“Child, we are bursting at the seams. Maybe when we have a yard where a dog can run.” Gently redirecting, she continued, “So Friday is the sleepover …”
Juno huffed out a little sound, but relented. “Yeah, then Saturday maybe I can stay at Naomi’s for a little while? And Nana will be back Sunday.” A twinge of unease worked up Jess’s spine at the mention of Naomi’s name. When she’d asked, Juno said that they’d had a fight, but it seemed to have been forgotten. She knew kids needed to learn how to resolve conflict on their own, but the mama bear in her never hibernated too deep below the surface.
“You sure you want to do a sleepover?” Jess asked. “We could go to the movies together. Maybe the zoo?”
“No, it’s Naomi’s birthday, and I already got her a present. They’re doing a hula night.”
“You got her a present?”
“I used my good citizen tickets and got her two slap bracelets and some glitter stickers.”
Offering a high five, Jess told her, “I have some gift bags in the closet; maybe we can use one of them and put a gift certificate in there, too?”
With the plan in place, they slid the rest of the cookie dough toward them to load up another sheet just as the doorbell rang. “Let’s get these finished so we can go before visiting hours end,” Jess said. “Use the spoon to scoop the rest on the pan, and I’ll be right back. Don’t touch the oven.”
Out in the living room, her heart tripped over itself when she peeked out the window and saw River standing on the other side.
Jess glanced down, groaning. Would it kill her to wear something other than sweats?
He looked up at the sound of the door swinging open and her breath went thin. His smile was somehow both shy and naughty; the muscular curves of his shoulders and chest were visible beneath the fabric of his shirt, and Jess wanted to rip it open like a bag of chips.
“Hey.” She tried to keep it together.
His voice was a low, secretive burr: “I hope it’s okay that I stopped by.”
“It’s fine.” Jess swallowed. “Do you—um, do you want to come in?”
He stepped inside, hesitating for only a second before bending and carefully putting his mouth on hers. Heat erupted in her veins, and even though it was only a touch and he pulled away before they were busted, Jess knew she looked like she was about to catch fire anyway.
“Hi,” he said quietly.
“Hi.”
“You good?”
She nodded. “Definitely good now.”
Beaming, he looked past her, and she found herself following every point of his attention, trying to see the apartment through his eyes. It wasn’t tiny, but it wasn’t big, either. She’d splurged on the yellow couch and bright blue chairs, but repainting the kitchen cabinets wasn’t the same as getting new ones, and instead of art covering the walls, she had framed photos and elementary school art projects.
“Your place is great,” he said, turning in a circle. “It’s so cozy.”
Jess closed the door with a laugh. “Cozy means small. I think this whole place could fit in your living room.”
“Yeah, but my house feels like a showroom you walk through to pick out cabinet fixtures.” He smiled up at a photo of Jess and Juno at the beach. “It’s not a home.”
“Who’s here?” Juno shouted from the kitchen, followed by the sound of the step stool scraping over the tiles and her feet padding across the floor. “River Nicolas, are you here to make cookies with us?”
“Are you kidding, Juno Merriam?” They executed some complicated knuckle-bump, hand-slap, dance greeting. “I am always here to make cookies.”
“Wow, what was that?” Jess asked.
They both ignored her—obviously it was a secret handshake—and Juno beamed up at him. “We’re making them to take to Nana Jo. Do you want to see my room?”
River grinned. “I would love to see your room. But do you think I could talk to your mom for a second first?”
“Okay! I’m gonna go get it ready. Also, Mom said we can get a dog!” She raced out of the living room and down the hall. “I’ll be waiting!”
“I said when we have a yard,” Jess shouted after her. She turned back to River, who was biting back a smile. “A warning, her room is a disaster,” Jess told him confidentially, “so that buys us a few minutes at least.”
When she looked back at him, he was already staring at her, eyes fixed on her mouth. Tension tightened his shoulders, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe we can talk outside?”
“Sure.” Unease sent a cool film over her mood. “Juno,” she called, “we’ll be in the courtyard. Give us ten minutes.”
Just outside the apartment, hidden from view, River reached for Jess’s arm and pulled her toward him. His mouth came over hers, and he pressed her against the door, kissing her with a hunger that matched her own. But again he pulled away, clearly conscious of the risk. His bright eyes, when he looked down at her, simmered with that familiar, heated intensity.