Page 66 of Willow in the Wind

Tears spilled from Stella’s eyes. “No. We’re not.”

“Do you mind if I ask why not?”

Stella’s thoughts raced. If she wanted to get closer to Matt, she needed to be fully honest about James.

“I mean,” Matt pressed, “you clearly really loved him. So much. You put it in that book. And that book has sold a zillion copies.”

Stella’s voice broke. “I loved him, yes. But it was never as much as I loved you, Matt. Never.”

Matt was speechless. Stella was suddenly on her feet. She couldn’t remember getting off the bed.

She could hear Matt crying quietly on the other end.

“I fantasized about that romance,” Stella admitted. “Especially after our divorce. I wondered what it would have been like if he hadn’t left me in Crete like that. If he’d explained.

“And I do believe in second chances in love. I do believe that people make mistakes and find their way back to each other.” She swallowed. “But I don’t think that’s in the cards for James and me.”

Matt sniffed. It was clear he was trying to keep himself together. Stella was, too.

“The next stop on the tour is Boston, right?” Matt asked.

“Boston in two days,” she affirmed.

“I’ll take the day off and drive up,” Matt said.

Stella closed her eyes.

“Chloe can head to a friend’s after school,” Matt said. “I’ll arrange everything.”

“That would be amazing,” Stella agreed.

It suddenly felt as though she hadn’t seen him in years.

She needed Matt’s strong arms around her.

She needed to feel as though she belonged.

Chapter Twenty-Six

October 2024

James reached the Italian restaurant at ten minutes to seven and was led to a table laden with flickering candles. He was oddly nervous, checking his watch and his phone. He ordered a bottle of wine plus sparkling water for the table. All day, he’d been aimlessly walking around Manhattan, listening to his favorite songs as the October sun sparkled overhead. He’d worked up an appetite. He was ready to eat.

And he was ready to talk, too.

He hoped his dinner companion wouldn’t be too late.

His thoughts drifted to when he’d met Stella Sutton in her hotel room two weeks ago. They’d talked about everything. They’d held hands. There wasn’t a single glimmer of current romantic love between them. But they still remembered the love they’d once shared. And they acknowledged how beautiful that love was—now and forever.

It felt like the closing of a very long chapter.

Now, a familiar face entered the Italian restaurant. James got to his feet, smiling generously as she strode toward him. He opened his arms, and she spoke his favorite word.

“Dad!”

Taylor looked beautiful. She hurried to hug him, then fell into the seat opposite him and began telling him all about sound check. The guy in charge at the venue had “absolutely no idea what he was doing” and then stormed out.

“Our drummer had to figure it out because they didn’t have anyone else to take over,” Taylor said. “So I was whacking the drums and playing bass at the same time. It was a big mess. They better find someone else for the gig tonight.”

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