Page 129 of Forbidden Heroes

“You need to talk to him.”

“I tried. I went home last Sunday and was promptly informed I was no longer their daughter.”

“And they gifted you that nastygram.”

I nod. Tears burn my eyes but I force them to retreat.

“How about we go to V-Day party? Something to help lighten your mode. Talk to some peeps, get you out of your funk?”

“The last party is what got me into this mess. I think I’ll grab another shift down at Krista’s, maybe give her the night off. I’ll be needing the extra money if I want to finish my degree before the baby.”

“Want me to come with? Sit there and keep you company? Make sure you drink enough water?”

I laugh softly. “No, go to your party. I have a couple of things to do before I leave anyway.”

“Are you sure?”

I pull Brooklyn in for a quick hug and tap the heart on my charm bracelet that belongs to her. I already have you with me. Go, have fun. Take pictures of your new boyfriend for me.” My friend is reluctant but she has a life and a new boyfriend. No way I would be the one to keep her. There’s no way I’m going to keep her from the first Valentine’s Day with her new love interest.

As soon as she is gone, I lock the door and head to the bathroom for a hot shower and a deep cry.

An hour later I’m serving a warm cup of hot cocoa to a group of students hitting the books hard and I’m hit with Brooklyn’s words of seeking my degree one way or another. I miss my books, but I miss them more.

“What’s wrong, honey? You look like you’re going to burst into tears.”

I turn to look over my shoulder to find Krista eyeing me intently. “It’s just been a long month or so.”

I force a smile and just my luck. Someone walks in so I duck my head and get to work. Between orders and on my breaks I pull out my ebook reader and flip through a couple of my textbooks. Most people my age prefer them over the tonnage of textbooks others lug around.

The sound of a bell pulls me out of my reading and I look up to find a man with a huge bouquet of flowers so big it covers his head and upper torso. He places them on a nearby table, turns and heads back out.

“Okay.” I find Krista staring at the man’s retreating back with the same puzzled look that’s on my face.

“Weird.”

The bell jingles again.

One by one each of the few parking spaces in front of the dinner fills with delivery men unloading vans all loaded down with every kind of flower. One stands at the door as they all parade back and forth. Within five minutes the place fills up with every kind of flower. Especially my favorite—tulips. In every color imaginable.

“Um, excuse me. This is a diner. You know that, right? What are you doing?” I turn one of the delivery guys around before he can walk off.

He nods. “What the bosses ordered.”

“Bosses?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Another nod.

I check the bouquets but don’t find a card.

“We figured this would be better than a note card.”

I twirl around at the sound of a familiar deep voice.

“We couldn’t figure out how to say what we wanted on a 3x2 piece of paper.”

I rush to Erik and throw my arms around him.

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