Beautifully Broken (The Broken Series Book 2) (40 page)

Dr.
Sandstrom smiled. “They were delivered for you an hour ago. Maybe someone was
concerned you wouldn’t receive them, since you weren’t at home today.”

Shae
nudged me teasingly. “I thought you said you weren’t dating anyone.”

I
shook my head. “I’m not.” I slowly pulled the envelope from where it was
nestled among the flowers. I stared at the envelope, suddenly terrified to open
it.

“Would
you open it already?” our classmate, Michelle, huffed as she sank into her chair.
“You can’t expect us to sit here for the next three hours without knowing the back
story.” Michelle was one of the few non-military students who fell into the
competitive category. I thought briefly about how we might need to re-label her
an irrational actor, because there was no way I was giving her my back story.

I
opened the card with trembling hands and read it silently to myself.

Kristine, if
only the world would stop moving long enough for me to capture you in my arms. I
would chase all of the pain away and heal your broken heart. What I wouldn’t
pay for the world to stop, for you to finally know you are my heart’s greatest
desire. I would make you mine, Kristine, and never let you go.

I
glanced at Michelle and Shae, completely stunned. “There’s no signature. I have
no clue who sent these flowers.” I stared at the roses. Michael wouldn’t write a
message in English, and Kadyn wouldn’t send flowers without signing the card
because he knew it would freak me out. Besides, both of these men had already let
me go. I was quite certain Justin was still in prison. He had finally pled
guilty and was sentenced while I was in Paris. I hadn’t heard from my
ex-husband since moving to DC, and flowers were never his thing. I closed the
lid on the box, placed it on the floor by the door, and returned to my chair.

My
classmates eyed me curiously.

I
slumped in my seat as I met the professor’s gaze. “I’m sorry the flowers were
sent here. I didn’t mean to disrupt the class. I really have no idea who would
have done this.”

He
shrugged. “A secret admirer perhaps. Speaking of secrets, let’s explore some
secrets to getting people to open up and talk.” And, just like that, he rolled into
his lecture on how to improve communication between conflicting parties.

I
did my best to stay focused during class, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the
flowers. I was still trying to figure out who sent them when I got home. It
took me a while to track down a vase. I suspected that was something a single
guy wouldn’t have lying around his house, but I ended up finding one stashed in
the buffet cabinet in the formal dining room.

I
had mixed feelings about the flowers. I hovered somewhere between flattered and
completely creeped out. I was worried that the smell of roses in my bedroom
would trigger more dreams about Michael, but they were too beautiful to throw
away, so I left the vase sitting on the center island in the kitchen.

I
grabbed a glass of water and dumped my books on the desk in the library before
checking the locks and dragging myself upstairs. I figured I was going to need
all the help I could get to fall asleep, so I popped yet another sleeping pill.
I was determined not to sleep in any of the nightgowns Michael had purchased
for me. I had yet to unpack the box with my pajamas from my old apartment, so I
stripped down to my panties, slipped a camisole on, and climbed under the
sheets. I fell asleep within minutes.

I
woke up at three a.m., but I couldn’t put my finger on why. I couldn’t remember
any dreams. Instead, I felt warm and oddly at peace. I had a vague sense of
Michael and wondered if I had been dreaming about him. I rolled over in bed and
reached for the pillow next to mine. I clutched the pillow to my chest. I wondered
what Michael would have planned for Valentine’s Day. We would have been married
by now. I might even have been pregnant again.

I
rubbed my stomach as tears snuck between my lashes. I buried my face in the
pillow, then pulled back in surprise. I examined it curiously. The pillow
smelled vaguely of Michael, like cedar and cloves. I smelled the pillow again.
I couldn’t smell the citrus that marked his cologne, but the smell of cedar and
cloves was definitely there. I tried to remember if I smelled those fragrances
in the house before. The familiar scent could have been one of the many things that
initially drew me to the place, but I honestly couldn’t recall smelling it in
the house before. I hugged the pillow again and inhaled deeply. My eyes slid
closed. The smell was heavenly.
How could I have not noticed that smell?

