasn’t asking him!” Stella took a gulp of wine. And another. “And now he probably thinks I’m obsessed, or stalking him.” she said, despairing.
“No, I’m sure he doesn’t.” Jenny said.
“Really?” Stella gave her a look. “Because so far, I’ve randomly kissed him, walked in on his naked swim session, and then turned up at his place unannounced to find him in nothing but a towel!”
“OK,” Jenny agreed, smirking. “That is a lot to be a coincidence.”
“And a lot of nakedness. Is he a secret nudist or something?” Lila mused. Then she paused, her blue eyes widening. “Wait, there was a kiss? Since when?”
“Since two months ago,” Lila’s husband, Griffin, answered, entering the room with a plate of snacks. He placed them on the table and gave Lila’s hair an affectionate ruffle. “Keep up.”
They all laughed… except Stella. “You should have seen his face,” she said, gloomy at the memory. “All it took was the mere suggestion of going on a date with me, and he looked like he wanted to go leap in the pond.”
“Naked?” Jenny asked.
Stella had to laugh. “If he’d just put a shirt on earlier…” She gave a wistful sigh.
And if Aidan hadn’t been so handsome, all damp and ruffled in the evening light. If Stella hadn’t lost her mind two months ago. If he hadn’t kissed her like nobody had ever kissed her before…
“Have a donut.” Mackenzie advised.
“Will they erase the past twenty-four hours?” Stella asked mournfully.
“No, but they have double-chocolate glaze.”
“Good enough.” She took a bite, but when she looked up, Mackenzie was studying her with a thoughtful look on her face. “What?” she asked, self-conscious. “Do I have frosting all over my face?”
“No, I was just thinking… I haven’t heard you get all flustered over a guy since—” Mackenzie stopped. “Who was it?”
The others paused, too. “You’re right, it has been forever,” Griffin agreed, munching his sandwich.
“There have been guys!” Stella protested.
“Like who?” Mac challenged.
“I was dating that doctor, over the summer,” she offered, “And the guy who was living out of his yacht.”
“Whose name you can’t even remember.” Jenny smirked.
“She’s right.” Griffin said. “I don’t think you’ve dated anyone seriously since Nate, a couple of years ago.”
Stella paused. Nate had been fun. Charming, and sexy… And with zero interest in becoming a dad. In the end, that had been a deal breaker – the way it always was.
“So, maybe it’s been a slow patch. But I’m not flustered over Aidan Kinsella,” she added, defiant. “Not at all. You know I have a rule about dating in