With a quick spin in front of the full-length mirror, because River loved the way the dress's material swirled around her knees, she reached back into her closet for a pair of gold strappy sandals. She slipped them onto her feet before heading back out to the kitchen, where she pressed the back of her hand against the cookies and found them cooled off enough to plate.
Her nerves were shot as she crossed the street, the sealed plastic container shaking slightly in her grasp. River didn’t know why she was so nervous; the man was a complete stranger that had jumped to her rescue without being asked. If anything, she should feel elation at the chance to give her thanks to him.
As she walked across his driveway, she was surprised to see the back of his truck was now empty. The bed had been piled high with items under a tarp when she pulled into her own house the day before, right before the deluge that took place. The truck was new and she felt envious of the cherry red paint, which looked years better than the chipping paint of her Miata. Of course, this only reminded her that she was going to need to look for a new vehicle soon. Her small car could handle Asheville's plowed winter roads, but River was sure that the roads in Carson were going to be a whole other ballgame. Not to mention her old neighbor had been on her for years to upgrade to something more reliable. River mentally added that onto her list of things to do that day.
River took a deep breath as she ascended the porch stairs. Her palms were beginning to sweat against the plastic container and River worried that she’d drop it before she even had the chance to ring the doorbell. A quick wipe of one hand on her dress, and then the other, River took one last deep breath before raising her hand to press the small button adjacent to the door frame. But before her finger had the chance to trigger the chime, the door opened with a startling whoosh.
Her lungs seized as a large man stepped over the threshold with a small child resting on his hip.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” the man said as the little girl smiled widely at River.
River’s lips and mouth suddenly grew parched and she had to force her tongue to wet them. “Ugh, it’s my fault. I was getting ready to ring the bell.”
The man studied her, his narrowed eyes scrutinizing her from head to toe and River felt like she was standing completely exposed to him. His inspection left her feeling unsettled. He was all taut muscles, chiseled chin, and ominous eyes. Eyes that River couldn’t seem to tear herself away from despite the little girl giggling against his shoulder.
They stared at each other and River felt as if her body was sinking into the elusive quicksand she swore as a kid was going to be a bigger problem than it really was.
She was frozen at that moment, unable to pull her eyes away from the captivating glare of her neighbor’s. Suddenly she remembered the plastic container in her grasp. Flamboyantly, River shoved the package into his chest while simultaneously taking a step back.
“Cookies,” River whispered. Unfortunately, she didn’t consider that her foot was already resting on the edge of the porch. Her foot slid downward from the lip of the wood, one arm flailing as she tried to catch herself, but instead of catching the railing, River gripped the tight bicep of her neighbor. He managed to catch her in his arm with his lightning reflexes while holding the package of cookies in his hand and the little girl in his other arm.
“Wow,” she claimed in a stunned murmur as he righted her back on the porch, her body instantly missing the feel of his arm against her back. “You. . .you moved so fast. Like a superhero.”
“Whelp, that’s sort of my job. Now that the saving is out of the way, is there something I can help you with? I was on my way out.”
River felt herself falling into a daze again as his deep masculine voice washed over her like the sun shining down after a rain storm. She noticed his stare was growing impatient as the little girl wiggled to get free.
“I. . .ugh. . .wanted to thank you for your help. . .from yesterday,” she added as she twisted her fingers nervously in front of her body. River could speak in front of a gathering of children without any sense of nervousness, but this man seemed to bring out this unfamiliar side of her. And she didn’t understand the first thing to do about it.
“Cookies!” she shouted again abruptly, earning her a garbled giggle from the little girl. “I baked some cookies this morning to thank you, and now that I have, I’m just going to be on my way.” River stepped down from the porch, glancing at her feet with each step so that she didn’t embarrass herself further.
As she reached the concrete walkway, the man called out from his perch. “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you. I’m sure we will enjoy them after my shift.”
A puzzled look fell over her features as she cocked her head to the side. “What do you do?” she asked, remembering his saving comment.
“I’m a firefighter.”
“Wow,” she repeated, praise she was certain she would be repeating again sooner rather than later. “Well, I won’t keep you. Ugh. . .stay safe,” she added, not sure what else to say.
“I’ll try, though today I’m just learning the ropes of the department. I’m sure I’ll see you around. . .” He left the sentence hanging in the air as he waited for her to respond.
“River,” she said with a practiced smile.
“Ridge. I’m sure we’ll see you around.”
“I’m sure. Well. . .bye.”
“Bye!” the little girl screamed excitedly as she waved her hand back and forth enthusiastically, her brown curls bouncing with every move.
It took all of River’s strength not to peer over her shoulder as she made her way back to her house across the street. There were very few things in her life that she felt that she had control over and walking away was one of those things. But that definitely didn’t mean that she didn’t add a little extra sway to her hips as she took each step.
Something about that man, her unreasonably sexy neighbor, and that little girl stayed with her the rest of the afternoon and she couldn’t help but wonder what made them so different from all of the rest. Even the overly confident man from next door had dropped by to welcome her to the neighborhood and she had already forgotten his name. River knew that somehow Ridge had already embedded himself under her skin and she didn’t know why. It could be the cute girl with the cherub cheeks and coy giggle or the man’s green eyes that held secrets River wanted to explore. But as she settled onto her couch that evening, River found herself dazing off into space. Maybe he had made such a solid impression because he had stepped up to help her in the pouring rain without being asked. He was her knight in a soaked hoodie at that moment. And as a woman that was used to giving her all to everyone else, she was having difficulty coming to terms with it. River just hoped that he was able to keep his cape tucked away a w
hile longer, or she could find herself easily infatuated with him.
Chapter Four
He wasn’t sure how, but Delilah instinctively knew that Ridge was running behind and in a rush to get out the door. She had thrown her cereal across the kitchen this morning and then proceeded to blow out her diaper the moment Ridge had finally got her dressed. He was lucky that his uncle was the fire chief otherwise, he was looking face first into a reprimand.