“Later.”
I’d have to find out about Wren’s father later, too. Riley effectively distracted me from what I meant to ask her.
A loud cheer finally broke us apart.
Riley sighed as I glanced around. I’d assumed we were sheltered, being at the back end of Riley’s lot.
I glanced toward the street and realized the trailer next to Eldon’s—two houses down from mine—had an unobstructed view from the deck into Riley’s “backyard.”
Marni sat on her deck, swiping on another unnecessary layer of lipstick.
Kristin stood next to her, drinking a coffee with a toddler on her hip.
Neither had the decency to pretend like they weren’t watching.
“Do you think we’re the only excitement in their lives?” I asked.
“I know we’re the only excitement in their lives.”
“Same time next week!” I yelled as I scooped Riley off the chair, tossing her over my shoulder and carrying her into the trailer.
Loud catcall whistles followed us.
Chapter SixteenRiley
Nate had made it impossible to break up with him. Again.
I was tired of fighting myself. Of lying to myself that I didn’t want the relationship to happen.
So, I did the only thing I could. I decided to accept it. To enjoy it. Heck, even embrace it.
I knew this would end with my heart shattered into dust. I might as well buy an urn to keep my future cremated heart in. But at the moment, I was going to enjoy being with Nate. To build happy memories with him that would endure a lifetime. Little memories I could frame next to that urn.
Which was why we were going on an adventure together. When Nate told me I didn’t live life, it hurt because he was, unfortunately, right. So, I was braving my way to try something new. Something for the fun of it. I wasn’t even going to add it to my social media. It was an adventure for the two of us.
After a day of working for both of us, we piled into my Jeep on an adventure of my choosing. Frank had stopped by at lunchtime to say hi to Wren. He ate my leftover pizza. But his visit had seemed to help lift Wren’s spirits, and she decided she was over her ex and would celebrate by spending the night at Macy’s.
“What are we going to do?” Nate asked from the passenger seat of my Jeep as I turned off the highway onto the same logging road he had taken me on before.
“I don’t know.” I stepped on the gas, drifting around the corner, spitting out gravel. “Isn’t it great?”
Nate grunted. “I take back what I said about you not living. I prefer you go back to the tame version of Riley I recently met.”
“It’s too late. You’ve released the beast.” I locked it into four-wheel drive and turned onto a narrow dirt road leading up the mountainside.
The tires dug into the mud, climbing with ease. We hit bump after bump. I laughed as I hit the gas at one particular rise.
Nate screamed as we crested the hill, landing into a muddy puddle of water that reached the frame of my car.
“You were so right!” I yelled. “This is the most fun I’ve had in years!”
I kept driving until we reached a small clearing on the top of the hill. I shut the Jeep off and looked around.
Nate clung to the handle. His green face twitched.
I unbuckled my seat belt and leaned over to pry his hands off the door handle. “We’re here.”
“Oh, so this is what heaven looks like,” he said in a staccato voice.
I laced my fingers through his and squeezed. “I think this Jeep needs a name.”
“Rocket of death? Canon of misery?”
“Aren’t you a funny one!” I let go of his hand and climbed out of the rig. “Come on. I want to get a closer look.”
“What, no selfie stick?”
I shook my head and slammed the door. He followed me to the steep side of the mountain. “I want to look. Just for myself.”
“You mean that?” His voice sounded so hopeful.
I nodded. “You were right. I’ve been so caught up in faking it—creating a lie. I didn’t know how much I was believing my own lies until you came along.”
“It’s not all a lie,” he commented softly. “You’ve built a life for you and Wren. A good life. And that’s something to be proud of. But I don’t want you to get to the end of your life and regret that you never got to live it.”
“Stop it, or you’re going to make me cry. Why are you so good to me?” I leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“I imagine you know why,” he chuckled.
“But you’ve inspired me to stop faking it. No more lies. No more fake travel. From now on, I’m going to live the life I portray.”
He tugged me into his arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Of course, I might show me eating greasy nachos, but at least it’ll be real.”
“Come on, I saw a blanket in the back of your car. I’ll set it out for us—if it didn’t fall out on your crazy drive up the mountain.” He kissed me one more time then grabbed the blanket to lay out for us in the pretty meadow.
My first spur-of-the-moment adventure wasn’t action-packed as it turned out. But it was perfect. Lying on a blanket next to Nate in the grass. No cell service, no noise. It soothed my weary soul.
We chatted a little, but we mostly cuddled in the comfortable silence. It gave me time to sort out my frantic thoughts.
I propped myself up on my elbow and stared at Nate. I wanted to explain everything.
“Your dad kept his promise to me.”
“What?” Nate looked at me with sleepy eyes.
“He helped me. I think he understood how scared I was. I’d just found out that I was Wren’s legal guardian. I was trying to decide what to do.”
Nate stroked my hair gently as he listened.
“Frank stopped by my dorm. I’d only been around
