by Reina Torres
Kyle shook his head and caught sight of a little blur of movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head with the quick reflexes that had kept him alive over the years, he saw Stella moving around behind the train car, her dark hair caught in a long ponytail behind her back.
He wondered if the infuriating woman had been watching them talk?
“I thought you were going to help me?” He swung his gaze back to his grandfather. “What happened?”
Stan’s expression went from surly Santa to placating parent in a heartbeat. “We're helping both of you.”
The headache Kyle had been trying to avoid only intensified, but instead of backing off, Stan only pushed harder.
“You know what, I’m sure if you think about it you’ll understand, but right now you have your head shoved so far up your ass, you can see your breakfast in your belly.” Stan took the measuring tape from his tool belt and gave Kyle one last look. “Breakfast that I made for you, by the way. So until then, if you want this to finish faster, I think you know what you can do.”
Dragging his gaze over the construction site, he saw the way the men met his gaze with an even stare. He could see the pride in their eyes. They weren't cowed by his temper, his appearance had probably only cemented their resolve. And one by one they went back to their jobs.
“So I guess,” Kyle leaned closer to his granddad and blew out a breath, “this is how it's going to be. I finally get my office open and you're going to shut me down?”
He saw a look in Stan’s eyes and didn't bother arguing with him, he wouldn't win against him and didn't have the energy to try. Turning around he crossed the lot and pushed through the front door.
Mrs. Darby continued to file while he paced, both patient files and her nails. By the time she finished her right hand she was done letting Kyle grumble.
He saw her straighten up in her chair and set the whatever-it-was in her hands down on the desk. Her indrawn breath turned his head and slowed his feet. As he passed before her desk, she got up from her chair and laid her palms on the desktop with a soft slap. “Are you done yet?”
“Done with what?”
He knew his tone was cold, biting, but she didn’t flinch. In fact, her eyes seemed to go dark like flint, which was unnerving enough in that softly wrinkled face.
“Grumping like a toddler.”
Her words stopped him in his tracks, anger bubbling up from his middle, but he saw her cherry red painted nails ticking off on the desk. Her hair, perfectly coiffed in a style reminiscent of the sixties, caught the fluorescent lights and turned the highlights to silver. And beneath her curled bangs, her eyes seemed like they were ready to bore holes into his hide.
The veneer of his anger cracked but he was still far from over the betrayal he’d just witnessed. “Did you forget that I’m your boss?”
“Don’t you make me call your grandfather!” She tossed that volley so expertly that he laughed out loud.
“You could do it from the doorway.” He waved a hand at the front door. “He’s out there hammering another nail into the coffin of my business.”
“My,” she pulled away from the desk and folded her arms over her chest, “aren’t we melodramatic. If only they still made those silent films. You could wear a pinstriped suit and twist the ends of your mustache while you tie that poor girl to the railroad tracks.”
“Poor girl?” Kyle scoffed at the idea. Stella was anything but a wilting violet. Besides the fact that the entire building commission had apparently adopted her as the town sweetheart. “You won’t see me crying for Stella Vincenzo.”
Thankfully, Mrs. Darby had nothing to say back. With a sigh, he headed back to his office. “Go ahead and call the patients for this afternoon and reschedule for some time next year.”
“You still have an open door at St. Helena Memorial, I’ll try to move some of the appointments there.”
He stopped at the beginning of the hallway. “Sure, fine. “
As he stepped away down the hall he thought he heard her mumble. “Jerk.”
Stella used the back of her hand to push her stray curls back from her face. She'd seen the look that Kyle had given her when she'd almost stumbled into the middle of his conversation with Stan. It might have been seen as pure cowardice when she'd turned around to avoid the situation, but she just didn't want to make things worse between the two.
She knew that Kyle would be upset. She'd known that the moment she’d opened her door the night before and found the Building Commission on her doorstep. Even more when they said they were there to see her and not her father since they were all his friends, but when they outlined their idea to solve the conflict between herself and Kyle, she'd been in tears. She'd given at least two rounds of hugs and there had been a few men swiping at the ‘dust’ in their eyes. These men had been her father’s friends for more years than she'd been alive and she was truly grateful for their help.
