Riley couldn't help falling more in love with the man in front of her as she watched him lay their daughter on her bed. He kisses her head whispering a goodnight before looking at Riley sending a wink her way.
She shakes her head playfully nudging him as he passes dodging the kiss he was trying to plant on her head. She walks towards their daughter's bed leaning down to kiss her head when she opens her eyes.
"Hey I thought you were sleeping young lady?" She says looking at her five year old who smiles at her. "I was but daddy slobbered on me." Riley turns to him as he gasps walking to the other side of the bed. "I did no such thing." He says peppering her face with more kisses.
"Okay you two you need to get some sleep young lady if you want to play with your cousins tomorrow." She pouts as Riley smiles at her. "Mommy is it true you hit daddy with your car?" Riley gasped hitting him as their daughter giggled.
"You want the real story?" She asked as she nodded. "Technically I didn't hit him I tapped the car he was in."
Six Year Earlier
Riley smiled watching the sun come up as she sat atop her car drinking her coffee and blueberry muffin. She puts her coffee down picking up her camera putting it on the tripod she had set up aiming it at the rising sun in her favorite spot. She loved coming up here.
Contrary to what everyone thought this was her real bay window. One she didn't have to share she could be alone here without anyone questioning her. Nobody knew about this place not even Maya.
Riley looks at the photos nodding her head satisfied with them and puts everything back in her car. She gets in closing her eyes as she turns on her phone. She knew it would be full of texts and voicemails wondering where she had gone.
But what do you expect when you pack your bags and leave before the sun came up.
She turns it on and admittedly messages and the sound of her voicemail go off. She sighs looking down pressing the button for her voicemail. "Riley where are you? What is this note? I'm sorry? You didn't think to tell me you weren't happy?" She hangs up looking at her texts seeing most from him.
She deletes them and sits in her car for a few minutes when her phone rings. She sighs seeing Maya's face asking for a video chat. She hovers over the button deciding whether she should answer or not and eventually does.
"Hey peaches." She smiles as she sees Maya looking shocked that she answered at all. "Riles where are you? Trevor is freaking out and calling everyone he knows and you know looking for you." Maya looks at her and sees her in her car.
"Riley where are?" Riley shakes her head with her finger once again hovering over the end call button. "I can't tell you that Maya." Riley looks at her looking off camera before Maya gets up going outside. "Why not?"
Riley sighs closing her eyes leaning back against her seat. "I feel like I'm suffocating I..." She sniffs grabbing a tissue wiping at her eyes. Maya sighed softly looking at her. She knew something had been up with her best friend. "Are you sure Riles? I mean you guys were together for four years."
"Maya it's like my whole life people have been telling me your a shoe. Your a shoe your a shoe. But then I thought what if I'm a hat or a purse?" Maya laughs shaking her head at Riley. "Okay riles I know it's important if you start quoting friends. But are you sure he isn't your prince?"
Riley sighed drumming her fingers on her steering wheel. "No he's not Maya he's my Gaston." Maya shakes her head laughing softly. "Riley life isn't a fairytale you know that right?" Riley playfully rolls her eyes at her. "That's rich coming from someone who found the person they wanted to spend their life with when they were six."
She sees Maya admittedly start smiling knowing she was looking at her ring. "Okay what do you want me to do?" Maya ask making Riley smile. "Just... don't tell anyone we talked and that includes my uncle Josh." She tells her as Maya's mouth open wide making her laugh.
Riley waited as Maya thought about it before she agreed to keep them talking a secret as long as Riley called her parent to let them know she was safe. Riley agreed but wanted to put some distance between herself and her parents before she did that.
She just wasn't sure what her next move was. She got out her car sitting back on the hood as she thought about what she plan to do next. She sighed staring at the sky as her phone rang. She smiled sitting up as she seen it was her aunt Morgan.
"Howdy niece." She said in her southern accent she had picked up living in Texas. She had moved there for college and ended up staying even purchasing a little ranch that Riley and eventually Auggie spent the first three weeks of summer at.
But the visit got fewer and fewer when Morgan got into horse racing traveling more during summer.
Morgan always extended the offer to Maya but according to her they weren't going to suck her into any hoe downs and cattle pageants. Riley always wondered how she knew about any of that at the age of six.
"Hey aunt Morgan." She hears her aunt talking to someone before responding again. "Okay Dorothy tell Glenda the good witch what's the matter?"
Riley laughed at the inside joke she shared with her aunt. When she first visit the ranch she was scared something would eat her in her sleep. It was her own fault for listening to Maya who said a tornado would sweep her out her bed and feed her to the evil barn animals.
Maya was a scary six year old and when Riley arrived at the ranch the wind was blowing hard causing her to fall down right by a cow which caused her to scream and run away.
