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Kenzie’s room is also painted a color of blue that I would have coveted as a kid. The décor, however, is sweet and whimsical with sheer, glittery, purple curtains over the windows and draped over the bed.
Kenzie leads me to what looks like an entire guinea pig suite, with little tubes and ladders connecting the various rooms. She opens the front latch and pulls out a brown and white ball of fluff. “This is Zeebler.”
I crouch down on my knees and give the tiny creature a pat on the head.
“Do you want to hold her?”
“Sure.” I hold out my hands, and Kenzie carefully sets Zeebler down. Her tiny claws and little nose and eyes are the only indication it’s really more than a fluffball until it starts to squeak.
“You’re pretty loud for such a tiny thing,” I say, pulling her toward my chest as she starts to move around.
“You can piggy-sit while I clean out her cage.”
I smile and nod, but those smiles and tittering laughs downstairs finally make sense. I just got conned by Riker’s daughter.
I hear footsteps behind me and glare over my shoulder as Riker peeks in the room.Thanks, I mouth.
It takes about half an hour for Kenzie to clean out the cages, but I have to hand it to the kid, she’s good at small talk. Probably better than me. After she reclaims Zeebler and dismisses me, I follow the sound of voices down the stairs and to the kitchen where Riker sits at a barstool while Harper fiddles with something near the sink.
“I was just identified as the weakest link, wasn’t I?”
“Yep,” Riker says.
I slide up on the chair next to him. “And what are you doing? Having her wait on you?”
Harper laughs, but Riker gives me the side-eye and shakes his head.
A moment later, Harper pours a cup of coffee and sits it in front of him.
“Here’s the coffee you wanted.”
Riker straightens, eyes wide. “I—” His mouth snaps shut, and he sits back, drawing his tongue over his lips. “It’s a losing battle.”
“You want some coffee?” Harper asks me. “Vincent likes to have some when he gets home so I already had it on.”
“You don’t have to—”
She waves me off. “I need to keep moving it—” Halfway back to the counter she clutches her side and groans. “Oh shit.” She puts her hand on the counter. “Riker, you might need to take me to the hospital now. My water broke.”
“What?” Riker jumps off his stool, and I almost laugh at his frantic expression.
Harper grabs his forearm and growls. “Now.”
“Libby, Vincent should be home soon can you—”
“I got this.” I wave them along. I don’t really, but I’m sure Kenzie will be happy to tell me what to do.
Fortunately as they cross the living room, another car pulls up to the house, and moments later a man, who I assume is Vincent walks in and takes over.
Much as I want to make fun of Riker for dodging that bullet his pale face warns me to leave it alone, for a little while, at least. I’m not sure he’d hear me right now anyway.
* * *
While Riker and Kenzie are curled up on the couch asleep, I stand at the kitchen counter sipping my coffee where I can enjoy the adorable scene a little longer. Harper’s labor and delivery went by in just a few hours without any issues—apparently that little boy was eager to escape, and after two nights at the hospital, they all returned home three days ago.
When Kenzie wasn’t in school or at dance class, she and Riker have spent every waking moment together, and a few sleeping ones on the couch as well. But tomorrow afternoon, our flights are booked back to Virginia.
He’s going to miss this, and a part of my heart aches for him.
