Chapter 6 #2
“I’m beginning to understand more, and I’ve only had Logan for a short time.
I’ve been very judgmental about anyone who does drugs, and I’m just starting to see that everything isn’t always black and white.
I do feel better because Logan says that Becky had changed recently.
I just hate seeing the fear in his eyes when he looks at me or when I move too fast.”
“Give him time. He watches everything you do very carefully. He mimics you all the time. He’ll learn that you have nothing but his best interests at heart. You’ll earn his trust before long, I know it.”
Porter studied her. “Will I earn yours?” he asked.
Riley blinked. “I trust you.”
“Do you?” he asked with a tilt of his head.
“There are times I think you do…then I’ll ask an innocent question about the texts you’ve been receiving, and you deflect the conversation, hoping I’ll drop it.
I also see you watching me just as carefully as Logan, as if you’re waiting for me to turn on you. ”
Riley sighed and tried to pull her hand back, but Porter held it tightly. She was embarrassed that she was sitting here preaching about trust and being patient, and he’d seen right through her.
“I’m gonna earn your trust too,” Porter repeated confidently.
“You’ll see that I can be your safe haven.
That if you give me all of you, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.
From me, from assholes who think they can take advantage of you simply because you’re a woman, and even from your own self-destructive thoughts.
I’ll treasure you exactly how you are, because I happen to think you’re pretty amazing. ”
Riley stared at Porter, unsure she was really hearing him right.
The air fryer buzzed, letting them know the first batch of food was done. Porter held her gaze as he leaned forward, and Riley closed her eyes.
She felt his lips touch her forehead lightly, then he stood.
She opened her eyes and watched him stride into the kitchen. He unloaded the first batch of food, putting it into a bowl and sticking that into the oven to keep it warm, before he dumped another bag of food into the basket and restarted the air fryer.
He came back into the living room and asked, “Do you need anything? Something different to drink? And don’t ask for alcohol, it wouldn’t be a good idea right now. I’ve got more water, tea, and I might be able to scrounge up a soft drink from somewhere.”
“I’m good with the water Logan brought me earlier,” she told him.
“Okay. I’m gonna check on Logan. When I come back, are you still gonna be here?”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “You think I’d sneak out while you were with your nephew?”
Porter studied her for another long moment.
“Maybe,” he said. “I know you were gonna go back to your place if I didn’t pull you into my apartment before you could really protest. And for the record, that was out of character for me.
I don’t usually haul women around to places they don’t want to be. ”
“If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be here,” Riley told him. “My cheek might be throbbing, I might not want to make a scene in front of Logan, and I might be a foot shorter than you, but I would’ve put up a fight if I truly didn’t want to come inside.”
Porter smiled. “Noted. If the air fryer goes off, the last batch of junk to go in is right beside it. Just dump what’s in there into the bowl in the oven and add the new stuff.”
“I know how to use my own air fryer,” Riley said with a smile.
“Are you sure I can’t grill up a steak? It won’t take long,” Porter asked, looking like a little kid begging for a piece of candy.
“You’ll live if you eat one meal of frozen food,” she informed him.
Sighing and acting like she’d just taken away his favorite toy, Porter said, “Oh, all right.”
Riley couldn’t help but chuckle. And that made her cheek throb. “Ow,” she complained, but didn’t stop smiling.
Immediately, Porter’s demeanor changed. “Maybe I should call Doc and see if he can come over and look at that cheek. You might be hurt worse than I thought.”
He made a move to get his phone, which was sitting on the kitchen counter, but Riley stopped him. “I’m fine. Promise. I’m just going to be sore for a while.”
“Okay, but if you don’t feel any better by the end of the night, if that ice and the pills don’t take the edge off, I’m calling Doc.”
Riley already felt better than she had when they first got back to his apartment, so she knew his treatment was working, but she agreed anyway. “Okay. Go check on Logan.”
Porter eyed her for a long moment, then nodded and turned to head down the hall.
Once he was out of her sight, Riley leaned back against the couch cushion and sighed.
She’d thought her evening would be pretty boring; she’d say hi to Porter when he got home, then she’d go back to her apartment and read or watch TV while listening to the muffled sounds of her neighbors getting settled for the night through the thin walls.
