Page 12 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

CHAPTER SIX

DAYNA

E very now and then, I catch Luke looking at me.

I can feel his eyes on me and when I look his way, my face feels warm, then I see Dean glaring at me.

I turn my head quickly but I know my ex-husband can sense how I react to Luke.

I made Sadie a flower out of a napkin and she asked me to hold it for her.

Luke walked outside and was gone for a bit.

I was really tempted to go out there and ask him if he was alright.

I’m glad I didn’t because Dean strolled through the doors.

My phone vibrates, and it’s a text from Cara.

Cara: Beckett keeps looking at you. But Carter looks like he’s about to lunge over and kiss you…again.

Both of them know how shy I get whenever I’m flustered.

Cara: Girl, we know all you’re not flustered, you’re BLUSHING.

I nudge her side and she giggles. Dean takes that as an opportunity to ask what the rest of our weekend looks like. Cara says she’s binge watching Boy Meets World again and I know she is because she can recite scene for scene. Our favorite character is Shawn Hunter— need I say more?

Morgan and Cara are going on about this year’s Christmas program.

Every year since Cara and I became teachers, she made it her mission to put on the best production.

Her birthday is Christmas Day, and she goes above and beyond to make it special.

The students love it and the parents look forward to it each holiday season.

Cara asks Luke if he can sing and he laughs his gorgeous laugh. “No, absolutely not.” He says in an assuring voice. But Sadie has a different answer “My Daddy and I sing all the time in his truck, he loves singing— right, Daddy?”

Everyone’s attention turns to Luke, and he adjusts his glasses, and just doing that makes my inner thighs flinch.

“Yes Sadie, I love singing, but only with you , princess.” All the ladies at the table instantly sigh like they just fell in love with him.

Dean stands up and walks to the fountain drinks for a refill.

I glanced at Luke and he moved his head to the right as if he noticed Dean leaving the table too.

He shrugs it off and focuses his attention on Sadie.

I love the way he is so attentive to her and how he listens to every word his daughter says.

I caught sight of Dean standing alone by the fountain drink machine and I walked over to him. “What is bothering you so much, you had to stand over here by yourself?” I ask playfully.

“I just needed a refill. I didn’t think you would notice me walk away when you can’t seem to take your eyes off of him.” Dean says as his dark eyes pour into me.

“Dean. Don’t do this. You don’t even know him.”

He steps closer to me, “And you do?” Where is this coming from?

I have never seen him act this way. It’s almost as if he’s…

jealous . “You can’t be serious right now.

” I begin to walk away because I can’t even recognize the man in front of me right now.

Dean grabs my wrist “Wait. Shit— Dayna. I am sorry.” I turn to face him.

He releases my wrist and I cross my arms. “Dee, you know I care for you still, so this is hard for me.” Really?

He cares for me? This man can’t be serious .

“I understand you think you may care for me but you can’t get mad at me for the way I react to someone.”

“Dayna, it’s not just anyone , it’s your ex-boyfriend you kept a secret from me.” He says as he walks back to the table. The nerve of this man.

I turn to go to the restroom, I can’t go back to the table right now.

I feel so angry with Dean. The two stall restroom is empty so I let the door close behind me.

I reach the sink and stare into the mirror.

What is wrong with me? My body reacts to Luke’s eyes on me and I completely forget about everyone around me.

I wash my hands and dry them with a paper towel. I begin to open the door when Sadie strolls right in. Luke is standing in the hallway awkwardly. “Sadie, do you think you can go in alone?” He asks his daughter. “Can Ms. Carter wait in the restroom with me?”

“I don’t mind, I’ll wait. I’ll be by the paper towel dispenser.” Then I peek at Luke and he mouths “Thank you,” before the door closes.

Sadie does her business and I get the paper towels ready for her as she walks out of the first restroom stall.

“Ms. Carter, do you like being my Daddy’s boss and bossing him around?

” I let out a little giggle “I do like being your Daddy’s boss but I don’t get to boss him around, that’s not how it really works for me.