*
* * * * *

I
finished unpacking my boxes before class on Friday. I spent Saturday morning at
the grocery store. I stocked the wine refrigerator with red and white wine and
threw the beer and soda in the fridge. I spent the entire afternoon cooking
while listening to my iPod. I was trying to pull off a pasta bar for dinner, so
I made lasagna with spicy sausage and ground beef. I cooked a simple marinara
sauce after I put the lasagna in the oven. Then I sautéed shrimp and scallops
in a homemade pesto sauce. I figured both of those dishes could be served over
thin spaghetti noodles. The final dish was clam linguine.

I
set a variety of olives as well as a plate of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and
basil, drizzled in a balsamic vinaigrette on my center island next to a stack
of small plates. I began warming French bread in the oven shortly before
everyone was supposed to arrive. I suspected that I might have gone a little
overboard with the food. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed cooking and had
quickly gotten caught up in the possibilities.

Cenia
and Roger were the first to arrive. I left the main door open and the glass
storm door unlocked after ushering them in. Kadyn showed up with Mason and Gabi
just as I began pouring Cenia’s wine.

Kadyn’s
voice echoed through the foyer. “Why isn’t the door locked, Kri? Hey, wait! Do
I smell clam linguine?”

I
rolled my eyes at Cenia and smiled. I made clam linguine for Kadyn the first
time I cooked for him. “Maybe,” I shouted back teasingly.

He
strode into the kitchen and walked straight to the stove. He lifted the lids on
every pan until he found the right one. Mason and Gabi trailed into the kitchen
behind him. Gabi gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hi,
Mason. Hi, Gabi. Thanks for coming.” I glanced back at Kadyn, who was still
hovering over the stove. “Hey, I don’t recall appointing you my sous chef,” I
protested.

He
raised an eyebrow, daring me to object while he reached for a pasta spoon.

I
just shook my head. “Mason, the beer is in the fridge. Gabi, do you want white
or red wine?”

Gabi
smiled as she reached for a wine glass. “I got it.”

I
turned my attention back to Kadyn, who was now tossing the cooked linguine noodles
into the clam sauce.

His
eyes widened as he turned and met my gaze. “Do I smell lasagna? You made
lasagna too?”

I
couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. I glanced at the timer on the stove.
“The lasagna should be done in five minutes.”

Kadyn
took a bite of the clam linguine and fell back against the counter. “I can’t
believe I lived a year without that.” He shook his head as if clearing his
thoughts, then suddenly closed the distance between us. “You still owe me an
explanation. Why wasn’t the door locked?”

“Cenia
was here to protect me?” I suggested flippantly.

“That’s
right,” Cenia said as she positioned herself between Kadyn and me. “Are you doubting
my abilities, Rand?”

“Hey!
What am I, some sort of wall flower?” Roger protested. “I have just as much
muscle as you.”

I
couldn’t help but notice that he pointed at Cenia and not Kadyn. We all busted up
laughing.

Kadyn
narrowed his eyes at Cenia and Roger before reaching into the refrigerator for
a Sprite. Then he focused his attention on me. “Did the real estate agent get
back to you with a name?”

I
glanced at him while stirring the marinara sauce. “Yes and no. The guy didn’t
want her revealing his name.” The doorbell rang. I glared at Kadyn. “You locked
it?”

He
folded his arms across his chest and refused to respond.

I
rolled my eyes at him before stalking off to answer the door. “Hey, Phil,
Marie. I hope parking wasn’t too bad.”

Marie
laughed. “King Street was a mess, but the road behind your house wasn’t half bad.”

I
took their coats and set them on a chair in the library with the other coats.

Marie
followed me into the library. “Wow, Kri. This place is beautiful.”

I
smiled as I intentionally left the main door open and the glass storm door
unlocked. “I have no clue how I managed to score this place, but I’m really
glad I did. Why don’t you follow me into the kitchen for some wine before I
take you on a tour?”

