Page 18 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

CHAPTER TEN

DAYNA

L uke and I hung up only a few hours ago and I miss him, I miss Sadie.

I know I shouldn’t but I do. I hope he is enjoying his time back home.

I hope Sadie has enough flowers for her mom.

I made way more than I gave Luke but I didn’t want to overwhelm her.

We were on the phone for three hours while Sadie was asleep.

I could hear his playlist in the background and I had a flashback to driving around our hometown listening to Luke’s iPod.

The summer nights listening to Train and singing along to anything on the radio.

I’m in my living room on the sofa when I check my phone just in case Luke texted or called me. I opened it to the notification screen, and I saw I missed a few texts from Cara while I was on the phone with Luke earlier.

Cara: Did he end up calling you?

Cara: Everyone asked where you were and everyone also noticed a certain third grade teacher and his daughter were absent from tonight’s pizza night.

Cara: You should have seen Dean’s face when he realized you both weren’t there.

Cara: He asked me where you were and I told him he had pizza sauce on his shirt. Then he left me alone for the rest of the night.

Cara: Obviously, you’re on the phone with him, when you’re done, text me.

How did I not hear my text alerts? I’m surprised Dean didn’t come knock down my door looking for me. I’ve never missed a night at Alfredo’s until tonight. It was worth it though. I begin writing out my responses for Cara and send her all the info I know she’s waiting for.

Hi! He did call, and we talked for about 3 hours. I told him about my divorce. Luke was so understanding.

A few seconds later I feel the vibrations of incoming text messages. I knew she would be awake. It’s 11 o’clock on a Friday. If she’s not with me, she’s home watching Boy Meets World or online shopping for the newest sneakers.

Cara: You went all in. Good for you!

Cara: How do you feel about telling him everything?

Conflicted. I want to be his friend but I also want to be more. He isn’t ready but the way he looks at me, I can feel the energy change between us. He told me “It’s like we have been friends the entire time.”

Cara: Dayna…he may say you two are friends but obviously he’s attracted to you. You two need time. He needs time to figure out what he wants. You need to think about if he doesn’t come around. What would you do then?

I haven’t thought about that yet. I’ll wait for him as long as I need to but I also don’t want to pressure him. I’m really okay with being in his life right now.

Cara: What about Sadie?

That little girl is stealing my heart and I think about the two of them constantly.

Cara: How did the world put you two together in the same place again?

I have no idea. I wish things weren’t so painful for them.

Cara: Get some rest. I’ll be there in the morning. Don’t even try to say you’re busy because I know you’re going to be checking your phone every ten minutes.

Cara isn’t wrong, I’ve been checking it so often, I swear to myself I’m just checking the time, and the weather, and the calculator app…just waiting for his text tone. God. She knows me so well.

Fine, but let’s go for breakfast when you get here. I’ll actually be ready.

Cara: Go to sleep already.

Love you too Cara.

I woke up at 3 AM to get water and before I laid back down, I reached for my phone on its charging pad. I checked my messages, and I had four unread text messages from Luke.

Luke: Sadie heard us talking, and she said she wants to talk to you next time we are on the phone.

Luke: I told her I’d let her say hi to you next time.

Luke: If that’s alright with you of course.

Luke: Good night, Evans. Sweet dreams.

Sweet dreams? Why does he have to say things like that? I start typing out the message before I fall back to sleep. My eyelids are heavy but my heart is fluttering.

Awe, of course that’s alright with me. I’d like that a lot. Good Night, Love.

With one eye open, I hit send and place my phone back on its charging pad. I have literally four hours before Cara picks me up for breakfast.

My bedroom feels fresh, and it seems like it’s overcast outside.

I plan out my outfit before I get out of bed.

With my phone in my hand, I make my way to my bathroom.

I won’t look at my phone today unless it’s Cara calling me or if it’s her text tone.

I know Luke is with his in-laws and it’s the first time they see each other in a month.

