Three Little Wishes

Chapter Twenty-Two

Riley sat on the couch with Lucky on her lap, listening to the rain splatter against the windows. He’d kept them up half the night barking. She supposed it was better than when he’d kept them up the entire night. Her brother was frustrated that none of the tricks in the dog training manual were working. But Riley didn’t think Noah’s bad mood had anything to do with frustration or a lack of sleep. He was upset Willow might be their cousin. Willow wasn’t her normal, cheerful self either.

It had been hard watching them moping around the beach house the past two days, especially when Riley felt partially to blame. The first thing that had come to mind when Cami told her to make a wish the other day at La Dolce Vita was that she wanted them to be a family—Noah, Willow, Cami, and her. Later that night, she’d learned her wish might come true.

She should’ve been more specific. If it were just her, she’d love having Willow as a cousin. But she wanted her brother to be happy, Willow too. And neither of them would be if the DNA test they had taken yesterday confirmed they were cousins. Her brother and Willow were already trying to keep their distance. They weren’t mad at each other or anything like that. It was just the opposite. Anyone could see they were falling in love, or they had been before they’d found out Cami was Willow’s mother and that she’d had sex with Riley’s uncle the summer he died.

Her brother had been uncomfortable talking about the sex part. He probably would’ve skipped right over it if Willow hadn’t been there. He got way more uncomfortable when Willow seemed to think it was a good time to talk about sex, specifically teenage girls feeling pressured and having sex before they were ready, and about consent and all that stuff. The way Noah and Willow had argued about it had been kind of funny. Or it would’ve been if they hadn’t been talking about her having sex. As if.

A Game of Throneshad disappeared the next morning. So had half the books on the living room bookshelves. Riley had already guessed Noah was responsible. He’d confirmed it when he handed her a stack of Sweet Valley High books. They were her mom’s. She’d written her name and the date on the inside covers the way Noah did. She’d read them the summer she’d turned fifteen. It made Riley feel close to her, and she got a little emotional when she thanked her brother for the books.

Seeing the tears in her eyes, Noah probably would’ve escaped to his study if it hadn’t been for Willow. As with the sex talk, she’d seemed to think it would be a good time for Noah and Riley to talk about their mom. There was nothing Riley wanted more than to talk about her, but she knew from experience that her brother didn’t like to. He’d changed the subject any time Riley had brought her up in the past.

Willow didn’t let him get away with it, though. She asked about his summers with their mom, drawing out memories that Noah appeared to have forgotten. Riley hoped Willow got her dream job hosting a morning show. She’d make a really great interviewer. Although her brother probably wouldn’t have agreed, being on the receiving end of her questions.

Noah had a lot of memories of his summers at the beach house when their mom was married to his dad. He even had some stories about the summers their mom had spent at the beach house when she was young. Riley had soaked them in, storing them up, wishing she were recording Noah while he was sharing them. Without Willow there to pester and prod him, Riley had a feeling she wouldn’t hear any more stories. And that was her biggest worry if Willow turned out to be their cousin. It would be too hard for Noah and Willow to be around each other, and they’d go their separate ways.

Lucky jumped off Riley’s lap and scampered to the door, barking. There was no one there but he did the same thing when either Willow or Noah came home. She glanced at the time on her iPad. They had a meeting at the station about the sale, and she didn’t expect them home for another hour.

Willow and Noah weren’t sharing about the possibility they were cousins so they were still trying to find a buyer for the station. From what Riley had overheard, there were just two potential buyers left on their list, and it wasn’t looking hopeful.

“Come here, Lucky. No one’s there.” He ignored her and kept barking, loudly.

She was surprised Cami wasn’t yelling or threatening him from her bedroom. She was holed up in there again. Riley didn’t know what she was doing but she did know her reunion with her sister Gia wasn’t going well.

