Not that she could recall.
She’d always prided herself on being there for her sisters because their parents weren’t. She’d attended their high school choir concerts, their sports activities, yet she’d never attended any of Avery’s horse shows. Mostly because she didn’t approve of the horses. Considering how expensive horses were, she’d resented the time Avery spent with them, the money she’d spent on them, even though it’d been money Avery earned. Every penny Izzy earned went toward her sisters, and Izzy disliked Avery’s selfishness. So she’d responded in the only way she could, by being absent at the one thing Avery held most dear.
Izzy swallowed hard and looked into the cold eyes of her sister. She’d never seen Avery so angry. Turning to Riley, Izzy pointed toward the door. “It’s time we go.”
Riley glanced from Izzy to Avery and back. “Yeah,” he said, visibly relieved they were leaving.
Izzy hugged Emma, who was obviously distressed that her attempt to reconcile her two sisters failed miserably. She turned to Avery and nodded. “Good night, Ave, you know how to reach me if you need me.”
“I won’t need you,” Avery responded stiffly.
That was exactly what Izzy was afraid of.
Riley kept his mouth shut as they drove down the long driveway and onto the country road and wondered why the adults in his life always disappointed him. He’d considered Izzy as near perfect as a person could get until tonight. She’d been his champion, and he was pretty damn sure that Izzy was responsible for his uncle’s change of heart toward him.
He’d adored her until this evening. Gone were the good feelings he’d had flirting with the daughters of one of the players at the party. Now he felt this big lump in his gut, as if he’d eaten concrete, and it’d hardened in his stomach.
“You’re mad,” Izzy finally said.
“No,” Riley lied.
“Yes, you are. I can feel the disappointment and disapproval rolling off you in waves, and I want to set the record straight.” She didn’t look at him but kept her eyes on the road.
“Go ahead.” Riley looked at her beautiful profile in the dashboard light. He’d always been a tiny bit jealous of Cooper for having such a gorgeous girlfriend. Tonight, not so much.
“Avery has always been a top student; she had her pick of colleges, earned scholarships, and only had a year and a half to go until graduation.”
“What’s her major?”
“Pre-med.”
Riley was surprised. Avery didn’t seem the doctor type, whatever type that was. “Was that her idea or yours?”
“She’s always wanted to be a—” Izzy stopped in mid-sentence as if suddenly realizing something. “I mean the family always had such high hopes for her.”
Riley blew out a breath. “Maybe they aren’t her hopes.”
Izzy glanced at him, a funny look on her face. As if she’d just realized something.
Riley figured he’d gotten this far, why stop now. “Why aren’t you proud of your sister?”
“Proud of her?”
“Did you see all those trophies? She’s good.”
“I, uh, horses aren’t a viable career path.”
“Maybe they are to her. She’s won all these championships. It can’t be easy. I mean, piloting around huge animals like that.” Riley watched her face, pretty sure he was actually getting through to her.
Izzy sighed and said nothing, but Riley could tell what he said bothered her. He stared out the window, deep in thought. He had his own troubles, most of which centered around his missing mom, his guilt over enjoying his new life, and the realization that he didn’t want it to end. Sure, he wanted his mother found, but he wanted to live in a normal household rather than dumpster diving for his next dinner or getting teased by kids ’cuz his clothes were torn and dirty.
The weirdest thing had happened when Uncle Cooper left for this last road trip. Riley kinda missed his uncle. Strange, but true. They’d been getting along okay, and Uncle Coop had made it to Riley’s game which shocked the shit out of Riley, but he loved having his uncle there. He’d even called and texted him a few times since he’d been gone.
Riley wanted to live with his uncle permanently, but his mother needed him, and as soon as Uncle Cooper found her, he’d have to move back in with her. Someone had to take care of her, try to keep her off the drugs and be there when she came down from a high.
What if she never came back? The thought made Riley’s stomach hurt even worse so he tried not to think about it.
Uncle Coop would send him away to live with grandparents he’d never met. He didn’t want to live with old people. He wanted to stay right where he was, play with the same guys on the same team all through high school, like normal kids did. Was that really too much to ask?
For him, it probably was because if anyone knew about living a tough life, Riley sure as heck did. He also knew that stuff never worked out for him. Just when things were going well, the bottom would drop out and everything would fall to pieces. But Izzy liked Riley. Izzy might convince Uncle Coop to let him stay.
“Do you love Uncle Coop?” Riley asked.
Izzy was quiet for so long, Riley assumed she wouldn’t answer. “Why would you ask a thing like that?” she finally said.
“Because of the way you look at him, how you’re always together or texting. Isn’t that what people do when they’re in love?”
Izzy choked and her face turned red. Really, really red. Riley almost laughed. And they said teenagers were flaky. “I like him. A lot,” she admitted.
“Are you going to marry him?”
She coughed again. “I think it’s a little early for that.”
“Isn’t that what normal people do? Fall in love and get married?”
Izzy glanced at him. In the light of a street lamp he saw pity in her eyes. “Riley,” she hedged.
He’d come too far to stop now. “We could be a family if you guys got married.”