If he texts, I’ll reply but I won’t sit around waiting.

But who am I kidding, you and I both know I will.

Just as I’m about to step in the shower, I hear Luke’s text tone. I instantly smile and reach for it off the counter.

Luke: Did you drink with Cara last night?

Luke: Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered.

I don’t get it. Why would he think I was drinking with her? I scroll up a little higher to my message from last night and my stomach drops to the ground. “Love.” I wrote “LOVE!” Oh my god this is not happening. I was half asleep when I responded.

Unfortunately, I was completely sober when I sent that.

But in my defense, I was half asleep. I swear, I wrote Luke.

Luke: I can picture you with your sleepy eyes trying to text back in bed.

I rather picture him naked but I won’t tell him that.

With the water running, I step in and begin my shower.

I think of him and after all these years, I can still feel his hands on me as the water drips off my body.

It doesn’t help that I haven’t had sex in three years so it wouldn’t take much for me.

The simplest touch from him would probably send me over the edge.

Cara and I came to Sunrise Diner, I caught her up on the latest messages. She was laughing so hard the waitress thought she was choking. I had to let her know Cara was having a laughing fit at my expense. I told Cara she’s going to have to tip her more for scaring her.

“I’d tip her double if I could hear that again for the first time. You poor thing.”

Resting my elbows on the table, I put my face in my hands. “Ugh, it was an accident. I don’t even want to think about it anymore. Can we please talk about something else?” Taking a bite from her stack of blueberry pancakes Cara nods her head.

“As a matter of fact, I want to talk about the Fall carnival. Dean brought it up last night.” I completely forgot to tell her myself.

“Do you know what kind of booth you want to do?”

“I was thinking, face painting. ”

“As long as it’s not balloon animals. You passed out a bunch of ‘worms’ and all the kids got upset.”

Our first year teaching at Stonebrook Elementary, they had a Spring carnival and Cara volunteered to make balloon animals. She had no idea what she was doing. She started pumping as many balloons as possible.

Mrs. Emily ended up saving the day by making little balloon crowns.

“Those weren’t worms , they were snakes, thank you very much.”

“Well I like the face painting idea.”

“Good, because I signed you and Luke up for it.”

“Cara Jane Davis. You can’t be serious!”

“Hey, you were the only two that weren’t there last night. I had to sign up with Dean before he tried to get you to do the pumpkin carving contest with him.”

That was initially my idea, I was looking forward to it too. I can’t be too upset, I get to spend time with Luke and Sadie if he agrees to work the booth. We have a month until the carnival, there is no telling how things could be by then.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“No, I think that’s it. It’ll be fine, trust me.”

I take the last bite of my pancakes and push my plate to the side.

The waitress stops by and drops the check on the table.

Cara reaches for it and insists on paying as if we don’t take turns paying.

It’s her turn to pay and I remind her to tip the waitress more for the coughing fit she had earlier.

The diner is our favorite spot for breakfast and late night pancakes after a late night out at Lime A Dozen.

I sip the rest of my coffee before we leave.

Cara is at the register and my phone vibrates.

I glance at the screen and it’s Luke, he sent me a photo of Sadie.

In her hands, she’s holding some of the flowers I made.

She’s standing in front of a beautiful home with rose bushes underneath the porch banister.

Her smile reaches her hazel eyes, and she’s looking off to the side as if something caught her eye.

Luke: She wanted to say thank you for making her mom these beautiful flowers.

With a single tear falling, I wipe it away. Sadie is the most thoughtful child I have ever met. I am so glad I learned how to make those flowers in college.

She is very welcome. Glad she likes them.

Luke: She loves them.

Cara comes back to the table, and she sees me staring at my phone. “Dayna, you have to have some self control—” I hold up the photo to her and she immediately awes. “He sent you a photo of his daughter?” I nod my head because if I speak up, I’ll tell Cara, I’m falling hard for someone I can’t have.