Three Little Wishes

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Riley ran to the entryway of Noah’s New York City apartment with Lucky chasing after her. “Mrs. D,” she cried when the housekeeper opened the door and stepped inside, smiling at Riley and scowling at Lucky.

Mrs. D had left for her vacation three days after Noah and Riley had returned from Sunshine Bay. She hadn’t been a fan of Lucky’s. She’d called him a demon dog just like Willow’s sister Sage. He’d kind of lived up to his nickname before Mrs. D left, chewing on the furniture and peeing on the carpet.

Riley hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re back, and you don’t have to worry about Lucky anymore. Noah and I trained him. He’s an angel dog now.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it with my own eyes, lovey,” Mrs. D. said, hugging her back.

“Did you and Mr. D enjoy your trip?” she asked as they walked into the living room, Mrs. D making a beeline for the kitchen.

“We did, but I was ready to come home.” She put her bags on the kitchen’s island. “I was worried about you two. Where’s your brother?”

“In his study.”

“Don’t tell me he’s been shut in there the entire time I’ve been gone, leaving you on your own.”

“Oh no, Mrs. D, we’ve had a great time. We’ve done something together nearly every day.”

They had, and it had been the best three weeks of her life. Well, it would’ve been if the thing with Cami and Willow hadn’t happened, and they were with them. Still, she’d ticked off the one item on her list that she’d thought she never would. She and Noah were as close as a brother and sister could be, and it was awesome.

It was awful how it had come about, though. She’d tried blocking the memory of that afternoon at La Dolce Vita from her mind, mostly because she felt horrible about what she’d said to Cami and because Willow and Noah had broken up because of it. But she didn’t think she and Noah would’ve become as close as they were now if things hadn’t happened the way they had.

When they were in Sunshine Bay, Noah had had Willow, and she’d had Cami. The four of them had had fun together, but she hadn’t really had time with her brother on her own. She supposed it was like Willow said: After every storm, there is a rainbow, and Riley’s improved relationship with Noah was hers.

“I could’ve done without going to all the museums,” she told Mrs. D. “But Noah loves them, and he did take me shopping or out to lunch or out for dinner after he’d dragged me around them for hours, so I can’t complain.”

Mrs. D chuckled. “Your brother has always loved museums. Although I don’t recall him going for years. He used to go all the time with your mother and his father. They were planning to travel to every museum in the world. They spent hours together, the three of them, huddled over maps, pamphlets strewn all over the kitchen table, planning their itinerary. It was beyond me how they could be as excited about it as they were, but to each their own.”

“Did they have fun?” Riley asked, thinking her brother hadn’t changed. He was obsessed with the trip he was planning to explore the most remote locations in the world. She tried to be happy for him, and she was for the most part, but she’d miss him a lot.

“Oh, they didn’t go, lovey. Your mother and Noah’s father separated two months before they were to leave on their trip. Poor Noah was devastated. My heart broke for him.”

“That’s so sad.”

“It was, and your mother felt horrible. She encouraged him to plan another trip to take his mind off it. And he’s been planning it ever since. Although it’s much more adventurous now than it was when he was ten.” Mrs. D shuddered. “I swear, I’ll spend the next year worrying about that man.”

“Me too. But Mrs. D, what will you do when Noah’s away? Are you getting another job?”

“No. There’s no one else I’d work for other than your family, and I’m getting on in years. But there’s no need for me to find another job. Nothing will change while Noah’s away, other than I won’t have anything to do. I’ll be a lady of leisure, eating bonbons and watching my TV shows. And Noah wants me here in case you want to escape LA again.” Mrs. D winked.

“I won’t do that again, but I could come and visit you.”

“I’d love that.” She patted her hand. “So things with your father have improved?”

Riley nodded. “Noah and I went to LA last weekend. He had some business he had to take care of, and he brought me with him. We went to see Billy, I mean my father, and we talked. A lot. We’re going to family therapy when I get back.”

She made an eek face, and Mrs. D chuckled while unloading containers from her bags.

