Chapter 12 #2
“That’s the thing.” She sounds even more frantic. “I’m really pressed for time. Could you possibly come here right now? Or maybe I could drop her off wherever you are? I packed her Barbies, so she’ll be entertained—”
River straightens up beside me. “Is everything okay?”
I hold up a finger. “Kiki, let me call you back in one second.”
“Okay, but please hurry. I really need to—”
“One second. I promise.” I hang up before she can spiral further into panic mode.
River is already moving toward me, concern written across his features. “What’s going on?”
“Kiki has a work emergency. She needs someone to watch Skyler tonight, and Tobias is out of town.” I run a hand through my hair, calculating. “I can leave now, but the chicken won’t be done for at least forty-five minutes, and—”
“She can come here.”
I blink at him. “What?”
“Kiki can drop her off here.” He says it like it’s the most obvious solution in the world. “You need to finish cooking, right? I can watch her. This house has plenty of space for a kid to play.”
“River, I can’t ask you to—”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” He pulls his own phone from his pocket. “Seriously, it’s not a problem. I like Skyler. And I worked all morning. I’m due for a break.”
I hesitate, my finger hovering over Kiki’s contact. This feels like crossing another line—bringing Skyler into River’s space, mixing my family with this carefully professional arrangement I’m trying to maintain.
But Kiki is stressed, and I’m already here, and the chicken really does need another forty-five minutes.
“Are you sure?” I ask quietly.
“Completely sure.” River pulls out his phone, probably getting ready to text his address to Kiki. “She can bring whatever toys she wants. We’ll make it work.”
I call Kiki back. “Hey. River said it’s fine if you drop Skyler off at his house.”
She pauses. “Right. You’re at River’s house. I forgot.” It sounds like she’s grinning. “And River is okay with a child invading his space?”
“He offered.”
“He offered.” She’s definitely grinning now. “How nice of him.”
“Kiki, don’t—”
“I’m not doing anything. I’m just saying it’s nice. And convenient. And—”
“Address is coming to you now,” River calls out, holding up his phone.
“Did you hear that?” I ask Kiki.
“I did. Thank you so much, both of you. I’ll have her there in twenty minutes.” She pauses. “And Kiera? You’re the best sister ever.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go finish your ice cream shop.”
I hang up and turn to find River watching me with an expression I can’t quite read. “Thank you,” I say. “Really. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.” He shrugs. “But I wanted to. Besides, it’ll be fun. I like playing with kids.”
“You do?”
“Of course. Kids are a blast.” He grins, and motions toward me. “I know you adore Skyler. I saw you dancing with her at Levi’s wedding reception. It was… really adorable.”
He saw that? He’s right, I do adore Skyler.
And River offering to help watch her makes my throat tight.
Something warm settles in my chest, and I have to look away before he can see how much this means to me.
“The chicken needs to go in the oven. And I should probably start working on the lavender salt.”
“Right. Food. You do that.” He starts backing toward the hallway again. “I’ll just, uh, make sure the living room is presentable. For Skyler.”
He disappears, and I turn my attention to the dried lavender buds. Using a mortar and pestle I found in one of River’s many cabinets, I grind the dried buds with coarse sea salt until it’s fine and fragrant. The floral scent fills the kitchen. It’s soft, not overwhelming, herbal and slightly sweet.
I taste a tiny pinch. Perfect. The lavender is present but subtle, a whisper of flavor that will complement the potatoes without overpowering them.
The chicken goes into the oven alongside the potatoes, and I set a timer on my phone. Now comes the waiting while everything cooks, hoping it turns out how I want it to.
I clean up my prep area, wiping down counters and loading the dishwasher with the bowls and utensils I used. The kitchen is pristine by the time the doorbell rings.
River’s voice carries from the entryway. “Hey, Skyler! Ready for an adventure?”
“Hi, River!” Skyler’s high-pitched excitement makes me smile. “I brought all my Barbies!”
I wipe my hands on a dish towel and head toward the entryway. Kiki is already turning to leave, waving apologetically. “Thank you again. I owe you both so much.”
“Go,” I tell her. “We’ve got this.”
