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He picks up a dinner roll, then chucks it at her. “Shut the hell up!”
“Rowan, that’s enough,” River snaps, but Rowan’s more than amused with herself. The whole dynamic of their family is amazing. There are rules and a lot of work to be done, but just by spending this short amount of time with them, it’s easy to see how much they love each other. There are zero doubts about how close they are.
My family is on the other spectrum. First of all, I can name all of my cousins on one hand, and we don’t talk so freely around each other. The boundaries are high, but with the Bishops, they say what they mean and mean what they say. And damn, I already love them so much.
After I’m so full that I’m ready to burst, River brings out a homemade apple pie with vanilla ice cream. I don’t think I can take another bite, but after she hands me a plate, I shove down a spoonful. As soon as it hits my mouth, I release a moan because I’ve never tasted anything so good.
“Wow,” I say when it’s half gone.
“I know, right?” Riley smirks. “You’ll never go hungry ’round here.”
“I hope you don’t expect me to know how to bake,” I tell him, and everyone laughs.
“You’ll learn real quick, honey. Trust me, the extent of my meals were frozen pizzas and microwavable dinners. Mama Bishop taught me everything I know about Southern cooking. Her recipes are to die for. You’ll have to come over and write some of them down. Riley’s a great cook, though,” his mama brags. “When he wants to be, that is.”
“Ma, you can’t tell Zoey my secrets,” he jokes, but I do want to know them all.
“So you gonna tell us about this dare?” Rowan asks, looking at him and then glancing over at me.
I snort, wondering when someone was going to bring it up. “Well…” I turn and look at Riley, not sure how much he really wants them to know, considering it was a payback dare, but he doesn’t seem to care. He lays it all out from the strip club, to meeting at brunch, to Diesel being an idiot and daring us to get married.
“Oh, so you’re responsible for this, too?” Alex asks me with a cocky grin. “You agreed to this on purpose?”
I shrug, though I know he’s only teasing. “I’m often known for my bad decisions.” I glance at Riley with a smirk. “But this time, I think it was the right one.”
“When you know, you know,” his dad says, looking at his wife with so much admiration you’d think they just met yesterday. Their love is undeniable.
“That’s true,” Riley pipes in. “The moment I saw Zoey, I knew.”
“At the strip club?” I ask, searching his face, and he nods.
“So it was like divine intervention?” Rowan asks, giggling.
“We all can’t have crushes on people who live in town.” Riley cackles, and her face distorts.
“Who? I don’t know who you’re even talking about.” Rowan stands and picks up the pile of dirty plates. She tries to hide her reaction, but I see a hint of blush on her cheeks. Riley doesn’t name-drop who he’s referring to, which I find cute, but I’m certain it’s someone they all know.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Alex asks.
I glance over at Riley, who shrugs.
“I was gonna paint the barn before Grandma has a hissy fit. I know she can’t stand things to be out of place, especially since the B&B guests can see it,” he says.
“You’re right,” Alex agrees. “Not a bad idea, and it’s not supposed to be as hot this afternoon.”
“What about you?” River asks me. “Do you like gardening?”
“Love getting my hands dirty,” I admit, smiling.
“Mila’s been working at the school all week, so she hasn’t had any free time, but she mentioned planting veggies this afternoon if you wanna help,” she suggests. “I’m sure she’d love and appreciate the company.”
Riley glances at me. “Only if you want to. Don’t feel obligated.”
“I’d love that, actually. I just need to change first.” I’m so damn excited to be involved. I’ve always wanted a garden but never could have one due to the subdivision we live in, plus our backyard isn’t big enough. One time, I planted some herbs, but my mother was annoyed it didn’t match her décor, so after we used everything, I didn’t continue with it. Most of the time, I try not to get in her way.
After the dining room table is cleared and the dishes are washed, Riley says goodbye, and his mom pulls me into a big hug.
“You come back anytime. Our home is yours,” River tells me.
“Lunch was amazing. The pie was to die for,” I admit. “Thank you for the invite.”