“I’m glad things with your father are working out for you, lovey,” she said, turning to open the fridge and placing the containers on the shelves. She opened the freezer and made a squeak of dismay. “Nearly all the meals I left for you two are still here.” She turned to Riley. “What did you do? Order in the entire time I was away?”

Riley shook her head with a grin. “We cooked!”

“You’re telling me you and your brother cooked an actual meal together? In this kitchen?”

“We did. Lots of meals, and we went shopping for groceries together too.”

Mrs. D gave her head a disbelieving shake. “And my kitchen survived, and so apparently did the two of you.”

Riley didn’t share that they had nearly burned down the kitchen making homemade French fries in a pot of boiling oil on the stove. Noah had ordered an air fryer the very next day.

“Since I don’t have to prepare meals for the week, or clean the apartment, we can have a cup of tea together, and you can fill me in on where things stand with Noah and Willow.” She searched Riley’s face. “I’m pleased at least to see you’re looking much better than the morning after you’d returned from Sunshine Bay.”

Mrs. D plugged in the kettle and looked around. “Where has your dog gotten off to?”

Riley rolled her eyes. “He’s more Noah’s dog than mine. He follows him everywhere. He’ll be in the study with Noah, bugging him to play fetch.”

“And how is Noah?” Mrs. D asked, making up a plate of cookies.

“He’s good. He’s not broody or mopey or anything. We’ve had lots of fun together. But I can tell when he’s thinking about Willow. He gets quiet, and I’m pretty sure he thinks about her a lot and misses her. I don’t know why he’s being so stubborn and won’t get in touch with her. None of it was Willow’s fault.” She blinked tears from her eyes at the memory of that day. “You should’ve seen them together, Mrs. D. They really loved each other.”

“Perhaps he just needs time. It was a lot for you both to hear that Willow’s mother had been involved in your uncle’s death. You didn’t really know your grandparents, but Noah spent a lot of time with them. He witnessed how badly they’d been scarred by your uncle’s death. Your mother too. She sometimes treated your brother as a confidant more than a son, so at a young age, he was well aware of how damaging the accident had been to your family.”

“I get it. I felt the same, especially listening to Cami telling the story. She’s the one who said she killed our uncle, and then she said she’d left him to die alone.”

Mrs. D nodded. “That must’ve been horrifying and shocking for both you and Noah.”

“It was, and we said some hurtful things, especially Noah. He was furious.”

“I’m sure he was. And when Willow defended her mother, he would have felt betrayed given his state of mind at the time.”

Riley nodded. “I think that’s why he thought he and Willow wouldn’t be able to get past it. But we got a copy of the police report, Mrs. D. It fully exonerated Cami. I mean, she probably shouldn’t have made our uncle drive back to Sunshine Bay when he was tired, but it’s not like she held a gun to his head. He could’ve said no. And it’s not like she fell asleep on purpose. But she ran a mile to a corner store and called for help. It wouldn’t have made a difference if she’d stayed anyway. We have a copy of the coroner’s report. The police officer who reopened the case wrote us a personal note. He’d interviewed Cami, and from what he says she saw, she would’ve known immediately that our uncle hadn’t survived.”

“It must’ve been horrifying for her.”

Riley nodded. “The police officer says she’s suffering from PTSD because of the accident. And as much as it destroyed our family, Mrs. D, it destroyed hers too.” She told her the parts that she had left out the morning after they’d come home.

“And now it’s time for both families to heal,” Mrs. D said, passing Riley a cup of tea, and they went to sit in the living room. “So where are you and Noah at with that?”

“I texted Cami after we got the report. Well, two days after because Noah wouldn’t let me read it, and I had to sneak into his office and find it.”

“Oh, Riley, that’s not something you should’ve read on your own.”

“I didn’t. Noah caught me before I could read the report. We argued about it, and then he gave in and read it with me.”

“So you apologized to Cami and now everything’s good between you?”

