Page 4 of Once Hidden
“So...are we good?”Jilly asked tentatively.
“We're good,” April confirmed, patting the bed beside her.
Jilly sat down, and Riley marveled at how quickly the girls could move past their conflicts now.There had been a time, not so long ago, when Jilly's adjustment to their family had been much rockier, when every disagreement felt like a potential catastrophe.The progress they'd made still amazed her.
“I'll leave you two to talk,” Riley said, standing up.“April, think about what I said, okay?”
April nodded, and Riley slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.Downstairs, she found Bill and Gabriela cleaning up from breakfast.Bill had rolled up his sleeves and was elbow-deep in soapy water while Gabriela wiped down the counter.
“Everything okay up there?”Bill asked as Riley entered.
“Teen drama,” Riley said, picking up a dish towel to dry the clean plates.“Apparently April met a guy at the café.He had to go out of town to take care of his sick grandmother, and he hasn't texted her back.Cue heartbreak and sisterly betrayal.”
“Ah, the eternal 'does he like me or not' question,” Bill said.“Some things never change.”
“Tell me about it.”Riley stacked a dried plate in the cabinet.“I just hope this Ethan is on the level.April's been through enough.”
“Do you want me to run a background check?”Bill offered, only half-joking.
Riley laughed.“I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind.But no—not yet, anyway.She's eighteen; she needs to make her own judgments.”She sighed.“Though I'm not sure I'm ready for her to have a boyfriend.”
“I hate to break it to you,” Bill said, draining the sink, “but it was inevitable.”
Gabriela shook her head with a knowing smile.“She’s a smart girl.She’ll make the right choices.”
“I know,” Riley admitted, leaning against the counter.“And honestly, she's handled everything life has thrown at her better than I could have hoped.She deserves some normal experiences—including dating.”
Bill dried his hands and pulled Riley into a loose embrace.“You've raised two incredible young women.Trust them—and trust yourself.”
Riley rested her head briefly on his shoulder, drawing strength from his steady presence.“So,” she said, pulling back slightly to look at him, “now that crisis is averted, what should we do with our time off?I was thinking we could drive up to the mountains for a few days.The girls would be fine with Gabriela here.”
“Yes,” Gabriela said, waving a hand.“Take a vacation.Go!”
“That sounds perfect,” Bill said.“I can't remember the last time we had a break together.”
“I know.Between your case load and my teaching schedule—”
Her phone rang, interrupting the moment.Riley glanced at the screen and felt her stomach sink.
“It's Meredith,” she said.
“Sounds like something work-related,” Bill said, frowning.
Riley sighed and took the call.
“Agent Paige,” the BAU chief’s deep voice came through.“I need you and Agent Esmer in my office immediately.She has been notified and is waiting for you to contact her.”
“Sir, I'm supposed to be on vacation for the next two weeks.My summer classes at the Academy don't start until—”
“I know your schedule, Agent Paige,” Meredith cut in, his tone brooking no argument.“I wouldn't call if it wasn't important.This requires your...special abilities.”
Riley closed her eyes briefly.Her “special abilities”—Meredith's code for her uncanny gift of getting inside killers' heads—meant this was serious.Not just another murder, but something that had the BAU worried.
“I'll call Agent Esmer now,” she conceded.“We’ll come right to headquarters,”
“Good.I'll see you both in an hour.”Meredith ended the call.
“Let me guess,” Bill grumbled as she lowered the phone.“You're not going to get that break after all.”
