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My eyes drifted to hers, and she spared me a second of a glance. Her cheeks darkened and she looked at Amma.
“All the more reason to pick it back up,” Amma replied once she’d recovered. “Come on. It’ll be fun!”
Stella’s lips pressed together and I wondered if she’d say no to one of her favorite pastimes. “Fine,” she said lowly. “But I can’t promise this is going to go well.”
“Find me when you’re done,” Amma said to me as she followed Stella. “I need help with a few more things.”
I sighed and put the jacket down on the couch. My body was still buzzing with Stella’s proximity and the desire to figure out who the hell had made her likethis.
But I shook it off, determined to get whatever Amma needed done with so I could leave.
The weatherproofing didn’t take me long, but then I was sent to move the couch and ensure enough wood was brought inside so she could keep the house warm. I thought I would be done after that.
The sky was darkening, promising dangerous snow and ice. We were running out of time.
But I wouldn’t leave Amma with this.
“Last thing, I promise,” she said when I bothered her again. Stella was busy glaring at a recipe like it personally offended her.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Complete this list.” She handed me a sheet of paper filled to thebrimwith menial tasks.
“The whole list? Amma, are you sure you’re okay?”
Stella finally turned. It seemed she was as worried as I was.
“Oh, I’m fine. Just busy.” She smiled and turned back to Stella, who opened her mouth to say something. “And don’t you start either, Stella. I’mfine.”
“Are you?”
“Areyou?”Amma fired back.
Stella pursed her lips and returned to her cooking. My brows pinched as I watched her. Amma looked just as worried.
Letting out a sigh, I got to work, rushing to complete the list so I could get back to my house. I kept thinking about Stella as I turned over her odd behavior in my mind. I wished my tasks were closer to the kitchen so I could have overheard what they were talking about.
Sometime later, Amma found me working on unclogging the drain in the bathroom.
“Alden,” she said, “be a dear and keep an ear on Stella for me. She’s cooking right now and I need to go check on something with my neighbor, Hank.”
I jerked up from under the sink. She wasleaving?“Wait?—”
“I have to go now if I want to be back before it starts. See you in a few minutes!”
She left so fast that I couldn’t get another word out. That woman couldmovewhen she wanted to.
Being alone with Stella wasn’t the best idea, but nothing would happen if I avoided her.
And I highly doubted she would talk to me.
I got back to work, trying not to think about the woman in the other room or the weather rapidly worsening.
Time ticked by, only disturbed by the sounds of me doing errands around the house and Stella banging kitchen pots in the background. It took me far too long to finish the list. By the time I was done, I was in a rush to tell Amma that I had to go.
I’d spent so long working that I assumed she’d already come back and I just didn’t hear her. I figured she would be in the kitchen to help Stella with cooking, so I took a chance and poked my head in.
“Amma, I’m going to head out when?—”