Cami had come home early from helping out at the restaurant and retreated to her bedroom. Riley figured that was why Cami and Willow were still staying at the beach house. At least one of the reasons. Riley was pretty sure she was the other one. She’d had a mini-meltdown when Carmen insisted that Cami and Willow move into one of the family’s empty apartments. Gia hadn’t seemed impressed with the idea either. At least when it came to Cami.

Whatever the reason, Riley was glad they were there. It’d be boring if it were just Noah and her. A little lonely too. “Treat. Do you want a treat?” she called to Lucky.

He swung his head from her to the door and went back to barking.

She was about to go to the kitchen and get him a treat when there was on a knock on the door and the knob began turning.

“Don’t open the door!” Riley cried, sprinting across the living room. It was too late. Willow’s sister walked in carrying boxes of pizza. Lucky shot through Sage’s legs, knocking her off balance, and the pizza boxes went flying.

Lucky stopped to sniff one, and Riley lunged. He slipped through her hands and scampered down the stairs.

“Sorry!” Riley shouted over her shoulder as she ran after Lucky, calling his name.

He didn’t stop. He rounded the garage and tore down the driveway. “Treat, Lucky, treat!” Riley yelled, her heart racing as he took off down the road, terrified he’d get hit by a car.

This wasn’t the first time he’d made a great escape, but her brother, Willow, and Cami had been with her the last time. Even with the four of them, it had taken thirty minutes to find and capture him.

Riley guessed she’d been chasing him for fifteen minutes down the dirt road that had turned muddy from the rain and wasn’t any closer to catching him. It was just her luck that the rain hadn’t let up. Definitely not the sunny afternoon Willow had predicted in this morning’s forecast. She’d be hearing from Amos, that was for sure.

Willow’s friend Veronica, the receptionist at the station, had gotten so tired of fielding his complaints that she’d given Willow’s cell phone number to Amos. He called her twice a day. Willow routinely put him on speaker when Riley was there. Willow always let him know he was on speaker, and that Riley was there, so she felt as if she knew him too. He’d even ask her opinion after giving Willow the what for, as he called it.

It was all kinds of hilarious. Willow thought it was hilarious too. She also thought Amos was a much better weather forecaster than she was. Not that Riley would say anything to Willow, but she was kind of right.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Please be afraid of the thunder, Riley thought. If he was, Lucky might run back to her, seeking comfort. She could swear there was a quarter of a mile between them now. He was a black dot on the middle of the road.

“Crap!” she cried when, instead of running back to her, the black dot veered to the right and disappeared into some bushes.

She pumped her arms in an effort to pick up her pace while praying she’d find him shivering in the bushes instead of making a beeline for the water. But she was relieved she didn’t have to worry about him getting hit by a car. For now.

As she closed in on the bushes he’d disappeared into, she heard a dog barking. It was a much lower, fiercer bark than Lucky’s. She spotted a thick tree branch on the side of the road and picked it up. Then she moved toward the bush. “Lucky,” she whispered, hoping to avoid alerting the other dog to her presence. It was growling now.

“August, you’re going to miss the best part! He’ll be fine. It’s probably just a squirrel,” a girl called out.

“Come here, boy,” a guy said, probably the August person the girl had called to.

“August!” the girl cried, sounding all kinds of whiny.

“Go watch the movie, Zoe. Killer’s got something cornered in the bush.”

The dog’s name was Killer? Riley shoved her way into the bushes, wincing as the branches clawed at her arms and neck. She burst out the other side, waving her stick like a sword.

A guy wearing board shorts and a T-shirt stared at her. “What the hell?” Then he frowned. “I’ve seen you before.”

Oh no, not him! She knew Sunshine Bay was a small town, but really? She had to run into the guy Cami had chased down Main Street. Could her day get any worse? Apparently, it could.

“What’s going on, Aug?” A guy sauntered over. It was Green Board Shorts Guy from the sandbar. He looked around August, and his eyes lit up with recognition. “I know you. You were with the crazy blond woman who was trying to pick us up. She did the same thing to you, didn’t she, Aug?”

