Page 49 of Playing for Keeps (Checkmate 4)

She snickers –snickers! – and presses a sweet kiss to my cheek. “No, mija. But Riley will be here in a minute.” Her eyes light up and break my heart. Because they’re his eyes, and I’m not sure his will ever look at me with such glee ever again. “I wanted to look nice for him. He’s such a good boy, so I wanted to dress up.”

“You look so pretty.” Stepping back, I remember the satchel over my shoulder and smile. “I brought somebody for you to meet, but you can’t tell.” Every woman in the history of the world loves a good secret, even sick, forgetful women. So Raya squirms with excitement, then moves out of my way so I can sit on her bed. Raya gasps with excitement when I pull Nacho out.

If I can forget that she’s normally not well, and if I could forget that her son isn’t actually my fiancé, I could imagine we’re a couple girlfriends, visiting and catching up over cupcakes and coffee.

So I do that – I ignore reality for a bit and introduce Raya to Nacho. Taking her from my bag, I settle her in Raya’s lap and leave them for a moment while I go back to the dressing table to collect my cupcakes.

I made them yesterday, rainbow batter and rainbow icing, with the hopes they might brighten her day.

“I can’t believe you have a pig, Andi. She’s just the cutest little thing ever.”

“Ha. You should see her when she’s wearing a tutu. You don’t know cute butts until you’ve seen Nacho in a tutu.” Sitting on the bed, I crack open the container and extend my hand in offer. “I baked these just for you.”

“For me?” From doting on Nacho, to genuinely perplexed, Raya’s eyes widen. “You made me cupcakes?”

“Yes, ma’am. Riley’s shift is taking a little longer than we expected. So while we wait, I figured we could hang out and eat cake. Riley already had one; he loved it.”I assume.“And since Nacho was bored at home, she wanted to come for a visit.”

“Thank you so much.” Holding Nacho in her lap, she reaches into the container to select her own. “I don’t remember the last time I had a rainbow cupcake. Everything is so dignified here; we get fruit cake and tea, or triangle sandwiches for lunch. This is almost something you might find at a little girl’s birthday party.”

“That’s exactly what I was going for.” Smiling, I select one for myself, then set the container aside. “Dignified isn’t always the most fun, and it’s only cupcakes. So we’re having rainbows, and we’re going to enjoy them.”

“We sure are.” She takes a dainty bite – not at all like the bite Riley took last night. Cuddling Nacho to her chest, Raya’s eyes close and a silly little moan moves up her throat that would probably make her son blush. “It’s so good, Andi. It’s the best cake I’ve had in a long time.”

“Aw, thank you, Mrs. Cruz.” I peel the paper from mine and lick the icing from my fingers. “I pride myself on my baking skills. I can hardly cook, I burn almost everything, but baking…” I nod. “I can bake.”

“That’s why my Riley loves you.” She turns with a twinkle in her eyes. “My baby loves cake. You could buy my boy for a little sugar. Put a slice of cake inside a haunted house or on top of a mountain, he’ll still get it.”

I laugh to hide the way my heart splinters at her easily tossed around words. “He likes brownies, I know that much. But he’s more of a no sugar, no fat, high protein, no fun kinda guy.”

“No, mija. He eats those because he wants to be big and strong, but he enjoys sugar the most. He used to mix his cereal when he was a boy. Three different types in one bowl, because he liked the flavors.” Her smiling eyes meet mine. “Did you know that?”

Tears burn my eyes; hot, salty, and so fucking itchy I want to scratch them out of the socket. “No, I didn’t know that.”

“Oh, yes. Apple Jacks, Cap’n Crunch, and Lucky Charms with the little marshmallows. That was his favorite mix. He ate breakfast like that for his entire elementary school life, and no matter what I’d say or do, he wouldn’t knock it off.” She takes another bite and shakes her head. I’m thinking the sweet tooth is hereditary, and makes me glad I thought to bring the woman a cake. “I was so sure his teeth would rot away before high school, but they didn’t. He drank a lot of water and brushed his teeth religiously, and now, his smile is still prettier than all the angels combined.”

“Yes, ma’am. It sure is.” I sit with Raya for more than an hour and think of the Andi special I served him earlier this week. Raya eats two cupcakes, and squeaks with delight when I tell her the whole container can stay with her. She has enough sugar and rainbow swirls to last her a few days.

The whole time we sit on her bed, she holds Nacho in her lap, and constantly drops her eyes to the fake diamond on my left hand. She never asks about it. Never asks to see it.

Before today, I never felt like I had to worry. Horribly, I took for granted her forgetfulness and left it in place so I wouldn’t lose it. But today’s different. Today she’s noticing, and each time her eyes would drop, my heart would race.

It’s one thing to tell the nosy receptionist a small lie to gain entrance.

But it breaks my heart to lie to Raya – or for her to think her son has exciting news to tell her.

She’s well today, and ridiculously, it makes me glad he didn’t visit. She’s too aware of her world, and if he came here with his injuries, she’d race out of bed and panic.

How horrible am I to wish for her dementia to place a fog over her world again so Riley’s visit won’t hurt her?

* * *

A couple hoursafter Riley leaves the house with the chief, I make good on another promise. Sitting in my car in the parking lot of Raya’s home, I take my cell out and scroll down until I find Megan Montgomery’s cell number.

She’s a friend of mine, a kindred spirit, despite the fact we’re not on atexting-all-the-timelevel of friendship. She’s wild and crazy, loud, and possibly considered obnoxious in some circles – those circles would say the same about me.

Meg held no grudges about the fact I’ve been known to flirt with her man – Marcus Macchio. She has no time for grudges, because now she’s blissfully happy with the man of her dreams and practically married with a beautiful Macchio baby on her hip.

Or more accurately, her boob.

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