You are the Answer {boyxboy} ✓ (Dogs, Bats & Monkeys series, Book I | Riley)

Chapter 20

A/N: Will you do me a favor? Could you comment and tell me how you found my book? A few words like "it was recommended by a friend/it was suggested in STORIES YOU MIGHT ENJOY/I've read other stories by you/etc." will do. Thank you! <3

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I instantly recognized the woman who walked towards us even though up until now I'd only seen her on TV.

Officer Kelly whatever-her-last-name-was was young, at about twenty-two or twenty-three years old. Even on the screen I could see that she kept herself in shape; that was more evident now that she was out of her standard uniform and into cotton shorts and a light blue spaghetti straps top.

The man whose hands moved the wheels of his chair was at about the same age as her. My first guess was that they might be related, but I quickly dismissed that thought. The features of his face were far more angular than Kelly's delicate ones - she resembled her cousin Keri - and his hair was a darker brown. As the two stopped in front of the porch, I noticed another difference: her eyes were bright - not as much as Kennedy's and with a different shade than his - and the man's were the same color as his hair.

"We are not interrupting, are we?" Kelly asked in a tone much more casual and friendlier than the one she'd used when speaking to the reporters.

"We were about to have breakfast," Rhys replied as the front door to his house opened and Kennedy carried out a chair. I had not foreseen that as there was only one deck chair here and both of us were to eat, we were one seat short.

"Do you want to join us?" My boyfriend offered, pointing to the abundant food.

"Thanks, but we already filled our stomachs," Kelly tapped her flat belly.

"So, you won't need more chairs?" Kennedy asked, ready to provide them for us. Perhaps Rhys had been right: the boy was acting suspiciously nice.

"Nah, we just came to meet Riley and we'll be on our way," the girl explained.

"Okay, but if you are ever short of a seat, you can always use my lap," the youngest Flemings winked, making her laugh.

"Oy, that's my wife you are talking to, you little devil!" The man in the wheelchair cracked his knuckles, but I could see the playful smile in his eyes. "And don't forget she has a gun."

The four of them laughed and Kennedy went inside back inside the house.

"And is a pretty good shooter," Rhys added when his younger sibling closed the door.

"Just pretty good?" Kelly raised her eyebrow.

"Really good," Rhys corrected, placing a hand over his chest. He then turned to me: "Allow me to properly introduce you to Kelly and Steven Smith. You two already know who Riley is."

He quickly licked his lips as his mouth formed a smile. Wrinkles build up around his eyes as he gazed at me with such excitement and pride that I couldn't help but blush. I shook Kelly's hand then climbed the few steps to repeat the greeting with her husband. As I did so I noticed a set of scars on his left arm - clearly visible as he was wearing a singlet - and I turned to my boyfriend; the lines on Steven's arm which resembled scratch marks were almost identical to the ones on Rhys' face.

"Nice to finally meet you," Kelly said as I let go of her spouse.

"You as well; I've seen you on TV," I replied than added: "You too, Steven; it's nice to meet you." I didn't want it to appear as if I was only interested in his wife.

"Steve would do," he assured me, then looked at Rhys. "We were just at Everett's house," he nodded to a building not far away. "I told him the parts for his car arrived yesterday. I'll bring the old girl back to life in a day or two. I'm a mechanic," the last sentence was aimed at me. "Got a repairs shop next to our house. Good thing my girl doesn't mind the smell of oil." He patted her on the butt and she smiled down at him lovingly.