But as she approached Stan, she realized just how much this was affecting him personally. He had more of a stake in this as Kyle’s grandfather.
She hesitated a few feet away as he used his tape measure to mark off a length of wood for a side panel, and didn't move until he turned his head to look at her. “Hey, Uncle Stan.”
He set down the tape measure and turned to lean on the makeshift table. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”
She smiled at him, a hesitant curve of her lips. “I think that's my line. Kyle didn't look too happy.”
Stan’s grin twisted into a wry smile and Stella was suddenly struck by the resemblance between the two O’Malley men. Even though Stan had a bushy white beard, and Kyle seemed to have an ever present five o’clock shadow, they had similar eyes, it was just that she saw affection in Stan’s eyes and irritation when it was Kyle’s eyes looking back at her.
“Well, my grandson is used to fighting his way to the top. He's just used to bullets flying his way while it’s happening.” Stan’s lips twitched a little. “But I’m guessing he’s not used to facing off with a beautiful woman.”
Stella felt her cheeks blaze at the compliment. “Kyle doesn't see me that way.” The words tumbled from her lips in a rush, and she hoped Stan didn't hear the disappointment in her voice. “He can't stand to see me at all. I guess I shouldn't blame him. I am messing things up for him.”
Stan set his pencil behind his ear and held out his arms to her.
And just as she had many times throughout her life, she stepped into his embrace without a thought. Uncle Stan was just that. A gentle hug when she needed it.
He brushed a kiss on her forehead and sighed. “Well, he got my temper and my good looks. So I guess I can't complain too much, hmm?”
A little bit of nervous laughter escaped her lips. “No, I guess not.”
He took hold of her shoulders and set her back a step. “Like we told you last night, we’re going to make this work even if we have to be the dwarves that fight your ogre in his cave.”
She watched him turn his gaze toward the front door of Kyle’s office.
Laughing freely for the first time that morning, Stella leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Stan’s cheek. “I'm not expecting swords or duels at dawn, but I am more than grateful for all of your help.”
“And you’ll get it, my dear, and we’ll get you ready for Picnics and Petals.”
She grimaced and blew out a pent up breath. “Oh gosh, I hope so,” she teared up a little and gave him a brave smile, “I keep thinking it's never going to happen, and then you and the others stepped up and now it just might work out. This is still going to be down to the wire.”
“And we're going to be with you every step of the way.”
“Well, don't you look pleasant.”
Kyle didn't look up when Dax walked in, he just jerked his head to the table. Several hours after his ‘visit’ with his grandfather, he was still fuming. “Don't you sound like Mary Sunshine.”
He heard the groan of the table the satisfied sigh before h
e looked up into Dax’s smiling face.
“And aren't you the asshole today.” Dax reached up and put his hands under his head. “What's got you so perky?”
Kyle moved over to the table, a sharp glare in his eyes. “You sure you want to piss me off before we start working?”
Dax rolled his head back and forth on his hands, his lips pursed together. “I'd rather you didn't work on me at all if you're in this kind of a mood.”
That stopped Kyle in his tracks. “I wouldn't hurt you.”
Dax’s smile evened out. “Oh yes you would. That's why I come to you, Doc.”
Kyle blew out a breath through his nose, his lips pressed tightly together. He heard the truth in Dax’s words and also his tone. “Then why are you poking at me.”
“Poking at you?” Dax lowered a hand and covered his heart, in a gesture that was reminiscent of Mrs. Moberly or Clovis, or any of the other older ladies in St. Helena. “Why, I never!”
“Keep it up, and I’ll have the retirement home open a bed for you, Miss Baudouin.” Kyle laughed at Dax’s sour look. “Not so funny now, is it?” But Kyle waved off Dax’s next barb. “I get it, just stop, I don't want to talk about it.”
