It took a few minutes to get her settled, but once Hank closed the door, Grandma Sue gazed out of the window with a haze in her eyes. River took her time stealing one last glance at the small bungalow she grew up in before hauling herself into the truck.
The vehicle lurched as she switched the gears into drive, and in the blink of an eye, she and her grandmother were on the road toward their new home.
A bright green sign about with the name Carson beckoned her from the highway an hour into their trek and River maneuvered the vehicle carefully down the exit ramp, depositing them on a lonely road with wheat fields edging both sides.
Stealing a peek at her grandmother, River was surprised to find a smile gracing her thin lips. She hadn’t stirred much during the drive, only grunting when a song came on the radio that she didn’t like, but other than that, she had wistfully stared out the window at the passing landscape and cars.
A sharp turn took River by surprise and she found herself pressing the brake to the floor to slow down so that the small Mazda Miata she was towing behind the truck didn’t swerve off the road. She whispered a prayer as she maneuvered around the bend, grateful when the vehicles stayed on the road and no one came in the other direction.
Glancing at her phone, the screen’s map indicated that she had another thirty minutes down this main road until the turn off for the assisted living facility and another twenty until they reached the main town of Carson, where River would be living. She noted that lunch was drawing near, and River knew how detrimental it was to keep her grandmother on a schedule, even if she knew that bringing her grandmother somewhere new could cause an outburst.
“Hey, Grandma. Want to stop in town to grab some lunch and drop off the truck before we take you to get settled into the new place? We can drive the convertible.” River knew how to sweeten the deal for Grandma Sue. The woman bought the sports car right after her husband had passed away and it was one of the few things that had brought a smile to her lips. River knew she still had a soft spot for the vehicle, even if she couldn’t drive it much longer.
“Lunch?” Sue’s hollow voice asked as she turned her attention to River. She was sure her grandmother was trying to figure out why she was in a car with a stranger. Some days she remembered her and other days she didn’t. River had hoped for a good day today.
“Yeah, the place we’re going to is supposed to have the best meatloaf in all of North Carolina. Next to yours, of course.
”
“Steve loved meatloaf,” Sue longingly said as she turned her attention back out the window.
Whispering more to herself, River replied, “I know, Grandma. I know.”
The remainder of the drive was filled with silence as they traveled the mountainous roads until they landed in a valley's small crevice. The right-hand turn for the facility came up and River was happy to see that, even from the road, the pictures online looked exactly as they claimed. Beautifully manicured hedges gave way to a sprawling lawn and flowerbeds. She slowed down to take it in and felt the tightness in her chest dissipate.
“What are you looking at?” her grandmother said in a fiery tone, her hunger evident as it was whenever she knew lunchtime was approaching.
“Nothing,” River replied, pressing down on the accelerator to gain speed once again. “Let’s get some lunch.”
River hadn’t expected much as she neared the small town of Carson. She hadn’t been able to find many pictures of the town online, but the few she had reminded her of a classic small town from the fifties.
She knew from the map that the diner was located at the far end of the town, but as she approached the first stop sign, River could make out the building off in the distance. The town was no more than three or four long blocks of buildings with meticulous sidewalks and window dressings.
She slowed the truck to a snail’s pace as they ventured into town; River noting the clothing and grocery stores since she’d need to check those out as soon as she settled in. A small bar named Horizons also caught her eye. She may not know much about small-town living, but she knew that if she wanted to make friends, Horizons was going to move to the top of that list.
The parking lot for Angie’s Diner was small and River knew she wouldn’t be able to situate the storage truck and her car into one of the small spaces. Luckily, there was a large public parking area across the street with plenty of room for the vehicles.
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.