“She’s not crazy,” Riley muttered. “She has a head injury. Now if you don’t mind getting your killer dog out of here, I’d like to get my puppy and go home.” She pointed her stick at the huge black dog digging under a bush a few feet away.

“You might want to drop the stick,” August advised at the same time the big, black dog spotted her.

“Killer, no!” August yelled, moving toward her, but his giant dog was faster, and he took a flying leap, pushing her onto the ground. Then he licked her face, stole her stick, and took off.

August was trying not to laugh but Green Board Shorts Guy was busting a gut. August offered his hand. “Sorry about that. He’s playful.” His gaze moved to the bush the dog had been digging under. “Is that your dog?” he asked, just as Lucky darted out of the bush and took off after Killer.

“I don’t believe this!” She threw up her hands and ran after both Lucky and Killer, only she hadn’t factored in that the grass was wet and slippery, and she slid down the slope in the lawn. Both dogs sat and watched her grass-surfing action.

“What do you think, Aug? Ten-pointer?” Green Board Shorts Guy asked, grinning at Riley.

August didn’t get the chance to tell his friend what he thought, not that Riley cared. Two teenage girls in short-shorts and tight tank tops were standing in the window, banging on the glass. When they got the boys’ attention, they simultaneously cocked their heads and pointed at her. They must’ve raised their voices because Riley heard their “Who’s that?” loud and clear.

Definitely mean girls. She rolled her eyes, making sure they saw her do it. Total Cami move, she thought with a small smile. August must’ve seen her roll her eyes at them because he laughed. She tossed her wet hair in another move that would make Cami proud and carefully picked her way to the dogs.

“I’m warning you, Lucky, if you move, I’m going…” She swore in Italian when Lucky ran for the dock, this time with Killer chasing after him. Riley hoped her brother never learned Italian.

She did her slip-and-slide thing to the dock, giving Giant Killer Dog—he came up to her waist—a wide berth as she moved around him, and made her way to Lucky. There was only one way for Lucky to escape, and she was almost positive he wouldn’t jump in the water. They’d tried to get him to go in the day before, and he’d refused.

“All right, you be a good boy and don’t move, and I’ll give you a treat when we get home,” she said, slowly bending over in order to scoop him up without startling him, ignoring August, who yelled above the sound of pounding feet, “Be careful. Killer—”

Whatever else he was about to say was cut off by her screaming when Killer headbutted her, sending her into the water. It was a good thing she’d been almost at the edge of the dock or she could’ve been seriously injured. Lucky, who’d obviously been well named, sat looking down at her with his tongue lolling and his tail wagging.

August and Green Board Shorts Guy weren’t laughing when they hauled her out of the water. They both looked concerned. “Are you okay?” August asked.

“Yeah,” she said, feeling like a drowned rat. Her jeans were waterlogged and her top was… plastered to her chest. She didn’t think she could pull off Cami’s chin up, tits out—she didn’t have much of a chest to speak of—definitely a lot less than the girls in the window. She hunched over, scooted past August and his friend, and scooped up Lucky, holding him to her chest.

“Thanks for pulling me out of the water. I’ve gotta go now. Bye,” she said, and hotfooted it down the dock.

“Hey, uh, Rainbow Girl,” August called out.

She turned and frowned.

He shrugged. “I don’t know your name. You’ve got a rainbow on your T-shirt.”

“Riley. My name’s Riley.”

“August, and Ty.” He jerked a thumb at his friend and then looped his fingers under Killer’s collar. “If you give me a minute, I’ll put Kill inside and give you a ride home.”

“Thanks, but I can walk.”

“Aren’t you staying at the Bennett place?” Ty asked.

“Yeah, but it’s not that far, and I can’t get much wetter than I already am. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“Riley, it’s at least a two-mile walk. Just give me a couple minutes,” August said, loping off without waiting for her response.

