Page 13 of Nails
Riley tried to brush it off as if it were just another Tuesday.But Ms.Torres saw through it.She’d seen that edge of exhaustion in Riley’s eyes.The kind that didn’t just come from physical pain.
She adored Riley.Not just because she helped her out.And not just because she was kind and thoughtful.But because Riley reminded her of the kind of woman she was—sharp-tongued, independent, and no-nonsense.Riley had a good heart, even if she carried herself like she had something to prove.
Ms.Torres didn’t know the whole story about Riley’s family situation, but she knew enough to know that Riley was on her own.
As soon as she saw the lights go out inside Riley’s house, Ms.Torres hobbled over to her chair and lowered herself gently.She then propped her foot up on the ottoman.
Once she was comfortable, she reached for her tea on the table beside her.She smiled slowly, the kind of grin only mothers got when they were up to no good.
Riley deserved someone who would take care of her for once.She needed someone who understood her and would accept her independence.And that brought Ms.Torres’ thoughts right back to her son, Carson.He was protective, understanding, and at times patient.But most of all, he would see Riley for who she was and be a steady presence in her life, which was important because, over the years, being alone, she had learned not to count on anybody but herself.
As for Riley?Well, she was everything Ms.Torres wanted for her son.She was strong, kind, and grounded, not to mention she had the right amount of sass to keep him on his toes.
Riley was special for sure.And Ms.Torres knew her son better than anyone.He tries to pretend he wasn’t looking for anything serious.But wait until next weekend when he lays eyes on Riley.One look at that girl, and he was going to be in trouble.And she couldn’t wait to watch it happen.
She leaned back, chuckling to herself.
CHAPTER FOUR
Riley aimed the leaf blower toward the large pile of debris that had accumulated next to Ms.Torres’ chimney.Giving it a blast, leaves, twigs, and enough pine needles to build a squirrel hotel flew across the roof in chaotic spirals until they dropped over the edge.
The sun was warm on her back, and the springtime air carried the scent of pine and damp earth.Riley smiled, feeling accomplished and halfway back to normal.
It had been a week since that bullet had slammed into her vest.Her chest still ached, but the bruising had faded from eggplant to a deep, angry blue.For once, she followed orders and had actually taken the time off to rest.Well, mostly.There were a few days when she had to remind herself to behave.She spent most of the time watching crime documentaries or listening to crime podcasts.Today’s rooftop mission was sort of her way of easing back into things, physically.
Ms.Torres had invited her over for dinner every night, which she was thankful for because she had no food in her house, and she wasn’t in the mood to go to the store.
The plan for the day had been just to clean out Ms.Torres’ gutters.But once Riley climbed the ladder and saw how much debris was on the roof, she thought that since she was already up there, she might as well clean it off.
She swept the blower side-to-side as she slowly worked her way toward the edge.When the roof was free of tree debris, she switched off the blower with a satisfied grin.She set the blower down and stretched her back.She let out a small groan as the muscles around her chest protested.
She picked up the blower and turned around to head back to the ladder, but the ladder was no longer there.
“What the hell?”she muttered, walking to the edge of the roof.When she looked down, her eyes widened, seeing the ladder lying on the ground like it had taken a nap mid-shift.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she said out loud.
She reached for the side pocket of her leggings, where she kept her phone, but then remembered she hadn’t brought it with her.It was sitting on the railing of the front porch, nice and useless.And Ms.Torres?Well, with her bum foot, she was also useless.Riley wasn’t about to have her hobbling out to save the day.She couldn’t jump because it was a two-story drop, and while she might be able to roll with it, she wasn’t eager to test that theory.
Riley sighed as she rubbed her temples.“Okay, think, genius.”
She looked around, and her eyes caught the two bedroom windows.She made her way back up the slight incline and tried both windows.Of course, they were locked.But then Riley spotted the small attic window near the peak of the roof.It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than waiting for someone to see her up there.
Climbing up carefully, she tested the window, and to her relief, it slid open, though the window was very loose.The opening looked really small, but Riley believed she could squeeze through it.
She stuck her head inside and looked around.It was mostly empty except for a few tubs that sat on the far wall.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she muttered.
She took a deep breath and twisted sideways, easing one arm and shoulder in, then the other.She winced when her chest scraped against the windowpane.But she pushed through it.Inch by inch, she wiggled forward.It was a slow process, but she was making some progress until her hips reached the frame, at which point she encountered resistance.
“Shit!”She wondered if this was what a panicked squirrel looked like when it realized that the bird feeder was a bad idea.
She gritted her teeth as she tried to wiggle her hips to free herself, but it wasn’t working.Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, the loose window slid down right onto her waist, literally pinning her.
“Oh, no!No, no, no, no—!”
She tried to back out, and when that didn’t work, she tried to go forward.But she got nowhere.She was stuck.