She’s out the door before I finish the sentence, and I turn to find Skyler standing in River’s entryway with the biggest plastic tub I’ve ever seen sitting next to her. It’s overflowing with Barbie dolls, accessories, and animals.
“That’s a lot of Barbies,” River says, and there’s genuine awe in his voice.
“I have seventeen!” Skyler announces proudly. “And Ken, but he’s boring. And also a horse, but her leg fell off, so she’s in Barbie hospital right now.”
“Barbie hospital.” River nods seriously. “Very important. Where should we set up? Living room?”
“Living room!” Skyler heads in that direction like she owns the place, dragging her tub behind her.
River catches my eye and grins, and something in my chest does that annoying flutter thing again. I ignore it and head back to the kitchen to check on the food. I spend the next 45 minutes making sure the food is cooking properly, and playing Barbies with River and Skyler.
The timer goes off exactly when it should.
I pull the chicken and potatoes from the oven, and the sight makes me actually proud of myself.
The chicken is golden-brown with a glossy glaze from the honey, the skin perfectly crispy.
The potatoes are roasted to perfection, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside.
I let everything rest for a few minutes while I plate. Two wide, shallow bowls so it looks artistic. Potatoes arranged carefully on one side, chicken sliced to show the juicy interior, a sprinkle of the lavender salt over everything. I add a sprig of fresh thyme for garnish.
It looks like something from a cooking magazine. Like something a real chef would make.
I carry both bowls to the dining room and set them down, then I put a little chicken and two potatoes in a small ceramic bowl for Skyler because she never eats a lot.
I pause. I should tell River the food is ready, but I can hear voices from the living room—River’s deeper tone and Skyler’s high-pitched narration.
I move quietly to the doorway and stop.
River is sitting cross-legged on his pristine hardwood floor, surrounded by Barbie dolls. He’s holding what looks like Ken—or maybe a prince, I can’t tell from here—and he’s making him talk to one of Skyler’s Barbies with complete seriousness.
“I’m sorry, Princess Glitter,” River’s Ken says in a terrible British accent, “but I cannot possibly attend your royal ball. I have a very important business meeting with the dragons.”
“But you have to come!” Skyler’s Barbie sounds distressed. “Otherwise the evil witch will steal all the cupcakes!”
“The cupcakes?” River’s Ken sounds shocked. “Not the cupcakes! This changes everything.”
Skyler giggles, delighted, and orchestrates an elaborate scene involving a horse, a dramatic chase, and what I think is supposed to be a castle made from couch cushions.
River plays along with everything. He doesn’t check his phone, doesn’t look bored, doesn’t suggest she play by herself. He’s fully engaged, making his Barbies do silly voices and playing out her elaborate storylines with the same focus he probably gives his documentary footage.
My chest feels too tight. This is dangerous territory. I’m watching River Stone, former child actor and aspiring filmmaker, playing Barbies on the floor with my niece like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
This is how it starts. This is how walls crack and hearts break and everything falls apart. Because I’m not just attracted to him anymore. It’s worse than that.
I’m starting to actually like him. The real him, not just the handsome exterior. The him who helps move furniture without being asked. The him who takes playing Barbies seriously because a five-year-old asked him to. The him who offers his space to a stranger’s kid without hesitation.
This is very, very bad.
“Kiera!” Skyler spots me in the doorway. “Come play with us! River is being Ken, and I need you to be the evil witch!”
“Dinner’s ready,” I manage to say, my voice rougher than I intend. “But I can come be the evil witch after we eat.”
“Okay!” Skyler abandons her Barbies and scrambles to her feet. “What are we having?”
River stands too, brushing off his jeans, and when he looks at me, there’s something warm in his eyes that makes my heart stutter.
“Lavender chicken,” he says, not breaking eye contact. “Made by the most talented chef on the island.”
I should correct him. Should make a sarcastic comment about how I’m probably the only person on the island who tried to cook with lavender today. Should do anything except stand here listening to my heartbeat in my ears.
But I don’t. I just turn and head to the dining room, acutely aware of River following behind me, of the way this evening has shifted from professional to personal without my consent.