Hidden in the Heartwood {sapphic paranormal}

CHAPTER TEN

10. || white lie.

Stepping into River's kitchen was like entering some kind of time warp. A wood cookstove enameled in porcelain sat at the end of a couple pine cabinets that lined the walls. Across from it was a vintage refrigerator to match and a chippy white hoosier stocked with everything Finley would need to make her grandmother's buttermilk apple pie.

She had just finished fluting the crust and was setting it inside the refrigerator when River reappeared in the kitchen doorway. Suspenders held up their brown corduroy trousers and a navy henley hugged their chest, unbuttoned at the neck where a rawhide necklace disappeared beneath it.

"Change your mind after seein' the ol' cookstove?" The right corner of their lips turned up into a smile, but Finley could tell by the look in their eyes it was a mite bit forced. Whatever she had walked into this morning had clearly come to an end between River and Blaire.

"It's just better if everything chills for a while." As she turned to the hoosier, she covered the apple filling and kept her eyes to the bowl. "I can come back later to finish if you need some time to yourself."

"I need time to myself like a bear needs a bicycle." Reaching over her, River grabbed one of the unchopped apples and sunk their teeth into it with a crunch. "Could really use a distraction," they mumbled through chews. The smell of fresh pine and weed drifted around them as they leaned against the counter next to her. "How 'bout ya tell me what it is I'm supposed to be helpin' ya with. This favor, I mean."

Finley had rehearsed what she was gonna say over and over again this morning while the bittercold spring water fell from the rusted showerhead, down over her body; the chill of it still ached deep in her bones. So much so, that when River reached out to prop open the fridge for her, a shiver nearly shook the bowl of filling from her hands.

But River caught the side of it and helped her slide it in next to the crust. And as their hand brushed against hers, she caught them staring for the second time this morning at the garnet ring on her finger. She criss-crossed her arms against her chest, hiding the ring to her side and they quickly took another bite of apple, closing the refrigerator with their boot.

"If you're cold, I uh, can put another log—"

"I need you to drive me to the old mine."

And that wasn't at all how she'd planned, how she wanted to explain why she needed to get to the mine with maybe a few white lies before asking flat-out. Over the past seven years, she'd grown so accustomed to sorting out everything in her head before speaking, even deceiving when necessary, anything to minimize conflict. But she hadn't always been like that and there was something about River that brought out who she used to be, whether she liked it or not.

Except, River was silent now, other than the crunch of apple between their jaws. Their dark eyes had narrowed, brows furrowed as they chewed and crunched and stared her down.

"I might need to borrow some tools..." Finley continued cautiously. "A flashlight, a hammer, or maybe a pry-bar if you have one..."

As they swallowed, a sly grin spread across their face, one that was genuine this time and fully reached their eyes. "What could you possibly want with that god-forsaken mine?"

Finley twisted the ring off her finger and set it on the porcelain counter between them. River's smile flicked down, but instead of saying anything, they turned away a little and took another bite of apple.

"I've seen you eyeing this up, River. What do you know about it?"

"Oh ya know, just tryin' to figure out if it's a weddin' ring or not is all."