Hiding in the Advice Column

16.

"If you want to help, Ryder, stop looking at me like I'm a meal." I snapped at him as I kicked a balloon out from under me. "Go put Rowan to bed and read him a book." I smirked as I picked up another balloon.

Ryder growled as he took Rowan and went down the hall.

I tied off the last of the balloons and let it fall back to the ground. Sighing with my hands on my hips, I looked around. I think I've done all I can for the night.

I poured myself a glass of Shiraz and sat on the bar stool. I had the birthday cake on the bench cooling and a bowl full of frosting next to it.

Taking a couple gulps, I filled my wine glass back up and felt the cake. It was finally cool enough to ice.

It was a long rectangular sized cake and I whacked on the green icing, smoothing it out.

I got out the chocolate icing and since Rowan was now in bed, I got out a shopping bag I had hidden and pulled out the trucks I had secretly purchased. Rowan can have them after his cake tomorrow.

I placed on a dump truck, with its back down and dropped some chocolate icing into it then milo granules to make it look like loose dirt.

I placed an excavator and a loader on, making them look like the were moving the 'dirt' plus adding a bulldozer before adding the people figurines.

"That's pretty good."

I turned my head to see Ryder standing by the end of the hall.

"How long have you been there?" I asked him while fixing up one of the workers.

"Just long enough to see the concentration on your face." He smirked as he stood upright and came to me.

I went to lick my fingers clean from any icing when Ryder stopped my actions, taking a finger in to his mouth.

I gasped with wide eyes as I took back my hand. "Don't." I warned him as I turned to the sink and washed my hands instead.

"What? I like icing."

I inwardly groaned.

"Rhea, how many times must we go through this? We are just going in circles, around and around. Like we are on a merry go round." Ryder said as his hands went to my shoulders. I frowned. "It doesn't matter how many horses you sit on in the ride, you still get off where you got on."

"That's a carousel, you idiot." I snapped as I stepped out off his reach.

"What?"

"A carousel has horses. A merry go round has a variety of characters or animals." I opened the fridge and picked up the cake, sliding it in to the last free spot in the fridge. It needed a whole shelf.

"What did you make last year?" Ryder asked. "For Rowan's birthday?"

I frowned again. Ryder sure knows how to spin me completely off topic.

"Uh, a train." I stuttered as I shut the fridge. I went in to the lounge room and pulled out a photo album. "Here, look at that." That should keep him busy while I clean up.

Ryder took the album and sat on the sofa, looking at the photos.

"When was this?" He asked. I dropped my head and went back to him, sitting next to Ryder, making sure I wasn't touching him, I looked at the photo.

"That was my birthday." I answered him. "Rowan was only a month old."

"This one?" I saw the smile play on his lips. I looked at the photo he pointed to and it made me smile.