“I did apologize, and she wanted to call me, but I said no. I was still mad that she’d lied to me and pretended to be my friend. But she didn’t give up, and August—he’s a friend I met in Sunshine Bay—he convinced me to talk to her and give her a chance to explain.” Riley smiled. “And now we’re good. She’s going to be like… my big sister, I guess. She found a house a few blocks from my father’s in LA, and she put an offer on it.”

“Oh, lovey, I’m so happy for you.”

Riley smiled. “Me too.” Her smile faded as she thought of Noah and Willow. “I just wish Noah and Willow would talk.”

“Did he apologize to Cami?”

“He didn’t call her. He wrote her a letter. Cami said it made her cry. She blames herself for Noah and Willow breaking up, and we’ve been trying to figure out a way to get them back together or at least get them to talk.”

“Does Noah know you’re talking to Cami?”

Riley nodded. “Yeah, and he seems okay with it. But he doesn’t ask about Willow, and when I try and bring her up, he changes the subject. He used to do that when I brought up Mom, but we talk about her now, so maybe he’ll eventually talk about Willow, and I can figure out what Cami and I can do to get them back together.”

“Have you talked to Willow?”

“Yeah, but she’s as bad as Noah. Every time I mention him, she changes the subject. They’re so annoying. Cami says she’s not getting anywhere with Willow either.”

“I wonder if Noah believes Willow wouldn’t forgive him after what he said, and how he broke things off with her?”

“But that’s just it, Willow is the most forgiving person I know.” She told her about Megan and even Cami. “You’d love Willow, Mrs. D. She’s the best.” She showed Mrs. D some of the videos of Willow doing the weather and pictures Cami had sent of her.

“I printed off some of the pictures and left them out for Noah. He never said anything to me but I didn’t see them again.”

Mrs. D studied the photos. “I have an idea.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’ve known your brother longer than you have. You have to stop pussyfooting around and confront him.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Lovey, you got him to not only take you to Sunshine Bay but to stay there with you.”

“That wasn’t me. It was Willow.”

“I’m sure she helped, but your brother wants you to be happy as much as you want him to be. You need to tell him how you feel about his break-up with Willow, tell him you feel partially to blame and that it would make you feel better if they’d at least talk. Then remind him about all the good times you all had together and tell him what you told me about Willow’s capacity for forgiveness. Because I do believe that’s the problem.”

“Will you come with me? I might need backup.”

Mrs. D chuckled and got off the couch. “I used to be your mother’s backup on occasion, and nothing would give me more pleasure than being yours.”

Noah looked up from the papers on his desk that a courier had delivered ten minutes before Mrs. D had arrived. Riley’s brother smiled. “Hey, Mrs. D. How was your vacation?”

“Lovely.” She set the plate of cookies on his desk. “Are you in the middle of anything important? Riley and I would like a word.”

He glanced at Riley and scratched the back of his head. “I’m just signing off on the purchase agreements for Channel 5 and the beach house.”

“Well, isn’t that a coincidence,” Mrs. D said. “We want to talk to you about Sunshine Bay and the woman you’re in love with.”

“Mrs. D,” Noah muttered.

Mrs. D. ignored him, took a seat on the chair in front of his desk, and smiled at Riley. “Go ahead, lovey. I’ll chime in when needed.”

Riley launched into the speech she’d been practicing for the past two weeks but hadn’t had the nerve to deliver. Mrs. D. chimed in a few times, but other than that, Riley said exactly what she wanted to and ended with, “Willow loves you as much as you love her, and she’d forgive you anything. She forgave Megan and Cami. She believes in second chances, and she’ll give you yours. I know she will, and deep down, so do you.”

Noah slowly nodded, and then, looking from Mrs. D to Riley, he picked up the purchase agreements and ripped them in two. Riley gasped. She couldn’t believe what he’d done. He’d just ripped up Willow’s dream, and Cami and Riley’s. Cami was buying the beach house so they could spend their summers there.

She was staring at the shredded papers on her brother’s desk when he said, “What are you waiting for, Tink? You’ve gotta pack. We’re leaving for Sunshine Bay in ten minutes.”