With the sound of her back door closing, River jolted and recalled him asking her a question.
“River, yes. Paul, right?”
“Paul McCann, I work at the bank,” he said with an air of confidence she was sure impressed most people, just not her.
“That’s great.” Turning toward the teenager that had escorted her to her vehicle, she slipped him a five-dollar tip and grabbed the keys from her purse.
“Well, I’ve had a long day. It was good to see you,” she said to Paul politely.
“Want to come over for dinner tonight? Or maybe just dessert?” he commanded with a smirk that left River feeling dirty.
“No thanks, I have plans. Goodnight.” She quickly dismissed him as she ducked into the driver’s side of her SUV and locked the doors. River wasn’t one to lie, finding that it was easier just to tell the truth, but she figured this case was different.
Easing out of t
he parking lot, River watched from her rearview mirror as Paul continued to stand dumbfounded by the trunk of his car until a dark town car pulled up behind her, blocking him from her view.
It was later than River had expected when she arrived home and stored the full trunk of groceries in her kitchen. The sun was quickly setting behind the mountains bathing the town in bright oranges and pinks.
Out of instinct River glanced out her front window as she debated what to cook for dinner and saw a shadow move across the windows at Ridge’s house. She wondered how Delilah’s first day had gone. She had to force herself all day to keep from entering the infant room to socialize with the absolutely adorable child. Ridge was going to have to fight off the boys when she turned into a teenager, though she guessed he probably would enjoy that task.
Glancing at the fresh pie resting on the kitchen counter River made a split-second decision and grabbed the box and her keys, and headed across the street. She knew she probably should have changed, especially since the coffee stain still marred her pants, but she was too eager to see the man. Something she was definitely going to have to work on.
River rang the doorbell and only had to wait for a short moment before the door opened wide to a surprised Ridge.
“Hey,” he greeted with the same smile she had been dreaming about all day.
“Hi, I. . .ugh. . .grabbed a pie at the market and . .um. . .did you want to share it?”
“We just sat down for dinner,” he explained just as the scent of spaghetti wafted across her nose.
“Oh, of course, dinner usually comes before dessert. I can leave it with you,” River said as she held out the cherry pie for him to view.
“Did you want to join us? It’s about ready.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t considered an invitation to eat, but as the smells assaulted her senses, she couldn’t hide how ravenous she was. “I don’t want to impose. I just wanted to see how Delilah’s first day was.”
“Come join us. You can tell us about your first day too.” He said it in a way that left no way for her to back out, not that she wanted to.
“If you’re sure. It does smell delicious.”
Ridge held the door open wide, but River hesitated before stepping through. Something about the moment felt far more intimate than she was ready for, but she couldn’t stop herself from crossing the threshold if she tried.
Her shoulder brushed against his chest as she entered and River felt his sudden intake of air at the connection. She gazed up into his green eyes in alarm, but his face showed no recollection of his reaction. She had to wonder if she simply imagined things, complications she didn’t need in her life.
“Coo!” Delilah called from a spot in the corner where she eagerly bounced up and down against a plastic gate. River realized that the young girl must correlate her with cookies.
“Apparently, I am the cookie lady,” River joked as she placed the pie on Ridge’s kitchen counter.
Their homes were laid out very similarly, but where hers was filled with eclectic pieces of furniture and bright colors, his bordered on sparse and modern. Surprisingly though, it still felt warm and lived in.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked curiously as she settled on the barstool he pulled out for her.
“About as long as you have. My cousins helped me settle in, which was a relief because I’m not sure I could have done it myself.”
“Wow. Next time they stop by, send them my way; I have a few things in the garage I need to move into the guest room.”
Ridge looked up from the dish he was plating and cocked his head in curiosity. “I could help you, you know. Just have to ask.”