Once Upon A Half-Time 1(25)

And I could guess which mastermind commanded the mission.

“You’re Elle, right?” the boy asked.

I glanced at Peter. He wasn’t eager to continue our conversation. Excellent.

I’d buy the boy some puppies and fireworks as a reward for the interruption.

“Yep, I’m Elle. And you must be…Sebastian.”

He took two deep breaths, started his sentence a couple times, and was still too excited to speak without slurring his words into the cutest mess.

“I was supposed…see, I was looking for you…” His tone shifted between shrill and confused. “I was supposed to tell you…um…”

He was too cute, and he was in danger of me pinching him until he popped. The most adorable five-year-old in the world stared at me with big green eyes, rosy cheeks, and the same puppy-dog wiggles that propelled Lachlan from one side of the field to the other.

“Is the flower from Lachlan?” I asked.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I told him to get you an X-Box cause I like Minecraft. But he said girls like flowers. But there’s flowers in Minecraft. And horses. And zombies! I like zombies. Can I go now?”

This kid needed to be stuffed with sugar, pronto. I shrugged towards Peter.

“Sorry. I should go check on my…husband. We’ll iron out the details of my trip later.”

I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I offered my hand to the handsome little messenger. Sebastian scrunched up his nose.

“Do I gotta?”

“Can you take me to your brother?”

“Yeah, but…wait.” he wiggled in the suit, pulling the sleeve down to cover his palm before taking my hand. “There.”

Lachlan waited for us at the edge of the field as practice ended. He broke from the offensive guys chatting a little too close to the ankle tape. He dumped a cup of water over his head, and I pretended that I wasn’t imagining all the muscles the cool trickle touched.

“Using your little brother as a wing-man?” I asked.

Lachlan shrugged. “Did it work?”

“No.”

“Strange.” He nudged his brother. “You’re not gonna find a cuter kid anywhere.”

Sebastian took great offense to that. “I’m not cute.”

“Shut up. You’re adorable.” Lachlan messed with his hair.

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

I laughed. “I can’t believe you’re so desperate.”

“Since when are flowers desperate?”

“Since you used your little brother to score you points.”

Lachlan faked an irritated glance at the kid. “What the heck. I told you to play it cool, little man.”

Sebastian was having none of it. “I found her. Can I have my twenty dollars now?”

“Oh my God, you bribed him?”

Lachlan rolled his eyes. “Only twenty bucks.”

“And?” Sebastian crossed his arms. “Ice cream? Remember?”

“And ice cream.”

“With sprinkles.”

“Oh no.” Lachlan shook his head. “I said you’d get sprinkles when you got me the date. No date, no sprinkles.”

“No fair!”

“Heartbreak hurts us all, Bast.”

Sebastian stomped his feet. “My name isn’t Bast.”

Lachlan winked at me. “Shush, Bast. Be chill, little man.”

“I’m Sebastian.”

“You want that ice cream?”

“Yes!”

“Then your name is Bast. Here.” He tossed the kid a ball bigger than his head. “Knock yourself out.”

“When do I get my ice cream?”

“Right after my annulment,” Lachlan said.

Sebastian crinkled his nose. “Your annul-what?”

“Never mind. Just sit there and look cute. You’re helping.”

I laughed as Sebastian dove again at his brother, but Lachlan was too quick. He darted over the sideline, leaping a bench to get away from the kid. The athletic gene ran in the family. Sebastian hobbled over the bench too, emitting a high-pitched warning charge as Lachlan ducked through the offense.

Both boys twisted around Jack before the team ganged up on Lachlan. He captured Sebastian in his arms just in time, warding away the offensive line’s aimed water bottles and towels coiled to flick.

“A wing-man and human shield?” I shook my head. Lachlan twisted his brother onto his shoulders for a piggy-back ride. “Does your mother know you’re manhandling him?”

“Sure. I told her I’d take him for the night.”

“Did you tell her you’d give him ice cream if he successfully wooed me?”

Lachlan’s dimples needed to come with a warning. No girl should have stared directly into that charm. “You’re not going to deny a little boy his sprinkles, are you?”