River helped her grandmother from the truck, Sue appearing more lucid as they approached the fifties-styled diner than she had been when they started their journey. She shouldn’t have been surprised as she opened the door to the restaurant and found it filled to the brim with customers, but she was. River felt every pair of eyes as they settled on her and her grandmother, and she hated it. Blending into the background had been one of River’s expertise, and here in Carson, she stood out like a sore thumb.
Before River could form a thought, a voice called out from behind the long counter. “Go ahead and find a seat, sweetheart. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“Thanks,” River replied with a smile as she guided her grandmother toward a booth close by.
It took only a second before laid out in front of them were menus. River ordered sweet tea and the meatloaf sandwich for herself and Grandma Sue. The watchful eyes had turned back, but River continued to notice a few curious glances as people left the diner. But they were all accompanied by a welcoming smile or wave. And as they finished their lunch, making their way back to the truck, River knew that she had made the right choice to move them to Carson.
Chapter Two
Ridge made one final scan of his apartment with Delilah napping against his shoulder. After two weeks of finalizing the details, Ridge decided to take the plunge and move him and his daughter to Carson, North Carolina, where his uncle, aunt, and cousins lived. It was the closest family he had and he wanted Delilah to grow up in the small town that he loved. The problem was that he was leaving his friends and his dream job.
The fire chief tried to talk him out of the move, saying he could take some time to find a daycare or sort out a babysitter, but Ridge knew the demands of the job in Sunnyville wouldn’t work for a single father. At least in Carson, he would have a family to help out. . .once he told them he was coming. It probably wasn’t the smartest decision to keep them out of the loop, but he knew once his Aunt Amy got word of him moving, she’d have a list a mile long of potential wives. That was definitely something he wasn’t ready for yet. A quick roll in the sheets, sure, but a marriage wasn’t for him. Or so Penny had said.
He was worried about her. Even with the help of local police, they hadn’t been able to track her down. Not even that sleaze ball of a boyfriend that Ridge despised. Though the man was smaller than Penny, he managed to give even Ridge the willies. And he had never been comfortable with his beautiful daughter around the man, except the courts didn’t seem to care about his feelings.
Police had found her car parked outside of a cheap motel along a California freeway, but the trail went cold from there. They promised to keep searching, but it seemed as if she didn’t want to be found. Which was unlike the woman Ridge had married. Penny had been an attractive woman with a desire for the limelight. No matter where she was, she was always the center of attention without even trying. It was what drew Ridge to her, to begin with. It was also why she hated his job. The safety of others would always be his first priority, and she had a hard time understanding his hero tendencies that didn’t focus directly on her.
“You all packed up?” his friend Grady asked with his girl Dylan tucked under his arm.
“Yeah, I think. Just doing the last walk through,” Ridge said as he made his way to the doorway where the two waited.
Ridge paused at the doorway to his bedroom, his eyes focused on the corner beside the small window. It’s where he brought his daughter home from the hospital when his ex-wife begged for a night of rest. He wasn’t the one that had gone through the labor and delivery, but even he was exhausted from just being in the room. Luckily his sweet girl was the best baby ever and only cried when she was hungry or wanted a cuddle.
Delilah squirmed in his arms as she twisted her head the other way on his shoulder, which reminded him that he needed to get on the road soon to make the trek across the country to North Carolina.
His truck sat idling in the parking lot with a large trailer hooked to the back with the few items from his apartment and a ton of new furniture and clothes for his daughter that his teammates at the Sunnyville Fire Department purchased for him. He hated to be a charity, but he needed the help. Ridge still wasn’t sure where he was going to live once he reached Carson, but he knew his aunt and uncle would have him set up in their house until he found a place for him and Delilah.
His biggest worry was a job. He knew that there were options for him; working for his cousin in construction, operating a grill at his other cousin’s café, but he hoped his uncle Joseph would be able to take him on in his small fire department. But Ridge knew joining his uncle’s team was all based on the town’s budget, and from what he remembered, the budget only allowed for his uncle to work full time and for volunteers.
Ridge settled his daughter into her car seat with a gentle touch before turning toward the team, waiting to send him off. He shook the hands of the men and women he had fought fires alongside. The friends that Ridge had worked with to save lives, crew that had been more like brothers and sisters to him. Finally, he came to Grady and Dylan, hugging the sweet songwriter before gripping his friend’s hand and wrapping an arm around his shoulder in a man hug.
“Call us along the way and when you get there,” Dylan demanded and he knew that if she didn’t hear from him, there would be hell to pay.
“I will,” he promised as he moved toward the truck once again, hitching his body into the cab. Ridge leaned his arm out of the vehicle with the window down, waving goodbye to the friends that stood with him and beside him all these years.
It felt surreal as he pulled away from the lot, the trailer bouncing behind him as he maneuvered onto the main road. Ridge had a thirty-seven-hour drive that he planned to only break it up at night if Delilah could manage it.
