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 seehow 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.