“He’ll just come after you so you might as well give in,” Ty said, then grimaced. “About the blond lady. I’m sorry I called her crazy. It’s just that it was a little weird. She’s like what… thirty? And she was flirting with a bunch of teenagers.”

“She has amnesia. She thinks she’s seventeen.”

“Seriously? Does she not see herself?” He held up his hand. “I mean, she’s hot. I just don’t understand how she can’t see that she’s a lot older than seventeen.” He ran his hand over his wet hair. “I’ll just shut up now.”

Riley smiled. He seemed like a nice guy, plus, Cami was right. He was super cute. Although Riley thought August was cuter. “It’s okay. I think Cami sees what she wants to see.” She grinned. “And she covers all the mirrors.”

“Yeah?” He laughed, glancing at the window when the dark-haired girl banged on the glass. “I’m being summoned. It was nice meeting you, Riley. You’re welcome to hang out with us at the sandbar whenever we’re there. You can bring your friend too.”

“Thanks.” She had a feeling the mean girls would make sure the invitation was rescinded if they found out about it.

August rounded the cottage. He had a blue blanket and held it out to her, lifting his chin at Lucky asleep in her arms. “Is it okay if I wrap the blanket around you?”

She nodded, her cheeks getting warm. “Thanks.”

“No problem. The red truck.” He pointed at the truck in the driveway. “I’ll be back in five,” he told his friend.

Ty nodded and walked around the side of the cottage with them. “When’s everyone else supposed to get here?”

“Around six,” August said, opening the truck’s passenger-side door for her. “You need a hand?”

“I’m okay, thanks.” It wasn’t easy but she managed to get into the seat without dropping Lucky or losing the blanket.

August closed the door, rounded the hood, and then got in and slid behind the wheel. “Did Ty apologize about calling your… She’s not your mother, is she?”

She shook her head. She knew he hadn’t meant to, but it felt a little as if he’d punched her in the stomach. She wondered if that was how her brother felt every time he walked into the beach house and remembered their mom. Maybe that was why he wanted to sell it.

“No.” Her voice came out husky, and she cleared her throat. “I mean, he did apologize. But Cami’s not my mother. She’s my friend.” She explained about the accident and how Cami thought she was seventeen.

“So she knew my dad then?”

“Your dad’s name is Flynn?” she asked, excitement bubbling up inside her. Maybe she could get the answers her brother and Willow needed.

“Yeah. Flynn Monroe.”

Whoa, Cami must’ve really loved the guy if she’d stolen his last name. “Did he go to high school in Sunshine Bay?”

He nodded. “He grew up here. We move around a lot because of his job. I’m staying with his father, my grandfather, for the summer.”

“Did he ever mention dating someone named Cami?”

“That’s the lady’s name?”

She nodded.

“Not that I know of. But hang on.” He pressed a button, and the sound of a phone ringing came through the speaker.

“You’re calling your dad?” she whispered.

“Yeah. You’ve got me curious now.” The phone connected.

“Hey, bud, what’s up?” A man’s deep voice came through the speaker.

“Weird question for you, but did you ever date someone named Cami?”

“I did, but it was a long time ago, bud. Why do you want to know?”

Riley made big eyes and shook her head.

“One of Gramp’s friends mentioned it. He said you dated her when you were my age.”

“Yeah, we dated for a couple years in high school. And then I went to college and met your mom. I haven’t seen Cami in… it must be thirty years.”

“Dad, I didn’t think you cheated on Mom.”

His father chuckled. “Good to know. I’m heading into a meeting, but I’ll give you a call tonight.”

August glanced at Riley. “I’ve got a thing tonight. I’ll be home late.”

“Okay. But let your grandfather know when you’ll be home. I don’t want him worrying about you. You know what he’s like.”

“I know, Dad. I’m the one living with him.”

“Is he behaving himself?”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “But the lady who does the weather probably doesn’t think so. He calls her all the time. You should hear him on the phone with her, Dad. It’s like he’s obsessed with her weather reports.”

