Chapter 40 Riley
CHAPTER FORTY
Riley
“So, you had no idea the nanny your brother hired was your airport hook-up from years ago?” I ask Owen.
He shakes his head with a thoughtful smile. “Walking into our house and seeing her standing there was the biggest surprise of my life.” He turns to look at her with pure love in his eyes. “It was the best thing ever to happen, though.”
Avery leans over, giving him a quick kiss. The same look shines in her eyes when she looks at him.
We’re set up at their dining room table for their interview. I’m more than halfway through the questions and talking points I had prepared ahead of time, and I can’t help the sense of dread that’s creeping over me as the interview draws closer to its close.
This is the last interview I have in Aspen Springs. My time here is quickly coming to an end. There are a few more shots I need to shoot around town, but it won’t be long before I’ll need to leave.
I’m not ready to leave, but I can’t let myself dwell too much on the why of it all. Even thinking about it makes my heart race faster than any doctor would be comfortable with.
Will moves his hands onto the wooden surface of the table. A simple gold band draws my attention when it glints in the light. After closer inspection, I notice the ring is on a specific finger.
“Wait.” I lean over the table a little. “Is that a wedding band?”
A proud smile tilts up the corners of his mouth as he runs his thumb over the metal band. “Yeah, it sure is.”
“When did this happen?” I ask, genuinely happy for them.
Miles laces his fingers through Avery’s. “A few days ago.” He’s wearing the same style band as his older brother.
“We didn’t want to do anything big. We wanted it just to be us,” Avery says.
My heart melts a little in my chest.
“We drove out of town to a spot by the lake and made our promises to each other,” Will says.
Lyla comes skipping into the room. “I was there, too.” She swings her arm around Avery’s shoulders, leaning against her side.
“Hey, Lyles,” Avery says, smiling up at the little girl with so much love in her eyes.
“Hey, Aves,” Lyla says in return. Their nicknames for each other are adorable.
Lyla is actually Will, Owen, and Miles’ niece. It was their sister’s final wish to have them raise her daughter together, so that’s exactly what they’re doing. The family they’ve made together is beyond words.
“Look at this,” Lyla says, sticking her hand across the table. There’s a bracelet on her wrist with several different strands of varying shades of metal woven together.
Six strands. I’m guessing there’s one for each of them here in this room and one for Lyla’s mom, Olivia.
My heart clenches painfully in my chest. “It’s beautiful.”
“They gave me this when they all gave each other rings,” she says, fiddling with the bracelet.
Avery pulls Lyla in closer to her side. “We made promises to her, too.”
“It wasn’t so much a wedding as all of us truly coming together as a family,” Owen says.
Avery nods with tears shining in her eyes. I have to blink back the wetness in my own.
“I’m so happy for you guys.” I take a deep breath, shaking my head. “Your story is amazing, and I’m so glad you’ve found your forever with each other.”
Will wraps his arms around both of his girls. “That we have.”
Lyla skips off to the kitchen, getting a snack from the pantry.
“That kind of surpasses all the other questions I had planned,” I say, laughing. “I guess I’ll just end with… Where do you see yourselves in five years?”
They all look around at each other. Avery is the one to answer. “Still very much in love, navigating the ups and downs of life together. Being grateful every day that this is where life brought all of us.”
If my heart could make an “aww” sound, it would.
“And raising a… oh no… a teenager,” Miles says with wide eyes.
I chuckle. “Any more kids in that picture?”
Will shrugs. “Maybe, but we’re delighted with where our family is right now.”
They help me pack up all my gear. Even Lyla helps. She seems fascinated by all the different microphones and cameras.
“Oh,” Avery says. “We’re having a girls’ night. You should come.”
“I don’t want to intrude,” I say, slinging one of the bags over my shoulder.
“Riley, come on,” Avery says, rolling her eyes. “Hadley and Sienna both told me to ask you when I saw you today.”
They did?
“Umm… okay. I’ll come.” A thought pops into my head. “Is it okay if I invite a friend?”
Her head cocks to the side. “Is your friend a girl?”
“Yes,” I say with a smile. “It’s Maverick’s mom, Abby.”
“Of course, bring her. She’s a nurse, right?”
“Yeah,” I say as we walk to the door.
“I’ll text you the details.”
With that, I hop into my car. A smile is plastered on my face because girls’ night sounds like just what I need.