Page 17 of After We Fall

After whisking it around my body, I dive my arms in, yank the lapels closed, and tug the tie taut at my waist.

“What do you think he’s doing in there?” Tanya says to the house.

“Assessing the situation.”

Before I can figure out what we can do to help, Luke’s massive, shadowed figure fills the doorway. “Okay, ladies. Come on back.”

As we make our way toward the lit-up house, I glance back to check on Bianca. She trudges behind the rest of us, her stoic face pointed to the ground, hands in her pockets.

When I cross the threshold, Luke grabs my wrist. I stop, causing the other three to pile up behind me.

“I think we all need to sit down and have a talk.” Without sparks of humor in his eyes, he is almost unrecognizable. The protective beast I’ve known was in Luke stands in front of me.

“May we please wait until morning?” I slide my eyes to indicate the girls.

“Not sure that’s a good idea.”

Finley peeks around me. “Is my bear okay?”

A muscle in his face twitches. “The bear is fine. Except the delivery wasn’t for you.”

Her shoulders slump as if his words poked a hole in her spirit. “Then who was it for?”

Luke’s searing gaze shoots to me. “Penelope.”

5

“All right. It’s just the two of us. You got something you want to tell me?” Hands splayed on his narrow hips, expansive chest puffed, Luke’s commanding presence fills the kitchen.

“Shh.” I shush him with my hand. “Settling the girls took long enough. I don’t need your voice to alarm them. Again.” Though I am glad he relented and postponed asking the girls more questions until tomorrow.

I pull the rubber band out of my ponytail. “Finley looks at me like I ran over her dog. I almost wish those flowers were from Marcus.” Running my fingers through my hair, I regather it into a ponytail, swirl it around, and tuck it securely into the elastic.

He scowls at the bun I created. I don’t know what that’s about, so I smooth the strays flat against my head and tuck some wisps around my ears. “What is going on?”

“Who’s Jason Livingstone?” His clipped words are full of irritation.

I cock my head to the side, trying to put all the pieces of the night together. “What?”

He steps toward me. “Who is Jason Livingstone?”

“I grew up with him.” That statement’s not a lie. “We’re close.” Neither is that one.

His gaze narrows. “He sent the bear. To you.”

Relieved, I exhale and roll my eyes. Jason’s been known to send gifts over the years. But I don’t want to get into my past. “Of course he did.” To avoid Luke’s scrutiny, I walk to the opposite side of the kitchen.

“Is this someone you’re involved with?”

My heart stops. He thinks I’m involved with someone? Why do I care if he thinks I’m involved with someone?

I open a cabinet, studying the shelves, calming my nerves. “Jason’s a friend, Luke. Why does this matter?” Describing Jason as a friend is easier than describing who he really is to me. Too many questions.

Luke thrusts the florist card under my nose, causing me to lean back to bring the words into focus.

I’m glad you enjoyed the wedding. Just wait until the time is right because I’ve got something planned for us.

No name is attached to the message.