His father laughed. “Yeah, I’ve been around a couple times when he was watching her on TV. He yells through her entire weather report. But I wouldn’t worry about it, bud. She’s a nice woman. I know the family. She’s Cami’s niece.”

“Seriously?” He looked at Riley and raised his eyebrows.

She nodded, still reeling from the fact she’d found the love of Cami’s life, was actually listening to him on the phone, and August was Amos’s grandson. How wild was that? She couldn’t wait to get home and tell Cami, Noah, and Willow the news. Well, maybe not Cami. She didn’t know she was Willow’s mother. Willow didn’t want to upset her and thought it best if they keep it a secret for now.

“Seriously. I gotta go, bud. Love you. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

“’Kay, Dad. Love you too.”

Riley liked that August didn’t seem embarrassed to tell his dad he loved him with her in the truck.

“Wow. I wasn’t expecting that. Were you?”

“More like I was hoping Cami’s Flynn was your dad.” She made a face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

He glanced at her. “My mom died seven years ago.”

“I’m so sorry, August.” She held Lucky tighter. “My mom died fifteen months ago.”

He nodded slowly. “That explains your reaction when I asked if Cami was your mom. I’m sorry. I know how tough it is. Do you have siblings?”

“Just my brother, but he’s thirteen years older than me.” She winced. “I forgot. I have twin brothers too. They’re one.”

He laughed. “You forgot you have two other brothers?”

“Long story.” She shrugged. “It’s been a lot. But what about you, do you have siblings?”

“Two older sisters, and they make sure I don’t forget about them. They’re twenty-six and twenty-four, and they act like they’re my mothers.” He smiled. “Most of the time, I don’t mind.”

“That’s nice.” August was nice too. Really nice. So she was hoping he wouldn’t get weirded out by what she was about to ask. “You know how I mentioned Cami has amnesia?”

“It’s not exactly something you forget.”

“Right. It’s just I was wondering if you have a picture of you, your dad, and your sisters that I could show her. I know it sounds weird, but it might help jog her memory. We don’t want her to stay stuck at seventeen forever.”

“Sure, happy to help,” he said, turning into the driveway of the beach house. He parked the car and grabbed his phone off the console, put in his password, and then scrolled through his photos. “Do you have a phone or an email address?”

She didn’t share that her mother wouldn’t let her have a phone until she was sixteen. Her birthday was in two weeks, and she was totally asking her brother for one. She gave August her email address.

“I, um, know your grandfather,” she said. “If Willow’s at home when he calls, she puts him on speaker. It’s my favorite part of the day. He’s hilarious. And you don’t have to worry. Willow doesn’t mind. Your dad’s right. She’s super nice.”

He slapped his forehead. “You’re the Riley he keeps talking about. He thinks you’re sweet and super smart.”

She smiled. “I like him too.” Lucky poked his head out of the blanket and licked her chin. “I guess I’d better go. Thanks for everything, August. You have no idea how helpful you’ve been.”

“The least I could do after my dog knocked you down and then pushed you off the dock.”

“What kind of dog is he?”

“Bernese mountain dog. We got him when we were living in Switzerland.” His lips lifted at the corner. “We used to get our groceries in France and Italy. I learned to swear in several languages, including Italian.”

“Okay, just as long as you don’t tell my brother what I’m really saying. He thinks I’m saying ‘achoo.’”

He laughed and helped her out of the blanket.

Her stomach got all squishy inside. She wanted to pump her fist that she’d made him laugh. She wondered if that was how Willow felt when she made Noah laugh. Riley couldn’t remember her brother laughing as much as he did in Sunshine Bay.

“Thanks again, August. It was really nice meeting you,” she said as she got out of the truck.

“Nice meeting you, Rainbow Girl. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

She waved goodbye as he pulled out of the driveway and thought about adding another item to her wish list.