“Good,” Dax’s next breath was more of a sigh, “the only person I talk ‘feelings’ with is Emerson. Talking about it with you is creepy.”
That was true enough, even on the surface. But by now, Kyle realized, pretty much everyone in St. Helena must have heard about his problem by now. It would probably be harder to find someone that didn't know.
Eager for the chance to actually do some work, Kyle started to work on Dax’s leg. And after a good ten minutes his friend hadn't broken a sweat.
“Even now I only see you once a month. You’re doing good. You keep this up,” Kyle quipped, “and we can probably go to one visit every two months if you’d like. I'm going to lose my bad ass status, because I won't get to manhandle you.”
Dax managed to change positions on the exam table, propping his elbows behind him. “Aww, Kyle, I didn't know you get like that about me. Can rings be far behind?” His shoulders shook with his laughter. “Seriously, you need to let off some steam before you blow a gasket or something. And I have just the thing.”
That got Kyle’s attention, lifting his head from the chart he was writing in.
“I called a couple of the guys earlier, thought we could get a pick-up game at the park tonight. Saved you a space on my team.”
“What kind of rules?”
Dax’s smile was telling, the glint in his eyes more than just a product of the halo of the fluorescent lights. “Anything goes.”
Maybe it was a bad thing that a feeling akin to bloodlust boiled up inside of Kyle. After keeping things bottled up inside him, he really needed the outlet for his frustrations. And if that meant he had to take a few elbows and maybe a skinned knee in the process, he was ready.
“Who’s on the other side?”
Dax shrugged. “Gabe’s got that covered. Maybe some of his brothers or the Santini boys. You in?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
Chapter 5
Kyle pulled his truck into the parking lot behind Town Hall and managed to find a space closer to the park. He looked out of his window and saw Gabe’s car parked beside him. A quick perusal of the surrounding spots told him he was in for some much needed fun.
Grabbing his backpack and his water bottle, he jumped down to the ground and felt the impact roll though his body. Every breath was pulled in through his nose and let out of his mouth with a rush as he walked over to the basketball court.
He caught sight of Dax first and dropped his backpack down on the ground beside his friend. He nodded in greeting at Dax’s brothers, Jonah and Adam, who welcomed him to the game. “Looks like we’re going four on four?”
Gabe DeLuca gave him a shrug as an answer. “Looks like. I called Trey and I think Teodoro and his brother Lorenzo are going to make it.”
Kyle grinned at the assembled group. “Doesn’t matter how many you want to bring, Gabe. We’re still going to win.”
The eldest of the five DeLuca siblings gave Kyle a smug look. “Dream on, O’Malley, dream on.”
When Teo pulled his car into the parking lot, Stella sagged back against the chair. “Look, maybe this isn't such a great idea.”
Teo already had the seatbelt in his hand and let it go, so it could slap back against the inside of the car. “Oh no,” he shook his head, “you’re not getting out of this.”
She pointed her hand at the basketball court. “Did you see who’s out there?”
Teo leaned back in his chair. “I still have 20/20 vision.”
“Show off.” Stella shook her head. “Did you know?” Her eyes narrowed at him. “You knew!”
“That you needed some fun time? Yes! And your dad and my grandmother agreed, which is why they made you come.” His grin became a little lopsided. “That and when Lorenzo said he wasn't going to make it home in time, I thought it was fate.”
“Fate?”
She turned slightly in her seat. “You mean Mira thought it was fate.” Even though Stella had been friends with Teo since they were toddlers, she’d quickly come to love Teo’s fiancé like a sister. “She's made you soft.”
“She's made me happy.”
The smile on Teo’s face made her smile right back.
“Well, fate or not, Kyle’s not going to be happy to see me.”
Teo grabbed the door handle and swung it open. “Maybe, maybe not, but come on, Stella. This is St. Helena, he's going to see you sooner or later and both of you are going to have to pull up your big girl panties and get used to it.”
