Page 41 of Three Little Wishes

“I can cook. I’m just not great at it but I don’t have to be. I eat at… Anyway, I thought it would be fun for all of us to cook together. What do you say?”

Riley nodded. “I’d like to.”

Cami shrugged. “I guess if Riley wants to, I do too.”

Riley smiled. She liked that Cami seemed to think of her as a friend now. Even if she was old enough to be Riley’s mother.

“Great. I’ll just have to stop at the market and pick up a couple things. We’re going to film my 5 o’clock weather report at the beach house so I don’t have to rush off but I thought we’d make something simple. Any ideas?”

“I’m good with whatever.” Riley was more excited about watching Willow film her weather report than cooking, if she was being honest.

“Well, I’m not,” Cami said. “I vote for bucatini carbonara. Eva and I make it all the time, and it’s easy.”

“Perfect.” Willow leaned over and grabbed Cami’s bag off the floor, tossing it to her in the back seat. “See if you can find some paper and a pen, and you can make me a list of what I need,” she said as she eased the car into traffic.

“It’s like four ingredients,” Cami huffed.

Riley figured Willow was trying to distract her aunt from seeing all the changes on Main Street. “Yeah, but maybe we can pick up some snacks too,” she said, listing some ideas. “Write those down.”

Cami sighed as she dug around in the bag. “Fine.”

By the time Willow turned into the market’s parking lot, Cami had finished the list. She looked up and didn’t even blink so Riley assumed the market was the same as Cami remembered.

“This thing is the size of a boat,” Willow said. “I was hoping to find a spot at the back of the lot but I’ll have to park here.” She pulled in beside the sidewalk and unbuckled her seat belt. “Riley, it’ll be quicker if you come in and help me.” She glanced at her aunt as she opened the driver-side door.“Cami, scrunch down so no one can see you, and whatever you do, don’t talk to anyone or get out of the car. We’ll be ten minutes at most.”

Riley looked at Willow, thinking she didn’t know her aunt very well if she was going to leave her alone and expect her to do what she said. “Here.” Riley handed her iPad to Cami. “You can listen to my playlist.”

“Okay.” She took the iPad, and her brow furrowed. “How do I do that?”

It took Riley five minutes to teach Cami how to use her iPad. When they left to go into the grocery store, she was listening to the Rolling Stones and dancing in the back seat.

Willow smiled at Riley. “Thank you for being so awesome. You’re wonderful with my aunt and I really appreciate it.”

Riley’s cheeks got warm, and she ducked her head. “It’s not a big deal. Cami’s nice and fun to be around.”

“I’m not sure Noah will approve of my aunt’s idea of fun, but I’m glad you two had a good time.” Willow pointed at the dairy section. “If you can grab a pound of butter, a dozen eggs, and some cream, I’ll get the rest.” She picked up a basket and handed it to Riley. “Get yourself some ice cream or popsicles. Yogurt too.”

“Thanks,” Riley said, and hurried down the aisle. It took her about three minutes to get everything Willow had asked for, plus a carton of ice cream and some yogurt. It took her longer to find Willow. She caught a glimpse of her in the snack food aisle, surrounded by people. She seemed to know everyone in the store, and they all wanted to talk to her.

Riley didn’t want to be rude, but she was worried about Cami and interrupted Willow’s conversation with an older man named Amos, who was arguing with Willow about thatmorning’s weather report. “Sorry to interrupt. But if it’s okay, I’ll go wait with… my friend in the car.” She handed Willow the basket.

Willow glanced at her phone. “Sh—crap. Sorry, guys. I’ve gotta go,” Willow said, and dashed to the cash register. “You go, Riley. I’ll be right there.”

Riley didn’t want to draw attention by sprinting for the door so she fast-walked instead, telling herself as she did that she was overreacting. As soon as she exited the store, she discovered she wasn’t. Cami wasn’t in the car, and she’d left in a hurry. The back passenger-side door was open. Riley walked around the parking lot but there was no sign of her. She wondered if Cami had gotten tired of waiting and gone looking for them in the store. It was something Riley would do.

As she ran back to the store, Willow walked out the door with two bags of groceries in her arms. She took one look at Riley and her gaze shot to the car.

“Maybe she’s in the…” Riley trailed off when across the road she spotted a familiar yellow sun hat weaving among the crowd on the sidewalk and heard a familiar voice yelling, “Flynn! Wait up. It’s me. It’s Cami.”

Chapter Fourteen

Is it safe to come out? You’re not going to strangle me or tell me you’re kicking me and Cami out of the beach house?” Willow asked as she walked across the lawn to where a broody Noah sat by the fire.

For the first time in weeks, she hadn’t been hit, chased, peed on, or pooped on (by a flock of seagulls) while filming her weather report. It was the aftermath that had led to this moment.

They’d planned on filming from the dock, but when they were setting up, a group of teenage boys offered to take them out in their speedboat. They were so excited about the idea of appearing in her broadcast that neither Willow nor Naomi had the heart to say no. They should’ve said no. The filming went smoothly but things went sideways as soon as they returned to the dock and Cami got a look at the boys.

It was the first time she’d come out of her bedroom since the Flynn debacle at the grocery store. The second Willow had pulled into the driveway, Cami had bolted from the car. Heartbroken that the teenager she’d thought was Flynn wasn’t. Willow hadn’t had a choice. She’d had to remind her aunt that she was forty-seven and not seventeen and Flynnwas no longer a part of her life. To say it hadn’t gone well would be an understatement.

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