Todd backed up a couple of steps. “This won't stop me,” he said to Stella. “I know you have all these people around telling you lies about me, telling you I'm a bad influence, that you shouldn't take me back. But I'm going to prove that they're wrong about me, you'll see.” He turned, without looking at the other man, and shifted into his wolf form, loping away into the trees.
Stella let out a shaky breath. Then she turned to the newcomer. “Thank you,” she repeated.
It was almost hard to force the words out. Because on the one hand, she was grateful that he’d made Todd leave—especially since Eva was with her.
But on the other hand, why could some random man drive him away, when Stella’s own words had no effect at all? It was so incredibly frustrating.
“Believe me, it was my pleasure,” said the man grimly. “You’re all right? You’re both all right?” His eyes flicked back and forth from Stella to Eva.
“We’re fine,” Stella insisted. “He didn’t do anything but took.”
The man exhaled audibly. “Sounds like that was enough.” He took a step forward. “Excuse my manners—I’m Nate.” He held out his hand.
“Stella.” She shook, and had to hold back a sudden inhale at the spark she felt when they touched. His hand was warm, roughly calloused, and big, with long fingers, and the way it enveloped hers was—what was she thinking? She motioned to her daughter. “This is Eva.”
He turned to Eva, and Stella let out a silent breath of relief. This was not the time to be fixating on a new man.
Eva shook his hand shyly. She was close enough to Stella that their shoulders were bumping. Stella reached out and tugged her even closer, an arm around her shoulders. “You okay, baby?”
“I’m fine.” But her voice was quiet, not her usual strident tone.
“Hello, Eva,” their new defender said in a friendly voice, “I’m a friend of Ken’s. I run a company that works to keep people safe when they’re in situations like this, where someone won’t leave them alone.”
Oh. So this was Ken’s old Marine buddy. Stella gave him a longer look.
“I have a lot of experience at this. I’m going to make sure this goes away, and that this guy won’t bother you or your mom anymore. Okay?”
“Okay.” Eva was almost silent now. Stella was suddenly and deeply furious at Todd for making her daughter sound like that.
Nate looked back at her. “Okay?”
Stella nodded once. “Can’t happen fast enough.”
Nate’s mouth quirked in a smile. “I absolutely concur. How about we get back to the house?”
So they all walked back together, Eva sticking close, Nate a few steps ahead. Stella wondered if he was doing that on purpose, to act as a guard. But then what if Todd came up behind them?
She shook that idea off. Todd hadn’t done anything violent, hadn’t even threatened to. The only thing they’d called Nate in for was to keep him from hanging around and being creepy. If he had been violent, then they could have gone to the police. So there was nothing to worry about.
Hopefully.
When they reached the house, Stella pushed Eva forward, sending her through the door ahead of her, and then followed. Nate had hung back, she realized, doing the same thing she had done for Eva: making sure they were safe before he was.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Normally Stella chafed at the idea of restriction, of anyone tracking her movements or telling her what to do. It was what had made her relationship with Lynn so difficult over the years, and what made it so frustrating to work as a waitress.
But there was also a kind of warmth in knowing that someone was going to be there if something happened.
And it was only temporary, of course. Once Todd was taken care of, life would go back to normal.
Lynn and Ken were out, so Stella led Nate into the living room. “Would you like anything? Coffee, water, beer...” She tried to remember what they had in the fridge. None of them were the greatest at keeping the kitchen stocked. Stella was too forgetful, Lynn was too used to stockpiling one person’s worth of ready-to-eat food, and Ken was away too often.
But Nate shook his head. “Nothing for me, thanks. I’d like to sit down with you and talk through the situation, if you have some time.”
Stella nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry no one was here to meet you...”
Nate waved that off. “I just grabbed the first flight there was. Didn’t want anyone to rearrange their schedules for me. Do you want me to give Ken a call, confirm that I am who I say I am?” He held up his phone, his eyes serious.
“Oh, I didn’t even think,” Stella said blankly. “Who would try to impersonate...? No, there’s no need for that.”