“Of course he did. I’ll be out soon.” She tried to sound more like herself, but those anxiety lines were still present and he didn’t know what he could do to make those disappear.
“And try not to worry, okay? You can try to call again this afternoon.”
“Easier said than done.”
***
River couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something wasn’t right with her grandmother. She tried calling three more times but couldn’t get a hold of her. She even went so far as to contacting the facility’s general phone line, but because it was the weekend, the person that answered the phone didn’t have much information.
She was on her way to pick up Dylan at the bed and breakfast for their trip to the knitting club’s gathering and she was trying as hard as she could to push her worry to the back of her mind. She was excited to spend more time with the songwriter. She genuinely liked the woman and Dylan would be a sound barrier between her and the many Connelly women.
As she pulled into the long driveway for the bed and breakfast River found Dylan waiting on the main porch in a wooden bench swing. She looked relaxed and carefree, bundled up in a jacket to brace agains
t the chilly fall air. River barely had her SUV in park before Dylan flung the passenger door open and jumped inside.
They were one of the last to arrive, finding a room in the back of the fabric store filled with women of various ages. Amy Connelly greeted them first and introduced them to the remainder of the crowd. It didn’t take River long to realize that Ryker hadn’t been joking about what they did at the knitting club meetings.
A few older women quietly worked with pieces of yarn to crochet blankets or knit a scarf in the corner. One had a pattern so intricate that River could have sworn that a machine had knit the item.
The rest of the group consisted of Amy, her daughters, her daughters-in-law and future daughters-in-law, and a few local women River’s age that she had seen around time. A bottle of white wine was being passed around and poured into plastic cups as the women exchanged the latest gossip.
“I have no idea what’s going on, but I can’t tune it out,” Dylan whispered beside her and River couldn’t help but giggle, which had been the wrong move. Suddenly the women descended on her like vultures.
“So, what’s going on with you and Ridge?” Poppy asked and the crowd of women beside her mumbled their interest as well.
River hated being put on the spot and this time was no different. Ridge was their family member.
“Nothing,” she lied.
“Yeah, right. I’d have believed you if the man hadn’t begged me to let you take off for lunch yesterday. So please, try again.”
“We’re just friends. That’s it. Neither of us wants anything serious.”
Poppy hummed as if she didn’t believe River’s answer, then went back to sipping her cup of wine, leaving the topic tabled for the moment.
As she suspected, though, Dylan was interested in knowing more about River and Ridge's relationship.
“So, tell me why you’re okay with a casual fling with Ridge. I mean, I don’t know you extremely well, but you seem like the kind of girl searching for her happily ever after.”
“You’re right. That’s exactly what I’m looking for.”
“And you don’t think you could get that with Ridge?”
River thought for a moment on how to answer Dylan’s question. Her problem was that recently she could see herself getting her happily ever after with Ridge. She just knew it wasn’t probable.
“Let me ask you something. What is the most important thing to Ridge besides his daughter?”
“That’s easy, his job. He’s one of the best firefighters I know,” Dylan replied with a hint of defense in her tone.
“He is. I agree. And do you think he has room for anything else in his life besides those two priorities?”
Dylan stared at River in surprise.
“I. . .I don’t know. I think he could make room for you. I see the way he looks at you, the way he followed your every movement yesterday at dinner. You’re special to him, River.”
“That may be so, but as someone that has spent her entire life giving every ounce of herself to whoever needed it, I think it’s time I am more than just special.”
Dylan stared at her in a silence that had descended upon the room. It seemed as if everyone had listened to the tail of their conversation. If she didn’t feel awkward walking into the meeting earlier, she absolutely did now.