Despite how wonderful his daughter had been during the trip, it still took them around six days to make their way to the North Carolina state line. They had run into some stormy weather in the Midwest and had to spend an entire day in Nebraska. Thankfully a toy store was across the street from the hotel he and Delilah were staying at and he got to spend a whole day spoiling his daughter. She was now the proud owner of four new stuffed animals and some electronic toys he was sure were going to drive him crazy. But if she continued to grin at him with her toothy smile, he’d grin and bear it for her.
“Alright, sweet pea, we’re almost there,” Ridge told his daughter as he glanced in the rearview mirror, savoring her smile reflected in the small mirror attached to the headrest across from her seat. Delilah answered with a gurgle as she chewed on a giraffe teething toy.
The road weaved between mountains and valleys. A large lake appeared when his GPS alerted that the town of Carson was about an hour away. Ridge eyed the large wooden structure and rows of vines as he passed. He could tell the winery was new, and hopefully, once he was settled, he would find a reason to come out this way with his daughter.
Delilah started to fuss just as the exit for Carson approached on the highway. He knew she was both hungry and most likely needed a diaper change, but he didn’t see anywhere to pull off. He hoped against hope that she could make it just a while longer.
Perhaps she understood that they were getting close to their final destination, or she was too busy staring by the large sunflowers in the fields on either side of the road, but she had quieted as they approached the downtown of Carson. Ridge shook his head as he slowed at the first stop sign. The town hadn’t seemed to change at all since he was here ten years ago or so.
The truck lurched forward as he passed three blocks until he came to a diner that instantly had his stomach rumbling.
“Hey, baby girl. Want to grab some lunch with daddy?” he asked even though he knew his daughter couldn’t reply. She did mumble a few sounds that sounded like “Da Da” which had his heart sputtering.
He noticed that the parking lot was full with a quick eye, but by a stroke of luck, across the street a large moving truck was pulling out, opening up a
handful of spaces he could occupy.
Focused on maneuvering the truck and the trailer, he tossed a quick wave at the person driving the moving truck before pulling into the spaces. Keys in hand, Ridge jumped from the truck and opened the back door to his daughter’s delight.
After a quick diaper change, he carried Delilah across the street and entered the diner.
“Well, I’ll be. Is that little Ridge Connelly?” a voice called out from behind the counter. Ridge instantly recognized the older woman that had been working at the diner since he could remember. Ethel was a mainstay at Angie’s.
“Yes, ma’am. And I brought my daughter with me.”
“Oh my word. Well, you just find a seat and I’ll grab you a high chair. Then you can tell me all about what you’ve been up to.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Ridge replied, his aunt Amy's southern manners ingrained in him coming back effortlessly. He and Delilah took residence at a booth in the corner just as Ethel brought out a high chair that looked older than Ridge was.
“What are you doing in town?” Ethel asked as she rested her hip on the corner of the table.
“Well, Delilah and I are moving here.”
“Oh, how lovely. I bet your aunt and uncle are just over the moon.”
“Well, I haven’t told them.”
Ethel blinked at him as if she couldn’t believe the words that he had said.
“Ridge Connelly, you better hope no one tells Amy and Joseph before you get the chance to, or bless your heart, you’re going to be begging the Pope himself for forgiveness.”
For the first time since he left California, Ridge worried that maybe he hadn’t made the best decision. He could only hope that his aunt and uncle would understand.
***
River looked down at the slip of paper with her new address scrawled across and sighed as she glanced down at her phone once again to make sure the message her new boss gave her was correct. But it couldn’t be. There was no way that this cute-as-a-button bungalow was going to be hers for a mere few hundred a month. It had to be too good to be true.
Feeling duped and full of regret, River dialed Poppy, the childcare center director and preschool director, waiting for her to pick up. River felt an instant connection to Poppy when they spoke on the phone and their virtual interview went as amazing as River could have hoped. It was made even more incredible when Poppy said she had housing available from her brother-in-law’s real estate company.
River should have known better. She spent her entire life waiting for the other shoe to drop. This situation shouldn’t be any different. Even as she eyed the similar houses up and down the road, she knew that her luck had run out.
“Hello?” the woman answered.
“Poppy? This is River, your new employee.”
“River! I thought I recognized the number. What can I do for you? Are you getting settled in?”
“Well, that’s what I was calling about,” River said as her grandmother began to get agitated in the passenger seat as they sat in the idling vehicle. “I must have written the address down wrong because the house I’m at looks brand new.”
“Blue bungalow with white trim and a white door?” Poppy asked, and River could hear the hint of a smile behind her voice.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s it. It’s a flipped home, so not entirely new. Is there a problem with it?” Poppy asked, suddenly concerned.
“No,” River rushed to say. “It’s beautiful and perfect. And. . .”
“We’re charging what we think is fair, River. We could let you stay there for free if we wanted, just so you’d stay in Carson, but I doubt you’d go for that, would you?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Good, then it’s settled. I’ll stop by and visit you tomorrow after you have some time to move your things. Or, we could help you move if you need some extra hands.”
“That’s okay. I’m sure I can manage.”
“Alright, well, welcome to Carson. And stop calling me ma’am. It makes me feel old.”
“Yes, ma’am, er, Poppy. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.”
