Twenty-Seven
Stella
The following morning was Saturday, so I was surprised when I woke up and found myself alone again. Dismayed, I pulled on my bra and underwear, and tugged my dress over my head. When I opened the bedroom door, I expected to see another note on the floor.
But nothing was there.
Then I heard something in the kitchen, and when I sniffed, I smelled bacon. Slowly, I made my way toward the kitchen and pushed open the swinging door. Then I gasped.
Ryan was cooking breakfast.
“Good morning,” he said, slinging a towel over his bare shoulder.
“Good morning. This is a surprise.”
“Your grandmother gave me the idea last night when she said your grandfather liked to make breakfast on Saturday mornings.” He glanced at the stove. “I’m doing my best here, but I’ll admit—the hash browns were frozen.”
I laughed, coming closer to the stove, where eggs were frying in one pan and hash browns sizzled in another. On the counter, strips of crispy bacon rested on a paper-towel-lined plate. My stomach rumbled. “That’s okay. It all looks great.”
I noticed grocery bags on the floor. “Did you go to the store this morning?”
“Yeah. You were sound asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you. You’re a heavy sleeper, did you know that?”
“I’ve been told,” I said, feeling heat in my cheeks. “Can I help?”
“Nope. I’ve got this.” He nodded toward the kitchen table, where two cups of coffee in to-go cups stood in a cardboard carrier. “I got us some coffee. I wasn’t sure how you took yours, so there’s cream and sugar there, too.”
“Thank you.” I shook my head. “This is kind of surreal, you know.”
He grinned and flipped an egg. “Believe me. I know.”
After breakfast, we agreed to go for a run as soon as our bellies could handle it.
“We probably shouldn’t wait too long,” Ryan said, checking out the sky as he walked me back to Grams’s house. “Looks like rain today.”
“You’ll probably have to slow down for me,” I warned him.
“I doubt it.” He glanced down at my legs. “I bet you can keep up.”
I smiled as we approached the front porch. “Want to come in?”
He looked up the steps toward the door. “No, thanks. I don’t really want to face your grandmother the morning after.”
“I get it. Yesterday morning when I came home, she was right there at the front door, and my shirt was buttoned wrong.” I closed my eyes and shook my head at the memory. “So embarrassing.”
He laughed. “She seems pretty enlightened actually.”
“She is a strange mix of old-fashioned and enlightened.” I paused. “Then again, I guess I am too.”
Ryan took my face in his hands and kissed me. “It’s a perfect mix.”
My heart tripped happily. “So about half an hour?”
He nodded. “I need to check in at work and see if they need me for that wedding, but then I’ll get changed and head over. Even if they do, it likely wouldn’t be until later, and I won’t be all night.”
“Okay.” I didn’t like thinking that this would be our last night together, but I was so over the moon about everything that had transpired between us, nothing could dampen my spirits. We would make this work. “See you soon.”
He dropped one last kiss on my forehead and took off at a jog back toward his house. I sighed like a lovesick teenager and floated up the steps.
Inside the house, I could hear conversation coming from the kitchen. I debated heading right upstairs to change so I could hold tight to my joy a little longer, but decided there would be fun in sharing it too.
I walked toward the kitchen, finding the door propped open and Emme and Grams at the table. “Good morning!” I sang, dropping into an empty chair.
“Good morning, dear.” Grams gave me a knowing smile. “Did you have a nice time with your friend?”
“I did.”
Emme stared at me. “And?”
“And what?” I asked innocently.
My sister and Grams exchanged an exasperated look.
“And are you still just friends?” Emme demanded.
“No, actually. We’ve decided we’re more than just friends.”
“I knew it,” Grams said, looking pleased with herself. “Mark my words, girls, that meatloaf can work wonders.”
A little later, I was getting changed in my room when Emme burst in dramatically. “Spill,” she said, throwing herself across the bed. She rolled onto her back. “And I do mean everything.”
I smiled, pulling a tank top over my sports bra. “We had a talk.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “And?”
“And he said some nice things.”
Her eye roll was extreme. “Such as?”
“Such as … that he’s in love with me.”
“What?” She grabbed a pillow, smashed it over her face, and screamed into it.
Laughing, I grabbed my running shoes and sat on the bed to tug them on. “True story. Shocked the hell out of me.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I felt the same way.”
“Oh. My. God. I can’t believe it!”
“Neither can I. It’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me, like by far.”
