Page 5 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

CHAPTER TWO

DAYNA

I saw Luke Beckett play a college baseball game for the first time, when we were both Seniors.

It was during my spring break. I convinced my childhood best friend Cara Davis to go with me.

The three of us were the best of friends growing up.

I couldn’t tell you when the lines began to blur with Luke.

It happened so organically we became inseparable.

I was officially his girlfriend by our Sophomore year in high school and when our Senior year snuck up on us we were on different paths for college.

He had a full ride scholarship to play baseball, and I was moving south of the state to pursue Early Childhood Education.

I had dreams of being a teacher and eventually becoming a Principal at an elementary school.

Then things got complicated, and I was forced to break up with him.

Doing that was the hardest thing I had to do.

When I broke up with him and moved to college, I saved myself from continuous heartache by not looking him up.

But the opportunity to watch one of his final games showed up on the sports announcements.

His University will be playing in the championships for the first time at a school not too far from mine and Cara’s.

She knew all too well how hard it was for me to break up with him .

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel seeing him for the first time since graduation night, just four years ago.

I told Cara I wanted to sit on the opposing team’s side to avoid running into Luke or his friends.

The stadium was packed, and the cheers were ear piercing loud.

I felt this flutter of emotions rushing back in my stomach.

Seeing Luke on deck after a three strikeout inning, his name was called up to bat.

He looked incredibly handsome in his baseball uniform.

It’s almost as if time was at a standstill.

His team was down by 3 runs and bases were fully loaded. It was the bottom of the 9th inning with 2 outs. He was up to bat and the pitcher threw the first pitch and before you knew it; Luke swung, and the ball was sent flying over right field and into the outfield stands.

The crowd cheered, and the stands rumbled underneath our feet.

I’m sitting there in amazement but not at all surprised.

Luke was a phenomenal baseball player. Luke’s walk off home run ended the game.

He rounded third base and his entire team greeted him at home plate.

After his team gave him hugs and high-fives him, he turned and headed towards his dugout.

He ran straight into a girl’s arms and wrapped his tan muscular arms around the small of her back.

That is when I noticed who I assume were her parents trailing behind her on the field.

The duo held up two signs that read “Beckett for MVP!” and “That’s Our Slugger!

” The signs were cute and eye-catching. Her parents were wearing matching University shirts and her dad was wearing a baseball visor.

The girl in Luke’s arms wore her long wavy brown hair down and had on his baseball jersey with jean shorts and white high top converse.

He reached up to take off his baseball cap and placed it backwards on the top of her head.

He took her face in between his hands and kissed her.

He looked unbelievably happy with her. There is no denying he was head over heels in love with her.

Cara didn’t need to tell me what I should have known myself. He moved on and I should have too.

We walked out of the packed stadium still in full eruption of roaring cheers and music blaring from the overhead speakers. We walked down main street to a local Bar and Grill. Cara and I ordered a basket of french fries and a couple of beers .

That’s when Dean and I met for the first time.

He was so stunning with his clean cut blonde hair and his jawline was so sharp it could cut you.

His broad shoulders looked like he could easily lift up a car off the street.

He was sitting at a table with a few of his friends and sent over another basket of fries.

Clearly a way into our hearts is food, right?

Cara waved towards their table and that is when he winked at me and took a drink out of his beer.

We laughed at the thought of Dean being so straightforward.

She told me to go over and introduce myself.

I was feeling the defeat of seeing my high school ex-boyfriend and wanted to feel anything but the sadness I felt in my chest.

So I did something so out of character, it even shocked Cara.

I took out a pen from my purse and wrote my name and number on a napkin.

I walked over to Dean’s table. I dropped the napkin right onto his lap and reached over for his beer.

In one smooth motion I chugged the rest of his beer and slammed the mug back on the table.

Before I could even process what I just did, I turned towards the front door and walked out of the bar. Cara followed soon after.

Once we were both outside, we laughed together and she couldn’t stop describing the bashful look on Dean’s face. She was most certainly sure I had just met my future husband. Cara Davis was never wrong.

Dean texted me a few hours later, and we continued texting for days on end.

Surprisingly, he attended the same college as us and was also at the baseball game but left after the 5th inning.

He was on the Track and Field team and did Shot Put for our college.

No wonder his arms were so defined and muscular.

I never said the real reason why I was at the baseball game, only that I was there to watch the championship game and I couldn’t stay for the trophy ceremony.

That is when he told me I would have missed my chance at meeting the perfect guy if I would have stayed at the stadium a minute longer.

He was quite the confident man. That made me so attracted to him.

In all honesty, I left Luke Beckett behind on that baseball diamond, to save myself from more heartache.

Now if anyone told me Luke Beckett would be standing right in front of me after 14 years, I would not believe you.

He looks so different from the last time I saw him on that baseball diamond.

His short dark brown hair is now peppered with grays.

He has a well-groomed beard that looks so fucking good on him now.

He is still tanned and his chest is still very much as muscular as it was if not more defined all those years ago.

His ocean blue eyes slowly raked over me and that made my stomach drop.

Only Luke Beckett has ever been able to make my heart race and feel at peace all at once.

Wait— did she just say “Daddy?” Luke walks closer to the new student I just met and admires the paper flower I made her. It’s a fun little quirk I learned in college. As he is gradually closing the gap between us, I move my hair behind my ear and I finally addressed him, “Hi Luke.”

He looks at me but the emotional gaze he had a few moments ago is suddenly gone. He looked down and softly says “Hey Dayna. How have you been?” Sadie looks up at us and has questioning eyes then she goes back to stapling papers for Mrs. Emily.

I reach for my water tumbler behind me and I take a sip from it before I answer back.

“I’ve been well, I had the pleasure of meeting little Miss Sadie here.

I hope you don’t mind, Mrs. Emily had to run to the lady’s room when I just walked in.

What brings you to Stonebrook?” I set my water tumbler back down as I start playing with the metal straw.

I am so fidgety, it slips out of my hand and it loudly clinks against the now empty water tumbler.

Luke glances back up at me and that is when I see it.

His face has seemed to age with such pain and the softness around his blue eyes have hardened.

“We, uh— just moved here and I work at this Elementary School.” He lives here?

More importantly, he works here too? Oh my god, I cannot wait until I can call Cara! I wonder if she has seen him yet?

I take a step back and I bump into Mrs. Emily’s empty chair.

It moves slightly to the side and I lose my balance.

Without hesitating, Luke lunges forward and wraps his arm around the backside of my waist before I fall and I can feel the warmth of his hand on my exposed skin.

I grabbed onto his arm in response and sparks began to flow through my limbs and my face started to feel hot.

We are so close I can smell his familiar scent but with an oddly faint hint of coffee.

God— how does he smell the same? Noticing quickly at his chest, I see the giant coffee stain that I didn’t notice before on his button-up shirt.

That explains the faint coffee smell. I let go of his arm as he brought me upright on my feet.

He removes his hand from my lower back and puts it in his pocket.

The warm touch of where his hand once was lingers on my body.

Dean walks out of his office and he must have felt the tension between Luke and I because he looks at me with those dark eyes.

“Is everything alright here Dee?” Dean finally asks.

“Yeah, I just tripped over myself again. Y’Know how I am.

” I try to play it off. But Luke looks back at him after hearing the sound of Dean’s concerned voice and the way he is staring back at Luke with something short of jealousy.

Luke’s eyebrows scrunch as it clicks with him that we have the same last name.

It also never fails for Dean to act like he wasn’t the one to ask for the divorce.