Page 26 of Giddy-Up
“What if I want funny business?”she asked seriously.
“I’m not opposed to funny business,” he said with a smirk.“As long as it’s outside work hours.”
“Technically, it’s work hours now...”And you just kissed me.
Wade chuckled.“That it is, petal.That it is.Tomorrow is your day off though, right?How ‘bout I come take care of you?”
“Don’t you have to work?”
Wade shrugged.“Perks of being the boss.So...is that a yes?”
Riley didn’t need to check her poor excuse for a social calendar to know that she was free.Other than plans with Bella on Friday night, her week consisted of work and hibernation.But she suddenly felt nervous.What if Wade wanted to have funny business tomorrow?
You don’t know what funny business is!
True.She didn’t.But the twinkle in his eye when he’d said it had told her everything she needed to know.
“What’s wrong?”
Right.You answer questions out loud, Riley.“Uh.Nothing.Tomorrow is fine with me.”
Note to self, google “funny business.”
***
The combination ofice and sitting on her ass for four hours obviously did something because later that night, Riley’s ankle felt back to normal.It made her feel guilty.All that fuss and she was fine.What was she supposed to do when Wade showed up tomorrow to look after her?
Fake it?
She couldn’t do that.Could she?
While pondering her moral quandary, her phone began to light up.Followed shortly by upbeat chimes filling her small space.She knew who it was before she’d even got a glimpse at the name.It was the same person who called her every night.Her mom.
Swiping right, she was quick to give her mother her cheeriest hello.
“Where were you last night?”Here we go.Getting straight to it then.
“Oh, yeah, I had an early night, I wasn’t feeling well.”
“What’s wrong?”her mom was quick to ask.“Are you okay?Do you have a temperature?Have you been to the doctor?”
Why did she have to go and say she wasn’t well?She should know better.“I’m fine.I was just a little tired that’s all.I feel better now.Please don’t worry about me.”
“Hank!Hank!”Oh, God.“Riley’s sick!”
Riley slumped back into the cushions and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.She knew her parents meant well.It was natural to worry.
This much?
No.Not this much.But they hadn’t always been like this.They’d gone from relaxed, carefree, normal people to intense and overbearing in the blink of an eye.It all started when Riley was eleven.When her cousin disappeared.It didn’t matter that they found Violet three days later, shacked up with her boyfriend.Those three days were enough to scare the living daylights out of her parents.From then on, they had to know where she was and who she was with at all times.Even now.It’s why Riley had to leave.She needed to be free.
“Are you still there?”Her mother’s panicked voice brought her back to the present.
“Yes, Mom, I’m still here.”
The rest of the conversation consisted mostly of Riley reassuring her parents that she was okay.It was the one conversation she’d mastered over the years.Because she had to.