“I know! You never do this kind of impulsive, romantic thing.” She popped up onto her knees and felt my forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you have some kind of fever? Are you delirious?”
“Stop.” I pushed her hand away and leaned over to tie my shoes, but I couldn’t help smiling. “I’m perfectly fine. I just followed my heart for once. And this is where it took me.”
“So what now?” she asked. “Long distance love?”
“We haven’t talked about that yet.” I stood up, grabbed a ponytail elastic off the nightstand, and put my hair back.
“Well, it’s not that far. I mean, it’s not a plane ride or anything. It’s definitely doable for weekends.”
“I hope so.” If things went well, then maybe we could talk about one of us moving to be closer together, but that was down the road. We didn’t need to rush. “I better go meet him. We’re running together.”
Emme shook her head. “You guys are perfect for each other. I can’t believe Grams set you up with Mr. Right Next Door.”
I laughed. “Me neither. She was such a stinker about it, too, making up stories about her ailments just to get me up here.”
“Well, would you have come if she hadn’t?” Emme asked, following me down the stairs.
“Probably not,” I admitted. “So I guess I should thank her.”
“I’m super happy for you, Stella.” When we reached the first floor, Emme grabbed me from behind and squeezed tight. “I hope he can come to the wedding with you.”
“I’ll invite him,” I said, patting her hands, which were clasped around my waist. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
I was crossing the lawn, eyeing the gloomy skies, when I saw Ryan heading for me at a quick clip. “Hi,” I said, smiling broadly.
“Hey. I’m sorry, I can’t run right now. I have to go somewhere.” He had his keys in his hand, and his brow was furrowed.
“Everything okay?”
“I don’t know.” He glanced toward his garage, like he was anxious to get away. “I think a friend might be in trouble.”
“Oh no. Well, don’t worry about me, I run by myself all the time.”
He didn’t really look worried about me at all. “Okay. I’ll see you later.” He turned toward his driveway and started to move away, then at the last second rushed back and kissed my cheek. “Can you let your grandmother know something came up and I might not be able to get to the porch work today?”
“Of course. Go.”
He jogged toward his garage, and a moment later his truck backed down the driveway. I gave him a little wave, but I don’t even think he looked in my direction.
Stella
The following morning was Saturday, so I was surprised when I woke up and found myself alone again. Dismayed, I pulled on my bra and underwear, and tugged my dress over my head. When I opened the bedroom door, I expected to see another note on the floor.
But nothing was there.
Then I heard something in the kitchen, and when I sniffed, I smelled bacon. Slowly, I made my way toward the kitchen and pushed open the swinging door. Then I gasped.
Ryan was cooking breakfast.
“Good morning,” he said, slinging a towel over his bare shoulder.
“Good morning. This is a surprise.”
“Your grandmother gave me the idea last night when she said your grandfather liked to make breakfast on Saturday mornings.” He glanced at the stove. “I’m doing my best here, but I’ll admit—the hash browns were frozen.”
I laughed, coming closer to the stove, where eggs were frying in one pan and hash browns sizzled in another. On the counter, strips of crispy bacon rested on a paper-towel-lined plate. My stomach rumbled. “That’s okay. It all looks great.”
I noticed grocery bags on the floor. “Did you go to the store this morning?”
“Yeah. You were sound asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you. You’re a heavy sleeper, did you know that?”
“I’ve been told,” I said, feeling heat in my cheeks. “Can I help?”
“Nope. I’ve got this.” He nodded toward the kitchen table, where two cups of coffee in to-go cups stood in a cardboard carrier. “I got us some coffee. I wasn’t sure how you took yours, so there’s cream and sugar there, too.”
“Thank you.” I shook my head. “This is kind of surreal, you know.”
He grinned and flipped an egg. “Believe me. I know.”
After breakfast, we agreed to go for a run as soon as our bellies could handle it.
“We probably shouldn’t wait too long,” Ryan said, checking out the sky as he walked me back to Grams’s house. “Looks like rain today.”
“You’ll probably have to slow down for me,” I warned him.
“I doubt it.” He glanced down at my legs. “I bet you can keep up.”
I smiled as we approached the front porch. “Want to come in?”
He looked up the steps toward the door. “No, thanks. I don’t really want to face your grandmother the morning after.”
“I get it. Yesterday morning when I came home, she was right there at the front door, and my shirt was buttoned wrong.” I closed my eyes and shook my head at the memory. “So embarrassing.”