But instead, she’d gotten hurt, Porter had more than taken care of her, they’d learned that Logan had a ways to go before he’d be able to trust again, and Riley had agreed to go out on a date with the neighbor she had a massive crush on.
It was crazy how fast things in life could change.
Forty minutes later, Riley smiled at the two males sitting across from her.
After staring at the pizza rolls suspiciously, Logan cautiously nibbled on the corner of one.
His eyes had widened and he’d declared them “delicious.” He and Porter had inhaled the chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, and the cheese sticks.
Porter had even dug out a package of French fries from the bottom of his freezer and air fried those as well.
“I have to admit…that was pretty darn good,” Porter said.
Riley could only smirk at him.
Then he turned to Logan. “But don’t get used to it. We need to balance out the crap we eat with good stuff. Tomorrow, we’ll load up on vegetables to balance out our bodies again.”
“Okay,” Logan said.
Riley could only shake her head at the kid in surprise. Most children she knew balked at eating any kind of vegetables, but obviously, Logan thought pretty highly of what his uncle said and thought, even after only a week and a half.
Then Porter turned to her. “What else can that air fryer do?”
“Apple chips, cinnamon rolls, banana s’mores, French toast sticks, hamburgers, grilled-cheese sandwiches, sweet potato tots…
even pineapple cake. There are a ton of recipes on the internet for all sorts of things.
Meatballs, pork chops, catfish, baked potatoes, salmon, corn on the cob, even spanakopita. ”
“Spank-a-ko-whatas?” Porter asked with a smile.
“Not spank, span-akopita. They’re Greek and sooooo good,” Riley informed him.
“Is there anything your air fryer can’t make?” Porter asked.
She thought about it for a second before saying, “Soup.”
Everyone laughed.
“Right, that would probably be bad,” Porter said.
“Although I have a few Crock-Pots I could loan you if you wanted to give a soup recipe a try,” she told him.
Porter held up a hand. “I’m a half-decent cook, but I’m not going to push my luck. Besides, I’d never leave a Crock-Pot on while I was out of the apartment. That’s asking for trouble.”
Riley wasn’t surprised. Porter seemed to take safety very seriously—including hers—which pleased her to no end.
Her cheek felt much better after holding the homemade ice bag on it before eating.
She’d seen both Logan’s and Porter’s eyes flick to the red mark on her face more than once, but neither mentioned it, which she was grateful for.
“So, Logan, tomorrow we’re going over to Grover’s house…you think we should invite Riley?”
Riley gaped at Porter. “What?”
“He’s got a barn he needs to take down at the house he just bought, because it’s a safety hazard, and everyone’s getting together to help him. Gillian, Kinley, Aspen, and Devyn are going to be there. Want to come?”
“Me? Um…I’m not sure,” Riley stuttered.
“Oz said I could help the men,” Logan said excitedly.
Her eyes met Porter’s. “Is that a good idea? I mean, is it dangerous?”
If anything, his smile got wider.
“What?” Riley asked.
“I just love that you’re so concerned about him. It’ll be fine. We aren’t going to do anything that would put him or any of us in danger,” Porter told her. “It’ll be good for you to get some fresh air. And I’d love for you to meet my friends.”
Riley really wanted to go, but it made her nervous too. He’d told her all about the other women. It was obvious he liked and respected them, which made her feel good—but also scared her to death. What if his friends didn’t like her?
She must’ve been quiet for too long, because Logan added his pleas to his uncle’s.
“I don’t know anyone either,” he said. “We can hang out together if no one likes us.”
The sad thing was that it sounded like Logan truly thought that was a possibility. “Who wouldn’t like you?” she asked him. “You’re sweet and considerate, and I’m sure you’ll be a huge help to the guys.” She looked at Porter. “Are you sure?”
She didn’t have to elaborate on what she meant. Was he sure he wanted her there? Was he sure he wanted her to meet his friends? That seemed like a big step, even more than going out on an official date.
“I’m sure,” he said, the two words somehow conveying exactly how sure he was about everything happening between them.
“Okay.”
“Great!” Porter said. “I told Grover we’d be there around ten. Is nine-thirty okay to leave?”