“Definitely,” I said, then turned to Lena. “What do you want to do at the park, gorgeous?”
“Swing,” she cried and grinned at me.
Once we were ready, I made sure to grab my keys and opened the door. And wished I hadn’t. There was a huge bouquet sitting in front of my door. The only difference to previous deliveries was this time I spotted a card as well.
“Flowers,” Lena yelled and sprinted out.
“Lena, no,” I called and caught her around her middle. She thought it was a game and giggled.
“Again,” she yelled, kicking her little legs.
“Luca, stop,” I said when he moved toward the flowers as well.
“But I wants to sees them too,” he wailed, going into meltdown mode.
I caught his arm and took a step back, my retreat slowed down by my uncooperative children.
“What’s going on?” Gears asked, walking up to my front door. He must have been the unlucky one tasked with watching me today.
His attention snapped to the flowers, and he stopped. “Who sent you flowers?”
“If you get rid of them for me, I’ll bake you whatever cake you want,” I said, still wrangling my kids back into the house.
He tilted his head, not removing the flowers. “Why do you want to get rid of them?”
“I don’t want them,” I wheezed, getting a good workout from holding my kids.
He looked at me like I’d gone insane. “You don’t even know who they’re from.”
“I’m sure I know who sent them. And I don’t want them.”
He took a step closer, still not taking care of the flippity-flip flowers. “I think I should call Ace.”
“I don’t care what you do as long as you remove them.”
When the kids refused to go back inside, I walked around the flowers instead, careful not to touch anything.
“We’re going to the playground,” I said and marched across the street to the park.
At least we didn’t have to go far. It also meant I could keep an eye on my front door—which I hadn’t locked despite my best intention—and make sure the flowers were gone before I returned.
There was no use getting upset. I’d decided this required a case of “ignorance is bliss.” If I just pretended there were no flowers, then there also wasn’t a stalker. Easy.
We hadn’t been at the park for long when the roar of motorcycle pipes rang through the neighborhood. I watched three bikes pull into my driveway and sighed. Looked like ignorance wasn’t going to work this time.
Sebastian’s head snapped in my direction as soon as Gears snitched on me.
“Let’s go back home,” I said to the kids, deflated. I didn’t want to go anywhere near those flowers. Or anywhere near Sebastian, who was standing in my driveway, arms crossed, sunglasses on his gorgeous face. He belonged on a magazine cover with his high cheekbones and full lips.
Neither Lena nor Luca was happy about only getting to play for such a short time. But I knew if I ignored the angry hulk standing in front of my house for too long, I’d make things worse for myself.
It took a few more minutes until I was able to pick up Lena and take Luca by the hand and walk back.
Sebastian hadn’t moved, his face hard, his jaw muscles tight. Why in the world would he even be angry? Wasn’t my fault Gears pulled him away from whatever he was doing.
“Inside. Now,” he barked once my foot hit the driveway.
“Stop bossing me around. I’m not a dog,” I hissed, my nerves already frayed.
