“You’ve never been?” Lucas shot Serena a look of surprise.
She shrugged and turned her neck to see Cecily. “You’ve never asked to go.”
“I didn’t know I always wanted to until I had a dad. It seems like the epitome of an American family pastime.”
“If bowling is what you want, bowling we will go.” Lucas navigated heavy traffic without any problem.
Traffic wasn’t her friend, and she’d hated driving in Houston. Going into Lafayette wasn’t nearly as hectic, but she’d always prefer her country roads. “I haven’t been bowling since high school. Remember that one time my dad authorized a youth outing and we went? You came with but had to pretend you didn’t know me.”
“I still don’t know why you wanted me to go.”
She winked and cast a carefree grin his way. “You were eye candy.”
Cecily groaned. “I take it back. It’s not okay to flirt with each other in front of me.”
“Too late.” Lucas chuckled, then focused on driving.
Serena relaxed in her seat and enjoyed the drive. She’d forgotten what it was like to be completely at peace, if she’d ever known at all.
After an hour, Lucas drove into a small subdivision of mainly one-story homes. There was a playground at the front where a boy and girl played on a teeter-totter and another girl swung on a swing. Several kids rode their bikes along the road and moved to the far side as Lucas drove by.
He stopped at a house with light gray siding and green shutters. Though it had a two-car garage, Lucas parked in the driveway. “This is Damien Calloway’s house. He’s been gone since last July, but I picked up a few snacks and drinks earlier, along with other basics so you wouldn’t be without.”
He helped them out of the car and carried their bags, unlocked the front door. Standing aside, he motioned for Cecily to open the door and enter first. He quickly stepped behind her and pulled out his phone.
When Cecily opened the door, a bucket of confetti fell on her and scattered everywhere. She squealed with surprise and delight. “Why you…”
Lucas laughed and held up his phone. “I have it all on video.”
“Don’t you dare share that with anyone.” Cecily’s giggles and ear-to-ear grin belied her warning.
“Go all the way in. There’s no more buckets of confetti, I promise.”
She gave a doubtful look but walked in anyway and gasped. “You did all this for me?”
Serena followed Lucas inside to see what it was all about. Balloons covered every inch of the living room ceiling. AHappy Birthdaybanner stretched from one end to the other. Lucas pressed a button on his phone and the birthday song played. He sang along loudly, and despite his exaggerated efforts, his smooth baritone voice did justice to the song.
When he finished, he draped an arm over Cecily’s shoulders. “Since I couldn’t be there for your birthday last month, I wanted to make it up to you.”
“It’s awesome. Thank you.”
“Come into the kitchen.” Leading the way, he took them through the dining room of the open floor plan. A large white box sat on the kitchen counter, and Lucas flipped the top open. “I had this made, just for you.”
Cecily looked down and broke into another smile. “It looks exactly like a radar map. I feel sorry for whoever’s in that red spot right now.”
Serena slid her phone from her pocket and snapped a picture to save the memory. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“A buddy’s wife is a cake decorator, and all credit goes to her.”
“She did an incredible job.” She admired the cake again, thinking it would be a shame to ruin it’s beauty by cutting it.
“Before we dig in, we should eat lunch first.” Another secret smile graced his face. “However, for what I had in mind, I have to run an errand. I won’t be long, if you both want to rest for a few minutes.”
She would have been fine going with him, but for whatever reason, he wanted the errand to be a surprise. “I’ll let your family know we made it, and I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs some.”
“Will you be gone long?” Cecily’s eyes lost a fraction of their sparkle.
“Fifteen minutes, twenty tops.”
