Page 97 of Red River

"Stop, Sam. Don’t give me that. Don’t sweet-talk me."

"But I do, River! I know how it sounds, like just an empty word. But you’re still my best friend."

"The awful, selfish person who splits families? How come, Sam?"

The bitterness just poured out of me.

"Okay… Listen, for a second, I really thought you took advantage of Archer! I did! But I don’t want to think that way, and I don’t want this to ruin our friendship. I said too much, and I’m sorry. I just… I hope you’ll forgive me. Someday. That’s all I want to say…"

I exhaled deeply. What could I even say? He had the right to see things his own way. I knew he only wanted the best for Archer. If I were in his shoes, would I have felt the same?

But I was also hurt that our friendship wasn’t enough to stop him from saying the most painful things, and that was just… disappointing.

"I appreciate that, Sam. But I won’t lie—it still doesn’t sit right with me, everything that went down between us. And afterwhat happened yesterday… I just don’t want to dwell on it right now. But thank you for calling."

Silence. Sam had to have picked up on the distance in my voice, the wall I couldn’t bring myself to lower.

"River, please don’t be mad at me," he pleaded, his voice wavering. "It was just… a shock, you know? Finding out you kissed him when he was sixteen. I needed time to process that, and before I could, I kind of… word-vomited all over you. I’m so sorry…"

"I get it, Sam. The age gap looks bad. But I never meant to hurt Archer or take advantage of him. I didn’t encourage his interest in me. I know that, as his brother, you probably saw it differently. But I know my own heart. And I’ve paid for that kiss—I carried that guilt for years. It wasn’t some easy, carefree moment for me. I hated myself for it!"

Sam hesitated before speaking again.

"I really do wish you both the best. More than anything, I want my brother to be happy—to have a family, because that’s all he’s ever wanted. Funny thing is, I was always the one telling him great things about you. Maybe, deep down, I liked the idea of you two together? I just hope this works out for you guys."

"I hope so too. Archer is… incredible. He saved Igor’s life in an impossible situation. He’ll always be my hero. He has my respect, my loyalty, and my commitment… always."

Sam took a deep breath.

"Then I’m rooting for you guys. And I really am sorry for what I said—it was cruel and unfair. I know you’re a good man, River." He paused for a beat before adding, "Tell Igor his Uncle Sam is glad he’s safe and sound."

As he disconnected, I sat there for a while, staring at the picnic basket, still feeling sad but also a bit more hopeful.

Maybe there was still a chance for us, after all. I had always been a firm believer that even the worst things could be forgiven.Sometimes, for the sake of our own mental health, it was better to let go of a grudge. In the same way—I hoped my parents would find it in their hearts to forgive me for the cruel words I had thrown at them.

Maybe I should lead by example? Yep, definitely a challenge, but it was worth at least trying.

That afternoon, Archer and I left the kids at home under Oliver’s watch. Igor was still stuck in bed, already getting cranky about having to stay put. Then Milo volunteered to keep him company, and Igor’s mood seemed to improve quickly.

Archer and I grabbed some blankets and a… very full picnic basket. When Lake saw us, he immediately wanted to come along, but I shut that down real quick.

"This is a date, kid. Just me and Archer. No third wheels allowed."

***

I had a perfectly laid-out plan in my head, and I intended to follow through with all of it.

Archer looked completely relaxed as he put the picnic basket into the pontoon.

"You ever been to this island before?" I asked once we were both on board.

"Only once, and just for a short while. I paddled over out of curiosity, but since it’s government-owned land, not mine, I never really felt the urge to go back. Though I have to admit, it’s pretty nice—there’s even a little clearing in the middle."

"A clearing? That sounds promising." I smiled, glancing coyly at Archer.

He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt that made his intense eyes stand out even more, and the fabric clung to his muscular arms in a way that was… distracting. Every stroke of the paddle made his muscles flex under his skin, a mesmerizing spectacle.

Feeling like it, I let my hair down, letting the wind play with it. Right after, I noticed Archer’s increasingly frequent sneaky glances at me, accompanied by a small smile. He was clearly having a hard time focusing on rowing.

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