“Yeah?”
“Be careful. And if anyone tries anything weird, yell. I’ll come.”
He hoped he wasn’t being too forward, telling her what to do like that. There was just something about her that awoke all his Daddy instincts.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind. “Yes, Sir.” There was nothing sarcastic about the way she said it; only sincerity behind her words.
Briggs watched as she met up with the now-growing crowd of fans.
She sure was amazing.
The most amazing woman he’d ever met…
Chapter Eight
“We need to talk,” Rita said as she sauntered into Riley’s trailer the next day.
“Hey. Good to see you.”
Rita acted as if she hadn’t heard the greeting.
“Who was that guy you were with at the burger place yesterday?”
Riley couldn’t do anything but smile at the mere thought of Briggs.
Nothing crazy had happened. They hadn’t confessed their true and undying love for one another. They hadn’t driven six hours to Vegas for a whirlwind wedding.
All they had done was share a nice, simple lunch as they’d sat at a scenic outlook in Runyon Canyon, eating and talking. Then, he’d taken her back to Auntie Athena’s where he had work to do. Auntie and the Littles were back by then, so Riley had spent a couple of hours playing with her new friends.
Simple as that.
That didn’t mean it hadn’t been pure magic, though. It was one of the best days of Riley’s life!
She wasn’t going to go into all that with Rita. She clearly wouldn’t get it.
“Just a friend.”
“Did you run him by me?”
“What the hell, Rita?”
They stood there staring each other down for a full minute before Rita spoke.
“Riley, put yourself in my shoes. I’m trying to cultivate an image for you. This guy… whoever he is… I’m sure he’s nice. But… well, he’s not your type.”
Riley started to feel heat rising in her body. Clearing her throat and then rubbing the back of her neck, she attempted to soothe her simmering temper before it reached a full boil.
“First of all, he’s just a friend. So being my type doesn’t matter. Second of all, what’s wrong with Briggs?”
Rita put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. “Briggs? That’s his name? Briggs?”
Wide-eyed and nostrils flaring, Riley nodded.
“Okay, so that needs to be workshopped,” Rita grumbled.
“Workshop someone’s… name? What are you talking about?”
Rita snorted and shook her head, giving Riley a look as if she were the dumbest creature on the planet. “If you were going to be with this guy, we’d have to call him something else. Briggs just sounds so… I don’t know.” A condescending smile creased her lips. “Or do I need to remind you,Ruby FayeHartley?”