Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 103102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
She’d kill in New York.
She must do okay here.
“River.” Deanna smiles. “It’s good to see you.”
Wow, she had no trouble recognizing me at all. I feel myself grin, though I’m not sure why. It’s just Deanna. She paid more attention to me back then, she actually talked to me, of course she’d recognize me quicker. That’s all this is.
“River?” Lexi turns to me with shock in her eyes. “Really?”
I offer my most effortless shrug.
“How was your flight?” Deanna shifts her weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable in her heeled boots. But that isn’t what catches my attention, really. It’s the way her hands are fidgeting.
A sign of weakness. The first sign of weakness I’ve ever seen in her. Ever. The Deanna I knew was always tough and in control, as if nothing in the world could penetrate her defenses.
“Bumpy,” I say.
“Did you miss the sun?” she asks with a smirk.
I nod. She means Lexi. She must have looked at the birthday card I made. “And the warmth. Though it’s a bit chilly here today,” I say, giving her a pointed look, “with the clouds overhead.”
“How’s Ida?” Deanna asks, sensibly changing the topic. “I see her all the time, but she only talks about her books.”
“When do you ever see her?” Lexi jumps in. “You’re never at the pool.”
Grandma always loved to join the Huntingtons at their massive pool. I can’t believe she still does it.
“At the park,” Deanna says. “When I run hills. She walks them. But she hasn’t in a while. Is she okay?”
Lexi clears her throat.
Somehow, Deanna catches her meaning, whatever it is, because she says, “Well, tell her I’d love to go on a walk sometime. Or a hike. Not that I can keep up with her.”
“She’s faster?” Lexi asks.
“No, but she has more endurance,” Deanna says, then turns her attention back to me. “Are you two coming to the party? Oh, is Fern here? North?”
My brain takes a moment to process her question. It’s still trying to figure out what hidden conversation they’re having right in front of me.
“They’ll be here next week.” My sisters—technically cousins, but they are more like sisters to me—are on their way here for the same reason I came to visit. Grandma’s health is declining. Grandma doesn’t agree, but it’s three versus one. Four, if you count Aunt Briana.
“You can still come in for a drink,” Lexi says. “And come to the party later.”
“With Ida,” Deanna emphasizes.
“Yeah, of course with Ida,” Lexi adds lightly.
Why are they being weird?
“I’ll relay the invite,” I say, even though I know Grandma will decline. She’s not a fan of the Huntington parties. Not that I blame her. A party a week is a bit much. And Mr. Huntington’s circle has no overlap with Grandma’s. They’re what she’d call old fuddy-duddies even though she’s Mr. Huntington’s senior by at least a decade.
“You’re coming in for a drink now?” Deanna asks, her eyes flashing to Lexi.
“Yes…” There’s definitely something happening here, and it’s about me. What the hell?
“Yeah. It’s one drink, Dee. The thing we do with colleagues and friends and even Dad’s friends.” Lexi laughs.
“What about your guest?” she asks.
Guest?
“I have an hour,” Lexi says.
“No,” Deanna says. “I need your help with my outfit now. Please.”
“You two live here?” I ask.
“In the apartments,” Lexi says.
So they’ve moved from their rooms in the mansion upstairs. “Saving money?” I tease.
The joke isn’t funny, but Lexi laughs anyway. A full-on belly laugh that sends shock waves through my body.
And I know for sure.
She’s flirting.
She wants me.
My entire body flames. I want her desire, her affection, her need, and I want it now. Lexi isn’t the reason I’m back here, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore her interest.
“No, we’re staying close to Dad,” Deanna says in answer to my joke. “But we should let you rest. I’m sure you had a long, tiring flight. Thank you for stopping by to say hello.”
Deanna shoots her sister a look I can’t read. Lexi understands that, too. That’s the thing with the Huntington sisters. They understand each other perfectly.
“Sorry, she’s right,” Lexi says. “We have a lot to do before the party. But I’ll see you then, right?”
Lexi wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a hug.
She presses her warm, soft body against mine.
I’m too overwhelmed to really feel it.
An I can’t believe this is happening blackout.
And then she whispers, “Let’s talk tonight, alone.”
Chapter Four
River
Even though I got in last night, I feel like I’m walking into Grandma’s house for the first time in ten years. I’ve been back here before, of course, but only for a quick visit. Never long enough to really absorb the place. This time, I’ll be here for a whole month, helping set up a new creative office in LA for the graphic novel publisher I work for in New York. I’m not rushed, forced to focus only on Grandma and not the surroundings. I can take it all in.