Page 34 of Eye of Her Storm

River laughed. “You love it.”

“Yeah, you’re right; I do. But my shoes. I was just able to start wearing my heels again.”

Paisley and her expensive, designer stilettos that were so inappropriate for a ranch. It was her sister’s only vice—besides Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and her husbands.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll find you some awesome flats.”

“You hate me. Maybe, I won’t bring you chocolate.”

“Just get over here.”

“Okay, be there in less than an hour—and child-free, too. Start making your wedding wish list, and we’ll talk details.”

“Okay,” River said to dead air. Her sister was already off and running. Shaking her head, she dropped the phone in the charging cradle. Ready for Paisley and the wedding to take over her life for the next week, she turned to head upstairs, but, suddenly, her whole world spun. Having dealt with dizziness before, she clutched for the edge of the desk as she swayed, but this time, she couldn’t find it, instead grabbing air. Her knees buckled as she stumbled. Then her ankle twisted, and the ground rushed for her.

Chapter Eight

River came to slowly. Her eyes blinked open then she squeezed them shut as she realized she was on the floor and nausea still assailed her. It was much worse now. Her stomach churned when she tried to sit up, and her head ached where she must have slammed it into the floor. She had a similar ache in her side.

Turning her head slightly, she saw she’d knocked over the desk chair. She must have landed on it before it scooted a few feet away, propelled by the momentum of her fall. Somehow, she’d knocked the phone and a few other items from the desk onto the floor. The handset for the portable was just out of her reach.

Taking a few breaths, she fought to still her roiling insides. When things seemed to settle, she slid carefully toward the phone. Moving slowly, she dialed Paisley.

“Hey, kiddo! Forget something?” her sister answered brightly—too, brightly. River winced as the loud, cheerful voice pierced through her head.

“No…actually…I’m feeling a little unwell.” She didn’t want to worry Paisley by telling her she’d fallen because of her symptoms unbalancing her. “If you haven’t already left, I’m thinking I’ll just head up to bed for a few hours.”

A dark room and a soft mattress sounded really good right now—if she could make it upstairs. She closed her eyes, hoping the black behind her eyelids would help.

“Are you okay?” Paisley asked, concern filling her voice, her tone now subdued. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing more than the usual.”

“You’re sure?”

Fuck. Her sister had always been far too intuitive. River had rarely been able to fool her. She had to now; otherwise Paisley would rush over here and hover.

“Yes, really,” River insisted. “It’s just normal stuff.”

Well, that was true.

“Okay…” Paisley replied. She didn’t push further, but she didn’t sound wholly convinced. “So you don’t want me to bring Ben and Jerry. I’m sure they could help you feel better.”

“Ha,” River replied, trying her best to inject genuine amusement into her tone. “I don’t think I’d be great company today. I know we have to talk about wedding stuff…”

“No worries. We’ll get it done, babe. You’re giving me carte blanche, right?”

That would probably be a mistake. “No pink. I want black tuxes, no tails, and other than that…whatever you want.”

“Wow…I didn’t see that coming.”

“Surprise. Happy birthday, six months early.”

Paisley was silent for a moment. “Well… Okay, I guess. I’ll get to work on it. Should I lean toward simple like my wedding or an extravaganza like Moon’s?”

“Simple. Only immediate family since it’s such a short timeframe. We signed the legal paperwork last night before we left town—thank goodness Rayna is a notary—and Tai drove it to Jax this morning so it could be filed. We just want to make the commitment in front of our family and a few close friends.”

“Totally doable. I’ll have a plan for you by the end of the week.”

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