The Resurrection of Wildflowers (Wildflower #2)(42)

“So,” she twists her lips back and forth, “death is nicer than life then, right?”

“What do you mean, sweetie?”

“Well, I get a boo-boo and feel it. I cry and I get sad. But death takes that away so it can’t be so bad.”

I smile at her. “That’s a great way of looking at things.”

Stepping off the porch, I hold her hand and walk next door to Thayer’s. He’s coming out of his house. His hair is damp from a shower, curling around his ears. He’s dressed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a green shirt. Butterflies take flight in my stomach just looking at him.

“Are you ladies ready for breakfast?” He pushes the button on his keyfob to unlock his truck.

“Yes! Yes!” Seda jumps up and down. “I want pancakes with chocolate chips and syrup and whipped cream and—” I place my hand gently on her hand to stop her bouncing around. She giggles, smiling up at me. “Sorry.”

Thayer is grinning at the whole thing, his eyes lit up as he watches us. “Pancakes, got it.”

“Oh, shoot,” I smack my forehead, “let me grab her car seat.” I turn to walk next door, but Thayer stops me.

“Already taken care of.” He opens the back passenger door, revealing a booster seat almost exactly like the one in my own car. Except this one is bright pink. I picked one that matched my car’s interior, but Thayer’s chose one that’s Seda’s favorite color—well, second favorite after rainbow.

I am not going to cry over a car seat! I admonish myself.

“Oh, wow. Okay. When did you get this?”

“Last night.” He says it so casually, like he didn’t run out late at night and buy a whole booster seat for Seda. It’s such a little thing in the scheme of things, but it means everything.

“Hurry up, you guys. I’m hungry.” Seda climbs up into the back and in her seat. She buckles herself in, but just like I always do Thayer tightens the straps, making sure she’s secure.

He closes the car door, arching a brow when he finds me standing there staring at him. “What? Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” I shake my head slowly. “You do everything right. That’s what is so annoying.”

He laughs, crossing his arms over his chest. “Annoying? How so?”

“Because nobody else can measure up,” I mutter, skittering around him to get in the car.

He doesn’t let me go that easy. His warm hand closes around my wrist, spinning me around until I collide with his chest. “I don’t do these things for that purpose. I would never try to … to bribe my way into your good graces.”

Shaking my head, I can’t take my eyes off his hand around my wrist. “I know that, Thayer.”

He doesn’t say anything, but I see it in his eyes.

He loves me. He still loves me as much as he did back then. It’s never changed, but he won’t say it because he won’t push himself back into my life.

“We better go,” I say, breaking the moment and gently pulling my arm from his. “Seda’s hungry.”

He nods, turning away with a mumbled, “Okay.”

The two of us are quiet on the drive to the diner, but Seda entertains us telling Thayer stories about her school and her best friend Maddy. He takes in every word, memorizing every detail she gives him.

Thayer parks behind the diner. Almost immediately Seda is unbuckling herself, reaching for the door but it has kid safety locks so she can’t get out.

“Open sesame,” she groans, trying to force the door open. “I want pancakes in my tummy!”

Soberly, I warn Thayer, “She’s a monster when she’s hungry.”

“It’s too bad I ate my emergency Snickers.”

“Chocolate chip pancakes, please!” She shakes the door handle again.

Putting her out of her misery, I get out of the truck and open her door. She climbs down, staying by my side since she knows better than to run off.

Thayer locks up the truck, the three of us heading inside the diner. This might be a small town, but this place is always busy. Several people look our way, and I know they’re probably figuring out what’s going on here.

It’ll be all over town soon that not only did I just come back to town, but I had Thayer’s love child at nineteen. This will fill the town’s gossip quota for the next five years—at least.

You seat yourself, so Thayer leads us to a booth in the back. He slides in one side and I know he’s expecting Seda to sit opposite him with me, but instead she chooses his side. His eyes dart from her to me with surprise.

I take my spot across from them and I know this is one of those times I’m taking a snapshot in my mind. I don’t want to forget this, how perfect they look side by side.

“Can someone get me chocolate chip pancakes in this place?” Seda asks loud enough that almost the entire building hears. If they weren’t already staring, they would be now.

“Seda, that’s not how we ask for things we want.”

“Oh, I forgot the please. Sorry.”

I shake my head, she’s right on forgetting that but I was thinking more along the lines of using her inside voice.

“Well, well, well look at you. I thought I’d never lay my eyes on the Salem Matthews again.”