If the theater group was a cult, it was the happiest cult Stella had ever seen.
When she arrived at the theater, everyone was standing around drinking coffee from The Roast while Tasha and Eddie put on an over-the-top performance of “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” from The Sound of Music.
It was the first time Stella had ever seen Tasha perform. She made an amazing director, but she made an even better star. She stole the stage. Even Eddie, who gave a solid performance as Rolf Gruber, seemed mesmerized by her as she jumped from folding chair to folding chair, racing around the makeshift gazebo without fear.
When they finished, everyone clapped, including Stella, and the couple bowed deeply.
“Now, back to work, you lazy ninnies!” Tasha tried to look serious, but everyone laughed before shifting back into smaller groups and talking casually as they sipped their coffee. Sam was closest to the front of the stage. He had on dark jeans and a plain navy-blue long-sleeved shirt, but he might as well have been in a full tux for as well as he wore it.
Stella could not wrap her mind around the fact that this handsome, kind, generous man was walking around single. It didn’t make any sense. It was like the world’s cutest puppy sitting in a “Free Puppy” box on a busy sidewalk with no one stopping to take a peek.
Though, maybe that analogy didn’t quite track. According to the Baldwins, many women had stopped to take a peek. The puppy had simply refused them all.
That made even less sense to Stella. Why her? Why would Sam choose to date her of all people? Perhaps it was because he knew she’d be gone in a few days. He looked at her the way she looked at her diet on vacation: I’ll indulge now because things will be back to normal in a few days.
Was she just a quick fling for him? Of course, she was. What else could she be? They had both gone into the date knowing she’d be going back home soon.
Though, Stella now felt like she was getting the raw end of that deal. Sam would stay here in Willow Beach with friends who loved him, and Stella was going to go back to Brenda…and—ugh—Mark. Quality was better than quantity, but—no offense to Brenda—Stella wasn’t sure Brenda’s friendship was enough to equal the community Sam had in Willow Beach.
When Jace was living at home, Stella wouldn’t have dreamed of taking him away from his friends and his school and his grandparents, but now he was gone. And Stella couldn’t think of very many reasons to stay.
Job security. That was a big one. She had seniority at the firm, and she was in line for a big promotion. Mark hadn’t been explicit about that, but everyone knew Stella was first in line for the job.
Was there any other reason?
“Are you going to stay here?”
Stella jolted at the unexpected voice and realized in the midst of her thoughts, Sam had crossed the theater. He was standing right in front of her.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“Are you going to stay here, or are you going to come join us?” His eyes shone as he took her in, tipping his head over his shoulder to gesture to the stage. Stella followed him toward the rest of the cast. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he added.
“Tasha talked me into coming to help again, and I figured I could spare another day in Willow Beach. Plus, I really miss painting. It’s been nice having time to do more of it.”
“That’s good news because I have bad news.”
Stella frowned. “Uh-oh.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s just that the part will be another day.” Sam shrugged. “I was going to go pick it up myself, but the guy swore he’d have it here tomorrow, and then Tasha asked me to help her and—”
“She’s persuasive,” Stella finished. They both laughed.
“Very. I am sorry, though.” Sam bit his lip and ran a hand along the graying stubble on his chin. “You must think I’m the most incompetent auto mechanic ever.”
“Not the most,” she teased. “Besides, I don’t know many mechanics who would repay my patience with the most amazing cannolis I’ve ever tasted in my life.”
His brow arched playfully. “Is that what you remember about last night?”
“Mostly,” Stella said, tapping her chin and feigning deep thought. “Yeah, nothing else is really coming to mind. The cannolis were the highlight.”
“She thinks she is so funny,” Sam said to no one, slowly clapping his hands. “We’ve got a comedian here, folks.”
Stella’s chest filled with warmth to the point she was certain she was buoyant. She could have floated right off the floor if someone had asked.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like that. Before Sam, anyway. Since meeting him, it had been her constant state of being. And to think, it all started because her car broke down.
Fate and destiny had always felt like magic “woo woo,” as her dad would say. Stella never put any stock in them. But suddenly, she wondered if there wasn’t something to it.
If Brenda hadn’t come to her house and forced her on a spontaneous vacation, her car would have never broken down. If Drew hadn’t driven past her when he had, Stella could have ended up getting help from someone else or getting in touch with another mechanic. If all of the parts Sam needed had been in the shop, Stella could already be in Boston, doing God only knew what to fill her week.
So many things had lined up to lead to the past few days, and Stella was hesitant to blame it all on chance. It felt purposeful. Important. It felt like something she should pay attention to. And it certainly felt like something she wasn’t willing to give up just yet.
“And it’s still early. I hear I’m even funnier at night.” Stella felt warm all over. She wasn’t used to being so bold.
Sam didn’t seem to mind, though. He grinned