Stella covered her mouth with her hand and felt all the weight that had been on her shoulders fall away as they shook with laughter. Moments later she was gasping for breath.
When her door opened unexpectedly, she was stunned into silence and turned to look. Teo stood beside her outside the car looking down at her as if she was in danger of losing her mind.
“It's all your fault, Teodoro,” she informed him, “just the thought of Kyle and big girl panties,” tears of laughter gathered on her lashes as she slid down from the passenger seat of his Wrangler. “I needed that laugh.”
Teo reached back into the car and pulled out a reusable shopping bag filled with drinks. “Well, I'm glad, just don't tell Kyle I said that. I like my teeth right where they are.”
Any hope she had of Kyle accepting her presence there went out with the first angry tick of a muscle in his jaw.
And Teo didn't wait for Kyle to start in, greeting Gabe first. “Lorenzo was supposed to come up from L.A. but he went back when his real estate agent called and said someone broke into his house.”
Jonah gave a tug to the laces he’d just finished tying. “I'm glad he’s finally moving back. He won't have that kind of trouble here.” He turned to look at Stella as he stood. “Glad you could come out.”
“Thanks, Jonah. Glad to be back in the game.”
Teo slung his arm over her shoulders. “She might be a little rusty, but Stella's always good in a pinch.”
“Rusty, huh?” She looked to Adam for support. “I used to play all the time before-” She'd started to say ‘before Kyle came home,’ but ended up finishing with a half-assed, “I started construction on my Bed and Breakfast.” The mood had definitely changed and she hoped it wasn’t all because of her. She'd been more than a little jumpy since this whole conflict had started with Kyle. She could stand being invisible to him, but she was pretty sure that he loathed her by now. So, rather than try to explain her ‘feelings’ to the guys, she went with the ‘go-to’ reaction that always seemed to make things easier. Joking. She turned slightly toward Teo, and wondered if he could see the smirk on her face. “But you are right about the rest of it.”
“What rest of it?” He’d uttered the question with a little bit of a groan in his voice.
“Well, you said I was good in a pinch.” She barreled on, hopi
ng he didn't have time to realize her intent. “You mean like this one?” She reached her hand across her belly and pinched his side.
Teo jumped away from her hand and into Kyle.
But it wasn't Kyle that spoke first as his eyes fell on Stella. Adam bounced the ball off the court’s hard surface. “Well, I’m warning you now, Kyle. Don’t be a buzz kill, Doctor Dumbass.”
Dax shook his head. “Keep your thoughts to yourself, Adam.”
The firefighter shrugged. “I will if he will.” It was obvious to everyone that Adam had heard about what was going on. Who hadn't in the small town of St. Helena?
The game was everything Kyle had needed. Paired up to guard Trey, he was giving as much as he was getting and after a while the game was less basketball than it was borderline amateur wrestling.
After Trey passed the ball off to Gabe, he and Kyle ended up scuffling on the court. It didn’t take long for Kyle to get him to tap out. As he helped Trey to his feet, the two were laughing to the point where the game had to stop since neither one could see where they were going.
“What do you think, Dax?” Adam leaned against the pole that held the basketball net and backboard. “You think we ought to tell them to get a room?”
Trey gave Adam a one-fingered salute. “I’m getting a room when I get home tonight. With my wife.” He nodded for a little emphasis.
“You getting any sleep yet?” This time it was Gabe entering into the conversation. “I remember what it was like when Sophie was a baby.”
Kyle watched helplessly as the two men talked about babies and late night feedings. He focused on the ball that Dax threw at him, turning the ball over and over in his hands as he struggled to ignore them.
But he couldn’t.
Not when he was very aware that Stella Vincenzo was just a few feet away, breathing heavily, and wearing a t-shirt that was wet and clinging to her body. And she had a gorgeous body. From the lush curls of her hair, to the full curve of her breasts and down to her rounded hips and backside that made his hands itch, he knew he’d pushed himself to the limit just to keep his mind on the game and off of her.
