Page 18 of When Hairy Met Stella

Hannah leaned forward. “We just think you deserve better. That maybe you’re selling yourself a little short.”

“And that maybe you’re…scared. No one likes change.”

Stella’s eyes snapped to Angie, her statement hitting a little too close to home—or more accurately, hitting the bullseye right on the center of the target. She didn’t want to get into this over coffee at a resort the week of her cousin’s wedding, but her last relationship didn’t end on the best terms. And she hadn’t been single that long. They’d only broken up in October…of last year. Okay, so maybe it was time to get back out there, as scary as it seemed.

“I just don’t know if I’m ready.”

Lucy nodded slowly. “But Grandma Millie wanted this to happen. Don’t you?”

Not really. And she knew her grandma was behind this somehow. The more she thought of it, the more she realized this whole thing reeked of something she would have done. Heck, she probably hosted one of her game nights and hashed the whole plan out with these three.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Angie’s eyes smiled from behind her coffee cup as she did a little shimmy, gracefully and without spilling a drop of her drink. That spoke to thedancer she was, her coordination far surpassing anything Stella could do.

Hannah nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it’s all yours. You might as well do with it whatever you want.”

Stella choked on her cappuccino. Those words from the usually reserved and sweet Hannah were…not what she’d expected. What did they want her to do with Nate? In that shirtless moment, she thought of a few thingsshe’dlike to do with him, but that was just in the heat of the moment. They were thoughts any woman would have had if they’d turned to see a shirtless man with bulging muscles that would have made Thor cry.

Lucy patted her back as she regained her breath. “There, there.” Her throat still burned, but hey, at least she’d stopped coughing. “We’re just saying, you own it. Go for it!”

And then she choked some more. On what this time? Who the heck knew? It wasn’t possible to choke on other people’s words, was it?

Had Stella objectified him in all his shirtless glory a half hour ago? Yes, and she wasn’t proud of it. But what these women were suggesting was downright inappropriate.

“You guys are acting like…well, we’re not talking about property here!”

“Uh…” Angie looked at each of the women at the table. “That’sexactlywhat we’re talking about.”

Stella shook her head. “I’m…really confused.”

“We’re talking about the salon.” Lucy’s brows squished together into a unibrow as she looked at her cousin. “What wereyoutalking about?”

“Oh…that,” she blurted before shoving the coffee cup in her own face. It was empty now, so she sucked on the plastic lid to sell the act that she was sip, sip, sipping away. No need for them to know what she’dreallybeen thinking about. Except, whatthey were talking about was worse. Well, not worse. The same, maybe? Them mentioning the salon like this meant one thing: they’d seen the blueprints.

“I stopped by the salon this morning. Part of me thought maybe you’d changed your mind, and you’d hired the contractors to do a little remodeling while they’re already there to fix the pipes. I think it’s time. Don’t you?”

No.But obviously, Lucy did.

“I don’t know.” Stella toyed with the cardboard ring around the cup. “It’s a lot to think about.”

It wasn’t, really. This was a decision that a normal business owner would have easily made. Wouldn’t have shoved it—literally—under a pile of papers in the office and pretended like it didn’t exist. And yet, that was exactly what she’d done.

“You know we’re here to support you however we can.” Hannah was sweet to say that, but she didn’t know. None of them did. And she was bound to make sure they never did. They’d watched her choke on coffee, but none of them had any idea what she’d choked on in the past. What had changed the whole trajectory of her career. Of her life.

If she’d done it once, she’d do it again. Choking when the stakes were high was her specialty—something Bobby reminded her of more than a few times.

“Just think of me as your life coach,” he’d said. She wanted to think of him as more of a boyfriend. Besides, she doubted a life coach mocked people’s ideas or laughed at their life choices. Though, boyfriends didn’t do that either, did they? Not good ones, anyway. But belittling her ideas was his way of keeping her small. She knew that now.

There was some relief now that the business was all hers and that she wouldn’t take her parents down with her. It would only be her loss. Just like last time. And the time before. Butsomething about making changes to the space, making it her own, felt…big. Why couldn’t she take that step?

“Would you look at the time,” she said, looking at her wrist that didn’t have a watch on it.Smooth.“I think I need to get back to the room and get ready.” She pushed back her chair as she stood, thanking the women for keeping her company.

Though it gave her mind a break from the whole situation with Nathan, she hoped that was the last time Lucy would bring up the salon. There were better things to focus on this week. Namely, the wedding. And any of the other fun things this week would bring.

Chapter

Six

“Hey, Nater Tot,” Stella said as she walked into the room.

---