Page 63 of Delayed Penalty

“Hmm?” I ask, looking down at Flora as we walk down the sidewalk to my mother’s bakery. She was up early this morning asking about chocolate donuts, and I couldn’t say no to her.

I was, however, surprised when Hayes decided to come along, especially given he still hasn’t so much as looked at me all morning. But I can’t think about that, not when Flora’s observing me with her dark brows pinched together and eyes full of concern.

“Sorry, little flower. I’m just tired today. What did you ask?”

“I was wondering if we could go to the park again today, but if you’re tired, we can just go home.”

I smile. She’s too damn sweet. I glance over at Hayes to see if he’s witnessing this, but he’s too busy staring at the sidewalk, avoiding any and all eye contact with me.

Seriously?I don’t understand why he can’t act like an adult about this.

“We can go to the park. In fact, let’s make Sunday mornings official park days, huh? We can call it Sunday Funday at the Park with Just Quinn and Flora the Little Flower.”

She wrinkles her nose. “That’s a long name. Let’s just call it Park Day.”

I laugh. “Deal. Want to watch a movie tonight, too? I can make popcorn, and maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll even show you how good it is when you dump M&M’s into it.”

“M&M’s and popcorn? I don’t know…”

“Hey, you loved the mayo and ketchup on your fries, didn’t you?” She nods. “Then trust me on this.”

“Fine, but if it’s bad, I’m never trusting you again.”

I chuckle as Hayes pulls open the lilac door to B’s Bakes. Oh, look, I guess he hasn’t forgotten all his manners. He just hates me.

“Flora!” my mother calls as we walk in.

“Hi, Mom. I’m here too.”

She waves me off, not caring, all her attention on Flora as she practically runs to the donut case. I cannot believe how far she’s come in the last few weeks. Sure, she’s still shy around people she doesn’t know, but she’s starting to flourish around the ones she does. I love seeing her like this, happy and like an actualkid. I hope it only gets better from here.

“You want your chocolate donut with sprinkles?” my mother asks her.

She nods. “Extrasprinkles. And a chocolate milk in a mug, please.”

“You got it!”

My mother happily punches the order into the screen and turns her attention to me and Hayes, her eyes dancing between us. I know the second she recognizes the awkwardness there, her smile slipping a little. She doesn’t miss the stiffness in his shoulders either, the way his lips are turned down in a frown, and she definitely doesn’t miss how he’s standing as far away from me as possible.

She pulls her lips back up, but where it was genuine with Flora, it’s now forced.

“Your usual, Hayes?”

He nods, notusing his wordsas he’s instructed Flora to do so many times.

My mother purses her lips. “Sure.”

She turns her gaze on me, so many questions in hereyes. Ones I really don’t want to answer in front of Flora.

I tap her head. “Hey, little flower. Why don’t you and your uncle go grab our table, hmm? I’ll get this.”

It’s telling that Hayes doesn’t even insist on paying. He just grabs Flora’s shoulder and steers her toward the table by the window. I watch them go, then blow out a deep breath before facing my mother again.

Her purple-coated lips are pressed tightly together. “I know for a fact that man should be smiling right now. The Serpents just won their first game last night. He has no business looking so…so…well, grumpy. Is everything okay?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. He’s just in a mood today.”

But I do know. Ireallyknow.

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