CH 26 - #safe
Rhys
Me:The locksmith can squeeze you in at 4:00 p.m. Will that work for you?
Riley:Unfortunately, no. I’m booked solid with patients until 5:00 p.m. I’ll see if I can get a locksmith to come over on Saturday when I’m off work, and you’re here. smiley face emoji
Me:I’m going to call another locksmith company and get someone out to your place after you get home from work.
Riley:Really, it’s okay. I’m not worried about Chad doing anything.
Me:I am. Hang tight.
After calling three other locksmith companies and being told they couldn’t get to Riley until tomorrow afternoon, I knew my next step was to drive to Fort Worth and change Riley’s door locks myself. She’d already given me her home address but not her work address. Knowing its location hadn’t seemed necessary; however, it was now.
Me:What’s the address of the dental office?
Riley:Why?
Me: I’m coming to get your duplex key to get inside and change your locks.
Riley:What?!?!??
Me:There isn’t one locksmith who can get to you today.
Riley:You don’t have to go to all of that trouble.
Me:It’s no trouble. Address, please.
TWO HOURS AND FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER
“Hi, I’m Rhys Silverman. Riley Martin is expecting me,” I told the receptionist at the dental office.
“I’ll page her for you.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“You’re welcome.”
When Riley saw me in the waiting area, she ran into my arms, and I picked her up and kissed her.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. I stopped by Lowe’s on the way to get the locks,” I said.
“ So long ? You made it in less than three hours. You must’ve been hauling ass.”
“I was kinda anxious to see you.”
She smiled and then motioned toward the receptionist. “This is Jacinda, my bestie up here. She knows all about you.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“It is.”
“Nice to meet you, Jacinda.”
“You too, Rhys.”
“Here’s my key,” Riley said, handing it to me. “When you get to my duplex, I expect you to make yourself at home. If you get thirsty, there’s orange juice, sweet tea, and Dr. Pepper in my fridge. If you get hungry, I have some deli ham for sandwiches. The bread is in my pantry, and so is some Cool Ranch Doritos.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Oh, I forgot dill pickles. They’re in my fridge.”
“Claussen?”
“Of course! It’s the best brand and your favorite.”
“Yours too.”
“Are you going back to Cypress Hills after you finish changing my locks?”
“Nope, I’m waiting for you to get off work.”
“And then what?”
“I thought we’d grab supper somewhere.”
“And after that?”
I leaned closer to Riley. “Be each other’s dessert.”
“My mouth is watering from thinking about it.”
“So is mine.”
“Does all this mean you’re spending the night with me?”
“Yep.”
“Good.”
“I’ll see you soon, mia bella.”
I unlocked her front door, stepped inside her home, and remained in place to take in the feeling of being here. It was peaceful and smelled inviting. Then, I noticed a Yankee candle sitting on the entry hall table near me.
Riley had always been a fan of them, buying seasonal scents during the year. The one she had now was named “Picnic in the Park,” which made me think about the picnics that Riley and I used to go on. I wondered if that was why she’d chosen this particular candle. She and I had been holding onto the littlest things that reminded us of each other.
I walked down the entry hall and smiled when I rounded the corner and saw the open living room, kitchen, and dining room. Their layout was identical to mine, and Riley’s decorative touch was everywhere I looked.
She had framed paintings, prints, and pictures of her family and Macie on her white walls. She also had a navy blue overstuffed couch with a crocheted daisy blanket draped over one of its arms, bright yellow cushions on her wooden dining room chairs, and a matching runner on the table with the bouquet of daisies I’d given to Riley placed on it.
In her kitchen, a large, pastel green rug lay in the center of the tile floor. The canisters on Riley’s granite counter were yellow, and the curtain hanging around the window above the sink was daisy-print against a navy blue background. Another “Picnic in The Park” candle was next to the Keurig coffee maker. It looked and smelled like summertime all around me.
Thirsty, I grabbed a Dr. Pepper out of Riley’s refrigerator and sipped on it while checking out the rest of her duplex. When I reached her bedroom, I walked over to her queen-size bed and looked at the celestial-themed comforter and pillows while thinking about Chad having recently slept here. Everything inside me told me he’d lied to Riley about not doing it. One thing for sure after today was that Chad would never be back in Riley’s bed or anywhere inside her home.
Glancing around, I did a double take when I saw the star/galaxy projector I bought for Riley a few years ago sitting on her dresser. Like me, she loved to look up at the night sky, wonder, and dream. We’d done that so many times while lying on a blanket in the bed of my truck.
By getting Riley the projector, she could see the stars regardless of the time of day or the weather. I was happy to know she was still using it, and I hoped she’d thought of me on every occasion. I couldn’t look at the night sky without thinking of her.
I peeked into her main bathroom and grinned when I saw a picture of me taped to the mirror. It was the selfie that I texted to Riley the other day. I couldn’t believe she’d printed it because I was covered in sweat.
Curious, I walked into her bathroom and looked at all the items sitting on her vanity: a white hand towel, a pink toothbrush and tube of Crest toothpaste in a ceramic holder, CeraVe lotion, Dove powder-scent deodorant, a tube of lipstick, and the bottle of Love Story perfume I’d given to Riley. It was almost empty.
Also on the vanity was another Yankee candle, but it was called “Stargazing.” I picked it up and took a whiff, recognizing the scent of vanilla, lavender, and patchouli. I could imagine Riley lighting the candle and its aroma filling her bathroom and bedroom while she lay in bed and gazed up at the stars on her ceiling.
With two hours left before she got home from work, I needed to start replacing her locks. Her lawn also needed to be mowed since she had been gone for over a week. I was washing the grass and dirt off her push-mower in the backyard when I heard her voice behind me.
“Rhys Michael Silverman! You did not mow my front and back yards!” she said, smiling with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I needed to burn up some time until you got here, so yes, I was both your locksmith and lawn man today.”
She walked over and gave me a kiss. “Thank you. You’re spoiling me.”
“I enjoy doing it.”
“Your face is so red, though. I’m getting you a big glass of ice water before you pass out.”
“Okay.”
“Be right back.”
When she’d made it a few yards away, I sprayed her with the water hose. She squealed and took off, running for the door and laughing like I was. After she returned, I asked her where she wanted to eat.
“Razzoo’s, if you don’t mind.”
“Not a bit. Some Cajun food sounds great! I need to grab a quick shower first.”
“Did you bring a change of clothes with you?”
“Sure did.”
Riley kissed me again, and then I nodded toward her duplex.
“I really like your place,” I told her. “Mine could use your decorative touch.”
“I’d be happy to do that, but your house is rustic. Are you sure you won’t mind a little girly flair in it?”
“Not yours. Oh, here, I need to give you these.” I reached into my shorts pocket for the keys to the new door locks and gave them to Riley. She handed one back to me.
“I want you to keep that,” she said, her eyes serious.
“I appreciate it.”
“I feel better knowing you have it.”
“So do I. Let me give you the code to the keypads on my front and back doors.”
“Really?”
“Of course.
“Okay.” Riley opened up the notes app on her cellphone. “Ready.”
“It’s 430826.”
She looked up at me. “Our birthdates?”
“Yes.”
“How long has that been the code?”
“Since the day I bought the keypads six months ago. I installed them on the day I took ownership of my house and property.”