Morgan finally got her to calm down and told her Maya was messing with her and played her wizard of oz. A movie that always calmed her. Telling her that even if tornadoes happen which hadn't in awhile she was prepared for it. Plus maybe she would get swept up taking her to oz.
Hearing that excited Riley and backfired on her aunt Morgan. Riley along with the little green eye boy she befriended who lived next door she tried making her own to get to oz.
The duo ended up putting a huge hole in the barn.
"That is a long story." Riley starts to say as Morgan gasps. "Come to Texas." Riley widens her eyes as her aunt explains. "I may not be the great and powerful oz but I know something is troubling you. So follow the yellow brick road Dorothy what do you got to lose."
Riley smiled as she shook her head ready to decline but maybe a trip down the yellow brick road was what she needed. "Okay Glenda I should be there in a couple of days." Riley laughed as she hears her shooting off her fake guns in the air telling her to be careful.
Riley said goodbye hanging up and smiling as she gets back in her car. She looked through her bags seeing she had enough clothes and had enough cash for the journey. She turned her gps on setting it for her aunt's ranch. She picked up her phone debating with herself if she should call her parents.
Her finger hovered over their contact but she knew she really needed to put distance between herself and them.
Riley yawned as she sipped her coffee rubbing her eyes. She had been up before the sun and she was feeling it. She had been driving for nine hours stopping a couple of times to take pictures. She pulled over at a little b&b hoping to get in some sleep before heading back out on the road.
She had just fallen asleep rolling off the bed when her phone goes off. "Hello?" She groaned rubbing her head as she sat up on the bed. "Riley Amy Matthews where are you?" She mentally cursed herself as she listened to both her parents who she knew had her on speakerphone yelling at her and asking where she was.
She smacks herself in the head when she tells them she wasn't in New York anymore.
"What do you mean you aren't in New York anymore? Where are you?" Her dad ask as Riley could picture him pacing back and forth mumbling incoherently about her. Riley sighed knowing she had to tell them what she was feeling.
"I feel like I can't breath." She says shaking her head at herself for speaking a half truth. "What do you mean you can't breathe?" Her mom ask as Riley laid back on the bed. "Have you told Trevor this?" Riley closed her eyes before opening them and staring at the picture of an angel by the tv.
"Why haven't you told him? I'm sure he could have helped you." Her mom says as Riley hadn't said anything yet. She knew her parents liked him but she couldn't do it anymore. "Mom he couldn't help me with this it's something I need to figure out myself without him." Riley was hoping she would understand what she was trying to say to her.
She hears her sigh and just like her dad Riley could picture her mom rubbing her head. "Okay sweetheart I may not like this nor does your father however I know what that feeling feels like." Riley smiled as she sits up bouncing slightly on the bed. "Well can you at least tell me where you are going?" She asked.
"I can't." She winces moving the phone from her ear as she hears her dad yell. "Young lady you tell us right now or I'll ground you!" Riley couldn't help giggling at his threat knowing he really couldn't seeing as how she was twenty four and nowhere near him.
"Dad I'm an adult and I got to go but I'll let you know when I make it where im going. Bye." She sighs softly hanging up her phone silencing it since she knew he'd call back. She ignored it as she looked at the map she bought at the gas station circling her next destination.
Riley rolled down her window as she moved her hand with the beat of the music. The further she got from home the more she felt like she could finally breathe again.
"I'm a train wreck in the morning. I'm a bitch in the afternoon." She turned the music down when she sees her aunt calling her. "Hey aunt Morgan." She says cheerfully. "Well you sound like you're in a better mood than you were when we spoke almost two days ago."
Riley lightly laughed as she shook her head it was true she would have been there by now but she got sidetracked. "You went to that puppy parade didn't you?" Morgan asked as Riley looked at the passenger seat. "No?" She says scrunching her nose when her co pilot barks.
"You got a dog?" Morgan ask before breaking in a fit of laughter. "Yes but he needed me." She smiles when she hears Morgan begin to laugh again. "Let me guess his name is Toto?" Riley scratched behind his ear as she answered. "Only because that was already his name."
"Okay Dorothy how long until you and Toto get here?" Riley looked at her gps and then Toto. She had plans to stop in town for their farmers market and hoped to get some treats for Toto. "I should be at the ranch in about two hours give or take..."
"Give or take how much you buy in town?" She asked as Riley laughed. "Okay have fun." Riley tells her bye turning onto the street next to the pet store. She was just about to park when a cat runs across the road causing her to swerve hitting a car.
"Oh no Toto." She says as the dog barks jumping into her lap as she sees the car she hit. Well the cop car she had just hit. "I'm so sorry offi... sheriff." She says gulping as she sees the sheriff logo on the side. She sees him get out holding a piece of cake and can't help the smile seeing the frosting on his face.
