Page 16 of Willow in the Wind

“I’ve heard great things about him,” she said.

Bruce brightened up and slid closer to her on the bleachers.

What am I doing?Stella asked herself.Why am I engaging with Bruce Tyler?

But she knew why. It had been years since she’d flirted with anyone. She felt powerful and strange and new in the wake of her literary agent offer. She wanted things again.

She wanted things more than she had in years.

“Are you a big reader?” Bruce asked her.

“I am,” Stella said. “You must know my Aunt Esme at the Sutton Book Club?”

“That’s right. I forgot you were a Sutton!” he said.

Stella smiled. “I took my maiden name back after the divorce.”

“How does it feel to have it back?”

“It feels like slipping on an old glove. It fits just right,” Stella told him.

Bruce smiled. She wasn’t sure what had happened to Bruce’s wife. One day, she was gone, and Bruce wasn’t the kind to tell anyone his business. That must have been five years ago.

Stella mentioned a few of the books she’d read that year. Bruce recommended a few of his favorites. Their conversation flowed gently.

When Bruce asked her what kind of career she had, and she said copywriting, he asked, “Do you do any creative writing, too?”

Suddenly, Stella found herself gushing about her meeting with the literary agent. Bruce cocked his head with interest.

“That’s incredible,” he said. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Stella blushed. She was embarrassed that she’d told him so much, so quickly.

Bruce adjusted his glasses. It was as though the air between them sizzled.

“Listen, I normally don’t do this. But would you like to get a drink sometime?” Bruce asked.

“I’d like that very much,” Stella agreed.

Just then, the door to the gym burst open to bring in the basketball team for warm-ups. Stella nearly leaped off the bleacher with surprise. Bruce laughed. It was like they’d been caught.

“Let me get your number,” Bruce said.

Stella gave it. Gladly.

Not long after that, Matt, Chloe, and Mandy arrived to take seats by Stella. Bruce remained on the opposite side of the gym, immersed in his book. Stella couldn’t help but notice he glanced over at her frequently as though to check she was still there. Stella met his gaze just once and smiled.

Matt and Mandy were gorgeous together. Stella was the first to admit they “fit” each other better than Matt and Stella ever had. They were both blond and extremely fit from hours of yoga and running, but they were both self-professed foodies and would never deign to eat something out of a microwave. Mandy was talking to Chloe about a new recipe she wanted to try—apparently with Chloe later that week—and Stella had to fight not to feel jealous. It was good that Chloe was getting outside influence. It was good she was learning not to use a microwave all the time!

But when Chloe turned to her mother to ask her how her day was—a funny thing for a fifteen-year-old to ask—Stella couldn’t resist admitting her literary agent news. Matt bolted up to hug her. Mandy raised her cup of diet soda in salute.

And from the gym floor, Logan turned to look at his big, messy family and smiled. It was as though he could feel echoes of their love all the way down there. Stella hoped it gave him power.

Not long after that, Stella emailed Gwen to say she wanted her to be her literary agent. She didn’t really want to bother with anyone else. She had a good feeling about Gwen, and Gwen seemed to have a good feeling about her.

Stella wrote in her diary,Sometimes in life, we have to take risks. We have to jump. And Gwen is willing to jump with me.

It was only late at night that Stella dreamed of how the book might be received in the big, wide world.

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