Page 106 of Buckin' Around

Just in case.

“Inside, my girls. Before the mosquitoes find you.”

Riley makes a beeline for the back door. I follow them both in and plate up. The potato is mashed, a pat of butter melted in the center of the bowl. A salad is tossed and set in another bowl beside it.

Riley puts Ives on her play mat, handing her the fluffy bunny. Its paw immediately ends up in her mouth. Anyone who has to endure getting chewed and drooled on deserves a name. Mr. Fluffy suits. With a sigh, Riley pads to the counter and plops beside me.

“How does time fly past so quickly?” she says softly.

I glance back at Ivy, now crawling with Mr. Fluffy in one hand toward the coffee table laden with more toys and stuffies.

“It never seems to slow down when you want it to.” I turn back to find her attention set on her plate, silverware in her hands remaining stationery in her grip.

Forgetting my food, I turn on the stool. With one hand, I rotate her stool so she has to face me. “What if it didn’t have to pass by, Riles?”

Her brows fall.

“I know. I know. You have to go home to your family. But people do long distance, right?”

Since when has Spencer Lockwood ever done relationships, let alone a long distance one? Apparently,desperately in love with Riley O’MalleySpencer does. Because that’s what I am. Obsessed. Head over goddamn heels.

I needbothof these girls like I need fucking oxygen.

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Riley says, her throat bobbing.

“You’re not asking, O’Malley. I am.”

Her eyes study my face.

“Drop it, Spence. We can’t change the way things are. Doing anything else will make this harder.”

I cross my arms as she turns back to her food.

“Damn it, woman. You are one stubborn ass, you know that?”

Her cutlery clatters to the countertop.

Fuck yes. Fight, Riles. Come on.

She pivots on her stool, face twisted with a mix between hopelessness and anger.

“My responsibility is tomyfamily, not you. Not yours.”

She stalks from the kitchen, her dinner forgotten.

Ivy squeals behind me, tossing Mr. Fluffy and stomping on him.

Fucking hell, Ives.

Even if Riley leaves and never comes back, we’ll always have a part of her here. The personality of our favorite Irish woman has become ingrained into both our souls.

Ives is feisty.

Me... I care more now for other people than I ever thought I’d ever be capable of.

I finish my meal and clean up. By the time I’ve washed up, Ivy has worn her little self out. She sits in the center of the living room among her toys, fussing and rubbing her eyes. I make up her bottle and scoop her off the floor with Mr. Fluffy.

“Come on, baby girl. Bedtime. Mama made—” Fuck. No. “Rilesmade your big girl crib up.”