“Poppy, that’s really not necessary.”
“Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t asking. I was telling. Now pack your stuff and enjoy your afternoon. I’ll see you tomorrow at the knitting club.”
Ridge watched Poppy leave just as quickly as she came, reminding him of the cherry blossoms in the spring.
Turning his attention back to River, Ridge asked with a raised eyebrow, “Knitting club?”
“Don’t ask. Besides, are we going to discuss how you managed to pull that off?”
“I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”
“Mmhmm, sure. Poppy just so happened to be around during the lunch she wasn’t scheduled to cover just so that I could go with you instead.”
“Intuition?” he suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.
“What if I don’t want to go to lunch with you? What if I want to spend my now free afternoon and get a massage at the spa?”
“Come on. You know my massages are better than anything you could get in town.” Which was the truth. And his massages always added a little something extra in the form of naked time at the end. In a last-ditch effort, he used the only weapon he had left in his arsenal. Adjusting his hold of Delilah, he held her out toward River. “And really, are you going to deny this little one a lunch date with her other favorite person?”
r /> “That’s hitting below the belt, Ridge.”
“Oh, I know. I never fight fair when it’s something that I want.”
“Fine, let me close out my computer and grab my things.”
“We’ll meet you outside.”
Angie’s diner was crowded when they arrived, mostly due to the lunch hour, but he had called ahead and Ethel had set aside a table for him in the back room. She had just taken their order when his phone buzzed on the table.
“Sorry,” he told her, but she prompted him to answer. Surprised at the number that flashed on the screen, Ridge quickly answered the call before it could be sent to voicemail.”
“Grady Malone, how the hell are you doing, man?”
“Doing fine. How are things with you?” Grady asked and Ridge immediately looked over at River. She was trying not to listen to his conversation by entertaining Delilah, but he knew she was eavesdropping.
“I’m good. Delilah is growing like a weed, man.”
“Really? Well, I can’t wait to see her.”
Though he missed his friends, Ridge hadn’t considered even once traveling back to California. He and his daughter had started making a new life in Carson.
Ridge had grown silent on the call, and Grady interrupted, asking if he was still on the line.
“Yeah, man. Sorry. I’m at lunch with Delilah and. . .ugh. . .someone I’ve been seeing,” he said nervously, wondering how River would react. A tiny smirk lifted on the corner of her mouth as she continued to color a picture with Delilah.
“Seeing someone? Dylan will be happy to hear that. You know how much she wanted you to start dating again.”
“Yeah, I know. She was a bit relentless about it.” Ethel chose that moment to drop off their lunch and refresh their drinks.
“Hey, our lunch just arrived. Can I give you a call later?”
“Actually, that was why I was calling. I hadn’t put two and two together until we boarded the plane, but are you free for dinner?”
It took a moment for Grady’s words to register. “Wait, you’re on your way to Carson?”
“Yeah, man. Dylan has something she’s working on.”
“No, shit. Give me a call when you get to town and we’ll plan on something. Where are you guys staying?”