Page 41 of When We Dare

Chapter Thirty-Two

STELLA

My brother studied me from across the table at Firehouse Café. “So you’re telling me how it’s gonna be then?”

“Yes. I appreciate that you care enough to be protective, but please don’t make it awkward. This is my life.”

My brother’s eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile. “I won’t make it awkward. It’s just I know Hudson. And?—”

“He told me the whole story,” I interrupted.

“He did?” Parker’s brows rose high.

“That you two met in detention. Everyone makes mistakes. You know my mom and our dad are back together.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m happy for them, really, I am. But she didn’t have the best judgment before, and neither did your dad. People grow and change, and we all learn. Just like I don’t judge you, or my mom, or your dad, I don’t judge Hudson. I know the man he is now.”

Parker was quiet for several beats before he eventually tipped his head to the side. “Hudson’s one of the best friends I ever had. We lost touch because it’s kind of strange when you meet under the circumstances that we did. It was also before cell phones became ubiquitous. Even though we both spent time in FireweedHarbor, it’s not what I would call a hometown for either one of us, so we didn’t cross paths after that.”

“It’s not really home for me either,” I interjected. “My mom is there now, but we lived all over Alaska. She followed whatever guy she thought was going to give her the best life at the time. Are you worried about this?” I asked just as Janet arrived at our table with a tray. She picked up the empty plate from my finished croissant.

“About what?” Janet asked, glancing between us.

Parker eyed me uncertainly.

I decided to take the blunt approach. “Look, I’m not keeping it a secret. Hudson and I are seeing each other and Parker’s my half-brother. I’m sure you’ve heard that from Tiffany or somebody,” I said to Janet. At her nod, I continued, “He’s worried about me and Hudson and wants to be protective.”

Janet smiled warmly between us. “I knew all of that, except the part about Parker knowing about you and Hudson.” She waggled her brows. “Stella can take care of herself, and she has plenty of friends here. We’ll make sure that Hudson takes good care of her. It’s sweet that you’re being all older brother-ish though,” she teased.

Parker sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t know I had a sister until recently, so maybe I’m overreacting.”

“You and Hudson are good friends, you should know he’s a good guy,” Janet pointed out.

“I do,” Parker muttered. “I don’t even know how to explain this.”

Janet reached out, squeezing his shoulder. “You care about Stella and so do we all.” Her gaze bounced to me. “I’m glad about you and Hudson. I knew he had a thing for you.”

My cheeks heated as I looked up. I was relieved when Tiffany arrived, immediately making a beeline for our table. “Are you ready to meet Biscuit?”

Janet chuckled as she moved on to check on another table.

Tiffany looked so expectant and cheerful, I couldn’t help but laugh. “You really want me to meet Biscuit.”

She nodded vigorously, giving me a saucy grin. “I do. I mean, obviously, I love animals. Iamthe office manager at a vet clinic after all, and the rescue program is one of the things I love the most about Wes.”

“Is that how you two met?” I asked.

“I’ll fill you in, but we need to get going. I have a schedule,” she explained. She and Parker chatted for a minute while I got my jacket on and stood. Waving goodbye to Parker, I left with her.

Outside in the parking lot, I angled toward my car, but Tiffany caught me by the elbow. “Ride with me. I’ll drop you back off here.”

As she drove, I repeated my question. “Is that how you and Wes met? At the rescue program?”

Tiffany snorted. “It’s much more complicated than that. To make a very long story short, one of my best friends and one of his best friends got married after college. Wes and I never met until they both died in an accident. We were named joint guardians of their son.”

When she stopped at an intersection, I glanced over, my eyes wide. “I’m really sorry about your friends.”

Her eyes were sad. “I am too. And, thank you.” She took a quick breath before continuing, “So, we became joint parents basically. We’ve since adopted Ross, along with the dog Wes was fostering at the time. Conveniently, we actually love each other. Wes is not a hard sell. He’s totally hot.”

I burst out laughing. “I’m glad you think so.”

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