Page 18 of Nails
Ms.Torres sighed as if she were disappointed, but she nodded.“Well, if you change your mind, we will be here.”
“Thanks,” Riley said sincerely.She looked at Carson and Snow.“It was nice meeting both of you.And thanks again for the rescue.”
“Same,” Snow replied, first.
She looked at Carson, and he smiled.
“It was nice meeting you as well,” he told her.
She smiled and then forced herself to turn toward Ms.Torres.
“I’ll see you later,” she said, leaning down and hugging her.
“Thank you, Riley.And if you change your mind about dinner, you know that the door is always open.”
“I know,” Riley said, a smile playing on her lips.
She gave a wave over her shoulder before she walked out the door.On the way down the steps, she grabbed her phone from the railing where she had left it.As she walked to her house, she couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her.Well, that was interesting, she thought to herself.
The memory of herself dangling from Ms.Torres’ attic window flashed in her head.Her teal panties were on full display, her smartass commentary on full blast, and to top it off, her rescuer was annoyingly hot, unfairly calm, and clearly not as traumatized by her underwear situation as she was.
She shook her head.Nope.She was notgoing to fall for her neighbor’s son.No matter how damn good-looking he was.
An hour later, Nails sat at the kitchen table, shoveling a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.Snow sat across from him, already on his second helping.
His mom, who was sitting beside him, placed her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin.She then turned to him and gave him a knowing look.
“So, are you going to ask, or just sit there pretending you don’t want to?”
Nails paused mid-bite and looked at his mom.“Ask what?”
His mom rolled her eyes.“About Riley.”
Snow nearly choked on his bite of chicken, covering his mouth as he laughed.
Nails scowled at him before turning back to his mom.“I was actually going to ask about you first,” he muttered.
She gave him a suspicious look but humored him.“Okay.Ask away.”
He gestured toward her booted foot.“Why didn’t you tell me that you hurt your foot?”
She waved a dismissive hand.“Because it was just a little fracture.The doctor said it’ll be healed up in a few weeks.”
“A little fracture?”Nails repeated, shaking his head.“You still should’ve called.”
His mom gave him a look like he had asked why the sky was blue.“And your reaction right now is the reason why I kept it from you.You would have made a big fuss about it and probably showed up acting like I was on my deathbed.”
Nails opened his mouth to argue, then shut it because, well, she wasn’t wrong.But in his defense, she was the only family he had, and the most important person in his life.
Snow snorted.“She’s got you pegged.”
Nails shot him another glare before turning back to his mom.“You said that Riley’s been helping you out?”
“And there it is,” she smirked.
Snow let out a low whistle.“Damn, bro, at least try to be subtle.”
Nails ignored him.“Just answer the question, please.”
