Stella turned around with such a large grin on her face she looked ready to squeal in excitement. “Aniyah! Oh, this must be your husband. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Stella excused herself from the table of single men and rejoined Jace as Molly shook her head in disbelief. Stella fit into Keeneston without any trouble whatsoever.
“April went back home tonight. I’ll have her next week for the night.”
“You have to bring her over so I can do her nails.” Aniyah wrapped her arms around Stella and squeezed. “I’m so excited you moved to Keeneston. We’ll have a girls’ night soon.”
“Sounds good,” Stella told her as Aniyah and DeAndre moved to join Jace’s cousin Reagan and her husband, Carter Ashton, for dinner.
“We have a table in the back,” Jace told her as he placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her to their table. He felt the warmth of her body through her polo shirt and the curve of her spine under his hand. Images of running his hand down her bare back flooded his mind as he tried to remain the perfect gentleman . . . at least on the outside. “Goodnight, Molly, Sarah. Have a good weekend and I’ll see you both on Monday,” Jace said over his shoulder. “This is your first time here, isn’t it?” Jace asked Stella as he held out the chair for her at their table.
“It is. It’s exactly like everyone described.”
“So you had a good opening day?” Jace asked, taking his own seat across from her.
“It was everything I could have dreamed of and more. Your friend Ariana is so nice. Between her and your mom, I think I was introduced to the whole town.” Stella looked around and then leaned forward so no one could overhear them. “Is she really a princess?”
“She is. She used to act like it, but now she knows the importance of real friendship. She only throws around the P word to help people who are in need.”
“Are you, or were you, and Ari an item?” Jace was so surprised he didn’t answer right away and that flustered Stella. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I was told so much gossip today that I should just keep my mouth shut or I’ll accidentally say the wrong thing.”
“No, it’s not that. I just haven’t been asked that. Ever. Ari and I are just really good friends. She’s more like a sister to me, honestly. When I asked you to dinner, I really thought of this as a date. I’m sorry if I got that wrong.”
“No!” Stella might have spoken a little too loudly. She was so relieved and felt as if she was messing everything up since she saw Jace through the window. “I was hoping it was a date,” she admitted.
Jace’s smile was pure pleasure but the tilt of his lips also sent one heck of a sexy message. “I’m glad. I’ve been looking forward to getting to know you better since I found out you were April’s aunt and not her mother.”
Stella groaned and put her hands over her face. “The spinster aunt who needs a man. I’m so embarrassed.”
Jace steered the conversation away from her relationships and to her professional life, which made Stella very grateful. She told him how she’d grown up showing lambs in 4-H, and in high school she was part of the Future Farmers of America. Her love of the outdoors and being in the FFA led her to major in agricultural business at the University of Kentucky.
“My dad is going to love you,” Jace told her with a little laugh as if he knew something she didn’t.
“Is your dad into agriculture?” She’d met Jace’s mom earlier. She didn’t strike Stella as the farmer type, though.
“You could say that. I’ll let him tell you all about it.”
“Great. Looking forward to it. Your mom did invite me to some family dinner she said y’all have every other week or so.”
Jace choked on his sweet tea and had to cough to catch his breath. “She did what?”
“I believe she said it was dinner with just the family. Next weekend, I think. She said you’d give me the details. Should I not come? I admit it was weird to be invited but I thought it was because she wanted to be friends.”
She watched Jace’s face as the shock wore off. He looked worried. “No, of course you should come.” She didn’t believe him. Her feelings were slightly hurt, but she didn’t dare admit that. It sounded pathetic to her that she so desperately wanted to have friends and to be part of the community. She’d been so focused on work that she’d never really taken the time in the past year to build her personal life and she really wanted to put roots down in Keeneston.
She needed to change the subject and fast. “Did you go to medical school at Kentucky?”
“I did. I spent a lot of time before med school building schools and helping communities in Africa. I knew I wanted to help people, it just wasn’t until I began helping doctors who came to visit that I even thought of the medical field. As soon as I started learning, though, I couldn’t stop.”
Could Jace even be real? He helped build schools during school breaks, he loved children, he wanted to help people, and he didn’t seem to be judgmental or demanding in any way. Social status didn’t even seem to register with him. And he encouraged her. Every story she told about her dreams, he told her she’d accomplish them and more.
“Do you plan on going back to Africa?” Stella asked as Poppy set down their dinners.
“I do. I want to spend two to three weeks there every year.”
“What about your medical practice here?”
“There are two doctors who live Keeneston but work in Lexington. They’re a mother-daughter team. Dr. Emma, the mom, is retiring and she’s offered to fill in at my clinic, and her daughter, Dr. Ava, has said she’ll help, too. I’m also the team doctor for the football team, the Lexington Thoroughbreds. Emma and Ava said they’d split duties and cover them both for me when I travel.”
The front door to the café flung open and Stella looked behind her to see Draven and Addison along with two people Stella hadn’t met.
“Holy smokes,” Stella said under her breath as Addison held up her hand. The ring was so large, she could easily see it from across the café.
“We’re getting married!” Draven shouted before he kissed his fiancée to the cheers of the crowd.
“Dammit,” Stella heard someone curse.
“That’s Nikki. She thinks she should be royalty.” Jace gestured to a table full of twenty-something women all dressed up. “They’re the Keeneston Belles. Technically a charity group, but really a husband-hunting club. Nikki’s their leader and has lost out on all her choices of husbands so far. I think she’s the leader more out of fear than choice. No one but Addison would stand up to her.” In fact, the Belles did seem rather nervous as they looked at Nikki.
An older woman with auburn hair stood up and hugged Draven and Addison. “I guess we’re going to need to hire a new prosecutor.”
Addison’s smile fell a little. “I’ll help you look, Kenna. I already have an idea, though.”
“That’s Kenna Ashton. She’s the town’s judge. You met her kids today, Sienna, who is married to my cousin Ryan, and then Carter, who is married to my cousin Reagan. Reagan and Carter are sitting with Aniyah,” Jace explained to her.