Here Comes Trouble Read Online Free Page B

much?"
    "I promise to take it into consideration."
    "I'm sure one of my friends could find you a
date if-"
    "I'll find my own dates, thank you."

    "But the reunion is less than two weeks away.
At least promise that if anyone asks you, you'll
agree to go with him."
    "What if it's someone I don't like?"
    Her mother frowned. "Well, you don't have to
agree, if that's the case. But you have to be sure
you don't like him."
    "What if I think I'll be miserable if I go to the
reunion with whomever this anonymous man is
who asks me?"
    "I don't want you miserable, Stella. I only want
you to go to the reunion with a date."
    Her mother meant well. Stella grinned, then
gave her mom a kiss on the cheek. "I promise I'll
keep it in mind when or if anyone asks me, Mom.
But don't go around asking men to ask me. Got
it?"
    "I'd never do anything so heavy-handed, especially not without your permission."
    "Good." Stella eyed her mother and wondered
if her response had been too pat. "I think we understand each other."
    "It's a mother's job to understand her daughter."
Her mother smiled. "Now, I have to run and get
your father's dinner before he goes to the town
council meeting. I'll let myself out."
    As her mother left the kitchen, Stella said, "Talk
with you tomorrow."
    "Don't forget to eat a good dinner with plenty of vegetables," her mother called back as she left.
Stella heard the door click closed, then reopen. "A
man needs encouragement to ask a woman out.
Don't forget to flirt a little."

    The door closed again. Stella buried her face in
her hands. Just what she needed right now: a nagging mother.
    After first placing a tea bag in a mug, she
quickly changed into an old baggy sweatshirt,
jeans, and sneakers. If her mother saw her dressed
like this, she'd do more than nag. She'd demand
they do the shopping she'd threatened earlier.
    Stella finished making her iced tea, grabbed her
satchel filled with papers to grade, then headed out
the back door. She loved her backyard filled with
trees and shrubs, and now that spring had arrived,
flowering bulbs. In another month or so, the wildflower seeds she'd sown would sprout. But this
time was exactly her favorite, when the garden
was filled with potential and richness and tender
shoots.
    She slowly meandered through her yard, then
made her way to the huge old oak tree situated in
the middle of it. And to the tree house snuggled
within its huge branches. She and Quin had built
it over several summers when they were children.
Her father had supervised, but they'd done the majority of the building themselves, including collecting materials for use.

    Dangling from one of the branches was a homemade platform with pulley and rope attached, used
for lifting items up into the tree. She placed her
tea and satchel on it, then raised the platform.
    After quickly climbing the rope ladder hanging
from the middle of the tree house, she popped
open the trapdoor in the floor and pulled herself
inside. The tree house was about twelve feet
square, but it had a snug wooden roof which she'd
only had to patch once to keep the rain out,
screened windows on all four sides, and the best
view of Littlemouth in town.
    Stella loved it up here, with the tree's leaves
just starting to form. As long as weather permitted,
she graded all her students' school papers in the
tree house. It was also where she did all her major
thinking. It felt safe, tucked up above the world.
    After her broken engagement, she'd spent more
and more time here, reinforcing the tree house supports, and making repairs. Besides her small desk
and an old wooden rocking chair, she'd added a
wicker divan, a bookshelf containing some of her
favorite books, and a throw rug. She'd even done
some decorating.
    Stella loved sewing and had added a few
touches to make the place feel homey. Working
on the tree house had given her time to work out
the complex emotions confusing her after breaking
up with