Chapter 11
Riley warms up to Derek a little once the pizza arrives. By the time he finishes signing the credit card slip and hands it back to the delivery driver, she’s at his side, arms raised as if he’ll let her carry the boxes. I can already see how that would end, though, so I tell her, “Close the door, honey, will you?” Then I motion for Derek to hurry into the other room before she can offer to help.
In the kitchen, Riley jumps up on the seat at the small booth in the corner, where Mrs. Duran liked to take her coffee. It offers a lovely view of the backyard out the sliding glass doors that open onto the screened-in porch. The booth is more of a nook than a real dining area—there’s a more formal table that seats six in a room off the kitchen, but for as long as I’ve known the Durans
