Dazed (Connections, #2.5)(4)

“Hey, I’m right here. What’s going on?” He appears in the staircase that leads down to the office, guestroom, and laundry room. Its opening freaks me out every time I come over. It’s a square cutout that sits between the kitchen and the family room. You just step down, no doorway, nothing to brace yourself against, and the railing doesn’t present itself for a few steps. I call it the infinity staircase and avoid it at all costs.

Once he sees me, he freezes. “Aerie, what happened to you? Are you okay?” he asks, clearly concerned.

“I fell, but I’m fine. Just a little dirty.”

Dahlia’s hands go to her hips and she clears her throat. “She slipped in oil,” she tells him, stressing the last word.

I look up at her. She has a look of stern reprimand on her face.

“She’s okay?” he asks again, this time to Dahlia.

“Yes.”

He looks over to me, “I’m so sorry, Aerie. Let me get you something to get that off. I’ll be right back.” He quickly moves through the kitchen toward the door leading to the garage.

Dahlia shakes her head at him.

He turns back and mouths, “Sorry.”

She turns toward me and pulls my headband off my head to smooth the stray pieces back that have come loose from my French braid. “I am so sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. I’m fine. Really I am. And what am I missing here?”

She sighs and lets out a small giggle. “River and Jagger decided to change the oil in Jagger’s car this afternoon. I suggested they take it to a service center, but they insisted they were ‘real’ men and could do it themselves. River has never changed the oil in his car . . .”

There’s the sound of someone clearing his throat from the doorway as River strides in and hands me a container with the lid already off. It smells like oranges. “Here, this is a degreaser. It should take the oil right off,” he says.

I take the jar and rub some on my knees as Dahlia turns on the water and hands me a towel. I assume Jagger is River’s cousin. So Trent is not the one joining us for dinner.

“Where did you get that?” Dahlia asks River.

He moves closer to her. “Baby, I can’t tell you all my secrets.”

She swats his behind. “Don’t think I don’t know you two ended up at Jiffy Lube this afternoon.”

I bop my head up and continue to rub the grease from my knees. This story is getting interesting.

River grins and cranes his neck toward her lips. “Now, how did you find out that little piece of information?”

“The receipt you left on the kitchen counter next to your wallet. Busted!” she smirks.

I have to laugh. River has got to be one of the funniest, most down-to-earth guys I know and he and Dahlia couldn’t be more perfect for each other. They both look at me.

“What?” I ask. “I can’t find the story funny?”

“Well, at least let me explain before you laugh at me?” he jokes.

“Oh, I think we got this one,” Dahlia responds.

I finish with my knees and Dahlia takes the dirty towel and wets another, handing it to me. I stand up at the sink and spread the cool white liquid between my palms and scrub them. “I needed a good laugh after the day I’ve had.”

“Glad to be of assistance,” River chuckles.

Dahlia pulls River to her and clasps his cheeks. “I think it’s sexy that you tried to be an auto mechanic.”

He buries his head in the crook of her neck and with the water running I can’t hear what he whispers, but I can only imagine.

Now I clear my throat. “Excuse me. I’m right here. Remember, I’m the one who fell.”

River leans over and kisses my cheek. “I’m sorry you slipped. We should have done a better job cleaning up. You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. My ego is bruised more than anything else.”

He pats my shoulder. “Now, finish getting cleaned up and I’ll go grab the oil spill culprit. He’s dying to meet you.”

Turning off the water, I twist to set the towel down on the counter. “Really? Why?”

“I’ll let him explain.”

“How old is your cousin? Sixteen?” I ask.

The sizzling sound of liquid meeting flame erupts behind us and all of our heads snap toward it. The spaghetti sauce is boiling over again.

“Shit!” Dahlia calls and runs over to the stove. The mitt is not there so she lifts the lid with her bare hand and immediately drops it. “Shit!” she calls again waving her hand in the air.

River grabs one of the towels on the counter near the sink and is by her side in a moment. He takes the lid off and lowers the gas, then turns to Dahlia. “Let me see that,” he says, taking her hand in his.

I tune out the rest of their conversation because in the midst of all the chaos, a shadow rises from the staircase. A long, lean body appears out of nowhere and stormy gray eyes sweep over me. My mouth falls open at the same time that my pulse begins to race. There stands the cupcake thief, right in the middle of River and Dahlia’s family room.





Chapter 2


Wake Me Up

Now here’s the question—when Alice falls down the rabbit hole, does she tumble or plummet? I couldn’t remember. Or should I really be asking if, when she falls through the looking glass, does she stumble or crash?