” She looks at me through the mirror as she’s washing her hands.

“If I was my Daddy’s boss I would ask him to serve me ice cream for dinner every night.

” I am one hundred percent positive that if she would ask Luke to get her ice cream, he would do it.

I hand her the paper towels and she dries her hands and we both walk out to the hallway.

“... Sounds great, I love you too.” Luke turns around and puts his phone in his pocket.

He reaches for Sadie’s hand and the three of us walk back to the table.

I walk behind them thinking about who he could be telling he loved to.

Did he have a girlfriend? Was it Sadie’s mother?

Cara sees me and knows there’s something wrong with me.

I am always that readable. I sit down and she leans over and whispers “What happened? I texted you.” I glance at my phone and read the text from Cara.

Cara: Why is Dean being such a jerk right now?

That I can agree too.

Because he IS a jerk!!

But it’s not Dean, Luke just told someone he loved them on the phone.

I replied to Cara’s text. She gives me a reassuring look.

Cara: Don’t read too much into it.

I lock my phone and place it on the table.

Morgan asks if anyone wants more pizza. Everyone seemed to have had their pizza fill.

Luke is in full conversation with Caleb and his wife.

Dean is sulking, eating the last slice of pizza.

I can see the mischief look on Mrs. Emily’s face when she approaches me.

She whispers to me as she hugs me and says “I’ve been keeping an eye on this end of the table, you need a better poker face, sugar.

” I look at her and she gives me a second hug. “Nothing gets past you, Mrs. Emily.”

I hear Luke tell Caleb he is getting ready to leave but trying to separate the girls is going to be an issue.

Those two girls had so much fun together tonight.

Megan and Luke exchange phone numbers so their girls can FaceTime each other.

Cara looks at me and then tells Luke, “We want your number too. You know, just in case you get locked out and you don’t want to call Mrs. Emily again.

” I let out a laugh and Dean scoffs. He doesn’t realize he did that until we are all staring at him.

He then says “Sorry, I was clearing my throat.”

Luke hands Cara his phone and she saves my number, calls me with his phone and I hit ignore so I can save it later. Cara hands Luke his phone back, and he goes to his contacts and smiles brightly .

“Cara, why is there a crown emoji next to your name?” Luke laughs and says “I’m going to leave it but just so you know, the only one with a crown is Sadie.

” Cara looks over to Sadie and says “The crown does look better on you!” Sadie reaches over her head and I can tell she’s confused.

Luke is looking down at his phone and then his eyes meet mine.

Ugh. What did Cara save me as? “I put a strawberry next to your name because you always smell like strawberries.” Cara whispers.

At that moment Dean gets up to his feet and announces he is leaving too.

“Dee, can I call you later?” We really do need to talk but he isn’t the type to let everyone know his business.

“Yeah— um, I’ll let you know when I get home.

” Cara and I trade looks and I roll my eyes. He has never acted this way before.

After Dean walked out, the rest of us left Alfredo’s as well.

Cara drove us tonight so we’re walking to her car.

We see Luke and Sadie next to his black truck, he opens the door for her.

I looked closely at her hands and she’s holding the paper flower I made her.

She carefully gets into the truck holding it gently.

Once she’s buckled in, he closes her door.

He swings around the front end of his truck and waves at us.

“Goodnight ladies. Have a safe night and don’t drink too much wine, Cara.

” I can’t help but laugh loudly. Cara says “Ha Ha, very funny Beckett. You just worry about who you’re going to call when your key card doesn’t work on Monday.

” He shakes his head and smiles, “Don’t worry, I’ll call Dayna.

” And he closes his door and starts his truck.

We reach Cara’s car and head to my house.

“Are you staying over?”

“No, I want to sleep in my bed tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I love your guest bed but I miss my own.”

I get it. But I know she’ll be at my house in the morning with coffee and ready to watch Boy Meets World tomorrow. We pull up into my driveway and I tell her don’t come over too early. She laughs and says as if that will stop her. She is such a morning person. I can’t stand it.