Page 7 of The Comeback Road
“RAYA, get in here. Let the girl breathe,” a voice I didn’t recognize hollered out, and Raya held her hand up to me to take. I swear, my heart melted on the spot. Placing my hand in hers, Ithought that maybe I’d kill for that kid.No, strike that. I absolutely would.
She led me into the kitchen, where Magnolia stood with a girl I knew as Remi. I really hadn’t spoken to her much, but I knew she worked with Magnolia and Sloan.
“Hey, girl. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Lexie. This wayward appendage must belong to you.” I grabbed Raya and started tickling her, and she let out the sweetest sounds of squeals and happiness. Remi’s half smile turned into a megawatt one. The girl wasstunning.
“She usually doesn’t like strangers.”
“She’s my best friend,” she told her mother in a matter-of-fact tone
Good lord.My heart was thinking about exploding out of my chest just looking at the kid.
“Well, what do you say, best friend? Would you like to help me pick out an outfit for tonight?”
“An outfit?” her scrunched-up face looked up at me in question.
“A prince is going to take me away for the evening.”
Her eyes went wide. “A prince?”
“Yup, a prince. And I can’t go looking like this. Would you like to help?” It was me this time who held my hand out to her, and she squealed while taking it. I shot a look behind me, where Magnolia and Remi were standing, mouths almost a gape.
“You like kids, Lexie?” Magnolia asked.
“Who doesn’t like kids?”
“I, uh…Well, I guess you’ve never talked about them.”
I shrugged her off again, not wanting to get into it. But I couldn’t help but see the look Remi shot her in question, knowing that it was something they’d probably be discussing once I left.
“Let’s go, sweets. Are you two coming, or staying down here?”
“Oh, we are absolutely coming.”
The first half hour was me being ridiculous with Raya, trying on the most colorful, mismatched outfits I could find, and her erupting into giggles, giving me a thumbs down atevery single one.
“This is it, I promise!”
I came out in a long floral dress that would have worked in the seventies, a large top hat thatabsolutelydid not match, and pink, six-inch heels.
“This is it!” she screamed in excitement, and I couldn’t, for the life of me, bring myself to disagree.
“I think it’s perfect too.”
“Uh…Lexie.”
I turned and saw Magnolia and Remi trying their best to hold in the laughter over my outfit.
“If Raya says it’s perfect,it’s perfect, and I’m wearing it.”
The doorbell ringing broke all of us out of our laughter.
Raya ran out before any of us could stop her. “I got it! I’ll let the prince in!”
“Raya! We talked about this. Donotopen the door to strangers.” Remi was about to start after her, but I held up my hand, kicked off my heels, and made my way for her. I was able to pick up and spin her around in a fit of giggles right before she reached for the door.
“Hey, sweets, why don’t you let me get this, okay? In case it’s a dragon, and I need to protect you.”
“You can’t protect me! The prince does that.”
