Page 87 of Just My Fake Husband

I nod. “It wouldn’t be easy in some ways, but she’s your sister. If she can’t be there, she needs to be with us.”

River’s blinking and giving a little cough, like her emotions are getting to be too much. A beat of silence passes. Then she says, “You know she can be totally evil sometimes, right? She’s cute and fun and all but she tries to cheat in boardgames and if you ever want to have pretzels on hand for yourself, you better hide them real good.”

My laugh feels nice in my chest. “Noted.”

She moistens her lips. “Pretty much every action I’ve taken the last three years has been to ensure that Skye is never in that bad place again. After our parents died, she went through a depression so dark it manifested in night terrors, food strikes, OCD.” She steadies her breathing, and one glance at the hollow pain in her eyes and I’m pulling over.

I put the Bronco in Park. I wait for her to be ready to say more, holding her hand, skimming my thumb over the joints of her fingers. The smooth nails. The ridges of her fingerprints.

“Moving her through that became my only purpose,” she whispers.

“Have you begun to move through it? The grief?” I ask gently.

She blinks and looks out the window. “I don’t think so. I couldn’t. I had to be upright for Skye. I couldn’t weep all day and night in my bed like I needed to.”

“I’m here now. You don’t have to be upright all the time anymore.”

She searches my eyes, looking for anything unseen or unsaid. She nods. Gives a blip of a smile.

“Thank you, Gabriel. It means so much to me that you’re willing to . . . I don’t know . . . go through this with me.”

My throat thickens. “If it means getting to be with you, I’m ready and willing.”

“Let’s head home so we can discuss that in greater detail.” There’s an ease in her posture and expression, like some of the heaviness has slipped away.

I begin to drive once more, but I hold her hand as much as I can the rest of the way.

Once inside, River goes in the bedroom to change out of her work clothes. She comes out in her bathrobe, and I stare so hard I nearly drop the apple I’m eating. She escorts me to the kitchen and then wraps her arms around me. I discard my apple and press my fingers into the low curve of her back. Lunch Lady Liz nuzzles our legs, and I gently lift a knee to push her away.

“So we like each other,” I finally prompt, giving in to the pressure of trying to say something before I dissolve in kissing her. Her brown eyes dance, her pupils dilating as she moves a hair’s breath closer to me.

Liz resorts to scraping her paws down my calf and I wince. I’m so close to River that she sees it and draws back. “Are you okay?” Her brows knit together, and she takes in my face, assessing me.

“Yeah. Liz is feeling left out.”

River groans. “I’m going to put you in your kennel if you misbehave,” she chastises Liz. “Give us a moment of peace, why don’t you?”

“This brings up an excellent point.”

“And that is?” River worries her lips, her eyes lively. This is playful. Flirtatious.

“We’re going to need to be on the same page when disciplining the dog.”

“Which means you have to lay off the treats.”

I chuckle. “I know. You’re right. I do.” I make a show of frowning and lean back and away from her enough that I can pat my belly.

“I mean for Liz! You can have treats anytime you want. We should decide the maximum number of treats she can have in a day.” She kisses me near my mouth, just under my cheekbone.

All the nerve endings in my lips tingle. So close, yet so far away. But I can be patient. It’s more than worth it to be patient.

“And the weekly anniversary gifts thing,” she says. “We’d have to stop that, right? Since it could go on longer than the one year?” Her vulnerability could melt a heart of stone.

I press her close. “I’ll work my tail off to do everything in my power so that this marriage never ends, River.” And then, because we need some levity so I don’t ravage her, I say, “And what about the stuff all over the bathroom?”

Her mouth drops open. “Really? You’re gonna go there?”

“It’s like we’ve been ransacked by thieves on a daily basis.”

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