"Well somethin funny miss?" He says with a southern drawl as he tips up his hat wiping his nose. Riley tilted her head looking in his green eyes feeling like she seen them before. "I wasn't laughing I was just...Have we met before?" She asked as he looked her up and down making her cheeks heat up.
"No ma'am I think I'd remember a beauty like you." Riley was sure her cheeks were redder than a fire truck at this point. "So how do you want to do this? Should we exchange information...what are you doing?" She ask when he pulled her closer to him. "Just thinkin maybe you should just go out with me and we'll call it even."
Riley widen her eyes gasping as she looked at him was he seriously asking her out? "I mean unless you want to spend a night in jail?" Riley pushed back from him as she looked over his shoulder seeing the actual sheriff shaking his head as he walked towards them..
This jerk wasn't even the sheriff and he was...oh boy she was going to teach him a lesson. "Sure when should we go out?" She asked moving closer to him as his eyes widen in surprise. "Well what day is good for you?" Riley bit her lip as she reached him. "How does never sound?!" She says shoving the cake in his face.
"Why did you do that? I should arrest you right now!" He says wiping his face off. "What's going on here?" The real sheriff ask as Riley sees the fake one tense up. "She assaulted me arrest her." He says as Riley scoffs. "From the looks of it you deserved it go clean up."
He walks away glaring as Riley smiles smugly at him. She turns back towards the sheriff as he looks at their cars. "I'm sorry a cat came across the road and scared me and I didn't have enough time to stop and then I hit your car and I have insurance and..." she stops when the sheriff puts a hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright miss you didn't do any damage barely tapped the car." He says as Riley let's out a breath. "Thank you sheriff." She says as he smiles at her. "You new to town he ask?" As Riley shakes her head. "No I use to come here in the summer when I was little."
"Oh you have family here?" He ask as Riley nods saying her aunt Morgan. "Morgan Matthews?" He ask as she nods. "Your Riley?" He says as she looks at him with a confused expression. "You don't remember me?" He ask as Riley shakes her head.
"I'm Tristan...Friar?" He says as she widens her eyes. She laughs remembering his family was Morgan's neighbor. He had a little brother who was Riley's partner in crime. He was the scarecrow to her Dorothy.
She called him that since the scarecrow was her favorite character and she could always get him to do the dance he does for her.
"Is scarecrow still here in town?" She asked as he nods. "Oh yeah he sure is." Riley looked at him as he was about to say something when his name gets called. "Well I got to go but how long are you in town?" Riley shrugged saying she hadn't decided.
"Well stop by the house I'm sure your scarecrow will be very happy to see you." He winked at her as she waved. She wondered what he meant but shakes her head walking back towards her car. "What he let you go without a slap on the wrist?"
Riley rolled her eyes getting in her car as he bends down leaning against her door. "So how'd you sweet talk yourself out of handcuffs?" He asked as Riley gives him a look. "The same way I suspect you do." She starts her car as he smirks at her standing up.
"Oh wait." He says as he bends down once more. Riley waits as he looks at her and then her dog. "I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too." Riley looked at him as he did the evil witch's laugh and started laughing herself. "Oh my gosh. Shoo before somebody drops a house on you."
He chuckled as he put his hands up backing away. "I'd be more afraid of being run over by you." He laughs as Riley gasps sticking out her tongue at him as he smiles and waves.
She shakes her head as she drives to her aunt's house smiling as she sees Morgan riding her horse. "Dorothy you made it! Yay!" She shouts stopping the horse and jumping down. Riley stops her car running towards her aunt laughing as they hugged.
"So I wasn't expecting you so soon. I thought you'd be in town longer." Morgan says as she helps Riley with her bags. "Yeah I had a little fender bender." Morgan looks at her as Riley laughs telling her all about the real and fake sheriff.
"So you seen Tristan what about your scarecrow?" Morgan asked petting Toto as Riley unpacked her bags. Riley looks at her shaking her head. "He isn't my scarecrow." She says as Morgan laughs.
"Oh please you refuse to let anyone call him scarecrow. And he doesn't like anyone calling you Dorothy. I'm only allowed to call you that because I didn't tell his mother about the barn incident."
Riley laughed remembering that day as they hear someone pull up to the house. Morgan looks out the window and smiles shaking her head as she turns and looks at Riley. "Looks like he couldn't wait to see you either."
Morgan leaves the room as Riley widens her eyes tempted to look out the window but wanted to see the look on his face. She looks at herself in the mirror shaking her head before making her way downstairs. She hears them laughing and couldn't see his face since he was turned. "Well there she is." Morgan says as he turns around looking at her.
"You."
Another story idea I had. Sorry if it's all over the place. It started as a one shot and then a story again and idk. Let me know what you think.