River ended the call and turned off the truck's ignition, leaving it parked on the empty street. A few of her new neighbors were outside mowing their grass or watching their children play in the afternoon sun. She took a look around as she moved around the front of the vehicle to the passenger side. Before helping her grandmother from the truck, she opened the small black mailbox where Poppy said she had left the key. The metal dug into her palm as she squeezed her hand tightly into a fist.
Closing her eyes, River titled her face up to the sun, letting its warmth rain down on her. This was it. This was her chance to make something better of herself and give a better life to her grandmother.
A screeching noise came from behind her and River turned to find her grandmother trying to open the door to the truck, her frail state causing the door to try and close back in on her.
“Grandma, let me help you with that.” River insisted even as her grandmother swatted her hand away. She finally got the older woman safely down from the vehicle and helped her onto the small covered porch. Without a chair in place, River rushed back to the truck and grabbed a small camping chair before setting it up on the porch for her grandmother.
“Okay, let me get the car off the trailer and then we’ll load your bags and head out,” River said though her grandmother didn’t respond. Instead, her eyes wearily darted across the small neighborhood in confusion. River’s heart broke as she seemed to lose another piece of her family every second.
It didn’t take long to get her grandmother settled into her new place. River was surprised at the warmth and non-sterile appearance of the facility. It reminded her more of a luxury hotel and not an assisted-living home. The moment they walked through the automatic glass doors, River and Grandma Sue were greeted by a dark-skinned man that smiled so genuinely at their arrival River instantly felt her fears dissipate.
Though confused, her grandmother seemed at ease as the man named Thomas escorted them to her room. It didn’t take River long to unpack Grandma Sue’s clothes and personal items, and before she knew it, Thomas was escorting Sue to the craft room to meet a few of the other residents. At the first mention of painting, Sue’s eyes had lit up in elation. River remembered that her grandmother had been a painter earlier in her life, but had given up the hobby long ago.
“We’ll take good care of her, Ms. Matthews.”
River nodded and grabbed the packet Thomas left for her on the counter.
“I’ll come to visit you soon, grandma,” River said, knowing that there would be no reply; her grandmother was busy mumbling about acrylic and watercolor paints.
Wind whipped around her in the convertible, swirling her hair wildly around her face, as the drive back to the small house was basked in sunshine. All should have felt good and right, but River felt – alone. More alone than she could remember. It was taking all of her strength to keep herself composed, not letting her emotions run wild as they wanted.
At one of the few stoplights in town, River took a deep breath, turning her head to glance at the small crowd crossing the street. Her eyes bugged out of her head as she could have sworn the rock band Exoneration was crossing her path. She knew she had to be seeing things. When one of them waved, she casually waved back, acting as naturally as she could.
“Maybe you should go home and take a nap,” she whispered as the light turned green. Instead, she found herself pulling into the local market’s parking lot to grab some food. Even though she could easily find herself eating at Angie’s Diner every day, she didn’t think that her waistline would approve of that decision.
The interior was exactly as she had pictured in her mind: small, quaint, and a bit eccentric. River felt as if she had both jumped back in time and launched forward. There was a mix of some of her favorite snacks from her childhood and some of the most cutting-edge diet and specialty foods. She st
ood slack-jawed for so long she wasn’t sure exactly what kind of town she had found herself in.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, River only grabbed enough food to last for the next few days. She figured she could come back with a plan next time.
Back at her house, she shuffled the paper bags in her arms, skillfully closing the small trunk with her knee. The six bags shifted against her chest and she worried that one of them was going to drop, using her thigh to push it up a little higher as she walked across the driveway.
River noticed her neighbor, a good-looking man around her age, stepped out onto his porch from the corner of her eye.
“Hey,” he called out with a small wave as she shifted her arms again to hold the bags closer.
“Hi,” she replied as she walked up the steps. The man made no move to assist her, or to even ask, but River was used to that at this point. It was rare nowadays for anyone to offer to help someone, it seemed.
Standing at her door, River sighed heavily as she realized that the bulge in her front pocket was her keys, and there was no way she could retrieve them.
“My name is Paul,” the voice said from next door as River did all she could to maneuver the bags into one arm, but it was futile.
She told him her name with a grunt as she set down the bags onto the porch to dig the keys out of her pocket.
“Like the water?” he asked as if she hadn’t heard the question before.
Tired and ready to get inside and to at least unpack her bed, River shouted, “Yep,” and dragged the bags inside the house.
Though the guy lacked a chivalrous bone in his body that she could tell, maybe she could convince him to help carry the larger furniture inside her small house. Otherwise, River wasn’t quite sure how she was going to maneuver the queen-sized bed and sectional couch out of the trailer and into her home.
Not a minute after she finished putting the groceries into the pantry and fridge, the doorbell rang. River instantly felt guilty for the angered thoughts she had about her neighbor. Still, as she opened the door, assuming to find the attractive man, River gasped to see the beautiful redhead she had only met in a video interview and two very large and gorgeous men.
Behind the Flame: An Everyday Heroes World Book (The Everyday Heroes World) Page 2