Chapter Eight
He was nervous. Fastening the last button of his dress shirt, Ridge felt like he was about to crawl out of his skin. It had been almost a year since he had taken a woman out to dinner, and that last time had proven to be disastrous. It was at a fancy restaurant on their anniversary where Penny spilled that she wanted a divorce, papers at the ready in her small purse. He had been shocked to say the least.
That reasoning was enough for Ridge, but he also considered that he was worried about River’s reaction. Would she stand him up? Would she slam the door in his face? Ridge shook his head as he tucked his shirt into the waistband of his dress slacks. River wasn’t the kind of woman to act in those manners. She was warm and kind and would even pretend to enjoy the date just to make him happy.
Ugh, what was he thinking?
He had only seen River in passing during the week and it just about killed him. She had been at the daycare each morning to greet him and Delilah as he dropped off his daughter, but he hadn’t seen her since, not even to exchange the mail as they had done so often. But what little he did see of her was more than a kick start to his heart. He felt rejuvenated with each passing glance. Even Poppy had witnessed him staring at River’s retreating back one morning.
There was a wall as thick as stone and as heavy as concrete that she erected around herself, and with each passing day, she seemed to add another layer. Ridge had almost canceled their plans numerous times, not wanting to set himself up for another failed relationship, but he held steady. He wanted more with River, and even if it took a lifetime, he was determined to break down each and every barrier.
With one final inspection in his mirror, Ridge left the bathroom, surprised at the eerie silence in the house. His Aunt Amy had picked up Delilah during the afternoon. She was ecstatic to watch his daughter so that Ridge could take River on a date – someone she had met a few times while picking up her grandchildren at the daycare center. It also helped that Poppy raved about River whenever she got the chance.
Loneliness swept over him as he passed Delilah’s empty bedroom. He couldn’t help but wonder if this emptiness was what he could expect to feel when his child was old enough to be on her own. It definitely wasn’t something he was looking forward to.
Though she only lived across the street, Ridge had turned down her suggestion of her to meet him at his house. He wanted her to consider their dinner together a real date, which meant he was driving his truck across the street and planned to wait at her door with a handful of flowers. Call him old fashioned, but he knew that his aunt and his female cousins would have his hide if he did anything less than he had planned.
The scent of fall filled the evening air as he stepped onto his porch. The crisp breeze filled his lungs as he deeply inhaled. Fall was one of his favorite seasons. As a kid, he always admired the colors of the changing leaves and the chilly nights that were perfect for a campfire.
From the corner of his eye, he watched as his elderly neighbor settled into a white rocking chair on her front porch. She returned his wave, and, not wanting to be rude, Ridge made the short journey between their two properties. A recent widow, he asked if she needed anything while he was out and if she had anything in the house that needed to be looked at. She made a small request for flour and olive oil and complained about a dripping faucet, but she assured him that the items were not a priority. Too bad he planned to accomplish both this weekend.
After a quick goodbye, Ridge drove his truck across the street and parked in River’s driveway just as her closest neighbor pulled his newly purchased Porsche into his own driveway. Something about the man irritated Ridge. Probably the man’s propensity to look down on everyone he came in contact with, but either way, the man rubbed Ridge the wrong way. He did admire the car, though.
Waving politely, Ridge was surprised the man returned the greeting though his scowl didn’t match the gesture. He looked as if he had swallowed a lemon whole. It was no secret in the neighborhood that Ridge and River had become fast friends, which left him wondering if the other man, Paul, he recalled was his name, was jealous.
Ignoring the neighbor’s glare, Ridge made his way to River’s front door and rang the doorbell instead of merely walking in as she had instructed him to do more recently. This was the first step for her to realize that this dinner was serious business. He didn’t get dressed up for
just anyone.
Ridge didn’t have to wait long before the front door open, but it took him a solid ten seconds to gather his wits as he soaked in her appearance.
Absolutely breathtaking. And that was an understatement.
River stood before him in an off-white sweater she wore as a dress. A brown belt cinched her narrow waist and brown heeled boots traveled up her legs, ending just below her knees. Ridge was mesmerized by the tantalizing glimpse of the lower thigh exposed below the dress. Her creamy white skin reminded him of the chocolates he liked to savor as a kid.
River’s hand gripped the edge of the door showing her nervousness, the knuckles so white they almost matched the paint color.
“Hi,” she said as she noticed the flowers hanging loosely at his side. Ridge had been so stunned when she opened the door that he lost all train of thought. He burned for her in a way he had never felt before. And this time, he wasn’t afraid of the flame.
“Are those for me?” she asked curiously. Ridge shook his head and then handed her the mix of wildflowers. “They’re beautiful. I’ve never had anyone bring me flowers before,” she added as she stepped into the house, gesturing for Ridge to follow. His foot hovered over the threshold, but then he thought better of it. He knew his limitations and following River into her house would end their date sooner than he’d like. By the heat he witnessed in her eyes he didn’t think either of them would be able to hold back.
“You’ve been dating the wrong men then,” he told her as he continued to stand on the porch, watching her at an angle as she filled a vase with water.
She giggled at his assessment. “You’re definitely not wrong there.”
It took her only a few minutes to situate the flowers in a pleasing way, then she grabbed an olive-green jacket and her purse before joining him on the porch.
“You never did tell me where we were going.”
Ridge casually placed his hand against her lower back as he escorted her to his truck, assisting her as she stepped up into the cab.
“The surprise is part of a date, right?” he said as she settled into place. River’s head twisted toward him, those long luscious brown curls following the motion.
Shyly she asked, “Is that what this is?”
He scolded himself for allowing her to think that his invitation was nothing more than a friendly dinner. Ridge knew he should have been more specific when he asked.
Ridge reached forward without thinking, cupping her chin between his fingers and tilted her face toward his. Softly he pressed his lips against her soft, shiny pout then quickly pulled back.