He laughed. “She seems pretty enlightened actually.”
“She is a strange mix of old-fashioned and enlightened.” I paused. “Then again, I guess I am too.”
Ryan took my face in his hands and kissed me. “It’s a perfect mix.”
My heart tripped happily. “So about half an hour?”
He nodded. “I need to check in at work and see if they need me for that wedding, but then I’ll get changed and head over. Even if they do, it likely wouldn’t be until later, and I won’t be all night.”
“Okay.” I didn’t like thinking that this would be our last night together, but I was so over the moon about everything that had transpired between us, nothing could dampen my spirits. We would make this work. “See you soon.”
He dropped one last kiss on my forehead and took off at a jog back toward his house. I sighed like a lovesick teenager and floated up the steps.
Inside the house, I could hear conversation coming from the kitchen. I debated heading right upstairs to change so I could hold tight to my joy a little longer, but decided there would be fun in sharing it too.
I walked toward the kitchen, finding the door propped open and Emme and Grams at the table. “Good morning!” I sang, dropping into an empty chair.
“Good morning, dear.” Grams gave me a knowing smile. “Did you have a nice time with your friend?”
“I did.”
Emme stared at me. “And?”
“And what?” I asked innocently.
My sister and Grams exchanged an exasperated look.
“And are you still just friends?” Emme demanded.
“No, actually. We’ve decided we’re more than just friends.”
“I knew it,” Grams said, looking pleased with herself. “Mark my words, girls, that meatloaf can work wonders.”
A little later, I was getting changed in my room when Emme burst in dramatically. “Spill,” she said, throwing herself across the bed. She rolled onto her back. “And I do mean everything.”
I smiled, pulling a tank top over my sports bra. “We had a talk.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “And?”
“And he said some nice things.”
Her eye roll was extreme. “Such as?”
“Such as … that he’s in love with me.”
“What?” She grabbed a pillow, smashed it over her face, and screamed into it.
Laughing, I grabbed my running shoes and sat on the bed to tug them on. “True story. Shocked the hell out of me.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I felt the same way.”
“Oh. My. God. I can’t believe it!”
“Neither can I. It’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me, like by far.”
“I know! You never do this kind of impulsive, romantic thing.” She popped up onto her knees and felt my forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you have some kind of fever? Are you delirious?”
“Stop.” I pushed her hand away and leaned over to tie my shoes, but I couldn’t help smiling. “I’m perfectly fine. I just followed my heart for once. And this is where it took me.”
“So what now?” she asked. “Long distance love?”
“We haven’t talked about that yet.” I stood up, grabbed a ponytail elastic off the nightstand, and put my hair back.
“Well, it’s not that far. I mean, it’s not a plane ride or anything. It’s definitely doable for weekends.”
“I hope so.” If things went well, then maybe we could talk about one of us moving to be closer together, but that was down the road. We didn’t need to rush. “I better go meet him. We’re running together.”
Emme shook her head. “You guys are perfect for each other. I can’t believe Grams set you up with Mr. Right Next Door.”
I laughed. “Me neither. She was such a stinker about it, too, making up stories about her ailments just to get me up here.”
“Well, would you have come if she hadn’t?” Emme asked, following me down the stairs.
“Probably not,” I admitted. “So I guess I should thank her.”
“I’m super happy for you, Stella.” When we reached the first floor, Emme grabbed me from behind and squeezed tight. “I hope he can come to the wedding with you.”
“I’ll invite him,” I said, patting her hands, which were clasped around my waist. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
I was crossing the lawn, eyeing the gloomy skies, when I saw Ryan heading for me at a quick clip. “Hi,” I said, smiling broadly.
“Hey. I’m sorry, I can’t run right now. I have to go somewhere.” He had his keys in his hand, and his brow was furrowed.
“Everything okay?”
“I don’t know.” He glanced toward his garage, like he was anxious to get away. “I think a friend might be in trouble.”
“Oh no. Well, don’t worry about me, I run by myself all the time.”
He didn’t really look worried about me at all. “Okay. I’ll see you later.” He turned toward his driveway and started to move away, then at the last second rushed back and kissed my cheek. “Can you let your grandmother know something came up and I might not be able to get to the porch work today?”
“Of course. Go.”
He jogged toward his garage, and a moment later his truck backed down the driveway. I gave him a little wave, but I don’t even think he looked in my direction.