Matt,
Troy, and Sara arrived before I made it down the hall. Phil and Marie continued
into the kitchen as I turned to greet them. “Hey, guys. I’m glad you made it.
I’ll take your coats.” They followed me into the kitchen. Troy and Matt grabbed
beers from the fridge, while I poured Sara a glass of white wine.

Kadyn
was camped out by the stove. He was watching Cenia pull the lasagna from the
oven.

I
waved my hand through the air, trying to get his attention. “Hey, Kadyn! Do you
think you could tear yourself away from the stove long enough to give the tour?
I want to get the bread sliced and get everything squared away in here.”

Kadyn
nodded. “I’d be happy to give the tour. That way, I can make sure you locked
the front door.”

I
rolled my eyes. “I locked the door when Troy and Sara arrived, since I’m not
expecting anymore guests. Jeesh. You act like I don’t have a small army in
here.”

“Hey!
I object to that generalization. We’re Air Force, not Army,” Mason shouted from
the family room, where he was messing with the remote for the TV.

I
pulled the cutting board out of the cupboard and set it on the counter. “Yeah.
You aren’t the least bit competitive are you?” The joke was lost on the
military crowd. I suddenly realized I should have invited Shae. She would have
gotten it.

Everyone
filed out of the kitchen for the tour.

I
snipped parsley over the clam linguine and added a generous amount of fresh
ground pepper before tossing it all together. I popped a piece of French bread
into my mouth while slicing the warm, crusty bread. I piled the bread inside a
wire bread basket lined with a white linen napkin before loading a block of
parmesan cheese into a fancy cheese shredder that I discovered in one of the
kitchen drawers. I had all of the food pulled together by the time everyone
returned from the tour. I held up my hand as everyone began talking at once.
“Wait. We can talk about the townhouse after you all dish up. I don’t want the
food getting cold.”

Everyone
stopped talking. Kadyn and Mason grabbed plates and jockeyed for position at
the front of the stove.

Cenia
joined me at the center island. She pulled one of the roses from the vase and
brought it to her nose. “These flowers are beautiful, Kri. Did you get them for
Valentine’s Day?”

I
glanced nervously in Kadyn’s direction before lowering my voice. “Yeah, but I
have no clue who sent them. They were delivered to the school, and no one
signed the card.” I anticipated her next question and shook my head. “Michael
didn’t send them. He always writes his messages in French.”

Cenia
examined the flowers more closely. “Where’s the card?”

When
I looked up, I caught Kadyn staring at me. I wondered how much he had overheard.
“It’s in the library.”

“Do
you mind if I take a look at it?” Cenia asked hesitantly.

I
turned my back to Kadyn, hoping it would dissuade him from joining the
conversation. “No. That’s fine. I’ll show you while we’re waiting for the
kitchen to clear out.” I raised my voice then. “Hey, guys. Feel free to sit
anywhere in the family room, the dining room, or the sun room… it’s heated.”

Cenia
followed me to the library. I pulled the card from the top drawer of the desk and
handed it to her. She quickly read the message. “Wow,” she exclaimed, fanning
her face with her hand. “You seriously don’t know who sent this? Why would
someone send a note like this and flowers like that without signing his name?”

I
shrugged. “I have no clue. Kadyn would have signed his name…”

“I
would have, had I sent them,” Kadyn responded softly. “What kind of trouble
have you gotten yourself into now, Kri?” he asked from the doorway.

I
could feel my blood heat to a slow rolling boil. “I’ve been too busy with
school to get into any kind of trouble, Kadyn. This came totally out of left
field.”

Kadyn
pushed off from the door. He strode up to the desk and snatched the card from
Cenia’s hand. “Did you make sure the flowers weren’t bugged?” he asked before
reading the card.

I
stared at Cenia incredulously. “Is that even possible on real flowers? What
would be the point of that? They would eventually be thrown away.”