Riley put her hand to her mouth and sniffed, suddenly emotional. “She used to. We were BBFs.” She raised a wavering finger. “BBFFs.” Another sniff. “Why doesn’t she need me? I’m losing her.”
They were never going to make it up the stairs. “You’re not losing her. She’s just getting married.”
Riley blinked her big brown eyes in sadness. “I’m losing her, just like I lost…like I lost…” She wrinkled her nose. “I lose a lotta stuff. Poof. It’s gone.” She turned back toward the parking lot. “I can’t let ‘livia poof.”
Apparently, he’d touched on a nerve. “You’re not losing her,” he said more gently. “She’ll always be your friend.”
Riley rested her head against Lucas’s shoulder in defeat. Her perfume was sweet and spicy. Like her. She sniffled again. “She’ll always be your sister now. I got poofed.”
Having her close like this was bringing back memories. “Riley.” He ran his hand up and down her back in comfort.“Olivia has been busy with wedding planning, but that doesn’t mean you’ve lost her. Women need their friends. Who will she turn to when Carson starts doing things that drive her up a wall?”
Riley didn’t move her head from his shoulder. “Her new Bronco girls.” She let out a deep sigh and lifted her head to stare into Lucas’s eyes. “What are girl Broncos called?”
“Um, Broncos are unbroken horses of either gender.”
“Bronckettes,” Riley said in agreement. “Broncas. Broncalinas.” She snorted, finding the words funny.
“Right. You can start walking up the stairs again, or I can carry you.”
She looked back at the parking lot. “I told that guy I’d dance with him. He’s prob’ly waiting for me, all sad and confused. I should go back.”
“Carry it is, then.” Lucas scooped her up and climbed the steps.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head against him, snuggling into his chest. “This is nice.”
“Yeah, and hopefully you won’t remember it tomorrow.” He was going to remember it, though, for a very long time—the feel of Riley in his arms, the curve of her smile and dark lashes as she looked at him. He’d carried her like this before, and that memory was coming back to him in vivid detail.
They’d been down by the river, and Riley’s sandal strap broke. He said he didn’t want her to step on any sharp rocks by the bank, but he liked having an excuse to pick her up and hold her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and when he’d finally set her down, she kept her arms circling him. She laughed, called him her hero, and kissed him. He hadn’t let her go for a very long time.
Now she lifted her head and gazed adoringly at him. “You’re so sweet and caring. I’ve always loved that about you.”
Wait, did she know who he was after all? She’d said that exact thing to him while they were dating, including the “I’ve always loved that about you,” part.
She hadn’t always loved that about Jace, had she?
He reached her door and set her down so he could unlock it. She’d hardly eaten anything at the church, and he was determined to get some food into her.
He opened the door, turned on the light, and guided her inside. The living room was small and cozy with an abundance of pillows on the couch and pictures of Montana landscapes on the walls that made the state look much more picturesque than it actually felt in the winter. Potted plants perched everywhere—fugitives from the frozen outdoors.
He led her to the couch and deposited her there. “Why don’t you sit here…or lie down like you’re doing, and I’ll get you some food.”
He went to the kitchen, flipped through the cupboards, and found some crackers. He was rifling through the fridge for cheese when he heard her in the living room say, “I’m so glad to be out of these clothes.”
Oh no.
If Riley remembered any of this night tomorrow and knew she’d undressed in front of him, she wouldn’t be happy.
He left the food in the kitchen and went back to the living room with one hand pressed over his eyes. Well, mostly pressed. He had to see where he was going.
Her shoes and dress lie discarded on the floor. Riley never threw things on the floor. He stared at the emerald green heap instead of looking at her on the couch. “Did you just take off all of your clothes?”
“Not all of them,” she said. “I’m still wearing my slip.”
At least there was that. He’d seen his mother’s slips in the wash growing up. They were like silky sleeveless dresses and covered a decent amount.
He glanced at Riley and then quickly glanced away. Her slip looked a lot more like lingerie than his mother’s.
He turned so he faced away from her. “Riley, you need to put your dress back on.”